look at the article. The rule set for the categories is so simple yet Id bet >99% dont understand it, to my knowledge cyclingRead more . It's also possible to filter results and data by categories, such as different age or power ranges. Since we know that lighter weight=higher virtual speed, this is a very easy way to cheat the system on Zwift. 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. I hope they learn from this and are more careful with things like that in the future. IRL I am 85kgs and cant pretend to be 65kgs. Not true, at least not absolutely. As such, we have agreed to pause this change while we develop tools that deliver greater transparency to Zwift racing while promoting wellness. there seems to be a lot of variability in power products and what people are using to feed into zwift. The Tour de Zwift events this year were much moreRead more , Wait. All this makes me laugh. 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. Lucky forRead more . Id say physics does! 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. Is a very strong rider for his age and trains hard. 0.5kg discrepancy either side is actually quite small. Would achieve the same thing. Using your Mac or PC, you can do it online on the Zwift website. If I get down to 52 kilos I can climb well but my sprinting is terrible. 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? The categories are power to weight divisions. Good heavens man, the sentence before You do you says If its not done during a competitive Zwift event, I dont see it as a problem. Obviously weight doping in races is cheating and not acceptable. 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. EDIT Found my answer: 250w, Theres a chart about halfway down this page: https://zwiftpower.com/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=5528. 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. He had fun laughing at fat dad, but I pipped him at the line! The categories are the cycling equivalent to weight classes in boxing. 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. Share your thoughts below! 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 . You will receive a verification email shortly. Can someone answer why we need the different categories? They do? I was going flat out the whole race, and by no means cruising along watching my watts. 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. Im assuming you should weigh just before getting on the bike with all kit including shoes and not just before stepping into the post-ride shower (shorn of all kit and approx 1kg of sweat). As a lighter racer 136lbs it pisses me off to see cheating. If I feel happy in my body thats the most important thing for me, and why I rarely weigh myself. Id be super interested in the timing you set your weight. At all. 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. My weight is showing orange everytime. Everything you need to know about the third-party Zwift results and analysis website. Thats the graph. There is no reason I should be gettingRead more , Sounds like its time to start racing the Bs, @guest_35522! yea but realistically is it worth it for them to dedicate the resources to that $$$$$$$, Well, thats good news. Im curious to see this summer if I can do the numbers outdoors as I push out on Zwift but I cant even think of a road to use for 30 mins without stop signs, pot holes, lots of traffic, etc. People can be far to either direction im 25 and my max that I have hit is 217. Race specific phase: 3x10min 50-60rpm intervals with . Youd think theyd be the same but when Zwift and Strava dont even agree on stats for the same ride, Ill take any other comparisons with a big pinch of salt. Ive done multiple races where my main goal was to keep the watts as low as possible while hanging with the front group. MyRead more . Monthly weigh ins arent perfect but they are better than no weigh ins. What stone have you been living under? Connecting to ZwiftPower Before you can start using ZwiftPower, you'll need to create an account. I mean youve both got a point. It would be easy to deny it was intentional. Last week we announced Zwifts plans to remove rider height and weight from ZwiftPower, among other changes (read the full post here). 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 . (and dont do organized rides for fairness) so I dont have resistance changes and sometimes zwift reports extraordinary power readings for a ride. How many cyclists do you see in real life who are 65kgs, but they are ten a penny on Zwift. Dont worry about your weight fluctuating through the week and remember you gain 0.5kg by drinking a half-litre bidon and lose it again through sweat (and by going to the toilet). Would love your thoughts, please comment. Too light and watts go down as does watts per kilo. So am I a super-drafter, the king of indoor efficiency? ur allowed +/- 5% weight for pro zwift races so +/- 0.5 kg is not going to make a difference :p. add weight if u want to stay in D. lower weight if u wanna move to C. up 2 u. You'll receive a four-digit code, which you'll then have to add to your. Riders weight will rise and fall but under normal circumstances within a range. I am alleging that weight cheating is endemic in zwift, especially among those who care about winning. What I think your articles miss to point out, though, (Im sure you are well aware of the problem), like people have mentioned already, is exactly how many cheaters there are that manage to stay in lineRead more . Otherwise I stand by my comment. And atRead more . So what! With racer categories? I said if its not done during a competitive Zwift event, its not a problem. I would include chasing Strava Zwift KOMs as a competitive event (but I could see how what I said could be interpreted otherwise. But it highlights a bigger problem, and that is the fundamental flaw of using watts per kilo for race categorization. 