All the emphasis on physical metrics makes sense for putting together how speed is calculated but not how one can race. Someone sandbagging will get promoted out of category and will not be allowed to reg for lower categories. Maybe they should display and categorise HR as a %age? I still have no sprint kick so Im never winning anything anyway. We like this move from Zwift. 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. Context, Tim, context! Since we know that lighter weight=higher virtual speed, this is a very easy way to cheat the system on Zwift. MyRead more . This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. Zwift is full of cheaters and thats not going to change now. Zwift lets you adjust the difficulty of your workout, before or even during your ride. Everything you need to know about the third-party Zwift results and analysis website. Or are you looking for a participation trophy on every race as well? Unless a youth rider, height is generally going to remain the same. Its more fun and engaging that way, for me at least. Zwift excessively rewards the athlete for being light and small. however 2 riders at the same w/kg, heavier riders have the advantage on flats & descents: https://zwiftinsider.com/wkg-tests/. Find out more about how we test. Its going to take a certain amount of calories for a certain person to perform a given amount of work in a given time. 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. Would depend entirely upon the bike geometry, how much weight is over the front wheel and how much over the back. Not everyone has the same HRmax. USA Cycling has categories that are based on experience and performance. Living at 5,900 ft. adds a performance restriction on me, I get it. 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. See how you can support Zwift Insider! That's pretty straightforward the usual email, username, password, terms and conditions so you won't have any trouble with this step. How about simply showing a percentage variance. On a flat ride I would beat every sub 60kg cat B rider too. I agree with what you say Eric but the weight doping does negatively impact the casual rider if they are following other riders in a casual/social ride. 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. Riders weight will rise and fall but under normal circumstances within a range. Kudos to Zwift for listening to their customers and admitting they made a mistake. 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!!! Best Zwift setups: Indoor cycling setups to give you the competitive edge. 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. Just sign up for A races from now on. All lists are full of 190cm lads weighting 65kgs. Everyone races at the same weight/height. 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! (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.) Login Required The Zwift Engineering team is focused on improving security for ZwiftPower users. 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. I dont really race so I am OK and any workouts are harder this way. Then everyone would know who is legit or at least somewhat legit. Have you considered age category racing. Why dont you start self-regulating then? 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. I put my real weight 95% of the time. it's a good training tool. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs. But many people (including myself) prefer categorized races because we want to have a chance to actually battle it out for a win. Great article, Eric. If I am racing I want to be able to look across at the guy/girl next to me (ie on the Companion app) and get an idea if they are going to kill me on the next hill, or not are they a 185cm/90kg guy versus my 172cm/74kg. 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. 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. I think you can force it with the Refresh Profile button in your ZP Profile but again, not sure if that triggers it immediately or overnight. In fact, the only riders at or below my w/kg were minutes off the back. That is pretty low compared to most people on zwiftpower. There is no progression from lower to higher categories through placement. Zwift should offer a Validated Racer package for a slight premium over normal membership. I understand if someone has a banner day or just bumped up out of upper C to lower B. Im surprised that (off wheel) smart trainers dont have the ability to weigh the rider when they get on the bike. You must be a much better person than me, because thats something I will Never make peace with. 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. My guess is that another reason some do it, is because it gives you points on zwiftpower, becauseRead more . So am I a super-drafter, the king of indoor efficiency? ThatRead more . Id never do this as my Zwift Power is an accurate log of weight and power but it does make me wonder how much easier itd be to be bigger. 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. Adjusting Difficulty Before Your Workout. A thank you to Zwift HQ for listening to the feedback from the racing community and taking action. IMHO, enforcing in-category entry for races will be a quick, easy and effective change. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. As Zwift racer James Eastwood so aptly put it, The community dont want to see peoples weight they want fair racing.. My IRL time and my Zwift time are almost the same. (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.). When a rider can change categories by modifying their virtual body weight, thats an issue. In order to ride with him I have to drop my weight to allow me to keep up. The six-digit number highlighted in bold will be your Zwift ID. Is it doping though? Or weight bonuses for completing events that last for a set amount of days or even hours. Exactly. Im quite heavy, at about 85kgs, but also 183cms tall (and 52 years old). 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. I have been cycling since I was a kid and now close to 50. thanks for the help with the graphs. There could be Zwift level weight bonuses instead of another pair of socks. 