I dont care anyway. 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. 2 yr. ago. 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. For example, if a rider has an FTP of 210 watts and weighs 75 kilograms, that means the rider's FTP is 2.8 w/kg. Using your Mac or PC, you can do it online on the Zwift website. All this makes me laugh. Im in the same boat. Im not heavy (68kg), have a typical climber/TT phenotype (no short sprint but good FTP). Not everyone has the same HRmax. So am I a super-drafter, the king of indoor efficiency? Good question. yea but realistically is it worth it for them to dedicate the resources to that $$$$$$$, Well, thats good news. Someone with my FTP should be CAT B, regardless of weight. 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. You only change it in Zwift and it should get picked up with regular backend processing periodically (maybe overnight). Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. Privacy Policy, How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More). Not sure why its hard for you to believe that there are a lot of riders under 70kgs. Some big Zwift races have specific rulesets, etc. Youre having fun winning (or nearly winning) C races! Best turbo trainers: Smart trainers to improve your indoor cycling experience points based), riders can win by any margin any number of times and remain in their category so long as they do not exceed category limits. I hope they learn from this and are more careful with things like that in the future. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). We are taking an iterative approach to the ongoing upgrades to the back end of the site. Im not sure Id say the algorithms help heavier riders in descents. I think the main problem with women and weight on zwift is regular weightdoping, magnified probably by all the wonderful social stigmas and judgment surrounding womens bodies. 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. Some people are clearly living in a fantasy on zwift. 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. it's a good training tool. also interesting about this equation are the: wattage data points and the zwift computations of W/Kg. (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.). Choose a Zwift workout, but before you start riding look at the workout breakdown on the left side of the screen. Would achieve the same thing. Zwift essentially encourages people to be less than truthful about their weight. 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. Ride On. Ill remain skeptical until I see some actual changes. I may try it just to see what difference it makes. It's a bit more complicated than most website sign-ups, but now you'll be all ready to get started. It will not eliminate this behavior but the races will be much more realistic and enjoyable. 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. 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. 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. What is that!?! 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. It's a real community hub. Cyclingnews is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Also a really frustrating thing is why doesnt Zwift autoRead more , is he riding in the right category? How does it work? High intensity: 30/30 and 40/20sec Rnnestad intervals like 3x (10x40/20sec). As far as my weight goes the only thing I care about is being as accurate as I can to get accurate results. If it is.. someone must be able to point me to the rule where it says that it is forbidden..? 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 . In fact, the only riders at or below my w/kg were minutes off the back. And one cheater leads to another and its an arms race of gaming the game. I would suggest a free (for now) virtual race license that would outline racer behavior with consequences. If I get down to 52 kilos I can climb well but my sprinting is terrible. He argues hes not gaining an advantage. I have a Withings scale and in the Zwift Settings, it shows up as connected. ), You say at the end..you do you, it doesnt affect anyone. indispensabile essere sinceri nel dichiarare il proprio peso , per se stessi e per il rispetto degli altri . On a tablet or smartphone, you can download the. I think with a results based system would help as it would the sandbaggers, but it wont eliminate the weight cheats entirely, those that just want to gain a little more w/kg by losing a few virtual pounds. The easiest way to qualify for a higher category is to cut weight. (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 . Maybe with a KICKR Climb it might be possible. LOL. Find out more about how we test. hanging with the front group is very though for me because i am exactly at the bridge between A and B. Do you believe weight doping (reverse or otherwise) is a big problem in Zwift racing, and if so, what can be done about it? Completing this first step means that you've given permission to share your results and activity history with ZwiftPower, so now all of your performance and race data can be transferred across to the website. I have long ago earned all of the challenges and levels. Riders weight will rise and fall but under normal circumstances within a range. Weight doping is a key challenge for cycling esports to overcome, and its one reason why many big races (e.g., those with prize money) require riders to show up and weigh in on-location in a supervised environment. Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. Its a huge problem. