On my ride tonight I did the volcano climb. During my journey through it I came across an individual and thought we could work together. As I past by I activated the truck power up but it just didn’t work out so I continued on my way.Fast forward to a bit later, we’re both done with the volcano climb and doing our own thing. I noticed he was def working hard and closing some serious distance. I backed off the pedals and we linked back up. Low and behold I had another truck to activate. For a few brief minutes, I pulled while he followed until we hit a cross roads and went separate ways.
It was not any PR or big sprint that made this memorable for me. It was knowing that I wanted to bike with someone, and enjoy the companionship, and that companionship found me. I would not have found that out on the road in the 90 degree heat . It’s little moments like this that keep my zwift active.
As noted, the truck (draft) powerup increases the draft effect for you. If you’re not drafting anyone, it doesn’t do anything. The person behind doesn’t get any benefit beyond the normal draft effect.
But those moments of working together in a race are something I get a kick out of. Knowing that as a group we’re helping each other to faster times. I definitely go faster in C groups than in a B race on my own.
But it’s not just the working together; I enjoy little battles with people. Normally up something like AdZ I’ll encounter someone who’s a fairly even match, and then it’s game on. =) They might not know it’s a race, but that’s not the point.
Joined up to SZR group 2.0wkg 100k ride last night expecting to maybe do a nice slow 50k recovery ride. Those swedes are bloody funny to ride with and fantastic at keeping the group together (they always have a few very visible sweepers). Best group rides going imo.
Anyway, I hit my 50k ascent/Everest last night on the ride - since I dont really care too much for jersey’s/socks/bikes in Zwift, I didnt think I would think much of it. Well, the banner pops up and I raise my arms then fist pump as if I have just won a TDF stage, celebrate with a swig on water, then feel compelled to tell my fellow 150 odd riders about my achievement. Loads of ride-ons, msg’s of congrats etc - felt like that was my Zwift moment!
I ended up finishing the 100k, and will search out these swede rides more often, they know how to make time fly.
The best thing about Zwift is the Free Ride ‘Nibble’. We have all dished some out and we have all taken a ‘nibble’. But what is a nibble? I hear you say…
A nibble is an off the cuff moment created when someone passes another rider on Zwift, usually on a climb. One rider passes the other with a slightly higher differential power output and thus issues the ‘nibble’. The passed rider then takes the nibble by deciding to match the other riders output for as long as possible. A ride on should be issued either at the point that one participant can no longer hold the pace or upon completion of the climb.
I have had some excellent training sessions like this and will often dig deeper to ensure i match or beat a rider up a climb.
This is unique to Zwift though. I would not dream of doing it in IRL!
One recent memory for me was a short hour and a bit ride. As usual I made myself go that little bit further by reaching the next time or distance goal. just another 10 mins etc… It had not been easy as I wasn’t feeling up to much but as I was just about to log out a cycling friend, local to me sent me a ride on.
Ummm mates, on I wonder what they are doing today? It was their Tour of Watopia catch up stage for the Alp du Zwift. We hadn’t hooked up on Zwift for a while so I suggested that I’d ride with them, but only as far as the possibility of seeing the Yeti, definitely no further… To cut a long story short we diced up the Alp with me totally forgetting about the Yeti or stopping. Another great Zwift day, having pushed through and past the really not feeling it, to a nice bit of competition and another long Zwift session. Happy training.
Likewise when I’m in the middle of what feels like a really tough ERG interval workout and someone is hanging on - either free-riding, or locked into their own ERG suffer-fest - and somehow we sync up for a long spell…
Always a ‘Ride On’ when one of us finally drops off or rides ahead (assuming my companion app is up and running properly, anyway)!
