You weigh 80kg and have an FTP of 248 watts, which works out to 3.1 w/kg. ), So what is reverse weight doping? 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. Bump your Zwift weight up to 84kg and even with your new and improved 260-watt FTP youre only at 3.1 w/kg! We like this move from Zwift. Everyone races at the same weight/height. Goodness. This is how racing is supposed to work. Certainly it impacts the accuracy of race performance and results. 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. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. However, I do understand Kens point. Hahahahaha. 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. How do you actually update your weight on ZP?? 2022 Primr RWB League - Cycling Ireland eRacing Winter League. Hide the weight who cares let them upgrade all the way to As where you have strict reporting requirements. Skinny guys get DQd if they match heavies on the flat for power so they can NEVER win, even in the mountains. Or are you looking for a participation trophy on every race as well? 240W 50kg riders (4.8W/kg) beat 380W 95kg riders in B category Tempus Fugit time trials. (Example: if your FTP is 300 watts and you weigh 75kg, your FTP w/kg would be 300/75, or 4 w/kg.) Obviously, these are generally accepted rules in the Zwift Community. You do you. Youre having fun winning (or nearly winning) C races! Check out this FAQ for some of our frequently asked questions: Q:&. See https://zwiftinsider.com/how-does-zwift-calculate-my-speed/, I think if a racer doesnt want to cat up in order to keep winning in their current cat, she or he would likely just go the traditional sandbagging route (as others have suggested here). Ive been on a mission to get back to my racing weight in 2020. Even if Id ridden at threshold a little over 4 W/kg, I wouldnt have been able to hang onto the front in a D race, it seems. 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. 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. 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. Ive done multiple races where my main goal was to keep the watts as low as possible while hanging with the front group. Same reason there are categories and age group races outdoors! When you're in the game, click "Menu". Weight would be updated as normal throughout the month. This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. This is real frustrating as hes a top u12 racer and wants to see his efforts recognise. Just from riding regularly I went from 166 FTP to 187 in 800 miles over a 2 1/2 months. Incrasing virtual weight would probaly downgrade me to B again. Have you considered drinking during a race? if youre on zwift and intentionally cheating to get whichever fake virtual badge or win whichever fake virtual place in a race, then youre real-life literal loser. First, you need to sign up for an account. 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.. 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 . But then you could have someone in the same age group who maxes out at 170. Now in A i get dropped all the time. Exactly. I agree with your idea. Im quite heavy, at about 85kgs, but also 183cms tall (and 52 years old). Ugh! Or weight bonuses for completing events that last for a set amount of days or even hours. 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 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. Plus imagine how bigRead more . Not sure why its hard for you to believe that there are a lot of riders under 70kgs. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. She can crank but her w/kg is low. 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. 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?. Im glad you wrote about this. The other race, events, and activities are needed to display that data. 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. It this fair? Why dont you start self-regulating then? If I get down to 52 kilos I can climb well but my sprinting is terrible. 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. Racers who get top 1,2,3 more than a few times get upgraded period. If someone dopes so they do 4w/kg then they should be racing with other people who do 4w/kg. Head to http://my.zwift.com/ and hover your mouse cursor over the 'Download' button under one of your activities. Im not heavy (68kg), have a typical climber/TT phenotype (no short sprint but good FTP). I was going flat out the whole race, and by no means cruising along watching my watts. ZwiftPower - Login Please update your Zwift ID on the connection page to complete registration. No one is going to lose or gain 5kg overnight or shrink a 1cm. His favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal, and he rides a Colnago C40. 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. IRL cycling pros are not exactly heavy weights and lean-ness is highly encouraged. So am I a super-drafter, the king of indoor efficiency? The issues with e-racing remain the same, and largely ignored for years now. Im a heavy rider at 102kgs and 193cm tall I once reverse doped my weight at the top of the radio tower to try and achieve the 100km/HR badge It had the opposite effect in that I was actually slower than when descending at my actual weight lol I dont race other than against myself so Ive never weight doped as such My observations recently however have created an awareness of how many stick insects ride bikes on zwift . 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. How does it work? Is a very strong rider for his age and trains hard. 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. 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. The COVID-19 lockdown period, now in its third month around the world, has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual cycling. 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. Nekkid and I only update my weight in zwift if it moves more than a KG. All lists are full of 190cm lads weighting 65kgs. Keep answering that question and youll keep most people on side. It doesnt appear that people are abiding by the categories. I know Ive done it! Included with this license agreement can be the approval to show height and weight. On Zwift Power categories have both a wattage requirement and a w/kg requirement. However, I have a lighter and faster son that smokes me head to head. Well, its adding weight to gain an advantage. The easiest way to qualify for a higher category is to cut weight. Zwift is great just to ride around and it has lots of good training sessions which you can do. 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. 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? Take one of our four FTP tests to determine your FTP. Most of my ZwiftRead more . The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! 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. was the lowest of top 15 riders. Share your thoughts below, and you may also wish to share those thoughts on the actual forum post. LOL. 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. , 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. Privacy Policy, How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More). My power to weight ratio would be the same, but Id get the benefits you get from being a heavier rider. 