My weight is showing orange everytime. My guess is that another reason some do it, is because it gives you points on zwiftpower, becauseRead more . Why no monitoring on this? The categorization system is, like you say, fundamentally flawed. First, it shows that theyre listening to the community. If the categories are split using purely w/kg a lighter rider doesnt have any advantage up the climbs at all. Bath 1 - Manually Set Your FTP Let's say you already know your FTP, then you can go into Zwift and manually change it to whatever you'd like. 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. Response to our post as well as Zwifts own post in their forum were resoundingly negative from members of the Zwift racing community. 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. Fluctuations of a few percent would be tolerated and percent change would be displayed on ZP. Why not ride to your strengths? 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. Same reason there are categories and age group races outdoors! Ugh! I currently weigh 59kgs but my BMI is 25 which technically overweight. I think he is referring to the 2021 Haute Route GC (or lack thereof), Sorry, thats right, it was the Haute Route 2021 events. Are you efficient, or just heavy? Maybe with a KICKR Climb it might be possible. Zwift excessively rewards the athlete for being light and small. Threshold HR is around 151 bpm. Is it doping though? In some cases this even happens unfairly. But I also did it because I knew it was great practice! The issues with e-racing remain the same, and largely ignored for years now. 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. , Myself being a lighter rider who fluctuates some 2kg during a week I tend to always use my upper weight giving me a lower Wkg. I think that point based system is an improvement, but it doesnt address the weight issue. My best race results as a Zwift B are on flatter routes, and I find my watts per kilo are consistently lower than most of the riders around me. I started started zwift four months ago as a retirement present to myself. I dont think so. How do I get started on Zwift? Most of the time, this will be what you use to figure out your race category. It does not stop cheating at all. Not sure why its hard for you to believe that there are a lot of riders under 70kgs. So its not that easy for light people to hide in the pack and benefit from the draft in Zwift, which is half the reality (in many ways its easier IRL). I was wondering is it possible to get the graph at the bottom of the screen that shows youre power and other stuff on a normal ride and not doing a FTP test or workout. Additionally, well be moving forward on hiding height and weight from Zwift Companion and Web. The Forerunner 265 series watches have become Garmin's lowest-priced AMOLED display endurance sports-focused watch, coming in at roughly half the price of the Garmin Epix series launched a year ago - but here with full multiband GNSS support on all Forerunner 265 units, while also adding in Training Readiness - a major Garmin endurance sports focused feature. As long as youre being honest with yourself I wouldnt worry about it too much. In a race not in Zwift it is very easy for people to recongize who I am. Thats the reason why a results category would be more interesting like Erics suggested in his topic. 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! Just like the CEO promised us rowing years ago, right? So what! Put simply, ZwiftPower is a community-driven website that complements the Zwift app. Living at 5,900 ft. adds a performance restriction on me, I get it. So am I a super-drafter, the king of indoor efficiency? I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. Heres how it works. I hopeRead more . You do you. Todd_S (Todd S) March 12, 2015, 3:09am #4 I'm new to the app. I now know of over 20 category D zwift users that have said theyre not going to bother with the Zwift races anymore. His 150 or 160 is not comparable at all to what mine would be, I have been Zwifting for a couple of years now I can honestly say I am completely addicted to Zwift. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs. So I just bumped myself up to the B group and went faster overall simply because there were faster people to draft off of. He argues hes not gaining an advantage. Lucky forRead more . Frustrating to someone who tries so hard to compete in my weight class to get beat by cheaters. Kudos to Zwift for listening to their customers and admitting they made a mistake. There was a problem. Level 50. Launch Zwift and go to the Menu. How does being heavier help a cyclist? you may ask. ), You say at the end..you do you, it doesnt affect anyone. either a) ur starting ur sprint way too late or b) ur leading him out. However, I have a lighter and faster son that smokes me head to head. There's a forum, too, so that users can discuss ongoing race series, find out about upcoming events and have any queries answered and problems solved. A good portion of that weight difference is in the Hub's 10.3 . I once made myself much heavier so I could compete against my 11-year-old son in a head to head Zwift climbing race. As long as the button to enter a lower cat is active, riders will Press It. Shame I cant edit my post for the horrendous spelling and autocorrect gaffes. Finally, just head back to ZwiftPower and click 'Connect to my Account'. Joining ZwiftPower isn't the most straightforward series of steps, but we've broken it down so you can get started as soon as possible. Why we are treating this differently from actual racing? Yet the lesson is clear if you want to win, even on flat courses, have or claim a very low weight. 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!!! Keep writing this sort of thing. 