ZA Social Rides only at 2.0?

I cannot find any ZA2019 women’s social group rides under 2.0. Sadly, that would mean riding at FTP for an hour for me, which is not in any way social even with the benefit of drafting. I tried to keep up with one ride but it was an easy day for me and I was working way too hard to stay with the group. Why is there not a ride at 1.5 or so?

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You can find Category D rides in your Zwift Academy Progress page.

Same here for me with the men’s social rides. I was able to hang on for about half the ride, then got dropped on a hill. After a while I found my self riding with a small group of 3 - 5 other guys that were all going the same pace. Eventually you will find someone to ride with if you can’t stay with the larger group. I also wish the ride leaders would stick to the advertised pace, as they seem to push it quite hard.

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Unfortunately what are billed as D rides are listed to run at 2.0, which is a Z4 ride for me. There doesn’t seem to be any variation amongst the Zwift Academy social rides, unlike other group rides.

I’m not sure what your time zone is but I am slow and joined a great ride on Monday lead by Karissa Minn and one on Wednesday led by Vivian Workman that were in the 1.5 range. Both were at 8pm EDT.

Thanks. I can find the rides outside of Zwift Academy. My issue is with the group rides in this year’s Zwift Academy that are required to “graduate” (need 4 group rides or races). Just wish the ride leaders would announce the pace range ahead of time in the event. These are supposed to be about group riding and drafting in Zwift, so it defeats the purpose if the leader bolts at 3.0 for a ride listed as 2.0.

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I believe they do post the pace, but most of the Zwift Academy rides seem to be 2w/kg. I did find one on ZwiftHacks that specifically announces a 1.5 pace - next Wednesday at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST like Sara mentioned above. And the one right after that (Wed @ 7pm PST - which I did this past week) even though it says 2.0, we ended up averaging about 1.5 - 1.8. Not sure if they will do the same next week though.

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Thank you! I think I’m going to just have to join an event and ride my own pace. I’ll look for ones with a good number of riders and hope that a few others want to group up with Me. Happy Zwifting!

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that sound like a plan. You could chat in the starting pen and tell the others that you will be riding at Xw/kg if they want to join they can ride with you.

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i feel your pain - these D rides are nearly an hour at FTP for me when the group is pushing 2.3+

I agree. I was on a Cat D Group ride advertised at 1.5 but it was above that most of the time. I was riding alone for the whole hour in zones 4 and 5. Exhausting!

There are a few slower mens rides but you need to click inside the event to see the average power. The ride I lead each Friday at 19:10 (UK) is a 1.5-2 for example.

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Hey Laurie, if I see you on a group ride I’d be happy to ride with you at your pace. Riding at a different (usually higher) w/kg to that advertised is one of my bug bears. But I think you are right to join the ride(s) and do it at your (and the advertised) pace - its not a race - and completing it counts towards ZA graduation. I’m looking out for future rides with Leah Thorvilson as I hear the chat has been very snack focused. Could it get any better? I hope you find folk to ride with each time, but if you don’t just stick on the tunes, join in the chat and ride on beautifully to the end. If I see you I’ll be doing advertised pace! Maybe see you out there? Ride on!

Thanks for this. I’ll look for you. Usually I am like you: stick to the posted pace on group rides. But it is really frustrating that this year’s ZA group rides are all at 2.0 and above, and believe me I’ve looked for slower paced. Yeah, I’m not riding for a pro contract (lol) but I am trying to get better. Now that I’ve dropped weight I can start to build some strength again and work on the numerator of the power ratio. Haha.

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I found one last friday that was advertised at 1.5-2.0 for the guys ZA social ride and the leader did a superb job in bouncing within that range and using the fence to keep everyone together. Just need to watch out for those rides and give feedback to the group leaders.

Totally understand and the good aspect of hanging in group rides that stretch my abilities is that I get fitter and develop more power, over time of course. Zwift Academy really made me step my biking up, since I took a few years off…
I’m not under any delusion of getting a pro contract now, at the end of 49 yrs. old! Just here to keep fit and get better at biking at my age. I’ve even jumped in some women’s group rides (outside zwift academy) that are advertised at 1.0-1.5W/kg just so i can actually have a real recovery ride, instead of a “race to the death” that always seems to happen in some of the men’s 2.0-2.5W/kg “group rides”. I always get a solid warmup in before any group ride too, as I’ve learned just showing up when the ride starts is like a sprint from the start. Have fun Laurie! See ya on Zwift!

Some of the speed problems are how the leaders lead. Some look at average watts only and not the w/kg range they are to be in. They roll within the band on flat, and then attack the hills and coast down hill. That’s a recipe to drop people, not lead a group ride.

I was in a (D) ZA group ride last week, and the leader hammered the hills at 4w/kg, but kept claiming his average is 2.3w/kg. Sure, you just dropped a ton of people on the hills, and then they can’t catch up because you roll down the hills at speed. People at the back were complaining about the speed, but he kept saying he’s within range. Um, ok, that’s great for faster people, if you want to cater to that. It is a (D) ride, and not a (B) ride, after all.

The overall watts of that ride was fine, and well within my FTP w/kg (I’m around 3.5), so I’m good, but I was watching that lead on companion (as I always do), and it was just not a good way to lead a social ride. Slow down on the hills, and roll average on the flats. That’s the way to do it.

I wish Zwift would have a w/kg and a speed range, and if the leaders exceed that, they get clamped to the max range no matter what w/kg they are putting out on their end and clamp the speed.

I thought Clogg’s ride was spot on. There was another one, that I can’t recall who the leader was, that was good as well.

Thanks. I agree a lot has to do with the leader. How they handle hills and flats seems very individual. Some are good about saying how they’ll run the ride in the pen, but that’s too late for me.

Here I am talking only about the social rides that are part of Zwift Academy. I finally found one rated 1.5-2.0 this past Sunday, but others seem to be at 2.0 and above.

Leaders like this should be reported to Zwift so that Zwift don’t use them in future. There are many other ride leaders that would want the opportunity to lead a ZA group ride.

It take some skill, practice and patience. The leader has to look at the riders around him/her and asses if this is what the ride description say? If the ride description say 2 - 2.5w/kg then the leaders should always be in that range because that is what that range mean. He/she should also be cognisant of there weight on flat roads if the leader is on the lighter or heavy side of the spectrum he/she should adjust for that especially on the flat roads.

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