Zwift | The Grade | First ride on The Grade, I was not prepared.

As a MAMIL this was my first ride on the all new The Grade in Zwift. A climb that to my surprise just gets steeper and steeper with double digit percentages. Wow that was a though ride.
Any tips or help on how I can improve on zwift are welcome. Please leave a comment.

[@patrickflanagan317]

Every one suffers bon this climb, Super effort, I'm always in awe how you can ride seated, I have to stand to be at my best. 💪💪👍👍

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks a lot. I don't know if it's a physical thing being seated versus standing or if it tracks back to me riding more mountainbike than road bike. I feel that I can push more watts seated, where my cadance is really low when standing, and grinding those big gears tires le out. But I guess its a thing you can train and get better at. 💪👍😎🚴

[@WarHammerWH]

Good that you pushed through it and thank you for this video. I was planning to do this in the next few days, so now I know what to expect to pace myself better.

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks a lot. Go for it, I'm sure you can do it and beat my time. 💪👍😎

[@WarHammerWH]

@@WattsHartvig Ha-ha... yes from what I can see we seem to be similar in fitness so yes, need to beat 21:54 and 208 grade with a lower finishing heart rate than 177! Just kidding... 😁

[@SteakandChains]

Solid effort! Great job

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks 👍

[@aerowilly65]

You did well to hold on until the end there and your average power did not drop too badly. But my bit of advice would be this: when doing any maximal effort,for example a time trial ,you should set a deliberately easier pace at the start,for at least the first quarter. I’m sure you realize now you went off too hard at the start. I would be pretty confident if you do it again and you start easier, say at 215w W for the first few minutes, your FTP will end up higher

[@chrisoliver6690]

Yep, we all learn that the hard way.

[@WattsHartvig]

Thank you. You are absolutely right. I had no real plan but just to take a stab at it. Now I know the climb and I will follow your advice next time and see if that can improve things. 👍

[@BigBailBikesandBeer]

managed it in 20.11 . Happy as I am a chubby 103kg 50 year old who did a 45 miler the day before . Will do it again with fresh legs as I enjoyed it

[@WattsHartvig]

Nice. That's my next goal. 💪20.11

[@dewidavies7995]

Well done great video amazing 😊

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks a lot. 😎

[@dczwifter]

Great effort 👌. I did it myself and blew up the first time and a little better the second time. It takes a bit of getting used to.

[@WattsHartvig]

Yep. I almost blew up myself as well. I will plan it a little better next time. 👍😎

[@markanderson7833]

Nice work! I have done it twice and its not easy for sure!

[@WattsHartvig]

Nice. Well done. I'm still waiting for my next try. 💪👍

[@bonn1771]

Amazing work and you sound like me. Only a few more sections.. Just sub and happy training

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks. You have to motivate yourself somehow when you are about to blow up. 😂👍😎

[@MrPedel]

Super indsats, Henrik. Det er hårdt arbejde, men godt for benerne :) Hvis du skal prøve den igen, så vil jeg anbefale at smække en letvægtscykel på. Tron er ok, men hvis du bruger lettere cykel/hjulsæt, vil det i sig selv kappe nogle sekunder af. Jeg kan også se, at dit watt-gennemsnit gik lidt ned på anden halvdel. Det er selvfølgelig forskelligt, hvordan man kan lide at pace bakkerne, men det her er én af dem, hvor jeg tror det er godt at køre efter negativ split, så man har mere i reserve, når bakken bliver stejlere til sidst. Det kan man også hente en del sekunder på, tror jeg. Jeg har selv lagt en video op med mit første forsøg på Grade, hvis du kan bruge det til inspiration. Ses derude!

[@WattsHartvig]

Takker. Synes det er svært at pace bakkerne. Men det er helt sikkert en mental ting som man kan arbejde med. Men tænker det er et spørgsmål om at være i god form. Min erfaring indtil nu er at jeg ikke har det ekstra overskud selv om jeg holder igen i starten. Men nu hvor man kender stigningen, så kan det være at det er nemmere. Tak for tippet med cyklen, det vil jeg prøve. Jeg tjekker din video ud senere. 👍 Vi ses derude. 💪😎

[@kawesipastorholland]

WELL DONE MATE. LOOK TOUGH, BUT YOU DID IT 😂

[@WattsHartvig]

Thanks. 👍

[@alleywatson]

I think this definitely requires you to get into a rhythm and just keep going at a manageable wattage. We don’t know if you had already warmed up also.

[@WattsHartvig]

Yup. I'm just afraid that the average will be too low if I start at a managed pace. I did mention in the video that I did 7 km warm........I actually did 8 km before doing this. 💪👍😎

[@DaaveKL]

Hey, nice Job, i‘m new at. Zwift, can you maybe Tell me How to find „the grade“ ? I really don’t know where it is

[@WattsHartvig]

The course "Oh Hill no" and the "Elevation evaluation" in watopia both leads to the grade. I'm unsure if you need to be at a certain level to see them though. 👍💪🌞

[@patrickb.2441]

What i dont understand about zwift is, how does it make your mike automaticially harder when you are on a mountain, or something like that? Do i have to do this stuff manually or is it automated? I really need to know before buying, please help.

