I can say that if you ride with a pace partner during some of the quieter times, you may not get all the Rides Ons you want. I did about 2:15 with Dan this week and only racked up 86 Ride Ons. I had to get to my commute down the hallway, so I couldn’t stay on the ride. Next weekend for sure.
OTOH, I rode the group 25 laps of the volcano today and got that badge. The published pace was a bit too high for me. Fortunately, on a ride like that you can’t get dropped - you just get lapped. I finished two laps behind the ride leader (with lots of other peeps), and that was just fine.
You will get a lot more ride ons during your rides if you start following a lot of people. I get 50+ ride ons per ride now just from people that I follow. And then during the ride if you constantly hit the icon in Companion a bunch more will reply. That’s the fastest way to get the 100 ride on badge.
PRL full time for me tomorrow. I will be doing it solo and aiming for around the 5hr mark. Any tips on the bike to choose for the day? Tron? Or a TT bike like the CANYON SPEEDMAX CF SLX DISC with Zipp 808s?
I believe I used the Cervelo P5 with Zipp 808’s, averaged around 3.3W/kg for 5h11’ if I remember correctly. Averaged 3.4-3.5W/kg for the first 4h and then slowed down a little. Since you have to do Box Hill 11 times, I planned to ride it at sweet spot (4.2-4.25W/kg) for 2 laps in a row (7’50"-8’ for those repetitions) and then the third lap I would just ride up at Z2 power like I was riding the rest of the lap (±3.2/w/kg) which then took about 10’ to get up the hill. But after 9 laps I ditched that plan and just rode the remaining ones at Z2 power since I still had like 1.5h to go at that point.
Not a TT bike in case the map is on schedule. If it’s on schedule, you will have plenty of people to draft from and something like the Tron or Venge with Disc wheels will be fastest.
If you are going on a private meetup (aka off schedule), a TT bike will be your best bet.
As @Aeroiseverything said, the Tron bike is likely quicker. I didn’t really think about it and just went with the bike that I had equipped at that point. In the end if it took me 5h05’ or the 5h11’ that it took me this time, doesn’t make much of a difference anymore (I’m just guessing numbers here but I can’t imagine it being more then 5-10’ quicker over that duration…)
Yeah, it’s not a guest world tomorrow unfortunately! So I’m having to make it a Meetup solo to tick the badge off. I don’t think there will be many people in London tomorrow at all so there will be zero draft happening. Will probably be the first time I’ll have multiple jerseys to my name in Zwift! Haha!
Sweet. I’ll go a TT Bike set up tomorrow. Canyon Speedmax CF SLX disc.
PRL Full complete. All the route badges now done. Can’t say that one was entirely enjoyable! I’ll very happily not visit the London map for a very long time.
RUN DOWN OF THE RIDE:
Completed it in just a touch over 5hrs - 5:05:30
I weigh 72kg
Averaged 234w (239w NP) for the ride. So, I rode the course at 3.25w/kg
Most of the ride was in endurance or in Tempo: 2hr 20min Endurance and 2hr 6min in Tempo
My strategy was to ride up Box Hill in high Tempo - Sweet Spot (88% FTP) - and then I rode the flats either high Z2 or low tempo. Seemed to work well for me.
Rode the Speedmax CF SLX Disc with Enve 7.8 wheels
NUTRITION
Brekkie was Oats with Buckwheat cereal, peanut butter and a banana sliced on top. On bike snack at 1hr 30 min and had a banana and an SIS energy gel. On bike snack at 2hr 30min and had a Cliff Bar and an SIS energy gel. On bike snack at 3hr 30min and had a SIS GO Energy Banana Bake (get on them! Unreal. 30g carbs and 10g fructose) and an apple. Three water bidons, and another bidon filled with electrolytes.
Hope that helps to anyone out there reading this thinking of knocking PRL full off their Zwift route badge list!
Very nice! Goes to show much drafting does. I did a free ride (so no event), but the map was on schedule. I did 233W average, 243W NP at 72kg, using the Shiv + 808/S9, and it took me 4:54h.
Zwift drafting is a little over the top.
Yep! The drafting affect seems to really influence ride times. In hindsight, it would have been better to do this one in a group or event, but unfortunately there seems to be very few PRL full events and so I had to go it solo! This one and Uber Pretzel I’m happy to see the back of. Definitely once off badges!
I think the new Makuri Islands map opens up more in a few weeks so I’m very interested to see what route badges open up!
Yes, I’ve already done those badges. That was the Yumezi part of the Makuri Islands map. Zwift are set to open up more of the Makuri Islands map in a few weeks time.
What’s funny, and sad is that Zwift seems to be taking cues from Microsoft and others that implement tools and features requested by users, but at the minimum level. As noted in Shane’s video on the topic, they could have chosen to elevate the concept and add a another level by including “stages” of accomplishments.
Small thing really, and may not matter to some, but seems in line with the current Z ethos of give them what they ask for, but nothing more. It just seems they are lacking vision and simply going through the motions. We got a new world, one with hinted promise, but despite the new roads and maybe more in the future, it’s just more of the same.
I wonder if we will see any real innovation from Z or if this is WYSIWYG from here on out?
Totally agree on the minimum effort. I was hoping Yumezi would be something different, but it just feels like you’re in Watopia. It looks nice, but badge hunting hasn’t made me feel like riding there really. I suspect the expansion will be underwhelming. I haven’t quite got to cancelling my subscription, but I am pretty close.