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). Its only a bit of fun at my level (solid B with the odd podium). Thank you for signing up to The Pick. I rode outside last night, and Im sure I will again soon. Zwift now allows for hiding Zwift automatically connects If you don't own power meter pedals, Zwift's non-contract pricing for a Zwift cycling membership is $15 . I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. As we said in the first post, Assuming race organizers can access the data via ZwiftPower, and the site includes simple tools for spotting potential weight or height dopers (perhaps flagging those who made dramatic changes recently), then hiding weight and height data from the public should work swimmingly.. IRL cycling pros are not exactly heavy weights and lean-ness is highly encouraged. Ill remain skeptical until I see some actual changes. Or theyll ride races 1-2 categories below their actual W/kg so they can still win and feel like that theyre legends. Im more concerned about the guy who finished 5th with 144bpm. But youre training and racing and getting stronger, and eventually your FTP improves to 260 watts, which is 3.25 w/kg. 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?. Some races (many, in fact) on Zwift work exactly like that. 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. However, I do understand Kens point. I once made myself much heavier so I could compete against my 11-year-old son in a head to head Zwift climbing race. Its ridiculous. 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. Cyclingnews is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I guess I shouldnt be surprised. No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm. We remain committed to protecting the health and well being of the broader Zwift Community, and we look forward to enacting additional measures in the future. I have been frustrated with the GC results in the current Tour of Watopia series. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. My 3 race FTP is at 4.07w/kg (248w @ 61kg), but Im still in Cat B. On a tablet or smartphone, you can download the. But I will, and Ill get hammered and hopefully improve. Problem solved! Thats not what I recall at all, everything is a race, even if you werent aware . 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. Keep hammering the point and finding ways that Zwift can improve controls. Have you ever compared numbers for calories burned, power output and even elevation ridden for a Zwift ride uploaded to Strava? If thats the norm, then I really dont see theRead more . 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. This raised concerns within the Zwift Racing Community regarding fairness in racing. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Blaming Zwift for allowing cheaters is the system problem that gets more people frustrated, upset, etc. look at the article. And besides, my main goal on Zwift is to not get dropped in the hills during Team Cryo-Gens more hardcore Saturday rides! stop worrying about whatRead more . As a lighter racer 136lbs it pisses me off to see cheating. I am a long time racer in NorCal and cheating is cheating. . Privacy Policy, How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More). We can name and shame these few. How big of a problem is reverse weight doping? It would be easy to deny it was intentional. Although does WTRL encourage reverse weight doping? There is no disqualification for going over your w/kg limit. If other people want to obsess about my weight thats up to them but I wont. I think he is referring to the 2021 Haute Route GC (or lack thereof), Sorry, thats right, it was the Haute Route 2021 events. As a 59/60kg rider who always seems to have a higher w/kg than the people I finish around, Ive been curious about adding 50% to both my weight and http://ftp. This can be seen by comparing Zwift physics with real life physics (calculated by websites likeRead more . It doesnt appear that people are abiding by the categories. The COVID-19 lockdown period, now in its third month around the world, has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual cycling. If it is.. someone must be able to point me to the rule where it says that it is forbidden..? 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? https://zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=697996. Racing on the Zwift virtual platform has only increased, with the professionals getting in on the act, too, via the Zwift Tour for All, the Virtual Tour of the Gila, and e-races organised by Team Ineos. The categorization system is, like you say, fundamentally flawed. As others have said, your higher weight helps on flat courses. Yes us heavier riders have the downhill advantage definitely. 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. Certainly it impacts the accuracy of race performance and results. Skinny guys get DQd if they match heavies on the flat for power so they can NEVER win, even in the mountains. I just we had a better system than category limits, racing license anybody? Then save your ride and log out. Ive connected my garmin scale with this app https://smartscalesync.com/?utm_source=tr As long as people are using reasonable weight/height and arent cheating or changing it drastically all the time (my scales autoupdate my weight, so mine changes once a day, but by small increments), Im much more interested in being able to see the weight of my teammates so I can properly plan my TTT lineup than I am the weight of my competitors. 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 That was my first thought when a fellow Zwifter commented on my recent race, Somehow you always get your w/kg down. My W/Kg has gone from 3.76 to 3.97 without me really improving my FTP. Shame I cant edit my post for the horrendous spelling and autocorrect gaffes. Do you believe weight doping (reverse or otherwise) is a big problem in Zwift racing, and if so, what can be done about it? In a race not in Zwift it is very easy for people to recongize who I am. I recently won a C race, but it didnt feel like winning as I knew there were 2 categories faster. Any thoughts on verifying? 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 agree with your idea. I have to say I weigh myself most mornings in the buff (just my glasses on so I can see the numbers)! . Good question. 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+. bottom line for me, its a virtual training world, a virtual hammer isnt the same as a real hammer. Thats a good thing. Congratulations John on your retirement and Zwift is a great retirement present. LOL. Then weigh yourself, and open Zwift, and see if it reflects the change. Makes me happy to see that the community is able to speak with one voice if necessary. Thats the reason why a results category would be more interesting like Erics suggested in his topic. 