Hey Ryan, I've started cycling in July and got my home trainer a month ago and for my luck your channel was there. Otherwise I would probably have a dust collector. After installing Zwift and messing around for two days, I got categorized into "C" and it was frustrating as hell. Being dropped in the first 2-3 mins of every race has totally tanked my motivation. Then I've found your video doing the Everest challenge, while your girls are roasting you on camera and it gave me a totally different perspective. I've learned that day that I could actually have fun while losing. So I figured I'll just bite my tongue and have a good time, regardless of results. Today I've finished my first Galibier race, got trashed by people twice my age and the only thing I took away from it is how much fun it was. Thanks Ryan for the wonderful content! Keep up the good work! Greeting from Switzerland
Few tips from me (I jumped from low D to mid B cat in 1.5 year) 1. Start hard pedaling 1-2 sec before the ride start and stop 1-2 after the start. Otherwise you might get dropped at the start. 2. Change your gears before climb starts. There is a small delay which might cost you a lot of strength to not get dropped because of that. 3. Change front gears during descent to low on the front. Many descents can jump from -12% to +12% in 2-3seconds. Without good legs you will stop in a mid of the climb and won't be able to start pedaling with hard gears. 4. Don't ride on the front/back of a group unless you know what you're doing. It's too easy to get toasted with too high watts to stay on the front or get dropped riding on back. 5. Use lower handles during sprints - free watts 6. ALWAYS sprint at the end of the race. Staying helps. 7. high cadence (85 for rest, 90-100 normal) is your friend 8. Have 2 fans and remote pilot for them 9. Eat and drink during a ride. When you feel hungry - that's too late. I eat banana each 45mins, start drinking after 20mins (1l/h) 10. Robopacers are scam :D 200w for 50kg is different than 200w for 120kg. Most people use watt/kg ratio, but still I found that for 2.6w/kg ride I (82kg) have to do 2.8w/kg, and super light women 3.5w/kg. Numbers for robopacers never works for me. If you feel you can ride 2.5w/kg, find 2.2w/kg robopacer. At the end of the day you will stay most of the time around 2.5w/kg 11. Ride with stronger riders - they are always pushing your limits and can advise you. Also, during longer sessions it's not that boring, when you can have a conversation with someone 12. Strava hearth rate is just an estimation. Do 2-3 max HR tests and then set your own "max". It will help you later to understand how much strength left in your body. 13. Experiment with trainer difficulty. It won't change watts which you need to produce, but might help to stay with high cadence 14. Read pacer's messages during group rides. In many situations there is a yellow beacon which holds the proper tempo and red at the end who sweeps (helps people to get back to the group when they got dropped). If you stay with the red beacon you might not survive it. Basically they do intervals to help others. 15. If you see that you're getting dropped during a group ride - write a message that you need help. Usually people will wait/sweeper will help. Do it when there is 2-3sec gap. +10sec gaps are sometimes impossible to catch or require 2-3 sweepers to work. 16. Sweeping - you must stay in the sweeper draft. It will require to do high watts for several seconds. Still, the main work is on the sweeper. E.g. if sweeper do 5w/kg, you need to stay around 3.8w/kg.
Note that the wattage you have to do in the draft isn't a percentage or amount less than the person at the front is doing, it's a percentage or amount less than you'd be doing if they weren't there. It might be typical that you're doing less than the guy at the front, but it's not a given and when people put it in those terms "The front rider is doing 300w and those in the draft can be doing 30% less" it makes it sound like your wattage is connected to theirs, but it isn't. In some case - especially with zwift - you might need to do more watts than the guy you're drafting or the same - but it's fewer watts than you'd have to do if you were riding solo at the same speed. So there's no sense where you can say "if sweeper is doing 5 w/kg you need to stay around 3.8 w/kg" - in fact your point 10 points out that you can't do that with the robopacers - you noticed you have to ride harder than the robopacer - but this isn't a scam - drafting doesn't mean "you do less watts than the person in front" - it means "you do less watts than you would if the person in front of you wasn't there"
I just want to say, Ryan’s channel was one of the main reasons I pulled the trigger and got into Zwift! As a bigger rider myself, don’t be discouraged if your goal is about fitness and weight loss, I’m 27 weeks in and haven’t been this fit since my early 20s! And everyone around me is noticing! Honestly it’s a game changer! Do your research obviously, but this is a great community and Ryan’s a gem to follow, his journeys has been nothing but spectacular! I honestly cant say enough good things about it! For example, I was burnt out after a 50 minute group ride the other day and Beth who I’ve never met before, dropped behind to draft me to the 60 minute victory! 😅 damn.. what a community! I hope this little snippet of my experience helps someone! And thanks Ryan! I’m planning on riding with you in October 😅
I've been off my bike for 6 years. I've put loads of weight on. This video has given me the push to get back on the watt bike. Let the journey begin.👊👊👊👊👊
Having a near permanent set up has been key for me to stay consistent with Zwift. I’ve had my Zwift account since year 1 of Zwift, but this is the first year i actually have ridden consistently week after week thanks to videos like yours and keeping my setup ready to go all the time.
