Speaker 1: Zwift racing is taking off. As well as being a virtual cycling playground
for riding and training, it's also the perfect venue for getting nice and competitive.
Manon: If you haven't tried it yet you really should. It's open to all levels and once you're
on the Zwift platform, it's pretty much the most accessible form of bike racing going.
Speaker 1: In this video, we're going to go through the basics of Zwift, how to get into
it and how to do it. Who knows? Well, you might have what it takes to raise the cycling
eSports World Championships. Manon: Before we get started though, what
is Zwift racing? Speaker 1: Now, there are two types, you've
got a solo time trials, that's where your solo against the clock much like being out
on the road. Now, there are no group dynamics at work here, but you have got that incentive
of it being a race so you can go that little bit deeper and get that a little bit more
out of yourself. Manon: For most people though Zwift racing
is a must start, just like in a road race. Because of the draft and dynamic on the Zwift
platform peloton's are formed, breakaways are made and chased back and breakaways are
forged. It can be pretty tactical and the time actually goes really quickly.
Speaker 1: Now, other than it being in a virtual world with your competitors being towns, cities,
countries thousands of miles from where you are, the races tend to be a lot shorter so
around 20 to 40 kilometers long and it's free to enter.
Manon: As we said earlier, anyone could race on Zwift as the races are divided into categories
according to ability. Speaker 1: Now, there are four groups, A to
D. They're all down on your power-to-weight ratio which is your FTP divided by your body
weight. Manon: Category A riders can look to average
4 watts per kilo and higher, B is 3.2 to 3.9 watts per kilo, C is 2.5 to 3.1 watts per
kilo and D is 2.4 watts per kilo and below. Bear in mind that these are average numbers
and there will be times where you will be pressing on the peddles much harder and times
where you will you be gasping for air trying to recover.
Zwift as you know will give you an estimate FTP based on what riding you do, but if you
want to do a quick fitness test, that will solve all the problems.
Speaker 1: Yes, I always find actually once I've raced on Zwift that my FTP gets just
that little bit higher. Now I think that's because the added incentive of racing spurs
me on that little bit more. Manon: To find an event to race, there are
two quick and easy ways. First, we head to the zwift.com/events and you can see the calendar
there or open the Zwift companion app on your phone.
Speaker 1: Now, the races are clearly marked different lengths, different courses all you
have to do to find out more about them is click on the race, have a browse and get a
feel for the different types of events out there.
Manon: As you can see, there are loads and loads of events to choose from. There's around
100 every day and they'll come down to what's most convenient for you at the time, pre-work,
lunch hour, post work, pre-dinner, not often you can get such a competitive fix in such
a short space of time and you can do it without losing any friends.
Speaker 1: That's a bonus. Now, once you've selected your race and your category, you
can then set a prompt that alerts you at the time of event. Meaning if you're making a
cup of tea or doing hoovery, you don't miss the start.
[music] Speaker 1: The equipment you need to race
on Zwift is as you need across the rest of the platform. You need to start off with a
Zwift membership, an indoor trainer or a turbo, a speed and a cadence sensor. Now, however
I would suggest you go for an interactive trainer. That way it makes the experience
a whole lot more enjoyable. Manon: We're using the Elite Suito today,
which is a really affordable smart trainer but don't let this affordability fool you
because it can generate up to 1,900 watts of resistance and simulate gradients of up
to 15%, that being said if you're going to put out that many watts, you probably want
to know more about the World Championships coming up.
Speaker 1: Now, if you're racing in the higher ability categories, as important as a trainer
that puts out a good amount of resistance, it's also the power element. Now, a lot of
race organizers will require you to have a power meter reading device and also a heart
rate monitor, that way it keeps you nice and legitimate. Right, I need to get my heart
monitor. [music]
Manon: It is a good idea to do a little warm-up before your race to get your legs ready to
put the power down. Whatever you do don't worry about the fast start. It will ease up
after a few minutes but if the worst does happen and you get dropped, you can always
pick a different race and maybe select a category down. It's no big deal.
Speaker 1: Now, I'm not going to too much into the tactics here because most of the
golden rules for road racing still apply. You want to stick close to the front of the
bunch, that way you can see what's going on. Who's attacking, who's chasing and if they're
being brought back. That being said, you don't want to be the one that's chasing because
otherwise you're waste all that energy but you don't want to sand bag either. You want
to do your bit and get get stuck in, just like Manon here. Come on Manon. Manon dig
in. [music]
Manon: When you do fancy having a go attacking, make sure you chose the right moment. Maybe
on a short little climb or straight after when everyone's desperately trying to recover.
Speaker 1: My personal favorite, but you should also keep your eyes peeled for the power ups.
Another depart away from the real world. These bonuses are awarded at random. Now, you could
get little bit of extra draw for a few seconds or it could reduce your weight on those climbs.
The feather, my absolute favorite. Which one's yours?
Manon: The arrow one. All about the arrow gains.
[music] Manon: I've just finished that race and it
was super tough as usual. When you do finish happy and exhilarated you should head over
to zwiftpower.com to get your results. Once you're here, you can probably lose yourself
to Zwift Racing for ever as you compare yourself to friends, rivals with ranking points and
past racing history available for all to see. [music]
Speaker 1: You're getting into this Zwift malarkey, we actually thought you might. How
would you take it further? Manon: Well, when you're not racing yourself,
why not watch other people race. E-racing is getting bigger and bigger and there are
loads you can learn from the commentators and watching the race tactics unfold in front
of you. Speaker 1: Then don't forget there's the inaugural
UCO World Championships happening later on in the year. Now, if you have a Zwift membership
we cannot recommend racing enough. Manon: Give it a go, you've got nothing to
loose. It might just be your new favorite way of riding indoors.
Speaker 1: All right, move aside Manon. It's my turn to race.
Manon: Off you go. Speaker 1: There we go now.
Manon: I've got more watts than you though. Speaker 1: I don't know about that, Manon.
[00:06:46] [END OF AUDIO]