The first climb is over, but there is another one at the bottom of the descent. A rider has a few seconds to decide whether to keep turning the pedals, let the legs rest or get into an easier gear for what comes next. On the ZBike Infinity, the freewheel allows the pedals to stop while the flywheel keeps turning. A compatible simulator can change the load as the route drops away and rises again.
ZYCLE details the freewheel, controls and simulator compatibility at https://zycle.eu/en/zbike-infinity-en/. A short rolling route is a useful way to see how those features work together. It gives the rider a chance to settle into the first climb, try a brief pause after the crest and see what happens when they put pressure on the pedals again.
Taking a breather over the crest
On the first climb, the rider can settle into a gear that lets them pedal without rushing. As the gradient levels out, a simulator that controls the bike can ease the resistance. There is no need to stop pedalling at that point. It may feel more comfortable to keep the legs turning lightly, especially if the road starts to rise again almost straight away.
A longer descent gives the rider time to try the freewheel. When the feet come to rest, the flywheel can keep spinning. Some simulators will still show speed and distance accumulating on screen, depending on how they calculate the descent. The useful distinction is what happens at the pedals. The rider can rest their legs for a moment without bringing the flywheel to a standstill.
Before using a long route for this, it helps to find a short descent after an easy rise. The rider can keep pedalling on one pass and take a short pause on another. It is easier to notice the difference on a familiar stretch, with time to get the legs turning again before the next climb.
Finding the gear for the next rise
A gear that felt comfortable on the way down may feel heavy as the road tilts upwards. The Infinity has wireless electronic shifters on a road-style handlebar. As the second climb approaches, the rider can settle onto the hoods, bring the legs back up to a comfortable rhythm and select an easier virtual gear before the gradient steepens.
Hand position is part of the transition. On a quiet stretch, a rider might use the tops and then move back to the hoods once the climb comes into view. Trying that movement while the load is light gives them time to find the controls by feel. When the resistance increases, they can change gear from a position they have already tried.
How early to start pedalling again depends on the route. If the descent runs straight into a steep rise, leaving it until the last second can mean a few heavy turns just as the simulator raises the load. On a gentler transition, the rider may have time to find a rhythm before changing gear. The route profile gives them a cue to work from.
Looking at how the second climb began
The Infinity has an integrated power meter and can send readings to a compatible app or device via Bluetooth or ANT+. If the app records power, the rider can find the point where they started pedalling again and look at the first few seconds of the climb. The average for the whole route includes the descent and gives little detail about that changeover.
A sharp rise in power as the pedals start moving again can be a clue that the rider had to push hard to get going. It helps to put that trace alongside what they remember. If the first turns felt heavy, they can try starting to pedal a little earlier on the next ride. If the legs were already turning comfortably and the load still felt too high, a different gear may be the better thing to try.
Changing one part of the approach makes the next pass easier to read. For instance, the rider can keep the same gear and resume pedalling slightly earlier. At the bottom of the descent, the next climb will soon tell them whether that extra time helped them settle. Afterwards, they know exactly which few seconds to look for in the recording.
