Pace Partners FAQ [August 2020]

When is it due?

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Agree completely, surely those at the lower end are the ones that need the most assistance as they will always be the ones left behind in events and races too so this will be the only experience of drafting some of us get.

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@shooj If we have the patch update, should we assume that the Pacers availability schedule in the OP is still valid?

I can’t see any pacers on my list still.

Nor I, and I tried it this a.m. right after leaving the above message. Apparently there will be a new official “launch” date, but when? Let’s gooo, people. Too much suspense, lol.

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Gang - we’ll be flipping on the switch on Pace Partners today August 25 at 17:30 pm UTC / 10:30 am Pacific Time.

This is a feature we can enable on the server end - as long as you’re using the August game release, you’ll be able to try Pace Partners.

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…On a friday :wink:

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Confirmed that Amelia and Coco are active in Watopia just now. Didn’t do a ride, but followed all on-screen prompts to ride with Coco (who right now is specifically riding Tempus Fugit–looks like that means you can’t ride any route you want, but you ride the route the Partner is currently riding if you want to join); entered Tempus Fugit in the staging area for a moment (lol a bit further out in the bushes that I have ever been), then transported to a group of about 10 riders following Coco, myself already at pace, and got a message something like PEDAL ASSIST and that I should start pedaling and keep pace, which lasted for 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… before I then fell off the back (since I wasn’t actually pedaling/riding).

As an ATV user, I can also say it looks like I don’t specifically have to follow/friend request the Pace Partner in order to see their availability in the list of active riders on the course-selection page–a clickable memo was already there indicating that 2 Pace Partners were active.

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Amelia riding a TRON.

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Concept is cool, but can you please have an option to shut the bot up? Good lord it’s like doing a Bacon AHDR ride.

Coco was advertised as 2.5-3.1 but rode constant at 2.3 - is that to be expected?

Things that would be cool:

  • More route choices (solved by the point below)
  • Ability to run your own pace bot at your own pre-set pace (and make a meetup with it)
  • Make it stick out a little more on the leaderboard (a la a beacon or highlighted in a color or with an special icon)
  • If you don’t give user customization then make all categories available 24/7

It was kind of like doing an unorganized group ride.

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Coco was advertised as 2.5-3.1 but rode constant at 2.3 - is that to be expected?

@shooj Presumably each Pace Partner is assigned a weight–can we find out what they are for each Partner?

Yes!! I just rode with Coco for an hour and counted 73 messages! And the same 5 or so just repeat over and over, it is exhausting.

Same experience here, a small group of us dropped Coco and rode off the front at the advertised pace of 2.5 - 3.1.

At least she didn’t hassle us to slow down and regroup the entire ride like some ride leaders do :rofl:

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Just had a quick go with Coco and Emilie and enjoyed it and worked well

There were quite a few others riding ,bso was improptu group ride without whinging about flyers etc. I Like the idea of being able to join such a ride at any time ( as opposed to trying to find a group ride time to match

Does the pacer receive benefit of draft?

Cheers
Andy

I was with Coco and we were doing an even 3. It was an entire group ride. Amelia was alone and too fast for me today. Coco was a good warm-up pace. Looking forward to the B-Bot. Should be my kind of pace.

I had a very quick look earlier and Amelia seemed to be just holding 270W.

I am also looking forward to the slow bot being released. I’m new to Zwift and to cycling and I can’t keep up to the group rides yet so I’m hoping this will be a good option for some variety beyond riding alone.

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Did the pace partners not turn on again at 5:30 UTC today (26/8)? Hope we didn’t tire them out already!

Currently 5:50 UTC and not showing up on my riders list.

I waited till the “2nd innings” and got Bowie Brevet and I think it was Diesel Dan.

Initially only Dan was available but at 1.3w/kg, he was a tad too slow. I reloaded Zwift and Bowie was online so jumped on his wheel. A constant 3.3/3.4w/kg was about perfect to get my HR going and he took us around Sequoias. Didn’t budget from that range so initially it was a challenge not to surge up rollers, but soon got used to it.

This is great, its right on the pace that will give me a good workout if no races or group rides are which given I’m on kiwi time, is pretty much the norm during the week.

Nice work Zwift.

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I’ll add a vote for silencing the bots. There’s far too much repetition. And none of it adds to the experience. “How’s the pace?” What should we do with that question from a bot? Will the bot recognize an answer from a Zwifter? Will the bot do anything with an answer from a Zwifter? Or is it a question asked for which all answers will be ignored?

A minor issue. The pace bot concept is good. I hope it is successful and gets expanded.

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@xavier_nihilo

Diesel Dan and Bowie Brevet are 180 pounds / 82 kg
Coco Cadence and Amelia Anquetil are 145 pounds / 65 kg

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