Tour de Zwift events were races? I rarely race, don't care. Would achieve the same thing. My performance IRL then probably looks pale compared to when Im racing in Zwift, I use the same power meter on Zwift as I do outdoors and I only push it outdoors during FTP tests and during closed road events (i.e. But youre training and racing and getting stronger, and eventually your FTP improves to 260 watts, which is 3.25 w/kg. I have to say I weigh myself most mornings in the buff (just my glasses on so I can see the numbers)! Thats the graph. There is enough variation in power profile to make it interesting without weight, what makes racing fun is trying to create tactics that favour yourRead more , Interesting & well reasoned article which answers a lot of things which were puzzling me. Future state can add a nominal cost to said license to support clean racing via Zwift tech updates. EZ and self regulating. (better than any bike upgrade i could afford) Yes its great to win,but as long as you improve yourself who cares what anyone else does.You will always get cheaters,dodgy equipment and so on so just enjoyRead more . It all has to do with the way Zwift's racing categories work. Currently trying to convince a friend who is new to Zwift not to reverse weight dope. Zwift power usually looks at numbers vs the category race he entered. What stone have you been living under? Best Zwift setups: Indoor cycling setups to give you the competitive edge. I agree WTRL ZRL races dont feel like they have cheaters. Other planned changes communicated last week, including plans to improve the reporting features in Zwift will be rolled out as planned. Yes, we need to be categorized by our race ranking, not power. How does being heavier help a cyclist? you may ask. See how you can support Zwift Insider! He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. I agree with your idea. Hopefully ZHQ will take a harder look the changes that have been proposed over the past year or so. Some of the reasons Ive never pushed as hard on a real ride include: Stopping / slowing for junctions Traffic / pedestrians / other hazards Appreciating the view No watt meter on my real bike I dont race in real life I dont do workouts in real life Changing wind Threat of a headwind on my home journey And the biggest: WantingRead more , Agree with the above. Adjusting Difficulty Before Your Workout. Hes had to up his weight as he is only 35kg ( upped time 45kg) he but puts out 220watt so his ftp is 5.5-6w/kg in a race. It points to the need for a results-based categorization system, which I discussed a month ago in the final post of my race category series. I know a woman who is 5 feet tall and almost 200lb. Or theyll ignore leaders instructions and ride off the front of a group (flyers). Todd_S (Todd S) March 12, 2015, 3:09am #4 I'm new to the app. (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.). I think he is referring to the 2021 Haute Route GC (or lack thereof), Sorry, thats right, it was the Haute Route 2021 events. My IRL time and my Zwift time are almost the same. If Zwift can be seen to be doing that then very little need toRead more . I agree Paul great idea. Whatever your answer, some people will never like it, but there has to be a clear, credible answer for the majority to support. He argues hes not gaining an advantage. Find out more about how we test. This afternoon, Zwift posted a follow-up message on the forum. I completely missed these as I reinvented the wheel, trying to stir up the hornets nest on the Zwift forums the other day. As for the weight, I weight 190lbs, (86Ks) I put in 190lbs. the lighter rider has to ride much harder to stay in the groups with a few big guys cruising along. Then save your ride and log out. Find some hilly races As a result your suggestion of the watts vs w/kg different systems is already baked into the game physics in a way. Not sure why its hard for you to believe that there are a lot of riders under 70kgs. Login Required The Zwift Engineering team is focused on improving security for ZwiftPower users. Zwift lets you adjust the difficulty of your workout, before or even during your ride. We like this move from Zwift. On a tablet or smartphone, you can download the. Even at my age I still plan to compete in MTB races when the world gets back to racing. Most of my ZwiftRead more . Updating Your Public Profile Zwift takes your physical measurements into account for things like leaderboards, speed, and your avatar's physical appea. This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. We mentioned categories earlier as one of the ways in which you can search through your results and statistics, but they're also a method by which you get sorted into races. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Thats why there are no top 40 Cat C riders in 70-75Kg range. This is especially true if you are trying to ride with riders you possibly know locally or otherwise. Absolutely impossible. ), So what is reverse weight doping? In the 2 months Ive been on Zwift Ive become a stronger rider than ever, because Zwift encourages me to push myself harder than I do in real life. I think the main problem with women and weight on zwift is regular weightdoping, magnified probably by all the wonderful social stigmas and judgment surrounding womens bodies. The first way is to head into your profile. Im older heavier and relativily fit. But it highlights a bigger problem, and that is the fundamental flaw of using watts per kilo for race categorization. I just we had a better system than category limits, racing license anybody? The guy who got first weighs 106kg on strava but 45kg and only 411 on zwift. Nailed it. I argue that he is intentionally misrepresenting his weight so he can place higher in B instead of getting shelled in A (like I do). I have just accepted that at my height I will always be heavier than the average cyclist. I averaged between 300 and 310 watts for all segments and my heart sat pretty consistently between 140 and 144.Read more , saying x number of watts per kg at xxx hr is flawed anyways max and resting hr can vary alot. Problem solved! Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. I do find it amazing, funny and sad that IRL at several Ironman events me, a C rider, beat many A riders in the cycling segment. They do? I think that point based system is an improvement, but it doesnt address the weight issue. Nekkid and I only update my weight in zwift if it moves more than a KG. 5x5min, 4x8min but definitely never longer than 8 minutes. Then everyone would know who is legit or at least somewhat legit. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. Zwift excessively rewards the athlete for being light and small. So what! Thats hilarious. Seeing someone race cat A/B on Zwift and then be at the back of the age group pack in a local tri/ bike race canRead more , I understand what you are saying, but the average racer who can legitimately churn out x watts/ kilo for minutes on end will be doing more with that than just being a zwift warrior (if they are getting onto the road to really ride and not just commute), and, traffic lights or not, their real-world rides will at least give resemblance to their zwift output, even if only for certain segments at a time. Youve got people putting out 5+ watts/kilo atRead more . there seems to be a lot of variability in power products and what people are using to feed into zwift. The categories currently used in most Zwift events are based on your FTP watts per kilothat is, your FTP in watts, divided by your weight in kilograms. Kudos to Zwift for listening to their customers and admitting they made a mistake. 8 months ago I was 96kg, but didntRead more , As a light (58kg) rider racing in the Bs it is very frustrating on flat routes where since the main thing that matters is raw watts and not w/kg I would have to put out well over 4 w/kg to keep up with the heavier guys and therefore I pretty much always get dropped before too long. stop worrying about whatRead more . If you're on Zwift and planning to get racing, then signing up to the third-party app ZwiftPower (opens in new tab) is an essential step. Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips. Launch Zwift and go to the Menu. Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. You do you. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Knowing when to go hard and having the fitness to do so are also vital skills.). As far as my weight goes the only thing I care about is being as accurate as I can to get accurate results. My 3.9w/kg (a new PR!) Otherwise I stand by my comment. I think a once-weekly weigh-in is acceptable. And this is why reverse weight doping is a thing. Check out this FAQ for some of our frequently asked questions: Q:&. The key phrase is assuming both riding at the same W/kg, so for the same watts, if I claim to be 10kgs lighter than I really am my W/kg will increase considerably. This isnt IRL racing it is e-racing. (ignoring that it evens out and you have the advantage on the hills but lets ignore that because its all about you and you should always podium in every race in your life, because mommy told you that you were special and big mean Zwift is making you work so hard on the flats). If they keep riders from competing in categories below their ranking, it will reduce the number of sandbaggers and cruisers. Updating Your Privacy Settings in Zwift Companion To update your default privacy settings, sign in to the Zwift Companion (ZC) app on your iOS or Andro. nothing more. Weight doping is only a serious issue when its done in competition. All the emphasis on physical metrics makes sense for putting together how speed is calculated but not how one can race. This would include preventing people from entering the wrong (too low) category, and multiple month suspensions (race events would not appear in that persons Zwift application event list, no ability to enter) for using a height or weight that cannot be verified, or miscalibration of a smart trainer. Keep it on. I think with a results based system would help as it would the sandbaggers, but it wont eliminate the weight cheats entirely, those that just want to gain a little more w/kg by losing a few virtual pounds. Since we know that lighter weight=higher virtual speed, this is a very easy way to cheat the system on Zwift. I hope they learn from this and are more careful with things like that in the future. triathlon). Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. What anyone wants in any game or competition is to feel its fair, and as they look to make changes going forward, I hope people at Zwift always keep asking themselves this question: How can Zwifters see these races are fair?. Perhaps if you post a W/kg in excess ofRead more , So thats why I could easily keep up with a 3-3.4wkg group yesterday whilst keeping my wattage at some 2.5-2.7just my 107kgs.the rest were probably featherweight category :) Just from riding regularly I went from 166 FTP to 187 in 800 miles over a 2 1/2 months. Can someone answer why we need the different categories? Now head back to ZwiftPower, click 'Connect' at the top of the page, then enter your Zwift ID in the box when prompted. My FTP/kg is 3.88, which I now know would make me a B racer (3.2-3.9). If people want to cheat, they will and can do so in any uncontrolled situation. It is obviously a stupid thing ( weight doping) and why a rider would do this is beyond me but pride and quasi Strava bragging or Zwift Power bragging is a thing. On one occasion I entered a flat race (Laguardia Loop) following my ZP category (class C), finished almost three minutes down (though since it was a small field I still got third place), and then was disqualified for averaging 3.6 w/kg and 206 watts. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Im not too concerned about weight doping really. 0.5kg discrepancy either side is actually quite small. Some people, I think, just have a lower HR. You'll receive a four-digit code, which you'll then have to add to your last name back in your Zwift settings (you can change it back after the process is completed). 