The categories currently used in most Zwift events are based on your FTP watts per kilo- that is, your FTP in watts, divided by your weight in kilograms. Thats the graph. In a race not in Zwift it is very easy for people to recongize who I am. People with eating disorders, or a proclivity toward extreme dieting. IMHO, enforcing in-category entry for races will be a quick, easy and effective change. 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. 2 yr. ago. 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. light guys categorically do NOT have an advantage on the flats vs heavier guys, assuming both riding at same w/kg, heavy guy WILL be going faster on Zwift. otherwise no way in hell hes beating you. We really like the sound of this: In the future, well continue to bring potential product ideas and changes to members of the Zwift Racing Community, with the hope that youll embrace this as a collaborative effort to help shape the experience. All this makes me laugh. Obviously, these are generally accepted rules in the Zwift Community. If Zwift can be seen to be doing that then very little need toRead more . I have heard women admit on social rides that their zwift weight is their goal weightRead more . The algorithms very much help heavier riders in descents, which gets forgotten when all we discuss is climbing. Then everyone would know who is legit or at least somewhat legit. Not knowing what to pick and with minutes until the my first race, I selected the C group and was thus filtered out of the Zwift Power race results when I then posted a 4.00w/kg over the 28 minute race. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. stop worrying about whatRead more . ThatRead more . Zwift posted a follow-up message on the forum, Zwift x UCI To Host Cycling Events for the Olympic Esports Series 2023, Race London ZRacing March Series Details, Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of March 4-5. Id say physics does! Yet the lesson is clear if you want to win, even on flat courses, have or claim a very low weight. But your point is correct, if someone has a good string of results, upg them regardless of cat limits, and zwift needs to lock them out of cat in-game for it to be effective. If it still doesn't work email zwiftpower@zwift.com and they should be able to sort. Now head back to ZwiftPower, click 'Connect' at the top of the page, then enter your Zwift ID in the box when prompted. there seems to be a lot of variability in power products and what people are using to feed into zwift. If I lose 1 more pound Ill go to 4.0 and its a daunting thing to think of going to As when I am often cruddy in the Bs. I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. Read on for our guide on how the app works, how to get set up, and how to analyse your racing. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs. Just from riding regularly I went from 166 FTP to 187 in 800 miles over a 2 1/2 months. Theyre only cheating themselves and it all comes out in the wash eventually. I may try and snag a couple of cat C golds before taking the break, but definitely wont be reverse weight doping to do so the upgrade to B will be a bigger prize than any gold medal. Yes, there are plenty of variabies, but power is power. You could attend races where all categories go together (same start, all riders visible) for a while if you find that to be more fun Zwift is great just to ride around and it has lots of good training sessions which you can do. I am racing in the Cs finishing in the 40-50s but there are 30 + racers ahead of me posting watt/kilo of A, and strong B racers. How come I get beat in sprints when a 60kg guy puts out 700W, when I put out over 1000W at 76kg? I am not saying that everyone with a low weight on zwift is cheating, but I am suggesting that there are many who are because zwift favours light riders, and people do like to win. I once made myself much heavier so I could compete against my 11-year-old son in a head to head Zwift climbing race. Connecting to ZwiftPower Before you can start using ZwiftPower, you'll need to create an account. The easiest way to qualify for a higher category is to cut weight. Tie that together with not letting people race in a lower (but letting them race in a higher) cat, and youll have fixed a number of the issues. Tough to recover after attacks in a race when youre always near maxing out. Response to our post as well as Zwifts own post in their forum were resoundingly negative from members of the Zwift racing community. At least I can be best in one thing on zwiftpower. You can record your weight n height n have it verified by experts etc up to five minutes before an event. I now know of over 20 category D zwift users that have said theyre not going to bother with the Zwift races anymore. She can crank but her w/kg is low. Case in point: in the A race I mentioned, only one rider was heavier than my 85kg dad bod. If I get down to 52 kilos I can climb well but my sprinting is terrible. 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. Everyone else in the race is riding flat out (your own HR was 174bpm) but these guys are just cruising along watching their watts and are then able toRead more , Not sure its that simple I am a heavy category C racer, and (funnily enough) finished 5th in both my recent Crit City races with average HR of 153 and 150. Conserving energy is a key part of successful bike racing. