Zwift 'racing'

[93KgBike]

Originally Posted by redir

Zwift is just a training tool...

Tomorrow, via Facebook, sees the launch of a pro esports league founded by the multiplayer online training and racing platform Zwift. This is a London-based company leading the gamification of cycling. In December the firm secured $120-million in Series B funding with part of the cash injection being spent on expanding into esports tournaments.

Members from 15 teams – some of them professional – will contest the Men’s KISS Super League, starting on Wednesday night from a London bike shop.

“Our goal is to create a new sport within a sport, celebrated by pro cyclists, amateur cyclists and cycling fans all over the world,” said Zwift CEO Eric Min.

The company cofounder added: “Pro cycling has embraced Zwift as a training platform and Zwift has proven itself as a talent ID platform. Now is the time to push on with esports.”

Forbes Magazine 1/22/2019

[nobuseri]

I fall into the B-/C+ level (B- on a very good day), but as said before, thee are many racers that are not inputting their weight correctly, so there are quite a few breaks in the field, depending on the route. It's a good workout, for sure. Even on the C races, hanging with the lead pack takes way too much wattage; I tend to blow up after 45+ minutes. I need to learn some of the tricks. It seems that drafting in Zwift is about 3mph, so it definitely helps. I used to race with the Canyon/808s; Tron bike seems to be a better pick. I want to try the S5/808 setup and see how that fares.

[redir]

Originally Posted by 93KgBike

Forbes Magazine 1/22/2019

That's pretty cool. I can see that working if everyone is on the exact same equipment, even in the same building with the same Internet connections and computers and so on. They would have a weigh in like they do at wrestling matches.

I always thought of e-Sport as games like Call of Duty or Fortnite.

[cash05458]

well, on that first kiss pro race the entire Cofidis team got dropped in about the first 30 seconds and never made it back...some zwift guy won it...I don't race there but it is a good training thing for sure...as for cheating, I guess it depends on your definition. None of it is real...sorta like asking questions about if your wife cheated on you for liking some random guy's facebook post I think.

[GregL]

Zwift, Strava, and similar activities are not bike racing. Sign up for the race of your choice (road, gravel, TT, MTB, BMX, etc...), pin on a number, and line up at the start. Anything else doesn't count.

Greg

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by GregL

Zwift, Strava, and similar activities are not bike racing. Sign up for the race of your choice (road, gravel, TT, MTB, BMX, etc...), pin on a number, and line up at the start. Anything else doesn't count.

Greg

Totally agree.

I enjoy what Zwift is but it is not racing bicycles any more than an auto racing video game is racing automobiles.

[avalonracing]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Totally agree.

I enjoy what Zwift is but it is not racing bicycles any more than an auto racing video game is racing automobiles.

I'm so glad I'm not the ONLY one who feels this way. It's pedaling people, NOT racing. As I said, if it is I'm going to put my motorcycle on rollers have my friend pay me to watch and declare myself a professional motorcycle racer.

[redir]

I'll have to agree to disagree and I have been racing bikes for 25 years now fairly regularly. Well until a few years ago. But... Of course a Zwift race is not a real race, no one is even saying that. A zwift ride isn't a real ride either. But in a Zwift race you line up on a start line, the gun goes off, and the race is on. It's virtual but it's closer then anything else. It's certainly more 'real' then chasing down commuters on the bike path to work in the morning

There is still a sense of compitition. There are attacks that need to be responded too. I doubt there can be any real team work so that is truly missing.

In the end, again, it's just a training tool.

BTW I had no idea that the virtual bikes mattered. I got the steel one with the DT shifters becasue I thought it looked cool

[93KgBike]

Originally Posted by saab2000

... I enjoy what Zwift is but it is not racing bicycles any more than an auto racing video game is racing automobiles.

Well, you do have to peddle your bike.

Originally Posted by redir

I'll have to agree to disagree and I have been racing bikes for 25 years now fairly regularly. Well until a few years ago. But... Of course a Zwift race is not a real race, no one is even saying that. A zwift ride isn't a real ride either. But in a Zwift race you line up on a start line, the gun goes off, and the race is on. It's virtual but it's closer then anything else. It's certainly more 'real' then chasing down commuters on the bike path to work in the morning

There is still a sense of compitition. There are attacks that need to be responded too. I doubt there can be any real team work so that is truly missing.