Hi Ryan, recently discovered your channel and loving following your journey. You’ve inspired me to buy a bike and try Zwift. Did my first ride last night (20 min FTP) and couldn’t even manage to finish it - the warm up alone killed me! Going to persevere though!!
I'm about a month in, and had a similar experience. I mainly just pick the easy routes, and they are still more work than I expected. I recently retired from a job where I averaged around 15,000 steps a shift and wanted something to keep my cardio up. I have no interest in races. I just wanted to do some leisurely riding and I still end up drenched in sweat. Anyway, I've stuck with it so far and have been biking four or five times a week, putting in 40 minutes or so a session. Skipping leg day for an entire lifetime hasn't done me any favors. Hope you stick with it and it works out for you.
Ryan - you’re one of the biggest reasons I converted from Peloton to Zwift in March! I also am on a weight loss journey with the arrival of my first kid on the horizon. Finishing my first workout plan last week I’ve been interested in racing and this video is giving me that juice! Time to ditch the MTB and find a road bike for my trainer. Love the videos and keep it up. Much love from the US!
It's been great following your journey, I've just subscribed to zwift 10 minutes ago after being off for four months... I look forward to racing you. 😊
Awesome video 👍🏻 Here's a newbie error for you...Been on zwift for a month now and tried alpe du zwift for the first time a couple weeks in, took me over 2 hours!. Turns out I had set up the wheel on the bike and the indoor trainer wrong (wahoo kickr snap) so the tyre was rubbing against the rim brakes the entire way up 🤣😅. It was only when I finished and seen red trainer tyre dust everywhere that I realised! Absolutely brutal 😳. Things have been going much better now that I'm riding with the brakes off 😎🤦. Look forward to more zwift videos and hope to see you around watopia sometime 👌
Hey Ryan! I got into Zwift a few weeks ago in no small part to you. Been doing the FTP booster programme and it’s been great. For some reason I gave Alpe du Zwift a go last night - took me like 115 min and I had to add some granny gears to the Kickr bike software halfway up 😂 but so pleased I didn’t give up. Looking forward to seeing that number come down!
I'm getting set-up on Zwift with a low tech/cheap roller/speed/cadence sensors set-up. So this is very helpful. Exercise can be great to lose weight in the sense that if you are exercising you aren't eating, it improves your mood and can be social. I eat when I'm bored and low. Exercise can help with both of those.
That's actually how I started! No kidding, CycleOps rollers (not a wheel-on trainer - actual rollers) with a speed and cadence sensor. I did my vEveresting on this setup! It was brutal, and while it was fun, it was an enormous challenge; I went off the rollers a few times trying to turn with corners because I was using 1st person view. xD Now I have a dedicated frame on a Zwift Hub One (bought that when it was being closed out) with Zwift Play controllers and it's an entirely different challenge - I no longer fear toppling over, but instead fear the wear and tear on the legs. :)
@@WendsH So far I'm loving it! I did my first FPT test yesterday. I don't know if I'll ever have the courage to attempt to Everest on rollers though! That's so impressive!
@@elisabethklinge2115 I highly recommend that NOBODY Everests on rollers. I deserved to be certified as a lunatic for doing that! It was the most painful and rigorous thing I've ever done, and my neck and upper back wouldn't unkink themselves for /days/ after it. Save Everesting in Zwift for a wheel-on trainer, direct drive smart trainer or a smart bike, for real!!
Good stuff, Ryan. It was fun watching you getting going on Zwift and discovering all the pain points that many of us do along the way. Keep up the great work - don't think I could keep up with you anymore!