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. First, it shows that theyre listening to the community. for example,Read more . Im 70 inches tall and 156 pounds right now vs 166lb on Jan 1. It impacts the Group Rides and as you said the performance statistics individually. So what! 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! 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 doesnt like this and disqualifies him on Zwift power. otherwise no way in hell hes beating you. EDIT Found my answer: 250w, Theres a chart about halfway down this page: https://zwiftpower.com/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=5528. (I dont recommend this approach, but it proves the point that weight doping is an issue that concerns many Zwift racers. Fact ! https://zwiftpower.com/profile.php?z=697996. Check out this FAQ for some of our frequently asked questions: Q:&. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The best solution would be for Zwift to actively monitor all racing for people cheating. Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. I have been frustrated with the GC results in the current Tour of Watopia series. bottom line for me, its a virtual training world, a virtual hammer isnt the same as a real hammer. Yes, we need to be categorized by our race ranking, not power. Too heavy watts are up but watts per kilo goes down. Im surprised that (off wheel) smart trainers dont have the ability to weigh the rider when they get on the bike. I dont mind the low HRs but the low power and high w/kg really irk me! Hide the weight who cares let them upgrade all the way to As where you have strict reporting requirements. With Zwift control is difficult (in getting Zwifters to enter their accurate) wait. What you see a lot are riders who are (claiming) to be really light with decent but not exceptional watts. stop worrying about whatRead more . Can someone answer why we need the different categories? Ive done multiple races where my main goal was to keep the watts as low as possible while hanging with the front group. Even at my age I still plan to compete in MTB races when the world gets back to racing. Put simply, ZwiftPower is a community-driven website that complements the Zwift app. My power is often in the top few. Other planned changes communicated last week, including plans to improve the reporting features in Zwift will be rolled out as planned. Nice work! Sandbagging is pointless if winning means youre going to move up (unless you want to take 3 months off after your win. But It doesnt mean that that person is going to be the person riding the bike on the trainer during the race does it. There is no cat C rider at 58kg who has a hope in hell of beating me in any race. (Its not the only part, of course! Incrasing virtual weight would probaly downgrade me to B again. You lose 10 liters of sweat during a medium long ride? Thats why there are no top 40 Cat C riders in 70-75Kg range. My weight is showing orange everytime. I got my 100kph badge on the Bologna course. And this is why reverse weight doping is a thing. If its a big hill, well then w/kg has us equalised. are clay hart and sally flynn still married; composite chart 12th house; tupperware party points; st francis of assisi school jobs Now in A i get dropped all the time. Launch Zwift and go to the Menu. Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy I understand if someone has a banner day or just bumped up out of upper C to lower B. Its only a bit of fun at my level (solid B with the odd podium). I take issue with the weight doping is okay in none competitive events because of strava. If you are on the lighter side, try picking some climbing races. 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). Hitting G on your keyboard will do it, or swipe up on iPhone or iPad, etc then tap the graph button. The winners are almost always people with recorded weights sub 70kgs, more typically 65kgs, even 59! Exactly. I think the Zwift algorithm is quite relevant because it implies a good workout in any race for any kind of rider (and thats what we are looking for). The other race, events, and activities are needed to display that data. Last week I jumped into my first race and it was at the last minute on a whim because I was getting tired of my training ride. Why not ride to your strengths? 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). Zwift doesn't need a fancy code fix, they don't need special anti-cheat software, special post race investigations, and they don't need to change anything other than when the game updates personal attributes. 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. Note how he wins races while his max HR is around 30 beats below his maximum. I am a long time racer in NorCal and cheating is cheating. A great challenge for those looking for those training gains. Thank you for signing up to The Pick. would that be cheating then ? No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm. That's it! 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. Stick a few more kgs on to stop you getting upgraded, would that get you a ban? Bath I completely agree with the last paragraph here. Totally agree with you. As long as the button to enter a lower cat is active, riders will Press It. 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. 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. You must be a much better person than me, because thats something I will Never make peace with. 