In the end, again, it's just a training tool.

BTW I had no idea that the virtual bikes mattered. I got the steel one with the DT shifters becasue I thought it looked cool

+1 on comments above, and +1 on the steel bike!

[ScottW]

Originally Posted by kppolich

is there a trick to getting an actual draft in Zwift?

Still pretty new to Zwift myself, and I might be stating the obvious here, but if the indicator of your distance off the next guy's wheel isn't showing up, it could be because you're on the TT bike which gets no draft benefit. It is heavy and does slow you down on climbs however.

Originally Posted by redir

BTW I had no idea that the virtual bikes mattered. I got the steel one with the DT shifters becasue I thought it looked cool

It was only recently that I heard the Tron bike is the fastest, and that I should have been doing the Everest challenge first instead of the Tour of California. Meh.
Not like it's my choice of bike that makes me slow. I also don't weight dope. I'm Zwiftopian pan y agua.

[Andy sti]

I'm hooked on Zwift racing right now. This is the first winter in the last 7 years I haven't had a coach. My goals for next year have changed thus the reason for that. I started Trainer Road in December and it's great but then I thought I'd do a free Zwift trial - I've been hooked since. I'm just doing these races and not structured stuff anymore, because I don't care. This is way more motivational for me. I don't get hung up on the results or if someone is cheating, I'm getting a killer workout so it doesn't matter.

I've been doing the Cat A events and have learned some of the idiosyncrasies of the races. The draft is huge, just compare w/kg to the riders in front. The start and first few minutes is hug, so much of the selection is made then. I prefer the hillier course but I'll do whatever events work with my schedule. I've been hitting numbers doing these races that I've never hit on the trainer before. I use a Wahoo Kickr with my bike's Quarq PM and it has been working great.

Some may not like it and that's fine. No it's not a "real" bike race and that's fine too. It fills a void and provides that competition motivation. I don't live in SoCal and I can't Nordic ski every day so I'm on the trainer during the winter. I know it's cool to hate racing on the this forum but this isn't that bad.

[kramnnim]

Originally Posted by cash05458

well, on that first kiss pro race the entire Cofidis team got dropped in about the first 30 seconds and never made it back...some zwift guy won it....

Actually Madison Genesis and Ribble won the first 4 events.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Andy sti

I'm hooked on Zwift racing right now. This is the first winter in the last 7 years I haven't had a coach. My goals for next year have changed thus the reason for that. I started Trainer Road in December and it's great but then I thought I'd do a free Zwift trial - I've been hooked since. I'm just doing these races and not structured stuff anymore, because I don't care. This is way more motivational for me. I don't get hung up on the results or if someone is cheating, I'm getting a killer workout so it doesn't matter.

I've been doing the Cat A events and have learned some of the idiosyncrasies of the races. The draft is huge, just compare w/kg to the riders in front. The start and first few minutes is hug, so much of the selection is made then. I prefer the hillier course but I'll do whatever events work with my schedule. I've been hitting numbers doing these races that I've never hit on the trainer before. I use a Wahoo Kickr with my bike's Quarq PM and it has been working great.

Some may not like it and that's fine. No it's not a "real" bike race and that's fine too. It fills a void and provides that competition motivation. I don't live in SoCal and I can't Nordic ski every day so I'm on the trainer during the winter. I know it's cool to hate racing on the this forum but this isn't that bad.

That's been my experience too. Last year my teammates were trying to get me on Zwift and I was like... Pfffft! After giving it a go I immediately realized how powerful a training tool it is. I have been doing one of their generic training plans and it's okay but after trying a few races I've been thinking that is the best way to make use of the time. I'll probably still follow through and complete the plan, it's only 5 hours a week, and supplement it with the races.

[Clydesdale]

First Zwift experience this winter and I'll stick with it. The races leave me absolutely hammered, which is why I sign up so I'm happy with that. I'm also on the heavy side at 220 and man is it humbling to see that you averaged about the same watts as the top guys but finished many, many minutes and places behind them.

As for the people that fake their weights and whatever else, I guess I don't care enough about the results to be bothered by it too much. Ego is a crazy thing.

[Spaghetti Legs]

I will do the occasional race with experience similar to that above. I’ll usually end up in a group and it turns into a race within a race and I’ve found that kind of fun, but pretty much assume that the 5w/kg people will be riding on ahead.