[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Sam,

The advice Colin and Derek have given will help. I was using a Stages Power Crank (bought 2nd hand) on Zwift for about 8 months there. It was easily paired with Zwift. Some of the riders are using Smart Trainers…. I recently bought the Wahoo Kickr Core. Others are using speed and cadence sensors with an ordinary turbo trainer.

Ideally, download Zwift to a laptop and download the Zwift Companion App to your phone (diferent versions of the app for iOS or Android… so depends on what phone you have).

Give me a ring if you want to have a chat about how it is done (07719 300 510). Also, my Stages Power Crank (175mm) is available if anyone wants to borrow for a Zwift try out. Given the current Covid situation I can probably post it. It fits with the Shimano Hollowtech cranks.

The Power Crank and Speed/Cadence sensor setups allow you to ride with Zwift but the Smart Trainers give a better feel, especially when it comes to a hill and the resistance changes (with the other sensors there is no change to resistance but you will have to pedal harder, sometimes you need to go up a gear to increase resistance when going up hill).

Cheers, Gordon G.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Gordon Hugh Graham.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Colin,

In the three meetups so far I’ve done a steady 187, 206 & 201W which is 2.5W/Kg give or take a wee bit (currently 82Kg). Generally you get a feel for how the riders in the Broom Wagon are riding. Ease back a bit if someone is getting dropped… pretty much as in real life. Don’t worry if you are feeling a wee bit more up for it and want to ride with a quicker group Colin. Sometimes after warming up on Zwift you feel good…. often I feel pretty crap and can’t be bothered beforehand but know with experience you warm up into it.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Gary,

Philip is in there now.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Aye, I like to cling onto my old fashioned ways Derek… I think I held out reasonably well though 😁.

Gary, can you get your pal to follow me on Zwift.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Well done all who took part. 25 finishers and Scott Gourlay had to cut it short. One or two had software issues.

Anyway, I’ll cut and paste from one of my previous postings… ‘Right, my money is on Big Eric for the win next week’…And here are the results:-

1. Eric McIntosh, 54′ 25″, 324W, 3.72W/Kg. (Very well done Eric, you’re a star!).
=2. Jim Frew, +0′ 01″, 248W, 3.33W/Kg.
=2. Drew Agnew, +0′ 01″, 223W, 3.67W/Kg.
4. Alistair MacFarlane, +02′ 37″, 245W, 3.22W/Kg.
5. Kevin Muir, +04′ 04″, 201W, 3.09W/Kg.
6. Chris Staples, +04′ 56″, 205W, 3.08W/Kg.
7. Derek Skinner, +05′ 15″, 244W, 2.83W/Kg.
=8. Allen Graham, +05′ 57″, 205W, 2.86W/Kg.
=8. Chris Russell, +05′ 57″, 207W, 2.80W/Kg.
=10. Philip Murrison, +05′ 59″, 249W, 2.74W/Kg.
=10. Colin Broadfoot, +05′ 59″, 225W, 2.85W/Kg.
=10. Mark Kane, +05′ 59″, 194W, 2.77W/Kg.
13. Ian Hackney, +07′ 08″, 272W, 2.78W/Kg.
=14. Tony Williamson, +08′ 39″, 203W, 2.54W/Kg.
=14. Gordon Stead, +08′ 39″, 214W, 2.67W/Kg.
16. Dave Walker, +08’41”, 243W, 2.61W/Kg.
17. Alec Currie, +08′ 56″, 217W, 2.56W/Kg.
18. Ian Anderson, +10′ 02″, 211W, 2.72W/Kg.
19. Simon Porter, +10′ 03″, 202W, 2.69W/Kg.
20. Joe Boyle, +12′ 05″, 185W, 2.33W/Kg.
21. Grant Francis, +12′ 08″, 213W, 2.29W/Kg.
=22. Catherine Logan, +12′ 10″, 152W, 2.56W/Kg.
=23. Gordon Graham, +12′ 10″, 202W, 2.46W/Kg.
24. Gary Tank, +12 12″, 195W, 2.48W/Kg.
25. Russell Mowat, +30’ 41″, 118W, 1.79W/Kg.

As I’ve said before, it’s not a race but a wee bit of fun (Eric, ignore this, you thrashed everybody fair and square 😉). Apologies for the hills Gary… definitely Derek’s idea… I think his exact words were ‘if Gary Tanks doing it, let’s make it hilly’…🙄.

My wee brother put out 3W more than me but nobody is to tell him this…It looks like the results are to the nearest second, so I don’t know who really got the sprint between Philip, Colin and Mark (photo finish required). My Darvel pal Tony Williamson got up at 0530 Melbourne time to take part and good to see he got 14th equal with Big Gordon (worth mentioning the Scottish Junior BAR Team Champions 1982 with a Scottish record ave speed at the time were Tony W, Big Gordon and me… so a wee reunion of a sort); (also worth mentioning in real life Big G would have taken that sprint on power although Tony could be wily with his sprinting skills and could maybe sneak it… Big G hindered with recent knee trouble this time).