I just got my Zwift Ride bike, just waiting for the last few bits and bobs to complete my setup. Your video is so inspiring and different from other vids I watched, perfect for a noob like myself. See you in Watopia Ryan. Subscribed
I totally agree that Alpe du Zwift is a very good indicator of fitness level. I was targeting a sub 3 hour marathon (a pb) and in parallel I was aiming to get Zwift concept bike (Tron) in the 4 month build up period. That's 48 climbs up the Alp. I was doing the climb around 3 times a week and just as I was peaking for the run I did an all out effort at 56 mins. I got a 2:58 marathon if the back of it. I did a good amount of running too but I firmly believe the Alp got me strong. I love it and I've raced up it IRL too. I would advise all new Zwifters to select the Everest challenge straight away, so all your climbing counts towards the Tron bike. Many folk will prefer group rides over racing..and many group rides are almost racing
As always thanks for post such a great video. It was very inspiring. I wish I could have found a video like this when I first started. Keep up the good work and BTW I registered for the race in the podcast battle. Can’t wait to see how it turns out
Great advice Ryan thx. I'm a newbie recovering from ankle surgery from a football mishap. I'm hoping this will be part of my rehab so I can get back on my bikes down here in Aus and my skis in Canada. BTW rain isn't as much of a factor down here :)
Hey Ryan, I know you don't usually like such comments, but still. Since you switched to YT as a main job, I think you could invest some time into a proper structured training. In earlier videos you mentioned that your just a beginner and you just do what motivates you - Zwift races. But I would not call you a beginner anymore. And anyway - Zwift races is more enjoyable when you have some proper training as well. Also, you can do some videos about your training journey, to add more variability in your content. I'm not a cycling coach, but I would recommend at least to add like three 1-2 hours zone 2 rides a week - they're low intensity, so you should be recovered next day (when you get used to it). Personally for me it makes so much difference when I have a Zwift races with a little Zone 2 rides and 3-4 Zone 2 rides a week. Not even I watts, but how it feels. But what more important - as I see you have 90+% or your activities in Zone 4-5+. But if you don't have a lot of low intensity trainings you just would not be able to improve significantly at some point. Because with high intensity training you increase you fitness level, but with low intensity you improve your potential - the level you can reach with high intensity trainings. Yes, you do have really long runs etc, but they're rare. To feel the difference you need to have at least a few Zone 2 trainings a week. Then you can also add trainings in some more intense interval trainings and train specific zones, so you can produce more power for longer on Zwift races. Also, set some minimut training time a week and try to stick to it (e.g. 5 hours a week, or 10 hours etc). Just try it for a few month, it may be not your thing, but it would improve your fitness level for sure. Again, it requires some time investments, but it might give you a lot more. It can push you up next level in your cycling/fitness life.
Thank you for this video Ryan! I just bought myself a trainer for this winter, and I am so much looking forward to try it out when the snow gets here! I'll throw myself into a race. Just one question, how much do one have to play in order to get a bike that benefit from drafting?
@@crillesryggsack2860 hey. Good luck on Zwift. Just use the basic non TT bike and upgrade to lighter bikes and frames as you progress. All the info you need is on Zwift Insider. 👍
Great video! Hope you've managed to remove your saddle 🤣🤣 I'm just getting back to Zwifting after a couple of months off in the summer! Its hard but good! 😄
Hi Ryan, have been considering getting into Zwift for a few months and your videos have convinced to do just that. However, its the choice of which setup do I go for. I like the idea of the Zwift ride all in one but also like the idea of a Wattbike. The answer obviously depends on budget but do you have any regrets or would you buy anything different if you were starting from scratch today? Keep up the great work and thanks for the entertainment.
Very timely video as I'm just looking into this, cheers. BTW, how's your toe doing sing TPC? My ankle is just about healed now, time for a run tomorrow.
By the way, don’t you still have Strava? It would be great. You can just sync it with Zwift, and that’s it. But if you also post your outdoor rides and runs there, that would be awesome. Personally, I’d love to see your activities on Strava-Zwift is really bad for this and doesn’t cover outdoor activities as well. For example, if I saw a 100k run on Strava, I’d be so excited to wait for a video.
17:27 Sticking with a group - for drafting purposes - presumably relies on one's sprint capacity to outrun that same pack at the end of a race. If sprinting is not atop one's list of strengths, is there any defensible argument to be made for taking the full brunt of the headwind (i.e., not drafting) and trying to establish and stretch a lead from the start? ... assuming that endurance is, indeed, among one's strengths, I suppose...
@@kurtrankin and this brings us back to my point, if one cannot hold a breakaway (as one has just been bumped upto C), then the secondary aim is to stick with ones race lead pack as no race is being challenged if one is dropped. ... Id also argue that if you (sorry one) can sprint off the start line and hold it for a win then you're racing in a cat below your (one's) capability.