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. I just got upgraded to CAT A according to zwiftpower. Zwift lets you adjust the difficulty of your workout, before or even during your ride. also interesting about this equation are the: wattage data points and the zwift computations of W/Kg. Have you considered drinking during a race? Zwift power usually looks at numbers vs the category race he entered. If its not done during a competitive Zwift event, I dont see it as a problem. Most of my ZwiftRead more . Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips. The rule set for the categories is so simple yet Id bet >99% dont understand it, to my knowledge cyclingRead more . (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.) How many cyclists do you see in real life who are 65kgs, but they are ten a penny on Zwift. It's a real community hub. Yes us heavier riders have the downhill advantage definitely. I mean I never lied about my weight, I am a very light rider working and eating hard to get some extra pounds. Similar to the announcement of the European Super League in soccer, Zwift failed to read the room. People can be far to either direction im 25 and my max that I have hit is 217. If the categories are split using purely w/kg a lighter rider doesnt have any advantage up the climbs at all. Makes me happy to see that the community is able to speak with one voice if necessary. Most of the time, this will be what you use to figure out your race category. Withings scale that automatically updates your Zwift weight, a month ago in the final post of my race category series, https://smartscalesync.com/?utm_source=tr, https://zwiftpower.com/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=5528, https://zwiftinsider.com/how-does-zwift-calculate-my-speed/, Zwift x UCI To Host Cycling Events for the Olympic Esports Series 2023, Race London ZRacing March Series Details, Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of March 4-5. plain and simple. 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?. Theres also fitnesssyncer.com that is free up to 4 sync services. Have you ever compared numbers for calories burned, power output and even elevation ridden for a Zwift ride uploaded to Strava? if youre on zwift and intentionally cheating to get whichever fake virtual badge or win whichever fake virtual place in a race, then youre real-life literal loser. Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Mark Cavendish, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen. Keep writing this sort of thing. If you are on the lighter side, try picking some climbing races. 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. Hide the weight who cares let them upgrade all the way to As where you have strict reporting requirements. You have lowered your weight and skewed your power graph so it is inaccurate. That's pretty straightforward the usual email, username, password, terms and conditions so you won't have any trouble with this step. Context, Tim, context! I have been cycling since I was a kid and now close to 50. Taking weight out of the equation you could just make everyones avatar moving forward by holding down the up arrow on their keyboard. Racing the As resp. 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 . I wont do and will rather try my very best to compete with the As. I agree with your idea. I am always passed by everyone on the way up but can usually catch up on the way down (190cm/93kg). But many people (including myself) prefer categorized races because we want to have a chance to actually battle it out for a win. The guy who got first weighs 106kg on strava but 45kg and only 411 on zwift. First, it shows that theyre listening to the community. (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 . Best turbo trainers: Smart trainers to improve your indoor cycling experience Otherwise I stand by my comment. ZwiftPower - Login Please update your Zwift ID on the connection page to complete registration. But for most riders watts per kilo rules the day, determining which category you race in Zwift. I am a long time racer in NorCal and cheating is cheating. Manually change your weight in Zwift by adding 10 pounds. This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. nothing less. Im the opposite. Everything you need to know about the third-party Zwift results and analysis website. Im not heavy (68kg), have a typical climber/TT phenotype (no short sprint but good FTP). I think he is referring to the 2021 Haute Route GC (or lack thereof), Sorry, thats right, it was the Haute Route 2021 events. its only cheating myself, instead I would prefer to spend that 2 painful hours doing something honestly and feel proud of it than zooming through it in sub 60m and not reap the same benefits (or in my case, pain). Heavy riders not only have a huge advantage on down slopes (the steeper the more advantage); they also have an advantage on the flats; its only when it gets to above 5%+ you can start to break a heavier rider. But I get beaten by lots of other zwifters, even on flat courses. The key phrase there is have the same W/kg its very easy to boost your W/kg simply tell Zwift you are lighter than you really are. To move up to the next rank, ZwiftPower will take 95 per cent of your 20-minute average w/kg figure from your previous three races. A recent Crit City A Race is a very good example of this: I finished in the front pack, sprinting it out for 9th place. For example the threshold for cat B is FTP over 200 watts and over 3.2 w/kg. There is no reason I should be gettingRead more , Sounds like its time to start racing the Bs, @guest_35522! Its a huge problem. We can name and shame these few. If I were to drop say a kg obviously the watts required would not change to keep at the speed of the group andRead more , Youll go faster at a lighter weight on the flats. However, I have a lighter and faster son that smokes me head to head. Youve got people putting out 5+ watts/kilo atRead more . 