I use ERG and really enjoyed it. Took me a few minutes to get into the untraditional sufferfest workout. Nice to mix it up with something different and has the feel of a group ride.
I think next time I’ll bump the targets higher with the magic up arrow key.
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I thought this was absolutely fantastic!! I have a spin bike with Favero Assioma power pedals, so ended up not moving the resistance knob too much and making up for it with cadence. This had me running the recovery sections a bit hot but also forced me into a higher cadence for most of it, which meant I had legs at the end to hammer the finish. Sort of like what I should do in a race, but I guess that is the point.
I found by actually following the race video I could hit the power targets without non stop staring at the number (glancing yes, but not my only focus). My favorite part was the radio from the DS and the SOUND. Hearing those tires all rolling on the tarmac made me miss group rides and races even more.
Lastly, I realize we need to work specific systems in certain workouts, but it was great to have a ride that brought all of my training together. More of these please!
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Anyone else feel like the last minute is perfection from a power target POV?
The big AC jump fills you with endorphins, then you back of on the corner for a few seconds, giving you just enough to recover to put in a solid sprint finish for the last 100m’s.
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I found it quite dull to be honest and far too easy to be worthy of being included in the Tour.
Non of the efforts were long enough to cause any stress and I have no idea what the intended training effect is supposed to be. Sincerely hope this is not the direction Sufferfest is heading as I think its the worst release for years.
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I really enjoyed trying a different style of video and loved it for what it was. Total immersion and good real life race story.
A few hours later on reflection I do think it is maybe less intense than billed. E.g. Team Scream is longer but similar IF to Norway but I did Team Scream last week and my HR was a lot higher through whole session and I felt close to the edge vs. Norway.
Rode both on recent (2weeks ago) Half Monty metrics at 100%.
Norway ramps up at the end but I could have been pushed harder earlier.
Expect it’ll pair up nicely for a double header with Fight Club in subsequent TOS’s!!
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Double header with Fight Club? You are disturbed and sadistic. You’ll get the job of Tour organiser.
I too found the workout a bit gentle.
My last TS had max heart rate of 198bpm. Norway today 172.
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Repost from the Stage 5 thread 
I have to say, to me Norway is absolutely brilliant, very well done indeed @Francois-Wahoo and please, more of those!
Before attempting it yesterday for the first time, I have to say, I was a bit apprehensive - what, no music?! For me, the music is very important whatever the ride. But when I really thought about it - I never listen to any outdoors. It’s just not safe. I usually only listen to podcasts or watch videos on recovery rides, so it’s something mentally engaging. So the music, basically, is just to distract from suffering when it’s intense. And only indoors.
So I thought - let’s accept it for what it is. Real race outdoors. No music. Just noise, wind, pain, scenery. And with that, it clicks into place. It becomes brilliantly captivating. It becomes real.
If I first encountered this 2 years ago, as a complete indoors structured training novice, I would possibly not enjoy it as much. I understand it might be difficult to keep up with the constant changes and all the action on the screen, especially without the necessary hardware. What is now second nature for me would have been so distracting.
But this time it’s different. I have the pleasure of KICKR ERG and CLIMB. I’m also doing ToS 2021 on the back of very busy racing season (another platform, sorry) and also another tour. And it makes me appreciate how perfect this simulation is to an experience of a real race. It just has everything.
- The lonely and tough effort in a breakaway. The buddies in the group that just don’t want to pull harder. It may be tactics, it may be that they’re shot, or maybe don’t have their skin in the game. But they just slow us all down, how do I motivate them? How do I increase the speed without sacrificing myself?
- The small kickers you just know others will push harder than you, so you can’t rest as much as you’d like.
- The short moments of rest, where you concentrate on recovering as much as possible. But still knowing you can’t be lazy, without a draft advantage of a large group. No, not now. Not a chance. Push when others are resting. Attack when others had enough.
- The charging peloton you know too well is going to catch up with you, regardless of how much you try. But you have to try. “More than you buddy.”
- When you’re finally caught, as tired as you are and as rested as they are, when you see that attack forming on the left, you know you just have to respond. In these moments, everything is decided. You have to dig deep.
- And then finally the finish. Leaving everything on the line. For yourself, for the team, for the sport.
Everything that happens on the screen becomes a second nature even without the suggested power changes. It just feels you need to do it anyway. And regardless of missing cadence targets, you just know 90-110 is a good range. It would seem impossibly fast years ago. But now it just flows. You know how to use it to your advantage in the power surges.