@@RyanCondon Thanks for providing your perspective, Ryan. You/One/Me, etc. is a habit born of my public speaking background, so I apologize for being offputting with that wording. Anyway, I'm enjoying your videos and your approach to gains. I'm not coming down from 190kg (congratulations), but I am finding common ground with your approach and the trial-by-fire methods I've run through as a solo cyclist. I am setting up to get rolling on Zwift for the first time as the weather is about to go pear-shaped in the U.S. northeast. I am not a sprinter at heart; all of my road cycling has been geared toward distance gains for the past year. Hence my original question as I wonder how my real-world experience might translate to Zwift success. I look forward to viewing the remainder of your past videos and your new content as well.
@@kurtrankin I was being unnecessarily sarcastic. There was no need for that. The increased additional power required to race off the front is exponentially harder than racing within a pack enjoying the draft and most packs will eventually close down any gaps. I'd argue that if anyone is able to hold a gap, especially from the start then they have been incredibly lucky with the race they've entered or they're racing below their ability. But it is possible, probably during a prolonged climb where riders are less likely to want to chase you down. I have found that I have learnt more from the baptism of fire Zwift racing has offered then any workout or video can offer. I appreciate the support and watch. 🙏👍
Don't you love the way that you have to click 5 or 6 times at the end of the ride just to finish it while you're half hanging off the bike? Thats a lesson in really crap UI design right there. Right up there with white text on a yellow background when you ride with the Taylor or Bernie bots. It's only been 10 years though I guess.
I can climb faster on a gradient in Zwift than in the real world. (Yes, at 100%) my zwift bike has no water bottles, saddlebag repair kit, no lights, batteries, etc. Fulgaz is more accurate for climbing.
@@RyanCondon I've ridden the Alpe about 6 times(?) the last being on Monday this week in the Tour of Watopia. I didn't feel great on this ride & it reminded me of my one ride up Ven Top. I said 'never again' but will do it again soon.
@@RyanCondon I've just counted and I've ridden the Alpe 8 times since Feb '21 with the last being my 4th fastest at 1:03:51. I did it over 2min faster in April. Need to get up it again!
Here is the forum post I referred to in the video. forums.zwift.com/t/zwift-racing-score-next-phase-september-2024/635405
Hey Ryan,
I've started cycling in July and got my home trainer a month ago and for my luck your channel was there. Otherwise I would probably have a dust collector.
After installing Zwift and messing around for two days, I got categorized into "C" and it was frustrating as hell. Being dropped in the first 2-3 mins of every race has totally tanked my motivation.
Then I've found your video doing the Everest challenge, while your girls are roasting you on camera and it gave me a totally different perspective. I've learned that day that I could actually have fun while losing. So I figured I'll just bite my tongue and have a good time, regardless of results.
Today I've finished my first Galibier race, got trashed by people twice my age and the only thing I took away from it is how much fun it was.
Thanks Ryan for the wonderful content! Keep up the good work!
Greeting from Switzerland
@@Synchrothron congratulations on losing, its part of the journey. I hope you keep doing it as one day soon youll be the one doing the dropping. 🙌💪
Few tips from me (I jumped from low D to mid B cat in 1.5 year)
1. Start hard pedaling 1-2 sec before the ride start and stop 1-2 after the start. Otherwise you might get dropped at the start.
2. Change your gears before climb starts. There is a small delay which might cost you a lot of strength to not get dropped because of that.
3. Change front gears during descent to low on the front. Many descents can jump from -12% to +12% in 2-3seconds. Without good legs you will stop in a mid of the climb and won't be able to start pedaling with hard gears.
4. Don't ride on the front/back of a group unless you know what you're doing. It's too easy to get toasted with too high watts to stay on the front or get dropped riding on back.
5. Use lower handles during sprints - free watts
6. ALWAYS sprint at the end of the race. Staying helps.
7. high cadence (85 for rest, 90-100 normal) is your friend
8. Have 2 fans and remote pilot for them
9. Eat and drink during a ride. When you feel hungry - that's too late. I eat banana each 45mins, start drinking after 20mins (1l/h)
10. Robopacers are scam :D 200w for 50kg is different than 200w for 120kg. Most people use watt/kg ratio, but still I found that for 2.6w/kg ride I (82kg) have to do 2.8w/kg, and super light women 3.5w/kg. Numbers for robopacers never works for me. If you feel you can ride 2.5w/kg, find 2.2w/kg robopacer. At the end of the day you will stay most of the time around 2.5w/kg
11. Ride with stronger riders - they are always pushing your limits and can advise you. Also, during longer sessions it's not that boring, when you can have a conversation with someone
12. Strava hearth rate is just an estimation. Do 2-3 max HR tests and then set your own "max". It will help you later to understand how much strength left in your body.