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. 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. I agree with your idea. IRL if your weight is 85kg, itll take you longer to climb the Ventoux than if your weight is 65. Any thoughts on verifying? We would like to thank the community for your passion and feedback. Problem solved! I have no idea. I hopeRead more . Well, imagine youre a strong C racer. If you set your weight high enough that you fail to do well you will drop in the categories. 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. Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips. Why dont you start self-regulating then? I think that point based system is an improvement, but it doesnt address the weight issue. Skinny guys get DQd if they match heavies on the flat for power so they can NEVER win, even in the mountains. All the emphasis on physical metrics makes sense for putting together how speed is calculated but not how one can race. I am 65 kg with FTP of 270 W, which equlas 4,15 w/kg. I should mention: many Zwifters have lied about their in-game weight for perfectly acceptable reasons. I love reading it. The first way is to head into your profile. But then you could have someone in the same age group who maxes out at 170. However, I have a lighter and faster son that smokes me head to head. This calculates that this heavy rider would take 23:14 to do the distance a justRead more , Everyone has a sweet spot for weight. I still have no sprint kick so Im never winning anything anyway. seeing a riders weight in ZP and any changes made to the reported weight may help internet stalkers feel better about their poor race performance but it doesnt actually help identify cheats. 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. 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. bottom line for me, its a virtual training world, a virtual hammer isnt the same as a real hammer. 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. This afternoon, Zwift posted a follow-up message on the forum. If people want to cheat, they will and can do so in any uncontrolled situation. also interesting about this equation are the: wattage data points and the zwift computations of W/Kg. ZwiftPower FAQ We're sure you have several questions about ZwiftPower and what it is. But without any hard and fast rules, we cant say anything is illegalat least for certain races. IRead more , Aaron, do you know what is the wattage requirement for Cat A? 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. Now head back to ZwiftPower, click 'Connect' at the top of the page, then enter your Zwift ID in the box when prompted. You should do much better at your actual weight in that case. More of an issue than thisRead more . Just from riding regularly I went from 166 FTP to 187 in 800 miles over a 2 1/2 months. The winners are almost always people with recorded weights sub 70kgs, more typically 65kgs, even 59! Exactly, although As arent that regulated, unless you hit the premier class, which is a very small section of A riders. Especially for the C and D groups but even for the Bs albeit to a lesser degree. Privacy Policy, How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More). Click on the Settings button and you'll find the Trainer Difficulty slider. Im the opposite. 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. If so, that makes sense to me and I can absolutely see the point of that. In fact, the only riders at or below my w/kg were minutes off the back. Heres an idea: Take weigh out of the equation. Tough to recover after attacks in a race when youre always near maxing out. was the lowest of top 15 riders. You make a good pointthere isnt a published race ruleset that clearly states that riders are 1) required to use accurate weight and 2) enter the correct race category. Good question. Blaming Zwift for eating disorders is not sensible. It impacts the Group Rides and as you said the performance statistics individually. I recently won a C race, but it didnt feel like winning as I knew there were 2 categories faster. Im glad you wrote about this. 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. 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 am always passed by everyone on the way up but can usually catch up on the way down (190cm/93kg). I completely missed these as I reinvented the wheel, trying to stir up the hornets nest on the Zwift forums the other day. 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. 5 year age categories and incredibly competitive a in most age groups, Thanks so much for your helpful comment. Im not sure Id say the algorithms help heavier riders in descents. Hitting G on your keyboard will do it, or swipe up on iPhone or iPad, etc then tap the graph button. 