[@WattsHartvig]

@@patrickb.2441 the trick is to be on a smart trainer. This smart trainer replaces your rear wheel, and is then controlled by zwift. Which means when you climb more resistance are added on the trainer, which makes you have to work harder to get up the hill. You adjust this in many ways but you still have to produce the same watts to get up the hill as you would in real life. If you ask me it feels pretty natural, at least for me, and this motivates me, because the I don't have to travel to France to ride Alpe d'huez, I can just do it when I feel like it in my shed. 😀👍 Oh and by mike I hope you mean bike. Otherwise my comment is totally off. 😀

[@user-rz6kc8gr1h]

Blew myself up on the first try vecause i forgot to yse the virtual shifter. Trying again tomorrow

[@WattsHartvig]

You need the gears man. 😎 Couldn't do it without them. Unless you put your trainer difficulty on 0% I guess. 👍 Have a great second try. 💪

[@loulew07]

3:00 PM on Monday, June 24, 2024 # 396 OA Zwift - # 9 Oh Hill No in Watopia Your PR 24:06 27 /131 < mens age div 65-69 I have done it now 11 times . I would ask you what is your age ? HR seems very very high , I'M around 75 to 80 % HR AVG Im not going all out for my 24 mins .Im 67 HR for my ride was 124 which was 81% of my max .

[@WattsHartvig]

The ride was done approx 1 1/2 hour after having dinner in the evening. It was pretty hot and unplanned. And I was going all out at the last bit of the climb. My age is 47. Generally my HR is in the higher end during races or events like this. I'm amazed that you can keep your HR at 81% in a climb like this. Just show that I need to get in better shape maybe. Well done. 💪👍😎

[@loulew07]

@@WattsHartvig Thanks for responding back. I have used a HRM since 1987 and over the years my body sticks around 80% . Two Ironman champions few weeks back both had open heart surgeries and are few years older than me . And both trained long and hard , which that is 4 former Ironman triathlon champions who have had open heart surgery . The HR formula I have used came from Dr Phil Maffetone . Take 180 minus 47 = 133 = 80% take another 10 =123 = 70% . Plus Girlfriend is a 30+ yrs as a cardio othro rehab RN . See's all of the local athletes get struck down . " Fine line between fitness and health " Dr Phillip Maffetone . If you want to be doing this 20yrs from now like me , slow down the HR to 133 to 123 . 37 yrs training smart , not hard , train to last , not to go fast.

[@99cya]

As swiss i do not understand the fuss about this. Its neither steep nor long 😂😂 just go up to your abilities and its over very quickly.

[@WattsHartvig]

😂 It's flat as a pancake where I live. So the climbs in Zwift actually provides a bit of fun for me, even though it might not look like that on the video. 😎

[@99cya]

@@WattsHartvigyeah it surely did not 🤣

[@99cya]

@@WattsHartvig hey you should go cycling in switzerland once. before i go riding i need to decide whether i want to go up the mountains, along lakes, through forests, speeding on the road, or a combination of those things. all accessible in less than 20 minutes. when i think about it, its quite spectacular. you would like it.

[@chrisoliver6690]

I'd do it again, only this time pace yourself, as AW65 said.

[@WattsHartvig]

Will do. 👍

[@Joshua-dx7zn]

That doesn't look fun at all. I will have to try it today or tomorrow though. I will have to see if I can beat your time but that looks like a solid effort.

[@WattsHartvig]

I'm sure you can. Go for it. I came in totally unprepared. Just suppress the feeling of stopping that you get 1/3 up the climb. 💪👍 😉

[@Joshua-dx7zn]

@@WattsHartvig Just finished the climb. I finished in 16:01. I should put my 34 tooth cassette on my trainer for that. That was brutal.

[@WattsHartvig]

@@Joshua-dx7zn wow great job. You rocked it. I need to loose some weight before I can beat that time. 💪 Well done. 👍

[@Joshua-dx7zn]

@@WattsHartvig I'm 135lbs and more of a climber so I kind of have an advantage. Still came in 38th of the people around me. I did run 2 miles this morning so that probably didn't help.

[@dewidavies7995]

1818😊

[@WattsHartvig]

Well done. I need to loose a lot of weight to beat that time. 👍💪😎

[@dewidavies7995]

@WattsHartvig myself too I am on a weight loss journey 19stone 12pounds 5ft 10in. Male no longer eating red meat by the weekend.

[@WattsHartvig]

@@dewidavies7995 Well done. Way to go. 💪