13. Experiment with trainer difficulty. It won't change watts which you need to produce, but might help to stay with high cadence
14. Read pacer's messages during group rides. In many situations there is a yellow beacon which holds the proper tempo and red at the end who sweeps (helps people to get back to the group when they got dropped). If you stay with the red beacon you might not survive it. Basically they do intervals to help others.
15. If you see that you're getting dropped during a group ride - write a message that you need help. Usually people will wait/sweeper will help. Do it when there is 2-3sec gap. +10sec gaps are sometimes impossible to catch or require 2-3 sweepers to work.
16. Sweeping - you must stay in the sweeper draft. It will require to do high watts for several seconds. Still, the main work is on the sweeper. E.g. if sweeper do 5w/kg, you need to stay around 3.8w/kg.
@@TheGeniesis alot of good tips. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Congrats on your promotion.
Note that the wattage you have to do in the draft isn't a percentage or amount less than the person at the front is doing, it's a percentage or amount less than you'd be doing if they weren't there. It might be typical that you're doing less than the guy at the front, but it's not a given and when people put it in those terms "The front rider is doing 300w and those in the draft can be doing 30% less" it makes it sound like your wattage is connected to theirs, but it isn't. In some case - especially with zwift - you might need to do more watts than the guy you're drafting or the same - but it's fewer watts than you'd have to do if you were riding solo at the same speed. So there's no sense where you can say "if sweeper is doing 5 w/kg you need to stay around 3.8 w/kg" - in fact your point 10 points out that you can't do that with the robopacers - you noticed you have to ride harder than the robopacer - but this isn't a scam - drafting doesn't mean "you do less watts than the person in front" - it means "you do less watts than you would if the person in front of you wasn't there"
@@michael1 Thank you for your explanation. I wasn't aware about mechanics behind the draft :)
I just want to say, Ryan’s channel was one of the main reasons I pulled the trigger and got into Zwift!
As a bigger rider myself, don’t be discouraged if your goal is about fitness and weight loss, I’m 27 weeks in and haven’t been this fit since my early 20s! And everyone around me is noticing!
Honestly it’s a game changer! Do your research obviously, but this is a great community and Ryan’s a gem to follow, his journeys has been nothing but spectacular!
I honestly cant say enough good things about it! For example, I was burnt out after a 50 minute group ride the other day and Beth who I’ve never met before, dropped behind to draft me to the 60 minute victory! 😅 damn.. what a community! I hope this little snippet of my experience helps someone! And thanks Ryan! I’m planning on riding with you in October 😅
Amazing stuff! Your progress sounds epic. 💪🙌
I've been off my bike for 6 years. I've put loads of weight on. This video has given me the push to get back on the watt bike. Let the journey begin.👊👊👊👊👊
@@karltwigger3989 Lets go. 🙏🙌
Having a near permanent set up has been key for me to stay consistent with Zwift. I’ve had my Zwift account since year 1 of Zwift, but this is the first year i actually have ridden consistently week after week thanks to videos like yours and keeping my setup ready to go all the time.
@@SteakandChains A hassle free setup definitely helps. Thanks for watching. 🙏🙌
Hi Ryan, recently discovered your channel and loving following your journey. You’ve inspired me to buy a bike and try Zwift. Did my first ride last night (20 min FTP) and couldn’t even manage to finish it - the warm up alone killed me! Going to persevere though!!
Good luck, its such a great fitness tool. You'll get there. Keep going. :)
I'm about a month in, and had a similar experience. I mainly just pick the easy routes, and they are still more work than I expected. I recently retired from a job where I averaged around 15,000 steps a shift and wanted something to keep my cardio up. I have no interest in races. I just wanted to do some leisurely riding and I still end up drenched in sweat. Anyway, I've stuck with it so far and have been biking four or five times a week, putting in 40 minutes or so a session. Skipping leg day for an entire lifetime hasn't done me any favors. Hope you stick with it and it works out for you.
Ryan - you’re one of the biggest reasons I converted from Peloton to Zwift in March! I also am on a weight loss journey with the arrival of my first kid on the horizon. Finishing my first workout plan last week I’ve been interested in racing and this video is giving me that juice! Time to ditch the MTB and find a road bike for my trainer.
Love the videos and keep it up. Much love from the US!