Oh I loved it. Give it a time if you don’t. Try a real race and then come back. Add some % to the ERG targets and you’ll see. It all comes together.
Happy bunny. Stage 5 
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@Tim_Storr, this was as close to a simulated race, or fast group ride with an effective pace line, as any that I’ve done on ANY VR/AR platform. The constant surges when it was your turn at front, and the easing off when you were drafting was pretty accurate. Only thing to improve on would be improved speed modeling and syncing with the video, but I suspect that is pretty tough to generalize for all SUF users.
I’d suggest you watch Cam Nichols’ video from yesterday where he compared power levels from Norway to a real race that he recently did.
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Jings. I just about managed at 90% and was hanging over my stem after the end sprint. Clearly I need to train !!
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Absolutely loved it! Was rather nervous from the power profile and thought I’d be bored without the music, but trusted The Sufferfest, saved it for the tour and now can’t wait to do it again. But no, I’m not doing it twice today 
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I’m always fascinated to hear dissenting opinions. I did a recce of this a week or so ago but was not giving it my full attention, was on a group zoom chat at the time and was not really engaged in the race/story and was definitely missing the music. Like you, I was at times a little bored.
Now, having said that, I am going to ride it today, with earbuds in and volume up giving it my full attention and treating it like an actual road race where I have to focus on the wheels in front and around me, the sounds of brakes, and the clicks of cassettes and gear changes, the road and the other riders. If I still feel the same way after immersing myself in it, it just won’t see a lot of time on my personal SUF vid rotation.
I can totally see why so many people are enamoured of it and can also see a lot of potential in creating more rides like this perhaps following actual pro riders up famous climbs and tailoring the power required to get there to our own personal metrics. To me, no matter how you look at it, the future of SUF is bright.
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Congrats to the entire Suf Team, the Minions, and GvA for a very immersive training session. I loved it and found it to really mimic real world riding with a fast group! It challenged me - especially the last 300M of the climb…but gives me something to improve upon next time.
I hope the team has more rides like that in the works.
Ok, transfer tonight across the Great Lactic Acid Lake so that means an evening of turning the screw.
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Loved it !!! More of these !!! You do need ERG though. Then it’s just AWESOME!
O, did some nit picker already mentioned that Sep VanMarcke is Belgian, not Dutch…
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Yep. 
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Tl:Dr 
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3rd time completing this workout, yet I feel like I enjoyed it this time more than the 2 previous. Definitely feels different on tired legs.
I also found it a lot better using a bluetooth connection. My first attempt was on ant+ and experienced a few ant+ erg lags. Switching to bluetooth and turning off power smoothing definitely made a difference both by eliminating the lags and making my power match up better.
Even tho GMTI turned ftp and map down to 90%, those AC efforts were still at 100%!
What I really love are all the little details that the creators included.
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Absolutely hated this vid. The incessant road noise and team car guy became annoying within 15 minutes so off went the audio. Then all downhill from there. By 30 minutes mind was on anything but riding. By 35 minutes I was ready to drop the tour and by 40 minutes indoor cycling altogether.
Previous tours introduced mouth smashing workouts that leave one exhausted and feeling somewhat rewarded this however had none of that for me. Oh how the mighty sufferfest has fallen… The only agony and misery in Norway for me was mentally getting through an hour of it
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Yes. Lot of time went in and good to have a different choice now.
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[VERY MILD SPOILER ALERT just in case you’re really really trying to keep yourself from knowing what’s coming]
I just finished Norway for the first time, at 100% for the ToS.
I liked. The lack of music didn’t bother me at all and I definitely like I got in to the ‘race’. The Kickr Core ERG worked like a dream. The easier bit after the hill when he’s not taking a turn seemed like a bit of a waste, though I was feeling strong. On another day I might have been more thankful for it.
I really like the concept and hope SUF have more, similar sessions in the pipeline. It’s not a replacement for the usual SUF sessions, and I am sure that is not the plan, but as an alternative I thought it was great. There were some tough parts but I got off the bike feeling pretty good and quite energised. I could definitely see doing this back to back with another sessiosn for a longer endurance session. The short peaks keep it interesting.
I’m keen to return with an amped-up 4dp profile and see how much I can push it. Scaling up to give an expected avg power closer to FTP would be interesting.
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Amen!! Glad to find another like minded opinion!