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. Someone sandbagging will get promoted out of category and will not be allowed to reg for lower categories. But it highlights a bigger problem, and that is the fundamental flaw of using watts per kilo for race categorization. BA1 1UA. This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. People can be far to either direction im 25 and my max that I have hit is 217. It certainly didnt feel like I had taken it easy when IRead more . There is enough variation in power profile to make it interesting without weight, what makes racing fun is trying to create tactics that favour yourRead more , Interesting & well reasoned article which answers a lot of things which were puzzling me. 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. Knowing when to go hard and having the fitness to do so are also vital skills.). Last week we announced Zwifts plans to remove rider height and weight from ZwiftPower, among other changes (read the full post here). Nekkid and I only update my weight in zwift if it moves more than a KG. 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. Zwift lets you adjust the difficulty of your workout, before or even during your ride. 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. Blaming Zwift for eating disorders is not sensible. If thats the norm, then I really dont see theRead more . We like this move from Zwift. If so, that makes sense to me and I can absolutely see the point of that. 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. 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). Perhaps if you post a W/kg in excess ofRead more , So thats why I could easily keep up with a 3-3.4wkg group yesterday whilst keeping my wattage at some 2.5-2.7just my 107kgs.the rest were probably featherweight category :) How Do I Change My FTP On Zwift? Prior to joining the team, he had written for most major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips. Manually change your weight in Zwift by adding 10 pounds. 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. On the other hand, I am extremely anti-weight doping and agree with the post pointing out there is no incentive or even reason to be heavier. If Zwift can be seen to be doing that then very little need toRead more . I think Im just heavier than my competition. If someone dopes so they do 4w/kg then they should be racing with other people who do 4w/kg. I would thought with how sensitive the sensors are they could place another one somewhere on the unit that simply does the job and takes away all the manual input. I have just accepted that at my height I will always be heavier than the average cyclist. In theory (at least) weight dopers could game the results based categories as well. look at the article. It's harder than real racing. In fact, if in a long ride your weight could change by more than 1kg over the course of that one ride!!! This is especially true if you are trying to ride with riders you possibly know locally or otherwise. .Personally I one of the outliers on height and weight. 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. Everyone races at the same weight/height. In the many B races i have done it was more fun because i was competitive. triathlon). 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 wont do and will rather try my very best to compete with the As. I completely missed these as I reinvented the wheel, trying to stir up the hornets nest on the Zwift forums the other day. The only place where being heavy helps is on the decent, which are almost all short (except Ventoux and Alpe de Zwift), and as a heavy guy (85kgs) I need to recover on the decent. This raised concerns within the Zwift Racing Community regarding fairness in racing. w/kg is partially based on real world physics. Okay, I now see in ZP where it has my minimum racer category (B) in my profile based on my last race, so I can choose B or A going forward. I still have no sprint kick so Im never winning anything anyway. there seems to be a lot of variability in power products and what people are using to feed into zwift. 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. I think he is referring to the 2021 Haute Route GC (or lack thereof), Sorry, thats right, it was the Haute Route 2021 events. 5x5min, 4x8min but definitely never longer than 8 minutes. nothing less. I know a woman who is 5 feet tall and almost 200lb. However, I do understand Kens point. Included with this license agreement can be the approval to show height and weight. Have you considered drinking during a race? If youre a 300-pound dude who wants to go a little faster uphill as a virtual 200 pounder, have at it. With racer categories? Are you efficient, or just heavy? Great article, Eric. We may call it sandbagging or reversed weight doping but its legal . The categories are the cycling equivalent to weight classes in boxing. 