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. Yes thats completely unacceptable, you should never be at a disadvantage at any time in your life, just as your mother raised you. You weigh 80kg and have an FTP of 248 watts, which works out to 3.1 w/kg. And this is why reverse weight doping is a thing. Its only a bit of fun at my level (solid B with the odd podium). They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. ThatRead more . also interesting about this equation are the: wattage data points and the zwift computations of W/Kg. Hopefully when it comes time to hide height and weight from public view on ZwiftPower, Zwift will have some really useful tools in place which help race organizers do their jobs more quickly and effectively, while promoting wellness in the racing community. Think of ZwiftPower, then, as something similar to Strava, only entirely Zwift-focused, and free! A thank you to Zwift HQ for listening to the feedback from the racing community and taking action. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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!!). You should do much better at your actual weight in that case. But the vast majority do not. Even some of the regulated weight rides will give 2kg leeway. Nekkid and I only update my weight in zwift if it moves more than a KG. Enforce race category entry and youll fix much of the problems with Zwift racing. I have long ago earned all of the challenges and levels. Or weight bonuses for completing events that last for a set amount of days or even hours. Simply put, the system cannot measure weight it can only measure power, so for racing, peoples weight should be disregarded by that I mean, just as everyone in a zwift academy race has the same bike, they should be given the same weight , then it is a race based on FTP banded categories with point based promotion. If it is.. someone must be able to point me to the rule where it says that it is forbidden..? 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 If so, that makes sense to me and I can absolutely see the point of that. Hardly true Say you train and commit yourself to being honest to achieve better fitness,and also better results, albeit virtually..then someone finishes better than you solely because of the BS numbers they entered. Im quite heavy, at about 85kgs, but also 183cms tall (and 52 years old). The license would be needed to participate in ranked races, however if you dont have a license, other races would be available to participate in. would that be cheating then ? why because of weight, not power. However, insecure Freds jumpingRead more , I am new to Zwift, but I do wonder how it is youll see a bunch of people finish at the front of a D race at 4-5 W/kg. Good question. I guess I could play the same game and pretend to be 65kgs (350/65 = an impressive 5.38w/kg), This is where Zwifts scaling of CdA on height and weight gets out of whack with reality. Nice work! If I feel happy in my body thats the most important thing for me, and why I rarely weigh myself. What is that!?! thanks for the help with the graphs. Most of my ZwiftRead more . Remember - Zwift is a trainingplatform.. and if a rider feels his/hers motivation to ride, is higher when entering 'wrong' it's ok with me..AND obviously with Zwift too. Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy Check out this FAQ for some of our frequently asked questions: Q:&. Also a really frustrating thing is why doesnt Zwift autoRead more , is he riding in the right category? Im sure it happens, but I would guess its pretty rare certainly less of a problem than normal weight doping. ZwiftPower - Login Please update your Zwift ID on the connection page to complete registration. 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. 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. Since strava is all that matters of course. 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 . Garmin sets your zones based on your maximum heart rate, while Zwift defines it as 76 to 90 percent of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which is the highest power you can sustain for 20 . Do some races have split out start times so you are only racing with those of similar ability? 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 used to live next to the Alpe and later, next to the Ventoux. 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. Zwift essentially encourages people to be less than truthful about their weight. Using your Mac or PC, you can do it online on the Zwift website. Connecting to ZwiftPower Before you can start using ZwiftPower, you'll need to create an account. Thanks Have you considered age category racing. Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy It just makes a mockery of the whole system. Everyone races at the same weight/height. Ive seen many A Riders with 300 FTP on Zwift who I beat by a HUGE MARGIN at triathlon events, including the cycling portion. I dont mind the low HRs but the low power and high w/kg really irk me! For example the threshold for cat B is FTP over 200 watts and over 3.2 w/kg. And besides, my main goal on Zwift is to not get dropped in the hills during Team Cryo-Gens more hardcore Saturday rides! The first way is to head into your profile. That was my first thought when a fellow Zwifter commented on my recent race, Somehow you always get your w/kg down. Actually no, sorry, I was wrong. I completely missed these as I reinvented the wheel, trying to stir up the hornets nest on the Zwift forums the other day. It's a real community hub. In reality no under 12 is competing with a decent 2nd or 3rd cat (UK system) Ive ridden with enough talented youth riders that this is fact so letting young kids crush half decent amateurs on zwift would be unrealistic. But It doesnt mean that that person is going to be the person riding the bike on the trainer during the race does it. The categories are power to weight divisions. The rule set for the categories is so simple yet Id bet >99% dont understand it, to my knowledge cyclingRead more . Two months ago he had a magic weight loss on zwift. 5x5min, 4x8min but definitely never longer than 8 minutes. In spectacular and shocking fashion. USA Cycling has categories that are based on experience and performance. Its a huge problem. (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.). below this level you just have to take people's word for it. Just short of my 68th birthday I still dont see any point in cheating. Yes, but hopefully the system would be designed so, if drop a category then begin doing well, you get upgraded again! I have wondered about this subject on a few occasions. Conserving energy is a key part of successful bike racing. 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. I have been frustrated with the GC results in the current Tour of Watopia series. 2 Likes _Jynxy_EVO (:)) October 1, 2021, 1:41pm #8 thxs mike, Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. If you gave the power, it will come out. 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. 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). The other race, events, and activities are needed to display that data. On a tablet or smartphone, you can download the. Click on the Settings button and you'll find the Trainer Difficulty slider. Just sign up for A races from now on. I dont care anyway. I know a woman who is 5 feet tall and almost 200lb. But then you could have someone in the same age group who maxes out at 170. BA1 1UA. It will not eliminate this behavior but the races will be much more realistic and enjoyable. Similar to the announcement of the European Super League in soccer, Zwift failed to read the room. Have you ever compared numbers for calories burned, power output and even elevation ridden for a Zwift ride uploaded to Strava? Keep hammering the point and finding ways that Zwift can improve controls. I just got upgraded to CAT A according to zwiftpower. I lost some weight during these few months and gained on FTP Now facing going to C and not getting any good results within the category, Eric, thanks for bringing this to light. How about simply showing a percentage variance. 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. True, but not necessarily in the way you think. indispensabile essere sinceri nel dichiarare il proprio peso , per se stessi e per il rispetto degli altri . Now in A i get dropped all the time. I dont think it can all be attributed to weight; it appears that some hardware tweaks can scale up the reported power output. I am not in the least bit interested in competition cycling, so no point in doping in either direction as i would only be cheating myself. Chip on the shoulder there or what? That's it! More of an issue than thisRead more . As far as my weight goes the only thing I care about is being as accurate as I can to get accurate results. 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? Login Required The Zwift Engineering team is focused on improving security for ZwiftPower users. 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. It would be easy to deny it was intentional. Im about to end up in the same situation (last races at 3.99, 3.98 and 3.99 W/kg) and Im not really worried about being promoted to A. ZwiftPower use 95% of your best 20 minutes during the whole race, so it does not matter if the race is 21 min or 3 hours, you will still be categorized the same way. Taking weight out of the equation you could just make everyones avatar moving forward by holding down the up arrow on their keyboard. IRL cycling pros are not exactly heavy weights and lean-ness is highly encouraged. If it still doesn't work email zwiftpower@zwift.com and they should be able to sort. You only change it in Zwift and it should get picked up with regular backend processing periodically (maybe overnight). 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. It's harder than real racing. Find out more about how we test. IRead more , Aaron, do you know what is the wattage requirement for Cat A? Either these racers need to calibrate the trainer or they are sandbagging big time. See how you can support Zwift Insider! The COVID-19 lockdown period, now in its third month around the world, has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual cycling. It must be very hard to do with many, many lines of code to implement otherwise it wouldve been done by now, In reality these changes would not (will not) impact cheating. Among the communicated changes were plans to hide the visibility of height and weight from ZwiftPower in an effort to encourage individual health and wellness. This is why for a while I was ranked as a C even though my w/kg was higher than 3.2 since my watts werent over 200. 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. 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. Blaming Zwift for eating disorders is not sensible. My FTP/kg is 3.88, which I now know would make me a B racer (3.2-3.9). Why you can trust Cyclingnews I havent even used my road bike outdoors since 2012. As some others already mentioned, the bodyweight tends to oscillate over the week and even the day. Currently trying to convince a friend who is new to Zwift not to reverse weight dope. My HR numbers are almost identical to yours. When you're in the game, click "Menu". In fact, if in a long ride your weight could change by more than 1kg over the course of that one ride!!! If you were to meet meRead more . yea but realistically is it worth it for them to dedicate the resources to that $$$$$$$, Well, thats good news. Some races (many, in fact) on Zwift work exactly like that. She can crank but her w/kg is low. 2. Hopefully ZHQ will take a harder look the changes that have been proposed over the past year or so. Gain a few (virtual) pounds. Thanks! People with eating disorders, or a proclivity toward extreme dieting. How doRead more . Take one of our four FTP tests to determine your FTP. Plus imagine how bigRead more . But what exactly is ZwiftPower and how does it work? Sandbagging is pointless if winning means youre going to move up (unless you want to take 3 months off after your win. So its not Zwift putting you at a disadvantage but the situation itself, just as you would be in the real world in that situation. All the emphasis on physical metrics makes sense for putting together how speed is calculated but not how one can race.