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On Bicycles Resource

2018 Okanagan Race/Ride Calendar

Okanagan + Surrounding Areas


Knox Mnt Hill Climb

Tuesday, May 15 2018

Distance: 3k

Start: 6:40pm, registration opens at 5:30pm

Cost: $5 + BC race license

 

BC Provincial Championship Events

Saturday, May 26 2018 – Time Trial (Elite, Masters)

Where: Langley

Sunday, May 27 2018 – Road Race (Elite, Masters)

Where: Abbotsford

 

Okanagan Shuswap Century Ride

Sunday, May 27 2018

Start: 9am

Where: Memorial Park on Pleasant Valley Road in Armstrong

Cost: $40

 

Robb’s Ride

June 1-3

Distance: 110k day 1, 163k day 2, ?k day 3

Where: Grand Forks start, USA / Canada

 

2018 TREE BREWING TRAINING RIDE

Saturday, June 2 2018

Distance: 90k, 60k, 50k

Start: 9am sharp

Where: Tree Brewing Beer Institute (1346 Water St, Kelowna)

Cost: Must be registered for Axel Merckx Granfondo

 

Bike ‘n Braai – KGH Foundation

Sunday, June 3 2018

Distance: 80k (includes 4k hill climb race)

Start: 9am

Where: 2290 Abbott Street, Kelowna
British Columbia, V1Y 1E3

Cost: $100

 

MEC Kelowna Okanagan Century Ride

Sunday, June 3 2018

Distance: 100k, 60k, 30k

Start: 7am

Where: MEC Kelowna

Cost: $35

 

“Dave’s Ride” Granfondo Vernon

June 11

Distance: 161k, 135k

Start: 7am (sharp)

Where: People Place Parking lot in Vernon (or 8:45am sails Kelowna)

Cost: ?

 

Knox Mnt Hill Climb

Tuesday, June 12 2018

Distance: 3k

Start: 6:40pm, registration opens at 5:30pm

Cost: $5 + BC race license

 

Axel Merckx Granfondo 

Sunday, July 8 2018

Distance: 160km, 126k, 92km, 55km

Start: 7am

Where: Penticton’s Main Street (near the Lake Okanagan)

Cost: $215

 

L’alpe de Grand Blanc (Hill climb)

Sunday, July 22 2018

Distance: 60k

Start: 9am

Where: East Kelowna Community Hall on the corner of McCulloch Road and East Kelowna Road

Cost: ?

 

Revelstoke Steamer (Hill climb)

Sunday August 26th, 2018

Distance: 26k

Start: 7am

Where: Tournament of Champions Monument on Track St W near the Railway Museum, Revelstoke BC

Cost: $30

 

Kootenay Rockies Granfondo

Saturday Sept 8th, 2018

Distance: 152k, 102k, 58k

Start: 9am

Where: Cranbrook, British Columbia

Cost: $139

 

Bike For Your Life Century Ride

Saturday, Sept 15 2018

Distance: 100k, 75k, 35k

Start: 9am

Where: Blackburn Park playground along 5th Street SW, Salmon Arm

Cost: $30

 

Guardian Charity Ride

Sunday, Sept 30 2018

Distance: 100k, 50k

Start: 8am, 9:30 fast group

Where: ?

Cost: $40

Categories
On Bicycles Reviews

How accurate is Zwift’s power estimate for classic trainers?

I began using Zwift late last year for offseason riding. In a way, it is my winter group ride replacement. I use a classic magneto trainer with a Garmin speed, heart rate and cadence sensor, which do the trick for me. Because I know the speed I’m pedalling, and since the resistance of the trainer is consistent, I can tell very easily if I’m improving.

Zwift race starting line waiting for users

 

Less than one week in and I find out that the Zwift Academy has started. It looked like fun, so I joined. I believe one had to complete 2 races along with some group rides and their training workouts to graduate.

The races were fun. I enjoy the challenge of competing with other riders any day of the week. but I had no way of knowing if my power was accurate. So I did the best I could to compare Zwift’s power to CycleOps power graph, which I wrote about.

Still unsatisfied, I got my hands on some Favero Assioma dual pedal based power meters, and did some real tests. Here are the results.

Favero Assioma power meter duo box

 

All tests were done on the CycleOps Magneto trainer. Speed was recorded using the Garmin 520 computer. Power was recorded from the Assioma Duo pedals and Zwift’s estimate.

Kms/hr Zwift Estimated Power Assioma Power % Difference
23 160w 138w +14.75%
34 320w 272w +16.22%
40 412w 342w +18.57%
48 490w 414w +16.81%
57 550w 590w -7.02%
64 550w 690w -22.58%
Zwift world power vs real data
Power in Watts and Speed in Km/hr

Conclusion:

It’s pretty clear that Zwift’s estimates are off. In the lower power range zwift overestimates power by more than 30%. However, once it passes about 540 watts the pendulum swings the other way and then it begins to underestimate power by well over 22%.

I really enjoy Zwift and would encourage anyone to hop on the platform, with or without a power meter. Hopefully Zwift will be able to use this data along with data posted by other users to help them improve the accuracy of their software for all riders. Those who can afford power meters and the many who are just getting into the sport.