1 second per 1 km on the AdZ dowhill (after losing minutes going up it) is literally the only place in the game its beneficial and the IRL advantages on the flats over light riders is excessivelyRead more . How Do I Change My FTP On Zwift? I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. Why you can trust Cyclingnews How come I get beat in sprints when a 60kg guy puts out 700W, when I put out over 1000W at 76kg? . My power is often in the top few. I climbed the Alpe last night for Stage 3 of the Tour of Watopia, missing my target of going under an hour by just over 12 seconds (Aargh!!). For example the threshold for cat B is FTP over 200 watts and over 3.2 w/kg. Zwift can wipe your Zwift Power profile and give you a clean slate to start over if you want, but I think you will lose all past data. Its also why the Zwift Transparency Facebook group was created, where racers post videos of themselves weighing in using a particular protocol which makes it difficult to fake your numbers. Thats a good thing. Their hr should also correspond, which they often dont. Not true, at least not absolutely. Skinny guys get DQd if they match heavies on the flat for power so they can NEVER win, even in the mountains. I just got upgraded to CAT A according to zwiftpower. Frankly I struggle to believe these are real. With Zwift control is difficult (in getting Zwifters to enter their accurate) wait. 1. Zwift essentially encourages people to be less than truthful about their weight. Why we are treating this differently from actual racing? Leave the setting unchanged and climbs often feel challenging. Email zwiftpower@zwift.com if you want to reset everything. Im 70 inches tall and 156 pounds right now vs 166lb on Jan 1. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Ill remain skeptical until I see some actual changes. If someone dopes so they do 4w/kg then they should be racing with other people who do 4w/kg. No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm. On Zwift Power categories have both a wattage requirement and a w/kg requirement. I hopeRead more . Your voice is important to us. This raised concerns within the Zwift Racing Community regarding fairness in racing. It's a real community hub. Great drafting skills!, Heres the thing: I probably am a fairly efficient racer, when I want to be. would that be cheating then ? Do you believe weight doping (reverse or otherwise) is a big problem in Zwift racing, and if so, what can be done about it? this is how it is in real life , big ian stannard putting in hard fast miles on the front for (was) team sky , while all the small guys tuck in the peloton getting drafted along saving energy for later on in the race , because they can`t compete on the flat with the big boys . Whats the cheaters solution? Yes us heavier riders have the downhill advantage definitely. But since there are no clear rules on it at this time, its a bit of a self-policing thing with a fair amount of grey area. Goodness. I was going flat out the whole race, and by no means cruising along watching my watts. How do you actually update your weight on ZP?? Some weight dopers are obvious and blatant other times its much less egregious. This is how racing is supposed to work. (a is tough and im struggling at max h/r for most of the race).Ive gone from 87kgs to 80 kgs in this time and feel fitter than ever. I am in the 5 percentile of height and weight at 52 and 130lb with my lowest weight of 118 lbs in my racing career. It impacts the Group Rides and as you said the performance statistics individually. I think Im just heavier than my competition. Example: have you ever purposely avoided weighing yourself (especially you who have a Withings scale that automatically updates your Zwift weight) because you know youve put on a few pounds over the weekend? Just sign up for A races from now on. ThatRead more . As there is no official A+ CAT there is nothing to worry about, but if there were, I would be right between A and A+. I understand if someone has a banner day or just bumped up out of upper C to lower B. On the flats and descents she crushes her w/kg field. I suffer from excess sweating and will easily lose 10kg in a race on Four Horseman, for example (although Im certainly not the norm, but to say no one is untrue). I was just naturally heavy and it put me at the top of the C class in w/kg. I got my 100kph badge on the Bologna course. That's it! I now know of over 20 category D zwift users that have said theyre not going to bother with the Zwift races anymore. Honest mistake on my part and one I wont make again, so fair enough to be filtered outRead more , Related (and apologies if the answer is obvious but Ive only done one Zwift race), really what is the point of the categories? If youre a 300-pound dude who wants to go a little faster uphill as a virtual 200 pounder, have at it. We are both lighter riders and find the w/kg categorisation system frustrating (unfair even) but its what we have at the moment I think most people feel like they have a right to be competitive but this simply is not the case and ifRead more . People still rode at B level pace in a C group. if someone is entering a fake weight on their Zwift profile, the only person they're cheating is themselves, cos they're going to get destroyed out on the roads where it really matters. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The best solution would be for Zwift to actively monitor all racing for people cheating. Yes, smaller riders have less frontal area, but the difference in CdA isnt that much. But maybe Im just thinking like a lady its hard for me to imagine a lady voluntarily gaining weight, even virtual weight. Hahahahaha. 2 Likes _Jynxy_EVO (:)) October 1, 2021, 1:41pm #8 thxs mike, Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. The COVID-19 lockdown period, now in its third month around the world, has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual cycling.