Hi, this might be a crazy idea, but… I am doing my first Gran Fondo on Zwift on Sunday, 9 December. I am thinking that any effort to stay in a nice group will be pointless once you need to stop to go to the bathroom, or any other pressing physical need. It would be amazing if virtual feeding/resting/bathroom stations were placed along the route, every 20-30 km, so that you can stop for a break, and look for people to re-start again once you’re back on the saddle, instead of having to stop at a random place and re-start completely on your own. The graphs where riders are eating and drinking could be really fun, and they would certainly provide a great chance for in-game advertising from SIS, Isostar, Powerbar, Gatorade, etc. Thanks for your consideration!
I like it - might actually encourage me to take it easier (as Fondo’s are intended) rather than as a race. The rest stops could be placed strategically like the top of climbs or between sections of a course. When in the starting pen maybe there’s an option to “take scheduled stops” which are then forced. After say 5 minutes at the stop, it lets you back on course to continue riding with those you were riding with before.
Personalty I don’t take rest stops, but we all do these for different reasons and goals.
With a long ride like this you have some time to make friends and to chat with those around you, their might be some in the same boat and you can agree to stop at x km for 3 min.
I led a group ride 100km and as a group we stopped twice and people liked it a lot.
Great idea. If the stop were voluntary, I’m not sure that I’d use it because that’s just the way I am. But, if it were a mandatory stop build into the software somehow, I think it’d be great because it would allow me to get off the bike and have a stretch. Might make the whole Fondo experience more enjoyable, too. Maybe 5 min max for the stop, though…
Love this idea. Make them voluntary per the ride leader - and you could even put everyone on virtual trainers for 5 minutes while people take a break or others catch up.