I’ve started to do some Zwift races this year and haven’t figured out a couple of momenst, could the zwift experts help please?
Some races, looks like, have multiple categories racing together. In others seams only my category is visible. Are they two different types of races? If yes, how to figure them out upfront?
The finishing place is all over the place. I’m racing C. During the final seconds the right column was displaying my position as 20 out of 81. Right after finishing line the big table showed me as 81 out of 106! Zwift companion showed 20 out of 71. Zwift power as 13 out of 34 (the last one probably means somebody got filtered, but I’m not sure). Which one is right?
1.) I tend to look for races where the categories start at separate times – e.g., A is usually the advertised time, B 1 minute later, C 1 minute later than that, etc.
2.) The big table is everybody in all categories racing – the sidebar during the race, and the companion app should match. ZwiftPower removes sandbaggers / people who don’t have HR / zPower riders, so it’s the “truest” measure of the word.
At the end of the day, treat it like a good workout, and keep in mind that, just like Whose Line is it Anyways, the results are made up and the points don’t matter.
1.) I tend to look for races where the categories start at separate times – e.g., A is usually the advertised time, B 1 minute later, C 1 minute later than that, etc.
Thank you. So if the race start time is the same for all categories, I’ll be able to see other categories and may be even draft of them. And if the time is different, we’re in parallel universes and will not see each other, right?
At the end of the day, treat it like a good workout, and keep in mind that, just like Whose Line is it Anyways, the results are made up and the points don’t matter.
Yep, this was my attitude as well. But I like computer games and badges anyway!
Also keep in mind Zwift racing is pretty skewed high in terms of competition. Meaning people there, for whatever reason, are putting out more watts than you’d expect in real life races, whether that be due to weight doping, trainer miscalibration, etc.
There’s a recent Zwift bio-documentary that features Gustav Iden on Zwift, and he straight said he’s always humbled and amazed because he’s literally the long-course world triathlon champion, yet he gets humbled day in and day out on zwift, and he wonders who the F all these people are who are killing him so bad. (It’s true that there are a lot pro cyclists on there that are stronger than he is on the bike)
In that same video it also shows a brief screen shot of his best 20 min power in Zwift, which is over 380W. For a 66 kg athlete that’s quite impressive, even among pro cyclists.
You’ve gotten a couple of responses that don’t really answer your questions:
Yes some races are category specific. You only see and race against the people in your category. Some have all the categories mixed together. Easiest to tell the difference on zwift power. Each has advantages for different folks. For me (OK FTP but really good sprint), the separated races are better for me. For others with high FTP and not much of a sprint, they will be able to hang on to the A group and place high due to attrition of the folks in their own category. Part of the game.
zwift power > results on the companion app > the place it shows you in crossing the line.
Exactly. Never lose sight of the fact that Zwift is a video game. I beat Andre Greipel in a sprint the other day. Just because I beat Lewis Hamilton in ‘Need for Speed’ doesn’t mean I’m a better driver.
OP, my advice would be to completely avoid mixed category racing entirely. Once you start to figure out game craft, blob dynamics, etc then start sprinkling in some mixed category races. This will allow you to step (way) outside of your comfort zone and get a taste for what it’s like racing B or A, should you ever have ambitions to race at those respective levels.
There are a lot of great riders on Zwift. In my team, we have an National TT champion, An Olympic rower, a National Speedskating champion, 2 National Hill climbing champions, 2 former pro ITU triathletes, 2 former pro mountain bikers and 2 elite level pro ultra runners. These guys wouldn’t have an issue giving Gustav Iden a bit of a race. There is cheating, its something you live with unless you are at Prem level racing on Zwift.
For me, Zwift has really helped my to increase my IRL cycling performace. However, it’s also important to remember that it’s a game, you can get great results by better understanding how to play the game, for example, understanding pack dynamics, knowing the courses and when to put in an effort, knowing what bike to use… Another factor is riding style, on Zwift, I ride almost all the time standing (1.5 hours no problem), with an ultra low cadence (sub 60rpm). I really use my arms as well as my legs, I lift my body with arms and legs, then use my weight to push down on the pedals. My FTP on Zwift is 335w (70kg), IRL I think that my FTP is around 315w - although I never hit the same HR IRL as I do on Zwift
Another factor is riding style, on Zwift, I ride almost all the time standing (1.5 hours no problem), with an ultra low cadence (sub 60rpm). I really use my arms as well as my legs, I lift my body with arms and legs, then use my weight to push down on the pedals. My FTP on Zwift is 335w (70kg), IRL I think that my FTP is around 315w - although I never hit the same HR IRL as I do on Zwift
I’ve been getting the impression that this is how zwift riding works. You see the race videos people put up, you look at the stats after races, and it seems to be what many people who are good at zwifting do. It may also explain why there seem to be so many people who are “a pretty big deal on zwift” and have zero IRL race results. There are guys around here who never break 20 km/h for their outdoor rides but can hold 300W for an hour on zwift. Standing all the time doesn’t really work outside. Zwifting is zwifting, bike riding is bike riding. Two different things.
Standing is a good skill to have for outdoor riding, especially for big mountain climbs, but essentially you are correct, riding style on Zwift is different to riding IRL. I would say that most people who are good at Zwift and are honest are also pretty good IRL (There are some exceptions).
on Zwift, I ride almost all the time standing (1.5 hours no problem), with an ultra low cadence (sub 60rpm). I really use my arms as well as my legs, I lift my body with arms and legs, then use my weight to push down on the pedals.
Whoa, definitely did a double (triple?) take here… I’m just not sure what standing pedaling for multiple minutes, let alone multiple hours even means. I’ve got ~4000 miles logged in Zwift, and I would guess that <1 mile of that total was done “standing”.
