Peloton Wish: PZ Seasoned
A PZ Seasoned ride would be only the main set; such that a 30 minute endurance class would be a full 30 minutes of zones 2 and 3. PZ Seasoned Warm-up rides would follow the usual Power Zone warmup format of easy ride, spin ups and a build.
Peloton introduced the ability to stack classes well over a year ago; yet, the old format of warmup, main set and cool down all within a single class has not been rethought. A member can control their warm up and cool down durations to match their own preferences by stacking classes.
- Warmups for 30 and 45 minute classes vary in length. A member who likes a longer warmup likely already stacks a 5 minute warm up in front of any class. With PZ Seasoned they could stack one or more 5, 10 or 15 minute warmups in front of a main set to get the warm up they desire.
- Instructors could cut out all “new to Power Zone” chatter in PZ Seasoned classes. In the minute prior to class they can set the expectation that you should already know your zones and be warmed up.
Side track: “Seasoned” comes from just about every Matt Wilper’s PZ class following the usual beginner dialogue about estimating zones in something like “Seasoned riders can just go to your zones.”
- Instructors have more time to tell stories when newbie dialogue is removed.
- Instructors could focus all their training comments towards a known type of rider, rather than speak to the lowest common denominator.
- The total output for a Seasoned PZ class would be exactly the effort from the main set. Currently the class total mixes warmup and cool down output which doesn’t covey the same detail of information stacked classes could. Every FTP ride already skips warmup and cool down as the total output is the whole point of the ride.
- PZ Seasoned warmup classes should be labeled based on the intention of the build (ie, for PZ Endurance, Power Zone, or PZ Max). The FTP warmup rides already offer good 10 and 15 minutes lead ins to Power Zone and Power Zone Max classes, or any ride a member tries to PR.
- Members could stack various main sets to their liking.
- Such as, stacking a bonus endurance ride right after a PZ or PZ max class without having to ride through 9 to 12 minutes of warm up (and warm up chatter).
- Such as, building a long main set with multiple instructors, say 60 minutes stacked from three 20 minutes classes from three different instructors.
- Peloton engineers wouldn’t have to create anything new. The classes just have to be created with main set only content. However, it might be nice if PZ Seasoned classes could only be found/started by members who had an FTP set on their account.
High Five Question (and Peloton Glitch)
Would you high five someone on the leaderboard whose output is not moving?
The question came to me while on a 60 minute PZ Endurnce ride, when I appeared on the Here Now leaderboard at 31 output AND at the actual output of my ride. It toggled back and forth for the entire ride.
Personally, I felt weird to give high fives people from the 31 slot, so I didn’t. I just returned any that came in (thanks ZinAfterSPin and PeloLaw) though I’m curious if I appeared and reappeared at 31 on member’s leaderboard? I did gave out my usual high fives around my actual output to those I was catching and those who were passing me.
Glitch fixed: Ran into the glitch 2 days later during a 45 minute PZ. Grabbed my phone prior to cool down to record; and mention to my wife. She’d had the same issue on her last ride. I’m a computer science graduate with over 30 years of experience in software development, so I listened to my wife of 25 years who suggested to restart the bike (old Ctrl-Alt-Del). Glitch was gone on her next ride.
As for “Would you high five someone on the leaderboard whose output is not moving?” it breaks down into 1) do you leave the Here Now leaderboard open, 2) do you notice members who’s output isn’t changing and 3) do you care if the member isn’t biking?
As I approach a member on the leaderboard I notice if their output number isn’t changing. In which case, I assume they’ve stopped and don’t (usually) high five. But I make exceptions. The older they are the more likely I send a high five anyway. Their tag also might lead me to give the high five if it links to a PZ Challenge (go #GagMeWithAZone!) or strikes me as worthy (like mine, #surgeryrecovery) or light (#dadbod).
I also blast high fives when I start my ride to anyone who is from my PZ Challenge team or #surgeryrecovery without watching output.
What about you, if the member doesn’t appear to be biking would you send a high five? Comments very welcome.
Lastly, I was a little afraid that my 60 minute ride was going to double in time as I was swapped between the two outputs. Luckily the bike time clocked accurately. For the record, I held my post surgery zones, though those are still well below my zones set by my last FTP test which appear on the PZ Pack site.
Serial Suggestor
PZ isn’t the only area I have suggestions. Apparently I’m conceited enough to think my ideas are good. Or maybe I’m really just another version of the taxi driver pitching a giant gecko idea.
Get rid of enforcing half a penalty and other rule ideas for the NFL/football as well as changing coin flip to a barter.
Give a batter second base on a four pitch walk and other ideas for MLBA/baseball that could be experimented with in the minor leagues.
Drop the worst teams in NBA from contention around the All Star break and other regular season and playoff thoughts for the NBA.
