The test categories are based on your usage of Zwift over the last 60 days, so if you were B a long time ago it should not auto-force you into B unless the rides you’ve done in the last 60 days trip one of the boundaries for B. If you didn’t have enough data in the last 60 days it would only allow you to select A, so if you have B available then that’s what category the algorithm believes you should be racing in at this point.
I frankly dont give a ---- what the algortihm believes 
Well, part of the reason they are doing these tests is to get feedback from people on these changes, so if you do a race, and you’re blown away, maybe it would be an interesting data point for them to consider as they tweak the algorithm. They have already made some changes based on feedback.
If your profile based on the last 60 days of riding is reasonable to be in B, then yeah, probably won’t change anything I suppose.
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yes, you might be right
we see 1000 posts and a lot of questions to algorithm and new categorization.
Also, the later Test events dont have much riders signed up.
interesting to see the next Tests, until now only a few from this forum and a few racers of the 300.000 zwiftpower users know about the new systems
dont think all 300.000 users may understand it.
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These thousands of riders, they dont have a ZPaccount.
They dont give a ■■■■.
They will react as: “hey I have to start in B, or in A? Okay lets change my weight to 30kg, that will make me faster.”
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A results based system would be easy for people to manipulate. Look at other online racing games and what happens there.
Mid level gamers deliberately lose in order to get relegated.
This system being trialled seems to work better, they just need to refine the boundaries.
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[Waits for the 75 paragraph monalogue as to why im wrong because the person im speaking two cannot accept that anybody else’s opinion has any validity]
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And what does it matter if the new cheating involves these riders statistically being off the back in the race for a significant period of time in order to enjoy a single or few good results ? .
Because it wont be just the odd person doing it. Lower ranked races are dominated by these people. The problem on unfair racing will remain for the lower categories
Easy to fix. Make it much harder for people to downscale. 60 and 90 days as currently is ridiculously short (for fixed cats as now). If I was able to kick x once in recent months I should be able to repeat it again (or close to).
Ranking is only way to go. Yes it will have issues but people winning for months on end in any current non A category is ridiculous. These new cats will have the same just for different people. While it’s better it is still fundamentally flawed and always will be.
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While far from ideal if people change weights to get to their cat that actually has very little impact on if a race is fair and sandbagger free.
As long as a riders power is consistent and they enter the correct category as per that power/kg (even if complete bs compared to them irl) it should still result in a good race for all.
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I am loving all the comments from people who have been at the sharp end of one category complaining about how they are now not competitive in their new higher category and they don’t like it. Welcome to the world of about 80% of Zwift racers - glad to see you join us finally!
I’m not a super regular racer admittedly, but I do take part in WTRL/ZRL and since being promoted to C about two years ago, I have finished in the lead group of C precisely ONCE and that was just a few weeks back (London Classique). Even then I was hanging on for dear life on the final two laps and finished 28th (the lead group was 34 strong) as I had nothing left in the tank to sprint with.
That was the exception to the rule; most of the rest of the time I’m probably in the third group on the road at best or hanging off the back as a solo rider. And yet despite this I still love to race and push myself and try to improve - I have no chance of winning and that’s okay.
I only wish they’d brought in this category enforcement when I was back in D. Yes it was nice to see all the little trophies next to my name in ZwiftPower, but it was tempered by the fact that I was actually crossing the line in 31st and only finding out I’d “won” an hour later once all the DQ’s had happened.
Ok, I understand what you mean, so they are actually only cheating themselves.
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Survey completed. It would be good to have it built in the platform I think, so riders can access it easy instead of through the Forums. Just a thought, please don’t take it as a whinge.
If I could add my experience from tonight’s AEDT 7pm Three laps of the Village Loop Event for C Grade.
I’m 62 kg and struggle on hilly / flat races and finish mid pack at best even with less the 15 riders, larger groups it’s been worse.
Tonight was brilliant, of the 14 entered, 10 led the charge for an hour swapping turns, and having little digs here and there, with nothing getting away. It all came down to the sprint (which I have not often been in a position to take part). We were whittled down to seven and the winner was on 2 seconds ahead of seventh (me). It was blissful not to have ‘sandbaggers’ stretching everyone and riders eventually blowing up or pulling out of the race.
Going into this I was pretty anxious about my ability. But the whole experience was wonderful. I don’t care that I didn’t get on the podium, just to race at the front with an evenly matched group, I came away pumped. If this new categorisation is adopted I will happily race in flat and hilly events and not just climbing races.
I take onboard that being moved up a Cat when on the cusp is disheartening, but I hope that if that is the case, you’ll at least share the race with others similar and get in a great workout.
The winner of the event streamed it on youtube apparently.
Ride on everyone, take care. Be grateful for your health and not being in a warzone.
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40 posts were split to a new topic: Crit City lunchtime (UK) races
I do know that @James_Zwift’s Herd Winter Racing Series is an “all-cats start together” race which now has Cat Enforcement. Those races have always been everyone sees everyone so you’re more than likely going to be riding with a group rather than solo once the dust clears.
EDITED to add: Sorry, no it doesn’t (see below). But HWR is, by all accounts, very good for the all-cats start together experience
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It doesn’t.
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