If you know me you will know that I love my track racing. You will also know that I love my Zwift racing. It's only natural that those two loves would collide at some point and see me attempt Zwift racing on a track bike. I am pleased to say that after several attempts, tweaks and near misses, I have the set up spot on and Zwift racing on a fixed gear track bike is now a regular and very valuable part of my cycling routine.
The equipment choice was obviously going to be critical to make this work. Two things would dictate the entire experience. Firstly, what kind of rollers I used (a traditional indoor trainer would not work as I did not have a track bike adapter) and secondly, the gear I selected on the track bike. Even if I had a track adapter for my indoor trainer, I think I would have steered away from it as I really wanted a variable and high cadence experience, much like actual track racing. A set of rollers would be ideal to produce this. This did mean that in terms of Zwift racing I would not have any 'smart' functionality. This was totally fine with me as it meant that (for example) the only way for me to produce the extra watts to stay in contact up a hill would be through high cadence. This is exactly what I wanted.
My first attempt was on a set of traditional rollers:
Resistance on these rollers is low so I knew I would need a big gear to allow for sufficient resistance. I tried a few different combinations and attempted some racing, but even with the biggest gear I had available (58 x 13 = 120.46) I just couldn't get enough resistance. This gear at 110 rpm was only giving me power in the mid 300 watt range, which is not enough for Zwift racing. The other issue I identified at this point was that the start of Zwift races (which we all know are exceptionally fast) was going to be an issue. A set up that gave me the appropriate power for racing may not provide enough watts for me to survive those crazy race starts. The solution here would be to drop a category (I normally race A category).
My second attempt was on a Feedback Omnium Over-Drive trainer:
These work like traditional rollers but with the front wheel locked in you can concentrate more on the pedaling and less on the 'steering for your life' at high cadence. The resistance on these trainers is determined by the direction of the two rear roller through what Feedback call 'progressive internal resistance'. If both rollers are facing forward = very easy, both rollers reversed and facing backwards = very difficult, one roller facing each way = a combination of easy and difficult giving a more balanced resistance. It was this third combination that would end up being the winner. Gear choice would also be important and after a few attempts and rides a 51 x 15 (91.8) gear would get the nod. I keep my rear tyre pressure consistent at 115psi. This combination of resistance and gear produced (approximately):
- 90 rpm / 300 watts
- 100 rpm / 360 watts
- 110 rpm / 420 wattts
With this new set up dialed in, I started some racing. As mentioned, I chose B category due to the concerns I had in surviving a frenetic A category start. zwiftpower.com would disqualify me from any official results in these races, but that was of no concern. I had no chance of featuring anyway. I was pleasantly surprised at how these races would play out. High cadence, variable cadence, a huge cardiovascular workout and in the end some Zwift racing that was unique and very challenging; exactly what I was looking for. I have tried to focus on shorter races in the 6 - 20 km range. Below is my data from an 11 km race:
The good news is that after being in a few A and B category combined races, I have now improved to the point where I can race in A (sometimes). The starts are still exceptionally tough, but if I can survive that first couple of minutes I am normally fine to hang on until the end. As I mentioned at the outset, when you are faced with a hill, an attack or a big surge and the only thing you have to respond with is a higher cadence, it certainly makes for an intense riding experience.
So there you have it. If you are a keen track rider I encourage you to try this. Please message me through the blog page if you have any specific questions.
