Good question. Zwift How-to: Choose Your Cycling Race Category | Zwift
Different races can have different categories, but most races on Zwift use a similar format. They often will set category boundaries based on your functional threshold power (FTP) in watts per kilogram (w/kg). Your FTP is roughly equal to the maximum power you can hold for one hour. It’s commonly estimated by taking 95% of your power on a 20-minute FTP test.
Once you have a number for your FTP in watts, divide it by your weight in kilograms. Most of the time, this will be what you use to figure out your category. (For example, if a rider has an FTP of 210 watts and weighs 75 kilograms, that means the rider’s FTP in w/kg is 2.8.)
These are the most common category boundaries:
A = 4.0 w/kg and above
B = 3.2-3.9 w/kg
C = 2.5-3.1 w/kg
D = 2.4 w/kg and below
Of course, it’s best to look at the event description to double-check the rules before a race.
It is pretty easy to make some basic changes that would create a more level playing field and healthier environment. You’ll never get rid of all cheating. Just like real racing.
The caveat is that if I e dope my trainer on TR, I’m not actually cheating myself since the workouts are based on % ftp. Im still getting the same workout/adaptations, but the data that is presented to the community is buffed.
With your weight analogy, it would actually be lifting the correct weight, but applying a sticker on the dumbell making it look like a much higher weight.
Would like to add that these are just examples. I don’t give 2 cares about where I fit into the bell curve or where I finish a Zwift race. From day to day I’m only worried about beating myself.
You can cheat on TR by rounding up your FTP from 246W to 250W, or by claiming your FTP on virtual power is 350W when in fact it’s nearer 276W as measured by a powermeter🤪
Maybe they should do what zwiftcast mentioned in latest episode, must be an easy implementation. Zwift knows your FTP and weight so when viewing an event, only allow the category you should be in to be available for selection or just let it auto select when entering.
Yes you could go and change weight and ftp to enter another category, but that’s hassle and Zwift power would record this, so I believe you would get less people entering events in the incorrect category .
All good ideas. And Zwift has the capability to do that because events that have a category for women, I can’t select it.
And many posts here saying Zwift needs to fix it. But surprised to see 0 posts saying TR needs to fix the speed/distance doping. Easy to calculate, just lazy not to fix it as this point.
Guy in my club does nothing but Zwift, last time I looked, he’s doing 300w for 90 minutes with an average HR below 150. In the odd occasion that he rides outside, he’s just another average old bloke. My tiny 200w wife held him off for 30 minutes recently on her way home from work… he’s just not very good…so what’s the point in ‘racing’ people who cheat all the time?
He cheats be using rollers with a made up turbo power curve inputted instead.
I’ve been training indoors for decades, and every system I’ve used was uninterested in calculating any sort of “equivalent” speed/distance. And so was I. These are irrelevant metrics, in the absence of road slope data.
If there was any sort of auto-categorization system, this bloke would end up racing against 300W friends - real or faked. And that would leave your 200W wife racing against 200W friends - real or faked.
I guess what I’ve been trying to say is that is an indoor/trainer riding problem, not just a problem with Zwift. That exact scenario can and probably does exist on TR.
In erg, the trainer adjust even when you shift. I’m not even sure how that would be considered doping.
In response to speed/distance being irrelevant, I agree. But then why does TR calculate and attach it to ride. Just put 0’s. Or they could calculate based on flat terrain with average wind. Like an outdoor velodrome. That would be way more realistic than what gets posted.