Have you noticed a change to the way Coco Cadence is pacing lately? Who is Coco Cadence, you ask?
Pace Partners on Zwift ride at a consistent wattage (cycling) or pace (running) in Watopia. They are nice to join when you want a group but your time on the trainer or treadmill does not align with a desirable event. See the Zwift Insider guide to Pace Partners for full details.
Last week, Coco Cadence changed from a consistent wattage of 2.5 w/kg to a more dynamic pace. Currently, Coco Cadence increases to 2.7 w/kg on uphill grades, where Zwift users tend to pick up the wattage in relationship to the virtual terrain.
The goal is to more accurately represent pack dynamics in the real world. People tend to increase their wattage when going uphill in Zwift, so Coco Cadence has been adjusted so Zwifters aren’t dropping her on the climb.
Ride with Coco Cadence to see if you notice a difference. She uses three routes: Tempus Fugit, Tick Tock, and Sand and Sequoias. Based on feedback Zwift receives, there may be future changes to her wattage output relative to the terrain.
Zwift Insider reported on the question of lowering the wattage of Coco Cadence on downhills. However, if you have ridden with a large, disciplined group outdoors, you may know that soft pedaling downhills is a big no no. In fact, if you are on the front of the Winter Bike League in Athens, GA, you will be yelled at for not pushing the downhills.
We’ll see how Zwift changes these pack dynamics over time for their Pace Partners.
Here’s what we at Slowtwitch have planned for the rest of the week.
Guest World Schedule
Here’s this week’s guest worlds, so you can plan to earn some of the route badges you are missing:
Monday: France & Paris
Tuesday: Richmond & London
Wednesday: Richmond & London
Thursday: Richmond & London
Friday: Innsbruck & Richmond
Saturday: Makuri Islands & New York
Sunday: Makuri Islands & New York
Slowtwich Indoors Event Preview (All Times Eastern)
Go to Zwift Events to sign up for these rides and runs.
Monday 100/100 Group Run, 7:00 AM & 7:00 PM
Join us for a group run on the virtual track of May Field that will kick start your week. Don’t forget that each of the five ride workouts and five run workouts have a short and long option. Rather than canceling a workout when you are crunched for time, you can complete the short version and still reap the benefits of the program.
Tuesday Ride of the Valkryies Workout (Women Only), 6:00 AM
This event is by and for women. It’s an almost no-drop, rubber-banded Structured Training workout, featuring a warm-up, set of intervals, and a cool-down. This week’s workout is Ladders for Breakfast.
Tuesday Structured Training, 7:00 PM
Our Tuesday ride features triathlon-focused cycling workouts written by coaches and pro athletes affiliated with Slowtwitch. The workouts last 60 minutes and will help add variety and interest to your weekly training schedule. This week’s workout is Hill? I Thought You Said….
Wednesday Group Run, 7:00 AM & 7:00 PM
A more scenic group run on the Quatch Quest course.
Thursday Rise & Grind, 5:35 AM
This workout is an early morning bracer for the East Coast crowd. This week’s workout is Rise & Grind.
Thursday SWIFT Ride, 6:55 PM
The newest ride to the Slowtwitch Indoors family, Slowtwitch SWIFT (Strong Women, It's Fun Together!) is here to bring another women's only ride to a slightly friendlier time slot. This ride will focus slightly more on strength-based work so bring those climbing legs. But even if you're feeling more like Mark Cavendish in the mountains of the Tour de France, so long as you keep the pedals moving, you'll stay with our group. This week’s workout is Mix It Up.
Friday Festina Lente, 9:00 AM
This structured training workout is designed to get you geared up for the weekend. Roughly translated as “make haste, slowly,” Festina Lente features a workout that will get your engine running but still leave some in the tank for the big rides and races you have planned for the weekend. This ride is led by members of the Kanberra Cycling Team as lead beacon. This week’s workout is Mix It Up.