plifter242 wrote:
If you want to most replicate the event you missed in the real world do it in aero. If you want to do the best you can in the Zwift event do it on the hoods. Only you can answer which is more important to you. I’m not a TTer I’m a road racer and I race on Zwift completely different then if I’m in the real world. Up on the hoods in a comfortable position, bottles on table next to me, comfortable clothing, all things I’d never do or could do in a race.
Just pick one and if you do another TT on Zwift after this one, just use the same so you can judge your performance the same.
unfortunately, all of this
having a large frontal area just isn't penalized on Zwift, so no reason not to "race" on the hoods while on Zwift. I also have bottles on a table next to me, and three fans going, when I'm really churning.
While on the topic of bottles, one funny thing is that it usually takes me 1.5 hours to consume 1.5 L of liquid (even in really hot conditions), but I easily consume that much (and then some) when doing indoor racing about one hour in duration.
Tri_Joeri wrote:
I couldn't find a more specific topic but since this one features a lot of info on Zwift racing, I thought I'd ask my question here instead of starting a new topic.
Have any of you raced TT's on Zwift and if so, how do you do them?
I was supposed to do a 42km TT this weekend but ofcourse with the virus going on, it was cancelled so I registered for my first Zwift TT (31.7km) and 3rd Zwift race after doing ok in 2 regular races (Cat A). But I'm doubting a bit whether I should do the TT on the hoods/in the drops or in my actual TT position. In my last Zwift race I was able to put out 294W (4.5W/kg) for half an hour but I'm pretty sure I can't pull that off in the TT position (especially on the trainer), and the race is likely going to last 40-45'. Zwift only looks at W/kg and takes a fixed CdA for my length and weight, so ofcourse on the hoods I'll have a better result..
From a personal perspective it might make sense to do it in the TT position since it's a TT, but I'd also like to do well and I'll likely have burning quads after 15-20' at those wattages while I could do more or atleast for longer on the hoods. And my guess is that most people do them on the hoods anyway for the same reasons..
Zwift TTs are unfortunately next to useless. They don't even pretend to reward people for having low CdA, so why bother (unless if it's a hillclimb TT). In the real world, I hit 45.5 kph avg on 310W, while many others hit that speed at 360W+. On zwift, they'd be a lot faster. Maybe you can take that absurdity better than I can, but it would require a lot of equanimity, which I personally believe is better reserved for more important aspects of life.
As such, I don't do Zwift TTs, but that doesn't stop me from riding in my TT position on Zwift. Ditto for doing hard intervals in the drops, which is how I've always done them in the real world. Good thing about TTs is that training for them gets you pretty close to the race itself. So if I were you, I'd train in the TT position, b/c that's what helps you in the real world. Find a course having features similar to the 42km race in real life, and just give it a go this weekend (a parcour that takes ~40 min to complete would be fine). Use whatever tools available to help you through the work out (be it an old edition of Paris Roubaix, some blower fans, whatever), but do as much of that ~40min as possible on the extensions of the TT bike.
Good luck, I don't think it'll be fun, but it should certainly help you better prepare for a real ~hour-long TT when things resume.