Thank you. I'm pleased you like my vids. Good luck in your first race. :)
It's been great following your journey, I've just subscribed to zwift 10 minutes ago after being off for four months... I look forward to racing you. 😊
@@kevstephen9393 cheers mate. Good luck with the new season.
Awesome video 👍🏻
Here's a newbie error for you...Been on zwift for a month now and tried alpe du zwift for the first time a couple weeks in, took me over 2 hours!. Turns out I had set up the wheel on the bike and the indoor trainer wrong (wahoo kickr snap) so the tyre was rubbing against the rim brakes the entire way up 🤣😅. It was only when I finished and seen red trainer tyre dust everywhere that I realised! Absolutely brutal 😳. Things have been going much better now that I'm riding with the brakes off 😎🤦.
Look forward to more zwift videos and hope to see you around watopia sometime 👌
@@ne0paul now that an ADZ PR you will never beat. 🙏😅
Another fantastic video! You're so personable and I can't help but get excited every time I see that clip of your victory.
Thank you! That means a lot. 🙌
Hey Ryan! I got into Zwift a few weeks ago in no small part to you. Been doing the FTP booster programme and it’s been great. For some reason I gave Alpe du Zwift a go last night - took me like 115 min and I had to add some granny gears to the Kickr bike software halfway up 😂 but so pleased I didn’t give up. Looking forward to seeing that number come down!
@@edmoorebsc 115 min is a good first attempt, well done for getting it done. 💪🙌
I'm getting set-up on Zwift with a low tech/cheap roller/speed/cadence sensors set-up. So this is very helpful. Exercise can be great to lose weight in the sense that if you are exercising you aren't eating, it improves your mood and can be social. I eat when I'm bored and low. Exercise can help with both of those.
@@elisabethklinge2115 You're exactly right! I'm pleased you enjoyed the vid. I hope you smash it on Zwift. 💪🙌
That's actually how I started! No kidding, CycleOps rollers (not a wheel-on trainer - actual rollers) with a speed and cadence sensor. I did my vEveresting on this setup! It was brutal, and while it was fun, it was an enormous challenge; I went off the rollers a few times trying to turn with corners because I was using 1st person view. xD Now I have a dedicated frame on a Zwift Hub One (bought that when it was being closed out) with Zwift Play controllers and it's an entirely different challenge - I no longer fear toppling over, but instead fear the wear and tear on the legs. :)
@@WendsH So far I'm loving it! I did my first FPT test yesterday. I don't know if I'll ever have the courage to attempt to Everest on rollers though! That's so impressive!
@@elisabethklinge2115 I highly recommend that NOBODY Everests on rollers. I deserved to be certified as a lunatic for doing that! It was the most painful and rigorous thing I've ever done, and my neck and upper back wouldn't unkink themselves for /days/ after it.
Save Everesting in Zwift for a wheel-on trainer, direct drive smart trainer or a smart bike, for real!!
Good stuff, Ryan. It was fun watching you getting going on Zwift and discovering all the pain points that many of us do along the way. Keep up the great work - don't think I could keep up with you anymore!
@@KdM_BigRingBubba Thanks. Pleased you liked it.
I just got my Zwift Ride bike, just waiting for the last few bits and bobs to complete my setup. Your video is so inspiring and different from other vids I watched, perfect for a noob like myself. See you in Watopia Ryan. Subscribed
Thank you so much for the comment. Good luck on Zwift, you're gonna smash it. ;)
I totally agree that Alpe du Zwift is a very good indicator of fitness level. I was targeting a sub 3 hour marathon (a pb) and in parallel I was aiming to get Zwift concept bike (Tron) in the 4 month build up period. That's 48 climbs up the Alp.
I was doing the climb around 3 times a week and just as I was peaking for the run I did an all out effort at 56 mins.
I got a 2:58 marathon if the back of it. I did a good amount of running too but I firmly believe the Alp got me strong. I love it and I've raced up it IRL too. I would advise all new Zwifters to select the Everest challenge straight away, so all your climbing counts towards the Tron bike.
Many folk will prefer group rides over racing..and many group rides are almost racing
@@anthonyoliver2639 Thanks Anthony and congrats on both your marathon and ADZ times. Youre a beast! 💪
As always thanks for post such a great video. It was very inspiring. I wish I could have found a video like this when I first started. Keep up the good work and BTW I registered for the race in the podcast battle. Can’t wait to see how it turns out
Its going to be a lot of fun. Thanks for watching.