Well done Dave Walker, doing well after coming back from a second snapped achilles.

Big Alec from Darvel coming 17th (ok… worth mentioning another wee reunion… Big Alec, Tony W and me Scottish Junior Team Champions 1981).

Well done Ian and Simon for making up so much ground after having software dropouts.

The team of the week was Joe, Grant, Catherine, Tank and me. Thanks Joe for coming back. Broom Wagon group becoming easy or you now Catherine. Some big efforts from Grant and Tank when the elastic looked about to snap (Tank, did you say something about dropping something?).

Russell… a wee bit behind but lots of kudos for finishing… I’d say 118W is an extremely poor calibration for you. Hopefully you will be having a Birthday soon and someone near to you will buy a really nice Smart Trainer for you (no subtle hints required 😉).

Finally, I set up my new Wahoo Kickr Core over the weekend and it is riding smoothly and quietly. Very happy with it.

Cheers, Gordon G.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Gordon Hugh Graham.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Gordon Hugh Graham.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Colin,

I rode the course steady last week and it took an hour. I noticed some of the roads were rough but I don’t think any of it is off road.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

There’s a lot of online dabate about getting club clours on Zwift Mikey. It may be you have to have loads of club Zwifters and organise many events.. it doesn’t look easy to do with thousands of clubs wanting their own kit. It would be interesting to know how Glasgow Green did it.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Philip,

There is a ‘stay together’ option on Zwift which I’ve sometimes used. I do a ride at 9pm on a Friday night with Alec Currie, Jim Frew and our old Wallacehill pal Tony Williamson in Melbourne (hence the late start for us 🙄) and we use the ‘stay together’ to make it easier for the less fit among our wee group (I don’t think you can use ‘stay together’ for part of a ride). I feel with a larger group ride it is more interesting to keep it together for a bit and then split into smaller groups of a similar level who can work together. Perhaps it’s just me who likes to see a wee element of competition… I don’t mind getting dropped on a hill as long as there is someone to get together and ride with. The thing I’d like to try and avoid is people being left on their own.

Also, very happy for some discrepancy in the calibration of all the trainers we use whether it be Smart Trainer, Dumb Trainer, Power Meter or speed/cadence sensors… it adds to the fun and banter (if Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall, 164Kg, gets to kick the backside of an Egan Bernal, 60Kg on a Zwift mountain I’m all for it 😂).

The main thing is for everyone to get a wee bit of exercise, can put in a big effort on a hill or a sprint if they want to go but not to be struggling and in the red right from the start (hence keeping it together for a bit)… most importantly enjoy the ride and get something from it.

Anyway, I think we are doing reasonably well so far… part of the Zwift learning experience and making the best of the Lockdown.

Right, my money is on Big Eric for the win next week (no pressure Eric)…. use your secretary as a domestique 😉.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Steve, Next Monday’s ride will start at 7pm, hopefully giving you and a few others more time to get home from work.

Natalie, I’ve had a look online to see if there is a way to adjust the calibration of the Wahoo Kickr Core to make it easier. It’s not looking promising. It seems there is a standard spin down calibration you can perform with a Wahoo App or the same with Zwift. The only other option may be to adjust height and weight on your Zwift profile (I removed some weight to keep up with the Killie Zwifters and it seemed to work).

Eric, I think you can pair up to three sensors with Zwift. I think the Garmin sensors need an ant+ dongle as Colin G said. Also, my HR monitor didn’t work for a while so I fitted a new battery and it still didn’t work. I found some advice on the internet that said to remove the battery and leave the monitor overnight to completely discharge then refit the battery. I did the shortcut of removing battery, shorting terminals to discharge, refit the battery and the monitor has been working ever since. Don’t worry about the power calibration of your sensors… the main thing is to stay with the bunch for as long as possible and enjoy the ride.

Derek, Hills!! Really!! Were you on your 5th beer when you suggested this? Well, I’m looking at doing the aptly named Road To Ruins course. It’s 18.4 miles with 879 feet of climbing… I’ll extend the distance to 20 miles. I’ll have a test ride on it tomorrow to see how it looks.

Catherine & JT, Aye, I think you are right. I’m a wee bit worried about going too slow… waiting on the guys who had software/connection issues would have been a bit frustrating for most. Maybe if people are getting dropped very early when the bunch are doing a steady pace we have to keep going at the steady pace and decide quickly if there is a possibility of getting them back on or not. A software glitch can have a rider well off the back in no time. The genuine ‘broom wagon’ group on the first ride was Catherine, Gordon McL, Colin Broadfoot and myself. Last night it was Derek, Mikey, Catherine & Kerry (Derek & Mikey were holding back to help). A group of four still keeps it interesting if you work well together.