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. I havent even used my road bike outdoors since 2012. 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. Although does WTRL encourage reverse weight doping? are clay hart and sally flynn still married; composite chart 12th house; tupperware party points; st francis of assisi school jobs Im in the same boat. In fact, if in a long ride your weight could change by more than 1kg over the course of that one ride!!! 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 . 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. Once I hit 185 its either sit up and catch my breath of fall of the bike. 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. My power to weight ratio would be the same, but Id get the benefits you get from being a heavier rider. Then save your ride and log out. This is real frustrating as hes a top u12 racer and wants to see his efforts recognise. For example the threshold for cat B is FTP over 200 watts and over 3.2 w/kg. Mike, Great article as ever Eric. Why you can trust Cyclingnews It all has to do with the way Zwift's racing categories work. As a relatively light 69kg rider, I often feel at a disadvantage in the flatter races, of which there are many more than hilly ones. I currently weigh 59kgs but my BMI is 25 which technically overweight. Once you have a number for your FTP in watts, divide it by your weight in kilograms. Introducing a horrible measure that addresses a problem that doesnt exist, and subsequently retracting it following mass protest is not exactly what I would call revolutionary change. Just like the CEO promised us rowing years ago, right? (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.). Your voice is important to us. This is especially true if you are trying to ride with riders you possibly know locally or otherwise. I never reverse weight doped. I got my 100kph badge on the Bologna course. w/kg is partially based on real world physics. See how you can support Zwift Insider! I think theres another more interesting angle than just trying to stay down a category. I think Im just heavier than my competition. I dont think it can all be attributed to weight; it appears that some hardware tweaks can scale up the reported power output. Some races (many, in fact) on Zwift work exactly like that. Most of the time, this will be what you use to figure out your race category. But It doesnt mean that that person is going to be the person riding the bike on the trainer during the race does it. 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. Thanks! As long as the button to enter a lower cat is active, riders will Press It. Weight doping is only a serious issue when its done in competition. Hopefully ZHQ will take a harder look the changes that have been proposed over the past year or so. Also a really frustrating thing is why doesnt Zwift autoRead more , is he riding in the right category? The race I did had all categories racing together with a mass start, so the categories felt arbitrary as my place was not within my chosen category but across the whole field anyway. Yes, there are plenty of variabies, but power is power. I have to say I weigh myself most mornings in the buff (just my glasses on so I can see the numbers)! Do some races have split out start times so you are only racing with those of similar ability? Have you ever compared numbers for calories burned, power output and even elevation ridden for a Zwift ride uploaded to Strava? Racers who get top 1,2,3 more than a few times get upgraded period. Kudos to Zwift for listening to their customers and admitting they made a mistake. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Im 70 inches tall and 156 pounds right now vs 166lb on Jan 1. Why not only require weight and height for entry to A and B races? And one cheater leads to another and its an arms race of gaming the game. Why no monitoring on this? Plus imagine how bigRead more . A strict w/kg classification isnt perfect. Its funny, I was talking to one of my work colleagues who also Zwifts about AdZ and how because Im heavier (125kg / 276lbs) I would never be a sub 60m AdZ rider (I reckon Im looking at sub 2 hours, if lucky), Ive never once considered weight doping, sure I know I could but why would I? 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). 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. I disagree with you on this point. But youre training and racing and getting stronger, and eventually your FTP improves to 260 watts, which is 3.25 w/kg. This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Conserving energy is a key part of successful bike racing. I rarely race, don't care. plain and simple. (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). That gives me more hope for the future of the platform than any announcement from Zwift ever could. 