Great advice Ryan thx. I'm a newbie recovering from ankle surgery from a football mishap. I'm hoping this will be part of my rehab so I can get back on my bikes down here in Aus and my skis in Canada. BTW rain isn't as much of a factor down here :)
Wooooo new Ryan video
I can't believe you're already at level 35 on Zwift after only riding for 16 months. A true cardio addict 🚲🚲🚲
I'm at level 49 after eight months, but I haven't made a single cool video and I wouldn't even know how to.
@@rosvopaistihow many km’s have you done over the 8 months
Thanks. I love it.
Im at lvl 16 after 10 days.
@@angus3187 About 4900 (in Zwift, that is)
Great angle on this topic, thanks.
Hey Ryan, I know you don't usually like such comments, but still. Since you switched to YT as a main job, I think you could invest some time into a proper structured training. In earlier videos you mentioned that your just a beginner and you just do what motivates you - Zwift races. But I would not call you a beginner anymore. And anyway - Zwift races is more enjoyable when you have some proper training as well.
Also, you can do some videos about your training journey, to add more variability in your content.
I'm not a cycling coach, but I would recommend at least to add like three 1-2 hours zone 2 rides a week - they're low intensity, so you should be recovered next day (when you get used to it). Personally for me it makes so much difference when I have a Zwift races with a little Zone 2 rides and 3-4 Zone 2 rides a week. Not even I watts, but how it feels. But what more important - as I see you have 90+% or your activities in Zone 4-5+. But if you don't have a lot of low intensity trainings you just would not be able to improve significantly at some point. Because with high intensity training you increase you fitness level, but with low intensity you improve your potential - the level you can reach with high intensity trainings. Yes, you do have really long runs etc, but they're rare. To feel the difference you need to have at least a few Zone 2 trainings a week.
Then you can also add trainings in some more intense interval trainings and train specific zones, so you can produce more power for longer on Zwift races.
Also, set some minimut training time a week and try to stick to it (e.g. 5 hours a week, or 10 hours etc).
Just try it for a few month, it may be not your thing, but it would improve your fitness level for sure.
Again, it requires some time investments, but it might give you a lot more. It can push you up next level in your cycling/fitness life.
Thanks for the comment. I run pretty much every day, at least 5k and further at weekends. Racing on Zwift I do for fun.
Great video🎉 thanks mate!
Thanks for watching. 🙏🙌
Excellent video man 😊
Thanks 🙌
Thank you for this video Ryan!
I just bought myself a trainer for this winter, and I am so much looking forward to try it out when the snow gets here!
I'll throw myself into a race.
Just one question, how much do one have to play in order to get a bike that benefit from drafting?
@@crillesryggsack2860 hey. Good luck on Zwift. Just use the basic non TT bike and upgrade to lighter bikes and frames as you progress. All the info you need is on Zwift Insider. 👍
I hope to see you sometime on zwift. Probably not in a race as I only do my workouts on there when the Belgian winter kicks in.
Ryan you've gotten the other half all excited about trying swift. I fear this is going to be expensive 😂😂😂
@@Eightfathorses lol its not a cheap hobby but cheaper than some.
@@RyanCondon probably cheaper than his obsession with guitars to be fair 😂🙄
Great video! Hope you've managed to remove your saddle 🤣🤣 I'm just getting back to Zwifting after a couple of months off in the summer! Its hard but good! 😄
Lol thanks. The return is brutal, good luck. 🙌
Hi Ryan, have been considering getting into Zwift for a few months and your videos have convinced to do just that. However, its the choice of which setup do I go for. I like the idea of the Zwift ride all in one but also like the idea of a Wattbike. The answer obviously depends on budget but do you have any regrets or would you buy anything different if you were starting from scratch today? Keep up the great work and thanks for the entertainment.
@@scottgibson3635 Hi Scott. I only got the Wattbike due to my weight at the time. If i did it now, I'd probably go for a budget option. Good luck.
Hey @ryancondon - was going to feature this video on ZI, but permissions aren't letting it be embedded. Just a heads up...
Very timely video as I'm just looking into this, cheers. BTW, how's your toe doing sing TPC? My ankle is just about healed now, time for a run tomorrow.
@@benneh242 Toe nail fell off yesterday. Feels better now.
@@RyanCondon both of mine are gone too :D
Yo I just raced with you!
Small world !
This game looks cool! Might have to try it 🤪
@@DontGetDroppedCycling Brother! Its a tough gig. You might get drizzy dropped!