1. I rode outside last night, and Im sure I will again soon. Heres an idea: Take weigh out of the equation. So I just bumped myself up to the B group and went faster overall simply because there were faster people to draft off of. Light guys have the advantage on the hills, in the sprints, and because they have a higher w/kg, the flats too even if my absolute watts are significantly higher. Just like the CEO promised us rowing years ago, right? would that be cheating then ? Whilst this might be the case, as Eric implies in flat races light weight riders have to work harder to stay in touch with the heavier riders in the bunch. Thanks! MyRead more . Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. See how you can support Zwift Insider! 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 dont think so. Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. As a low to mid-cat rider, ImRead more . I think a once-weekly weigh-in is acceptable. I have seen riders weighting 56 kgs and week later they are 35 kgs. 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+. indispensabile essere sinceri nel dichiarare il proprio peso , per se stessi e per il rispetto degli altri . I know Ive done it! Race them if you want, but Rides like Tour de Zwift are not based on rider category, they are based on distance. I havent even used my road bike outdoors since 2012. Im older heavier and relativily fit. Bath If someone on zwift holds an avg power at a given heart rate, then goes out on the road and holds that same heart rate but cannot sustain even close to that power, I am sorry, but that isnt physiology; that is hardware. How about simply showing a percentage variance. See how you can support Zwift Insider! Why try to force IRL parameters that can not be enforced. I never reverse weight doped. Put simply, ZwiftPower is a community-driven website that complements the Zwift app. More of an issue than thisRead more . The only way for complete cheat free racing is in the zwift Pro race which is all done in a single room with all riders together. Current system means that heavy weight top of cat riders climb at the same speed as skinny guys with same wpk but can have 60% more power on the flats. Hopefully ZHQ will take a harder look the changes that have been proposed over the past year or so. While the benefits of being light fully kick in while climbing a mountain (as it is easier for smaller guys to achieve certain w/kg), the benefits of being a tall and strong guy dont fully apply in the flats. I was told that was possible but I couldnt see how. Thats hilarious. https://zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=697996. A great challenge for those looking for those training gains. I put my real weight 95% of the time. It lets Zwift racers and race organisers track results and check out all the details of the races they've participated in, as well as monitoring and analysing their data. My IRL time and my Zwift time are almost the same. 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. Well Eric, my weight is plummeting, and Ill probably be taking a break from Zwift over the summer, so Im sure the upgrade is coming very soon!!! It's harder than real racing. As a 96kg, 51 year old with an FTP of 317 and a resting HR of about 48 (and a theoretical maximum HR of 174) Im not sure why my lower HR during an event should seen as suspicious. I use Zwift to get in shape and prepare for outside riding. That was my first thought when a fellow Zwifter commented on my recent race, Somehow you always get your w/kg down. 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. The default position is midway between "Off" and "Max," or 50 percent of the grade resistance you'd find while riding the same grade of hill in the real world. No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm. As a Triathlete, I have a different perspective when racing and riding on Zwift because the vast majority of Zwifters (according to Zwift and Strava) are only cycling; whereas Im also training by Running and Swimming. If you set your weight high enough that you fail to do well you will drop in the categories. Fact ! Nailed it. Just sign up for A races from now on. This would cover submission and review of a private video showing height and weight which would result in a check mark on ZP showing this rider was height/weight verified. But then you could have someone in the same age group who maxes out at 170. If so, that makes sense to me and I can absolutely see the point of that. Ive done multiple races where my main goal was to keep the watts as low as possible while hanging with the front group. Zwift should offer a Validated Racer package for a slight premium over normal membership. But Its hard to confirm whether or not its transmitting the weight to Zwift. Secondly, Zwifts statement says they agree there is a need for tools that deliver greater transparency