When I was using zwift and doing structured workouts, I just left the title of the ride as Watopia or Richmond. If people want to see what I’m doing they can scroll down and check out the analysis part of my ride on strava.
@DMC exactly, last week I saw TR-like intervals in a local riders Strava analysis and then I looked and saw the description said “TR Palisade/ Tour de Zwift Stage 2”
Hate it when a rest interval comes at the wrong time in Zwift!
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There is a facebook group called ZwifTransparency. You need to post a “live weigh in” and are encouraged to make available some IRL power data. The uptake in the Zwift racing community has been great.
I’ve done a weigh-in, posted link to my Strava for power data and my Zwiftpower account so I can be called out if I’m racing at the wrong weight.
It’s a starting point, and I think shows that the Zwift racing community does care about the integrity of eSports.
I think sometimes its important to remember that the false numbers aren’t everyones fault, I had erroneous numbers before I bought a pm but they were consistently erroneous, I contacted zwift and their basic idea was ignore them because I wasn’t interested in racing,
I think this is why the majority of racers on Zwift ignore the “official” Zwift results and look at Zwiftpower results instead.
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My issue with all the cheating is that the zwift racing community is doing lots to try and reduce it (zwiftpower, live weigh ins, etc.) but zwift themself take the money, stick fingers in ears and sing la la la la…No effort at all on their part to sort cheating out.
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Trying to understand this as I’ve only raced on Zwift a couple of times…
Are you losing in close finishes with riders you feel are cheating? Do you feel the overall level is unrealistic? Are you a 5.0w/kg rider and getting dropped early in a race?
I do know people at higher w/kg race lower grades as training. Is this your issue?
I’ve only done A races and they’re properly tough. I don’t think I’m only losing to cheats though. My w/kg put me midpack and that’s about where I am in the race. I usually ride the front until I blow and call it a day. There’s a lot of strong folks on Zwift, just as in the real world.
I find it hard to believe that there’s that many people purposely “doping” on Zwift to such an extent that it makes online racing any more pointless than it already is IMHO. I classify it as a good workout. Hanging on in an A race is good crit training. If I were invested in my result I’d probably feel differently, but then I’d have to question why I care so much about video games…
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Surely if there’s cheating on Zwift that just makes it more realistic, no?
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There most likely a lot of unintentional doping on Zwift with all this variety of trainers and false uncalibrated readouts from them. I think it would be cool if Zwift could differentiate real power meters from trainer estimates in race results, like they do with z-power.
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I’m sure there is. I just always wonder what category, what frequency, and with what results all the Zwift doping conspiracy theorists are actually racing… I just don’t get it and I haven’t ever gotten an answer. It’s always, “Well, I don’t bother to race anymore because everyone cheats.”
As I have mentioned here and elsewhere:
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I have yet to hear of a reason that “cheating” affects anything other than a person’s EGO.
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Whether intentional or accidental, there is no harm done to a person in 99.9% of Zwift racing.
- The only exception is for those that are strong enough to compete at the top end of the A-group and have a chance to win money or team access (like CVR World Cup or the Zwift Academy).
- And for those high level events, the typically culminate with in-person live events. Any cheating (of the tech related variety at least) will be unearthed in that forum.
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In nearly every case, we get an amazing workout and have ‘rabbits’ to chase in any group from A to D.
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Do as you like, but I think focusing on outcome goals (like finishing positions) in Zwift racing is fruitless.
What I believe matters most is the fitness you derived, the fun you had, and/or the challenge you undertook.
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Yep. In reality you went 0miles at 0mph.
Zwift races are definitely a good way to get some high intensity workouts in, but that’s all they are.
I dislike the “distance” mention tagged with my reply, especially since I didn’t mention anything remotely related to that topic.
I deliberately avoid the whole “mileage” discussion with respect to indoor cycling/training. It is a fruitless topic that I’d rather not be associated with in any form.
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I’m with you on that. I suspect that those cheating are racing in lower categories and not that often. I also suspect that they haven’t registered on Zwiftpower and think that the “official” Zwift results are the ones that matter.
If folk haven’t already done so, take a look at www.zwiftpower.com
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Tour du Zwift stage 7 tonight , didn’t have much time so went for B event. A good different type of workout fully enjoyed… lots of PRs thanks to Trainer Road 
No idea if anyone cheated, don’t really care, it wasn’t a race but plenty given it their all so it pushes you…might check my position on Zwiftpower later, but for now happy with the “All time x256”
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Well done!! It’s a great course😊
That time would have had you around 165th place on Zwiftpower💪
But what’s the point of the internet then?
Thank you… just looked on Zwiftpower and for the B’s I’m down as 40th with a 3rd fastest segment (very short downhiller, must have got optimum drafting!)
It was fun and endorses TR with the All timesx256, which shows I’m still making progress
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Well, I have to admit that I’ve changed my tune a bit on Zwift.
I started my training cycle right around the middle of July last year with an aim of peaking around July-August of this year. I’m in about Week 40 of consistent structured training for this season (with about a 5-6 week reduction in volume over November/December of last year).
Now that the weather has started to improve in my area of the world, I will try to get outside for a ride or two during the week, but I still try to leave my real interval work for inside. This last Saturday I had Elephants +4 (6x6 @108% FTP) on the schedule… a beast of a workout. I’m usually never lacking in the motivation department and have figured out all of the tips and tricks to get the most out of indoor training (familiar, uptempo music during intervals; lasko fan; plenty of carbs before and during my big workouts), but for whatever reason I just couldn’t face those blue bars anymore… Just couldn’t do it.
So last Saturday morning I said “F-- it”, signed up for Zwift. I logged on, aimlessly rode around the map until I found a suitable 6 minute climb and then busted out my intervals. I was shocked at how immersive it was and how riding by another little avatar could push me just that little bit more. On Sunday, I did my 3x20 SS intervals on Zwift as well–93% FTP felt like nothing and the time flew by as I passed (as was passed by) riders up the virtual mountain.
I haven’t done any races yet, but I might try one or two when I can fit them within the context of my training plan.
So I guess I have to say that I was off the mark a bit with my prior comments on Zwift. However, with all that said, Zwift’s plans and workouts still mostly look like hot garbage and some workouts are still better left to be done through the TR app imo. #coachchad4lyfe
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