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. I may of course be wrong, and these are all true weights, but Id be very surprised if that were the case, in the races where this matters, riders have to submit a private youtube weigh-in video <2 hrs before the race. Blaming Zwift for eating disorders is not sensible. Yet the lesson is clear if you want to win, even on flat courses, have or claim a very low weight. 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. I started zwifting about 2 1/2 months ago.I did the ftp test and put in the correct weight.Ive no idea how precise my trainer is tho.what i do know is,Ive managed to go from cat c to a. Why you can trust Cyclingnews 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. Some big Zwift races have specific rulesets, etc. Why try to force IRL parameters that can not be enforced. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. And atRead more . 2 yr. ago. As we said in the first post, "Assuming race organizers can access the data via ZwiftPower, and the site includes simple tools for spotting potential weight or height dopers (perhaps flagging those who made dramatic changes recently), then hiding weight and height data from the public should work swimmingly." Too light and watts go down as does watts per kilo. I am about to hit the four year mark on Zwift. are clay hart and sally flynn still married; composite chart 12th house; tupperware party points; st francis of assisi school jobs Im the opposite. nothing less. I think one of the biggest issues with weight (and height) in Zwift is that you get punished really hard for something you only have limited control over. 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. 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. If thats not something that needs fixing then why run any races? More of an issue than thisRead more . And flags height and weight changes if they go up or down alot. (and dont do organized rides for fairness) so I dont have resistance changes and sometimes zwift reports extraordinary power readings for a ride. If I wanted to win I just drop my weight to 65kgs 350w/65kgs is a lot better than 350w/85kgs, of course 350w/65kg is better than 350w/85kg, its a massive increase in w/kg. However, I have a lighter and faster son that smokes me head to head. Zwif: your ultimate guide Now I know it is a thing. Hes asking for a fair race. ZwiftPower FAQ We're sure you have several questions about ZwiftPower and what it is. Conserving energy is a key part of successful bike racing. 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. Chip on the shoulder there or what? Weight would be updated as normal throughout the month. 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. My 3.9w/kg (a new PR!) I think a once-weekly weigh-in is acceptable. In some cases this even happens unfairly. How does it work? As an ambitioned A Racer with no smart scale, I stick to the higher end of the spectrum when setting my Zwift weight once a week. I currently weigh 59kgs but my BMI is 25 which technically overweight. Even at my age I still plan to compete in MTB races when the world gets back to racing. A great challenge for those looking for those training gains. As some others already mentioned, the bodyweight tends to oscillate over the week and even the day. The winners are almost always people with recorded weights sub 70kgs, more typically 65kgs, even 59! 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 . You'll receive a four-digit code, which you'll then have to add to your. How come I get beat in sprints when a 60kg guy puts out 700W, when I put out over 1000W at 76kg? Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. Totally agree with you. Especially for the C and D groups but even for the Bs albeit to a lesser degree. Races can use different schemes to categorise riders, but most of them use this scheme: You can, of course, progress through the ranks as you race. (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). Similar to the announcement of the European Super League in soccer, Zwift failed to read the room. 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. Nekkid and I only update my weight in zwift if it moves more than a KG. Keep writing this sort of thing. Most of the time, this will be what you use to figure out your race category. The issues with e-racing remain the same, and largely ignored for years now. Some people, I think, just have a lower HR. How Do I Change My FTP On Zwift? Whatever your answer, some people will never like it, but there has to be a clear, credible answer for the majority to support. On Zwift, weight dopers seek to gain an advantage by entering a lower-than-life weight into their Zwift profile. She can crank but her w/kg is low. As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Daniel also runs The Leadout newsletter and oversees How to Watch guides throughout the season. Id be super interested in the timing you set your weight. 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. And one cheater leads to another and its an arms race of gaming the game. 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. what does help identify and stop cheats is formalizing race series and having them use an organization like Zada (whether effective now or not, this is the correct path). (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. It will not eliminate this behavior but the races will be much more realistic and enjoyable. Racing the As resp. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Whats the cheaters solution? All this makes me laugh. Thats hilarious. 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. I disagree with you on this point. .Personally I one of the outliers on height and weight. Launch Zwift and go to the Menu. why because of weight, not power. My power to weight ratio would be the same, but Id get the benefits you get from being a heavier rider. Too heavy watts are up but watts per kilo goes down. Why not ride to your strengths? I hopeRead more . I have just accepted that at my height I will always be heavier than the average cyclist. I got my 100kph badge on the Bologna course. 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.