I didn’t plan on riding in Zwift today but on the road. The weather had other plans though with two light showers before noon there wasn’t enough time left to allow the streets to dry, ride and get ready to play dominoes this evening. So Zwift was the ride.
After not succeeding with RoadCaptain routes in the Makuri Islands today I chose a ride in the Rebel Route list, the Big Flat 8 in Watopia. Nothing wrong with flat routes in my riding. The description said the distance would be 29.7km, ascending 75.6m and descending 131m. At the end of the ride some of those numbers were wrong. The route starts using the Watopia Triple Flat Loops and varies from that.
All did not go well though. I got everything setup and was just starting to pedal and the electricity blipped shutting Zwift off, my router hiccuped, and RoadCaptain froze. I use a UPS to protect my computer and other things electronic because CenterPoint Energy is unpredictable. I had to create another livestream on YouTube, power off my router and get RoadCaptain working again.
This second time I had to fix a couple of settings in OBS and was finally ready to ride again. Then a phone call came in that needed to answer. Another delay. Now I was ready to ride.
The Triple Flat Loops begins on Fuego Flats. RoadCaptain’s window was running (see the video) showing Fuego Flats 4 covering 7.4km with Fuego Flats 5 next for 1km. When I passed the 7.4km point the Epic KOM turn came up on the screen and I continued straight. That lasted 1km for the Epic KOM left turn alert popped up to turn left. This would take me on the Titans Grove to Sequoia/Epic KOM RoadCaptain’s wind said for 1.3km. Now 9.6km into the ride the next turn was Sequoia Circle to the right. RoadCaptain labels this Sequoia to Epic for 1.3km. The next turn alert came at 10.8km to the right to Downtown. I would ride on RoadCaptain’s Ocean Blvd. 2 for 1.9km. I would continue on Downtown going stright according to the alert at 12.7km and switch to RoadCaptain Ocean Blvd. 1 for .4km. Downtown turned right again on RaodCaptain’s Beach Road to Zwift KOM but only for .2km. No turn alert in Zwift as RoadCaptain changed to Beach Road 2 for .5km. After riding under the checkered banner RoadCaptain moved to Beach Road 1 for .8km. The next turn alert came at 14.7km turning right onto the Volcano Circuit. The road after the turn RoadCaptain labeled Beach Road to the Volcano covering 1.4km. Riding to 15.3km the next turn offered 2 choices, Volcano Circuit to the left and Volcano Circuit CCW to the right. RoadCaptain selected the right turn calling it Volcano Circuit 1 for 1.4km. There was some climbing on this section but not much. 16.7km another two turn choice came up, Volcano KOM to the left and Volcano Circuit going right. The right turn was highlighted in orange and the road would change to Volcano Circuit 2 for .9km. This was a nice downhill ride. As I made the right turn RoadCaptain’s window said “Lost route lock heading wrong way! Make a u-turn to resume the route” but then the window changed back to the route instructions. Good news! at 17.6km another two turn choice with the Volcano Circuit CCW going left and Italian Villas to the right. I turned to the right, RoadCaptain labeled this Volcano to the Italian Villas riding 1.4km. Only 10km to go. A gravel road around 19km for variety. And the next turns choice, Sprint going left and 360 Bridge was where I was headed, the Italian Villas Loop 1 .7km. As I reached 19.3km another RoadCaptain’s window said “Lost route lock heading wrong way! Make a u-turn to resume the route” but then the window changed back to the route instructions. 20.0km alerted me to the 360Bridge left or the Sequoia Circle right and I turned right onto RoadCaptain’s Marina a longer road at 2.1km. Riding over a bridge at 22.0km the next turn choices were Sequoia Circle to the left and Jungle/Epic KOM to the right. Thankfully I turned left onto RoadCaptain’s Sequoia to Marina and 1.3km. The next turns’ alert was at 23.3km Downtown left (my direction) or Epic KOM right and onto Ocean Blvd. 2 1.9km. Continue Downtown (straight) or Desert Flats (right) came at 25.1km? RoadCaptain said turn right onto Ocean Blvd. to titans Grove for 1.2km. As I approached 26.3km Desert Flats straight versus Titans Grove to the right was the choices. I continued straight back to Fuego Flats 1for 1.6km. I moved to Fuego Flats 2 at 28.1km. A bright red RoadCaptain window popped up at 28.7km stating “Zwift connection failed, retrying connection…”. In a couple of seconds the blue RoadCaptain window returned. And the final road, Fuego Flats 3 to me to the finish of the ride at 29.3km, a little short of the expected 29.7km.
I think I will give RoadCaptain a rest and use the Zwift companion app to make my turns choices in future Zwift rides.