Hiya ryan im new to zwift and have done a couple of rides on there. What do you go on for the races is it events
@@mancity8363 Events in the companion app. Good luck. 🤞🙏
By the way, don’t you still have Strava? It would be great. You can just sync it with Zwift, and that’s it. But if you also post your outdoor rides and runs there, that would be awesome. Personally, I’d love to see your activities on Strava-Zwift is really bad for this and doesn’t cover outdoor activities as well.
For example, if I saw a 100k run on Strava, I’d be so excited to wait for a video.
Thanks, i do have a Strava account. I just dont use it, never been interested in recording more than filming.
What did you mean about being on the wrong frame?
The TT frame is the most aero?
But no draft benefit from the pack. Drafting in the pack can give you up to 30% power reducing benefits.
@@RyanCondon ah, I see..
17:27
Sticking with a group - for drafting purposes - presumably relies on one's sprint capacity to outrun that same pack at the end of a race.
If sprinting is not atop one's list of strengths, is there any defensible argument to be made for taking the full brunt of the headwind (i.e., not drafting) and trying to establish and stretch a lead from the start?
... assuming that endurance is, indeed, among one's strengths, I suppose...
@@kurtrankin and this brings us back to my point, if one cannot hold a breakaway (as one has just been bumped upto C), then the secondary aim is to stick with ones race lead pack as no race is being challenged if one is dropped.
... Id also argue that if you (sorry one) can sprint off the start line and hold it for a win then you're racing in a cat below your (one's) capability.
@@RyanCondon Thanks for providing your perspective, Ryan. You/One/Me, etc. is a habit born of my public speaking background, so I apologize for being offputting with that wording.
Anyway, I'm enjoying your videos and your approach to gains. I'm not coming down from 190kg (congratulations), but I am finding common ground with your approach and the trial-by-fire methods I've run through as a solo cyclist.
I am setting up to get rolling on Zwift for the first time as the weather is about to go pear-shaped in the U.S. northeast. I am not a sprinter at heart; all of my road cycling has been geared toward distance gains for the past year. Hence my original question as I wonder how my real-world experience might translate to Zwift success.
I look forward to viewing the remainder of your past videos and your new content as well.
@@kurtrankin I was being unnecessarily sarcastic. There was no need for that.
The increased additional power required to race off the front is exponentially harder than racing within a pack enjoying the draft and most packs will eventually close down any gaps. I'd argue that if anyone is able to hold a gap, especially from the start then they have been incredibly lucky with the race they've entered or they're racing below their ability. But it is possible, probably during a prolonged climb where riders are less likely to want to chase you down.
I have found that I have learnt more from the baptism of fire Zwift racing has offered then any workout or video can offer.
I appreciate the support and watch. 🙏👍
"Should I call it the pain cave?"
"no..."
😂
❤
Don't you love the way that you have to click 5 or 6 times at the end of the ride just to finish it while you're half hanging off the bike? Thats a lesson in really crap UI design right there. Right up there with white text on a yellow background when you ride with the Taylor or Bernie bots. It's only been 10 years though I guess.
you ever thought about doing a triathlon ?
@@mattlee6839 I have
So someone can just type in less kg than they actually are and cheat your way uup the ladder?
Yes
Hey given your weight loss, I would say you are way past beginner.
I appreciate that. Thank you. 🙌
Mate I don’t understand why you didn’t just watch the zwift tutorial
@@Jut1911 because that teaches you all things you need to know.
I can climb faster on a gradient in Zwift than in the real world. (Yes, at 100%) my zwift bike has no water bottles, saddlebag repair kit, no lights, batteries, etc. Fulgaz is more accurate for climbing.
You can also put more into it on Zwift without the risk of falling off a cliff. 🚴💨
Also, get a drip tray for under the bike to catch all the sweat haha
haha will do.
6 minutes in, stopped it, talking about nothing
@@larrymiller2137 its not for everyone.
Same 3 mins in 😂
Have you tried 'Ven Top' yet (Mont Ventoux)? It's harder than the Alpe! 🤫
@@2wheelsonline its an old video now but yes. I thought it ok.. ruclips.net/video/iDxtVUh2rZ8/видео.htmlsi=UDfrXAyGvQWBXZwJ
@@RyanCondon I've ridden the Alpe about 6 times(?) the last being on Monday this week in the Tour of Watopia. I didn't feel great on this ride & it reminded me of my one ride up Ven Top. I said 'never again' but will do it again soon.
@@RyanCondon I've just counted and I've ridden the Alpe 8 times since Feb '21 with the last being my 4th fastest at 1:03:51. I did it over 2min faster in April. Need to get up it again!