Anyway, I’ll put out invites tomorrow evening after I’ve ridden the course.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Steve,

Next Monday’s ride will start at 7pm, hopefully giving you and a few others more time to get home from work.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Thanks Guys,

The guests did well. The Killie boys (experienced Zwifters) I ride regularly with breaking away. Young Cameron is really strong (George’s neighbour I think) and Jim… well Jim has been a pal of mine since our Wallacehill days (he had a wee come back a few years ago, won a road race, was 2nd in another and then gave in again.. a strong sprinter). Big Alec is another of my old Wallacehill pals and my brother Allen, a Loudoun Road Club member since he was a wee lad (hasn’t raced since the 90s though).

I’m going to organise one for 7pm next week. I will have to rethink the ‘broom wagon’ as I ended up waiting on riders who may have been having software trouble and abandoned (one rider fell off their bike… no going to mention any names though 😉😁). Riding on my own wasn’t the fun I was looking for 😥.

Apologies to Natalie. I said I would wait but didn’t. We need a Zwift tandem. What sort of trainer do you have Natalie and is there something that can be done to adjust the calibration to make it easier for you? The group ride is a lot more fun when you are in the bunch and the ride is supposed to be enjoyable. It’s good to be putting an effort in but not if you are in the red from the start and not able to stay with the bunch.

Anyway, there were 21 finishers and not sure how many started in the end. The ‘Race Results’ (not a race though)…were:-

1. Cameron Muir, 01:00:08, 212W, 3.26W/Kg.
2. Jim Frew, +0’05”, 219W, 2.96W/Kg.
3. John Todd, +0’38”, 265W, 2.89W/Kg.
4. Ian Anderson, +0’40”, 215W, 2.76W/Kg.
5. Eric McIntosh, +1’34”, 303W, 3.48W/Kg.
6. Ian Hackney, +1’41”, 304W, 3.10W/Kg.
7. Philip Murrison, +1’42”, 245W, 2.69W/Kg.
8. Chris Russell, +1’44”, 198W, 2.68W/Kg.
9. Jim Ryland, +1’47”, 207W, 2.77W/Kg.
10. Colin Gillies, +1’56”, 243W, 2.79W/Kg.
11. Allen Graham, +2’56”, 193W, 2.69W/Kg.
12. Simon Porter, ++4’25”, 206W, 2.75W/Kg.
13. Joe Boyle, +5’20”, 183W, 2.32W/Kg.
14. Dave Walker, +5’25”, 219W, 2.35W/Kg.
15. Alec Currie, +6’17”, 195W, 2.30W/Kg.
16. Mikey Allen, +6’41”, 188W, 2.51W/Kg.
17. Derek Skinner, +6’44”, 228W, 2.65W/Kg.
18. Catherine Logan, +6’48”, 140W, 2.36W/Kg.
19. Kerry Hutchins, +6’57”, 164W, 2.49W/Kg.
20. Gordon Graham, +7’53”, 210W, 2.66W/Kg.
21. Russell Mowat, +17’56”, 135W, 1.98W/Kg.

I’m sure some of the numbers are a bit odd. It’s surprising how you can save a lot of watts by sitting in the bunch and not going to the front. Thanks to Mikey and Derek for hanging back and well done to all who took part.

There were 30 entered and missing from above are Chris Blakely, Chris Staples, Colin Broadfoot, Darren Kean, Gordon McLarnon, James Goldie, Natalie Jamieson, Stevie Watters and Ross Thompson. It looked like sofware issues with Gordon & Ross. Did anyone else have any issues?

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Natalie,

Invite sent out to Chris.

I’m not sure if there is a setting on your Smart Trainer you can alter that would make it easier to stay with the bunch. I use a power meter (Smart Trainer maybe arriving this week) but perhaps some of the others can advise.

I took 5kg off my Zwift profile weight when riding with the Killie boys which just about helped me to keep up on the hills.

If there is something you can try to make it easier then go for it.

N.B. This advice isny for the fast guys who will be hammering along in the second half.. they don’t need it 😁. Only sensible adjustments allowed 😉.

Cheers, Gordon G.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hi Natalie,

Can you ask Chris to ‘follow’ me on Zwift companion so I can send him an invite.

If you’re struggling a bit at the back I’ll ride with you and let the others ride on.

Maybe we’ll find a deputy ‘broom wagon’ to look after any riders up ahead. I’ll possibly spot a candidate as the ride progresses.

Don’t worry about getting dropped. The main thing is to enjoy the ride and I’m happy to stay back.

Cheers, Gordon G.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Gordon Hugh Graham.

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Hello All,

Remember to accept the invite on the Zwift Companion App in advance of tomorrow’s Meetup if you plan to ride. Also, get yourself onto a course and riding with at least 10 minutes to spare. The invite will automatically pop up at approx 5.55pm and when accepted it takes up to a minute to transfer you over to the Meetup course.

Cheers, Gordon G

[Gordon Hugh Graham]

Thanks guys,

I’ll keep it at 6pm for Monday 1st Feb and make it 7pm on Monday 8th Feb. That would make it the same time as the normal Monday night club ride we have through Spring, Summer & Autumn. Hopefully everyone ok with this.

Cheers, Gordon G.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 3 months ago by Gordon Hugh Graham.

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