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. Makes me happy to see that the community is able to speak with one voice if necessary. I did this because I had a particular effort level planned for my workout that day, and didnt want to exceed it. 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. Id say physics does! We can name and shame these few. In spectacular and shocking fashion. Daniel Ostanek is production editor at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired as staff writer. yes, but you are missing my point. Do you believe weight doping (reverse or otherwise) is a big problem in Zwift racing, and if so, what can be done about it? I wouldnt personally do it since it throws off training metrics and just isnt true. I currently use the Garmin Smart Scale so I may invest in the Withings scale. If you've already created an accountcheck out the s. Whatever your answer, some people will never like it, but there has to be a clear, credible answer for the majority to support. IMHO, enforcing in-category entry for races will be a quick, easy and effective change. I am always passed by everyone on the way up but can usually catch up on the way down (190cm/93kg). also interesting about this equation are the: wattage data points and the zwift computations of W/Kg. Its more fun and engaging that way, for me at least. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. In order to ride with him I have to drop my weight to allow me to keep up. My W/Kg has gone from 3.76 to 3.97 without me really improving my FTP. Although does WTRL encourage reverse weight doping? Im the opposite. We are new to Zwift and My son Whos 12 has used it to race to make up for his list u12 crit season. I dont know why this is, but i dont care one bit if people are cheating. Next up is the most finicky part of the process finding your Zwift ID in order to connect your accounts. 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. 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. As long as youre being honest with yourself I wouldnt worry about it too much. Frustrating to someone who tries so hard to compete in my weight class to get beat by cheaters. 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. As a low to mid-cat rider, ImRead more . 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. Mate youre a legend. How do I get started on Zwift? It would be easy to deny it was intentional. 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). I have a Withings scale and in the Zwift Settings, it shows up as connected. We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. There could be Zwift level weight bonuses instead of another pair of socks. EDIT Found my answer: 250w, Theres a chart about halfway down this page: https://zwiftpower.com/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=5528. My 3.9w/kg (a new PR!) Thats hilarious. And atRead more . Its a huge problem. plain and simple. 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. But youre not affecting anyone elses experience. I used to live next to the Alpe and later, next to the Ventoux. Though our intent is to protect potentially vulnerable users by removing labels that can trigger unhealthy behaviours, we also hear the concerns of the racing community. 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. 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. Think of ZwiftPower, then, as something similar to Strava, only entirely Zwift-focused, and free! Even some of the regulated weight rides will give 2kg leeway. All this makes me laugh. The race categories end up looking something like this (taken from the current Tour of Watopia race events): ZwiftPower, home of official race results for community races, adds some pure wattage breakpoints to the above list to help lightweight riders stay competitive. Some people, I think, just have a lower HR. We may call it sandbagging or reversed weight doping but its legal . Look at ZP results. This raised concerns within the Zwift Racing Community regarding fairness in racing. Zwift essentially encourages people to be less than truthful about their weight. Would love your thoughts, please comment. IRL if your weight is 85kg, itll take you longer to climb the Ventoux than if your weight is 65. That is pretty low compared to most people on zwiftpower. In the many B races i have done it was more fun because i was competitive. What is that!?! If they keep riders from competing in categories below their ranking, it will reduce the number of sandbaggers and cruisers. Stick a few more kgs on to stop you getting upgraded, would that get you a ban? If it is.. someone must be able to point me to the rule where it says that it is forbidden..? 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. My performance IRL then probably looks pale compared to when Im racing in Zwift, I use the same power meter on Zwift as I do outdoors and I only push it outdoors during FTP tests and during closed road events (i.e. I ride B category races & never podium but have been puzzled as I always seem to have a higher w/kg than most of the other riders in the race. I put my real weight 95% of the time. i was just having a similar discussion with my old lady about watts and weights, etc. 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. Please refresh the page and try again. (Same effect in a sprint, just harder to isolate). Either these racers need to calibrate the trainer or they are sandbagging big time. 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. In fact, you can change a workout on Zwift about as fast as you can U-turn a bicycle on a real hill. Which brings me to todays topic: reverse weight doping. Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Mark Cavendish, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen. Youll move a little slower with the added virtual weight, but youll be able to hang with the front of the Cs instead of getting shelled off the back of the Bs. Similar to the announcement of the European Super League in soccer, Zwift failed to read the room. Best turbo trainers: Smart trainers to improve your indoor cycling experience Some people are clearly living in a fantasy on zwift. Thanks! There are two ways to do this. Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. 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. ThatRead more . Some weight dopers are obvious and blatant other times its much less egregious. Great article, Eric. Weight doping is only a serious issue when its done in competition. I mean youve both got a point. 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). They do however have a disadvantage on any flat or downhill. I agree Paul great idea. otherwise no way in hell hes beating you. Why no monitoring on this? 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. Best Zwift setups: Indoor cycling setups to give you the competitive edge. Not too many people actually want to see other peoples height or weight except to be able to verify race results are reasonable. Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. You should do much better at your actual weight in that case.
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