to Zwift racing. Thats good to see, and we completely agree! A good rule we follow is to take our FTP divide it by 3 and then put that in as our weight (in Kilograms). A good portion of that weight difference is in the Hub's 10.3 . That is pretty low compared to most people on zwiftpower. I agree WTRL ZRL races dont feel like they have cheaters. I have wondered about this subject on a few occasions. Its more fun and engaging that way, for me at least. Stick a few more kgs on to stop you getting upgraded, would that get you a ban? On the flats and descents she crushes her w/kg field. And as well as your race results, you can check your distance ridden, total metres climbed, power peaks from one second up to 75 minutes, and more besides. What if you are super committed and gain the weight in real life just so you can stay in the category , Excellent posts on perhaps the most serious non-hardware problem in Zwift right now. As Ive posted elsewhere, I like having weight available at my fingertips so I can use it to plan the TTT rotation (I like going heavy/light/heavy/light to avoid the big guys pulling away on flats/descents or the little guys pulling away on climbs, plus one category of rider tends to get exhausted on any given route if I plan my pull times incorrectly, so its nice not having 2 people in a row suddenly need to skip a pull). Any thoughts on verifying? One question I have struggled to answer though which maybe is not a consideration is that on the flat watts is what is required and I also have to push high wkg to stay with groups. I have tended to notice that a significant number of powerful zwifters real world Strava performances pale in comparison to their online achievements. 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. Hitting G on your keyboard will do it, or swipe up on iPhone or iPad, etc then tap the graph button. While most Zwifters seemed to understand and even appreciate the intent behind the change, there was concern that removing this information would result in increased height/weight doping. The 33-pound Hub is 14 pounds lighter than the 47-pound Wahoo Kickr, even though the two trainers are almost exactly the same size. Is it doping though? (Its not the only part, of course! This is pretty timely for me as my FTP is 283 and my weight is currently 71.2kg. I have been light and I have been heavy. 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? Check out this FAQ for some of our frequently asked questions: Q:&. Especially for the C and D groups but even for the Bs albeit to a lesser degree. Or theyll ignore leaders instructions and ride off the front of a group (flyers). That's it! The bottom line is that in any competition there will always be someone who wants to cheat to win.Read more . They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. As a lighter racer 136lbs it pisses me off to see cheating. But maybe Im just thinking like a lady its hard for me to imagine a lady voluntarily gaining weight, even virtual weight. Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. We like this move from Zwift. This raised concerns within the Zwift Racing Community regarding fairness in racing. I was going flat out the whole race, and by no means cruising along watching my watts. Im new to Zwift and its racing and what I like notice is how well I do compared to theRead more , This is not just about cheating. Why not ride to your strengths? You lose 10 liters of sweat during a medium long ride? Some people are clearly living in a fantasy on zwift. Living at 5,900 ft. adds a performance restriction on me, I get it. Login Required The Zwift Engineering team is focused on improving security for ZwiftPower users. Its ridiculous. Monthly weigh ins arent perfect but they are better than no weigh ins. Then weigh yourself, and open Zwift, and see if it reflects the change. Thats not what I recall at all, everything is a race, even if you werent aware . My 3.9w/kg (a new PR!) Too light and watts go down as does watts per kilo. ZwiftPower FAQ We're sure you have several questions about ZwiftPower and what it is. Theres a bit of a fuss on the ZP forums at the moment about this form of sandbagging where people deliberately ride within the w/kg limits but are riding well below their potential ability. Yes, but hopefully the system would be designed so, if drop a category then begin doing well, you get upgraded again! Hes not looking for a trophy every race. On a flat ride I would beat every sub 60kg cat B rider too. How do you actually update your weight on ZP?? Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. Note how he wins races while his max HR is around 30 beats below his maximum. The COVID-19 lockdown period, now in its third month around the world, has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual cycling. Cheapest Zwift setup: Everything to help you onto Zwift for the first time Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs. Whats the cheaters solution? I dont know why this is, but i dont care one bit if people are cheating. Can someone answer why we need the different categories? If you were to meet meRead more . It's a bit more complicated than most website sign-ups, but now you'll be all ready to get started. Goodness. I have no idea. I am alleging that weight cheating is endemic in zwift, especially among those who care about winning. This isnt IRL racing it is e-racing. I do ZHR Masters on a Tuesday night.