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. Have you ever compared numbers for calories burned, power output and even elevation ridden for a Zwift ride uploaded to Strava? Yes, but hopefully the system would be designed so, if drop a category then begin doing well, you get upgraded again! But Its hard to confirm whether or not its transmitting the weight to Zwift. I have no idea. See how you can support Zwift Insider! This is done by separating riders based on their FTP (functional threshold power) a wattage test you can take part in on Zwift over a 20-minute, 45-minute or 1-hour period. They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. IRL cycling pros are not exactly heavy weights and lean-ness is highly encouraged. My power to weight ratio would be the same, but Id get the benefits you get from being a heavier rider. As a low to mid-cat rider, ImRead more . Weight doping is only a serious issue when its done in competition. If thats not something that needs fixing then why run any races? How do you actually update your weight on ZP?? Mike, Great article as ever Eric. . How doRead more . I put my real weight 95% of the time. The six-digit number highlighted in bold will be your Zwift ID. But I also did it because I knew it was great practice! Not too many people actually want to see other peoples height or weight except to be able to verify race results are reasonable. But many people (including myself) prefer categorized races because we want to have a chance to actually battle it out for a win. nothing more. Racers who get top 1,2,3 more than a few times get upgraded period. Zwift should take accountability for what matters most to start with and thats the cheaters. 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. Why no monitoring on this? I was going flat out the whole race, and by no means cruising along watching my watts. people need to stop taking Zwift racing so seriously. 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. 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. Now I know it is a thing. No race Chester worth their salt pops in and changed weight ahead of a race, what they do is post the wrong weight and leave it there. So I just bumped myself up to the B group and went faster overall simply because there were faster people to draft off of. Is a very strong rider for his age and trains hard. Fluctuations of a few percent would be tolerated and percent change would be displayed on ZP. ThatRead more . My FTP/kg is 3.88, which I now know would make me a B racer (3.2-3.9). Hi, very impressive w/kg at 65. Just the fact that you need a third party (ZP) to validate race results really says it all. 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. Absolutely impossible. I dont think so. Id be super interested in the timing you set your weight. 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." If you set your weight high enough that you fail to do well you will drop in the categories. As soon as there is a single bit of flat cheerio! 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. 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. 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. Theyre only cheating themselves and it all comes out in the wash eventually. ), So what is reverse weight doping? Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Skinny guys get DQd if they match heavies on the flat for power so they can NEVER win, even in the mountains. 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. I love reading it. Why dont you start self-regulating then? If you're putting out enough power, then you can make your way up the ranks and keep on racing. Currently trying to convince a friend who is new to Zwift not to reverse weight dope. You can record your weight n height n have it verified by experts etc up to five minutes before an event. I have wondered about this subject on a few occasions. Adjusting Difficulty Before Your Workout. 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. I dont really race so I am OK and any workouts are harder this way. Now you'll have to head over to ZwiftPower.com and register there. Once I hit 185 its either sit up and catch my breath of fall of the bike. 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. The Tour de Zwift events this year were much moreRead more , Wait. Ugh! 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). Sure, easy! 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. This clearly shows the power of the Zwift blob it impacts more than just drafting. Chip on the shoulder there or what? 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. 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. 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. 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). Do some races have split out start times so you are only racing with those of similar ability? And besides, my main goal on Zwift is to not get dropped in the hills during Team Cryo-Gens more hardcore Saturday rides! (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 . That was my first thought when a fellow Zwifter commented on my recent race, Somehow you always get your w/kg down. Food for thought. Zwif: your ultimate guide There are two ways to do this. That gives me more hope for the future of the platform than any announcement from Zwift ever could. But youre training and racing and getting stronger, and eventually your FTP improves to 260 watts, which is 3.25 w/kg. however 2 riders at the same w/kg, heavier riders have the advantage on flats & descents: https://zwiftinsider.com/wkg-tests/. How many cyclists do you see in real life who are 65kgs, but they are ten a penny on Zwift. 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. This is pretty timely for me as my FTP is 283 and my weight is currently 71.2kg. heavy riders have an advantage on flat courses.. https://zwiftinsider.com/wkg-tests/ plus 60-70kg is perferctly normal body weight for adult cyclists, nothing worth complaining about. I have been light and I have been heavy. Since strava is all that matters of course. A strict w/kg classification isnt perfect.
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