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 we are treating this differently from actual racing? Cyclingnews is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. https://zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=697996. A good rule we follow is to take our FTP divide it by 3 and then put that in as our weight (in Kilograms). I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. (Image credit: George Marshall / Zwift) The first thing you notice when the flag drops, is Zwift racing is so much harder than your run of the mill bike race . I rode outside last night, and Im sure I will again soon. The issues with e-racing remain the same, and largely ignored for years now. I guess I shouldnt be surprised. Note how he wins races while his max HR is around 30 beats below his maximum. Either these racers need to calibrate the trainer or they are sandbagging big time. I dont care anyway. What you see a lot are riders who are (claiming) to be really light with decent but not exceptional watts. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. That a cat rider may win a d race but on zwiftpower they will be DQd for not riding an A race. You must be a much better person than me, because thats something I will Never make peace with. Please refresh the page and try again. Next up is the most finicky part of the process finding your Zwift ID in order to connect your accounts. Hahahahaha. Ride On. I never thought i should weigh myself with my kit on. How does being heavier help a cyclist? you may ask. 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. That guy who weighs 300lbs and gets 1st place in Cs for a month straight should be automatically upgraded to Bs and Bs to As. If they keep riders from competing in categories below their ranking, it will reduce the number of sandbaggers and cruisers. either a) ur starting ur sprint way too late or b) ur leading him out. 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. Maybe they should display and categorise HR as a %age? Im surprised that (off wheel) smart trainers dont have the ability to weigh the rider when they get on the bike. It's harder than real racing. Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy Though our intent is to protect potentially vulnerable users by removing labels that can trigger unhealthy behaviour What are they trying to protect? I tried racing a D race, and finished way off the front behind about 2/3 of riders after Id ridden at 2.9W/kg for the race. 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 have climbed well and I have suffered on climbs but also sprinted well. A good portion of that weight difference is in the Hub's 10.3 . When I go outdoors I go on a trail bike and bring a backpack full of food and drink for a several hours ride. On Zwift I look suspicous. 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. 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. 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 mean I never lied about my weight, I am a very light rider working and eating hard to get some extra pounds. They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. nothing more. Adjusting Difficulty Before Your Workout. The other race, events, and activities are needed to display that data. Yes thats completely unacceptable, you should never be at a disadvantage at any time in your life, just as your mother raised you. I did on one and second on the other. Included with this license agreement can be the approval to show height and weight. High intensity: 30/30 and 40/20sec Rnnestad intervals like 3x (10x40/20sec). The algorithms very much help heavier riders in descents, which gets forgotten when all we discuss is climbing. It does not stop cheating at all. 2022 Primr RWB League - Cycling Ireland eRacing Winter League. But maybe Im just thinking like a lady its hard for me to imagine a lady voluntarily gaining weight, even virtual weight. If other people want to obsess about my weight thats up to them but I wont. Best Zwift setups: Indoor cycling setups to give you the competitive edge. Other planned changes communicated last week, including plans to improve the reporting features in Zwift will be rolled out as planned. If it still doesn't work email zwiftpower@zwift.com and they should be able to sort. Here it is in its entirety: Last week we outlined a number of planned changes to address harassment and further safeguard the health and wellbeing of the Zwift Community. Maybe with a KICKR Climb it might be possible. why because of weight, not power. ZwiftPower - Login Please update your Zwift ID on the connection page to complete registration. Thank you for signing up to The Pick. Updating Your Public Profile Zwift takes your physical measurements into account for things like leaderboards, speed, and your avatar's physical appea. Absolutely impossible. I understand if someone has a banner day or just bumped up out of upper C to lower B. Zwif: your ultimate guide Zwift power usually looks at numbers vs the category race he entered. If Zwift can be seen to be doing that then very little need toRead more . Most of my ZwiftRead more . You lose 10 liters of sweat during a medium long ride? I currently use the Garmin Smart Scale so I may invest in the Withings scale. This can be seen by comparing Zwift physics with real life physics (calculated by websites likeRead more . Put simply, ZwiftPower is a community-driven website that complements the Zwift app. Ill remain skeptical until I see some actual changes. (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 . would that be cheating then ? See how you can support Zwift Insider! 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. Actually no, sorry, I was wrong. ), So what is reverse weight doping? No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm.