Originally Posted by MinnMan

You have to get the timing right, and this takes some luck, but you can find an intermediate workout by riding off the front of Coco. Earlier this week I did an hour that averaged 3 W/kg that way. The first 20 minutes I rode with Coco, so probably 2.6 or 2.7 W/Kg average, but then one one of the sprints a group of us escaped and never looked back. I'd guess we averaged 3.2 or 3.3 W/kg for the following 40 minutes.

Even on Tempus Fugit you can get a good workout if you go with the folks who go for the Reverse Fuego Flats KOM sprint.

The dynamics don't always develop and so it's hard to predict if it will happen, but when it does, you can find the middle ground by riding with Coco and seizing opportunities.

These small groups can be from 3 to 15 people. They can have real good dynamics, trading pulls and so on.

Of course, when you drop the bot, you lose the drops multiplier.

Originally Posted by WhyFi

I do wish there was someone between Cadence and Brevet, though; moving up to Brevet seems like a big jump because of the higher w/kg, the higher absolute power and the more lumpy courses with pay-attention-or-you'll-get-spit-OTB downhills. It's a nice tempo workout, but sometimes just a little more than I'm in the mood for.

Originally Posted by MinnMan

As far as I've seen, it's only Coco that has grupettos forming off the front and giving a C+ experience. Maybe it happens in front of Bowie too, but you'd have a bunch of beasts to pull that off and if it were to happen, I for sure wouldn't be there with them. I wish it happened with Diesel Dan- forming groups that would pace near 2.0 or so. But I've never seen it.

Originally Posted by sarhog

When riding with Diesel Dan (if there is a large group) just go off the front a bit and ask others to join you in the chat box. One issue may be though that a lot of riviera that are with Diesel Dan are in it for the increased drops, so they may not want to break off into a front group.

Originally Posted by MinnMan

I don't quite get people's interest in "drops". I've got 6 million of them, and I don't know what I would do with them. My virtual carbon bike already has virtual Zipp wheels. My avatar still wears the same dopey "bee" pattern jersey I got when I started. I'm level 32 or something, and I don't see much point in any of the other virtual swag that you can get with drops. Or am I missing something?.

Originally Posted by sarhog

The only thing drops can do is purchase virtual frame sets and virtual wheel sets. If you’re happy with your bike and wheels you certainly don’t need drops. The jerseys and other “wearables” are unlocked by level, or by completing certain events, they don’t consume drops.
On edit: I think drops are important for people early in their Zwifting career so they can buy the frame they like. I wanted the Canyon Aeroad, for instance, so I wanted those drops.

Originally Posted by MinnMan

I think I am also riding the virtual aeroroad. Not that I can tell the difference in terms of speed vs. watts.

Originally Posted by genejockey

I think the "weight" and "aero" benefits of anything you can buy in the Drop Shop really only affect racing. I mean, yeah, if you compare your time on the same course with the Zwift Steel bike with Classic wheels, compared to, say the Canyon Ultimate with the DT Swiss wheels, the former will be significantly slower. But outside of racing, does that matter? It only really matters if you're playing the game, instead of just using it as a fitness tool.

Originally Posted by genejockey

I think the "weight" and "aero" benefits of anything you can buy in the Drop Shop really only affect racing. I mean, yeah, if you compare your time on the same course with the Zwift Steel bike with Classic wheels, compared to, say the Canyon Ultimate with the DT Swiss wheels, the former will be significantly slower. But outside of racing, does that matter? It only really matters if you're playing the game, instead of just using it as a fitness tool.

Originally Posted by Warbird21

I just started on Zwift, looks like I have a lot to learn.

Originally Posted by tempocyclist

Lesson 1: Go into your garage/settings and select the Everest Challenge now. Then forget about it until you've unlocked the Tron bike.

😎

Originally Posted by MinnMan

Maybe so, but I do some races now and again, and if there's a tangible difference, I'm not self-aware enough to be detecting it.

Originally Posted by tempocyclist

Lesson 1: Go into your garage/settings and select the Everest Challenge now. Then forget about it until you've unlocked the Tron bike.

😎

Originally Posted by genejockey

First Zwift race I did, I pipped the guy at the line by 0.1 second. So, I figure there's no harm in taking advantage of whatever's available.

But, yeah - there's no bike on Zwift that will make me - a D on the cusp of C-ness - into a B or an A.

Originally Posted by genejockey

All the Pace Partners were in Makuri Islands last night when I went to ride. And instead of sticking to the flats, Coco was doing "Kappa Quest" which has the Temple KOM, which is 1.55 miles of 3.6% average, but with some bits as high as 10%. That made trying to stick within a meter of Coco pretty much impossible, but not too hard to stick with the group.

Originally Posted by MinnMan

But I was riding with Coco on Tik Tok in Watopia from about 9-11 PM (CST) last night. Are there two sets now?

Originally Posted by genejockey

Dunno. I was on from 6 till about 7:10 PST so we overlapped, and Coco was still running around the same loop then.

It's possible they're running in both. I warmed up in Watopia, but after doing a spindown calibration, I ended that ride. When I was choosing a new route, I think Zwift defaulted to the Makuri Island tab, even though I'd just been riding in Watopia, so that's where they showed up.

Makuri Islands is still up tonight. Give it a try! As an aside - you ride from 9-11? Doesn't it mess with your sleep? Last time I did a hard ride starting at 8PM I couldn't get to sleep till about 1.

Originally Posted by MinnMan

Cool - pace partners in two worlds now. That's great!

I can't go to sleep directly after riding, but I only need a relatively brief interval in between. Generally, I can go to sleep an hour or two after I ride. So if I finish at 11, I can be asleep by midnight or 12:30. At my age, I don't sleep as many hours as I used to, so I'm up at 7 or 7:30, no problem.

Originally Posted by genejockey

Yeah, and like I said, the experience with Coco on Kappa Quest is VERY different from Watopia.

Originally Posted by redcon1

I was surprised also to see Coco cadence riding Kappa Quest last evening. Got a good ride in, even if I went off the front on the KOM climb.