At the end of every ride on which one rides with a Pace Partner, Zwift solicits input. One question for one's experience, and the other for whether one would ride with a Pace Partner again. Furthermore, Zwift provides a prompt where one can provide input. I'm wondering if Zwift actually processes any of this, or possibly decides to do anything about the input.
From what I have noticed, other than superficial changes such as labeling the ride by w/kg of the respective pace partners, as opposed to broadly indicating the category ranges (e.g. 4.2 w/kg, as opposed to 4.0 - 5.0 for the A-level pace partner), there does not seem to be any meaningful change made to the pace partners and the group riding dynamics.
More importantly, I don't know if anyone else has done this, but the rides are a lot more difficult at the busier times than they are at less busy times (say ~18:00 CET / 12:00 Noon EST for the former, vs 1:00 CET / 7:00 PM EST for the latter). In the B-level ride, for the former, the group with the pace partner is easily 30 strong, and average speed through the flats is about 45 kph. In contrast, for the latter, the group with the pace partner may have ~10 riders, and average speed through the flats is about 42.5 kph.
It's just ridiculously unrealistic to have a group chugging at 45 kph, despite the fact that no one at the front is doing more than 4.0 w/kg. Those who have done Zwift TTT knows just how ridiculous that is, given that the lead puller has to do at least 5 w/kg (if not more) to go 45 kph through the flats. The worst part is that given the pack more or less moves along at ~45 kph, whenever it approaches other riders, the front of the pack actually experiences a lower CdA that allows it to speed up even further, whereas the rear of the group sees no effective decrease in CdA, thereby producing a very stretched group should the rear not pick up power drastically (as in doing at least 4.0 w/kg, if not more). Then when a gap is opened, which is almost a certainty at the busier times given the stretching, one has to chase onto a pack moving at 45 kph, as opposed to one moving at ~42.5 kph. In contrast, there are a lot fewer gaps that get opened at the less busy times
The same type of effect is observed in the C-level ride, where the group chugs along at ~41 kph on the flat, despite almost no one doing over 3.0 w/kg. It would seem that the unrealistic speeds and the pack getting stretched is almost invariably due to the large number of riders than anything else. Worst is when the pace partner sticks actually helps to split the group by sticking to the front (still doing 3.2 w/kg) while those chasing at the rear barely makes any gains while going at 4.0+ w/kg.
I'm sure Zwift knows of this (because Zwift solicits opinions at the end of every ride on which one rides with a pace partner), does it plan to do anything about it?
Also, while we are at it, I could really do without the inanities of the pre-generated quotes from the pace partners, some of which are just downright awful.
From what I have noticed, other than superficial changes such as labeling the ride by w/kg of the respective pace partners, as opposed to broadly indicating the category ranges (e.g. 4.2 w/kg, as opposed to 4.0 - 5.0 for the A-level pace partner), there does not seem to be any meaningful change made to the pace partners and the group riding dynamics.
More importantly, I don't know if anyone else has done this, but the rides are a lot more difficult at the busier times than they are at less busy times (say ~18:00 CET / 12:00 Noon EST for the former, vs 1:00 CET / 7:00 PM EST for the latter). In the B-level ride, for the former, the group with the pace partner is easily 30 strong, and average speed through the flats is about 45 kph. In contrast, for the latter, the group with the pace partner may have ~10 riders, and average speed through the flats is about 42.5 kph.
It's just ridiculously unrealistic to have a group chugging at 45 kph, despite the fact that no one at the front is doing more than 4.0 w/kg. Those who have done Zwift TTT knows just how ridiculous that is, given that the lead puller has to do at least 5 w/kg (if not more) to go 45 kph through the flats. The worst part is that given the pack more or less moves along at ~45 kph, whenever it approaches other riders, the front of the pack actually experiences a lower CdA that allows it to speed up even further, whereas the rear of the group sees no effective decrease in CdA, thereby producing a very stretched group should the rear not pick up power drastically (as in doing at least 4.0 w/kg, if not more). Then when a gap is opened, which is almost a certainty at the busier times given the stretching, one has to chase onto a pack moving at 45 kph, as opposed to one moving at ~42.5 kph. In contrast, there are a lot fewer gaps that get opened at the less busy times
The same type of effect is observed in the C-level ride, where the group chugs along at ~41 kph on the flat, despite almost no one doing over 3.0 w/kg. It would seem that the unrealistic speeds and the pack getting stretched is almost invariably due to the large number of riders than anything else. Worst is when the pace partner sticks actually helps to split the group by sticking to the front (still doing 3.2 w/kg) while those chasing at the rear barely makes any gains while going at 4.0+ w/kg.
I'm sure Zwift knows of this (because Zwift solicits opinions at the end of every ride on which one rides with a pace partner), does it plan to do anything about it?
Also, while we are at it, I could really do without the inanities of the pre-generated quotes from the pace partners, some of which are just downright awful.