Petite rider here. I am 5’0 and 93 lbs. Zwift will not allow me to accurately input this on my profile, and requires that I put a minimum of 100lbs. This is ridiculous, as some of us are just petite individuals. I spoke to an ambassador who said this is to deter cheating because people will under report their weight to increase their watts. So because a bunch of cheaters took advantage and lied, I am prohibited from accurately entering my weight.
This same ambassador suggested I change my age to under 17 to get around this block. So I’m being encouraged to lie just to get my info accurately reflected. I’m a 29 year old woman, and I should be able to input my correct weight and height!
Am I the only petite person to ever have this issue?! It seems so discriminatory.
I already did that. I was told that due to minimum weight requirements in their system, they’re unable to anything about it. I was instructed to “just set my weight as low as possible” - which is 100 lbs. so again, I’m posting here because this is discriminatory and ridiculous and there is literally nothing anyone is going to do about it.
Obviously, as we mortals here have no way of accessing Zwift’s infrastructure, there is nothing anyone here can really do to help. My take is that this is a limitation set by Zwift for a good reason - and one they can easily circumvent internally to make it just.
Regrettably, as unjust as it sounds, I would have set my weight to the lowest possible.
Perhaps you didn’t get the memo, zwift is primarily aimed at generously-proportioned desk jockeys who need to blow off a bit of testosterone occasionally. Others can join in most of the time so long as they don’t cause a fuss or win too many races.
I totally get this. It’s bonkers to me that people lie about their stats on Zwift to get a false advantage. I don’t understand how these individuals could have any sense of accomplishment after cheating. I believe in earning your accomplishments. It’s just ridiculous that because of jerks like this, I’m being blocked from reporting my stats accurately. I’m a very small person, and there’s not a whole lot of cyclists my size, I get that. I just think it’s crazy that there’s nothing they can do to manually change this for people in my position. I’m more than happy to scan over a copy of my drivers license, for example, that reports my height and weight - or take a picture of me standing on a scale even. But I’m being told there is zero solution whatsoever. Instead, I’m being treated like I’m trying to cheat.
I’m not currently racing, but I would love to have that option, especially once I figure out all the nuances of Zwift. I’m more concerned about my watts and data being accurate at this time. 7 pounds may not seem like a lot to a normal sized person, but 7 lbs is 7.5% of my total body weight. I’m a data driven individual, and for me, accuracy is very important. I also may be getting a little hung up over the principle of it all. As a petite cyclist, I already have a hard time finding bikes, apparel, etc that work for me. It would just be nice to feel like Zwift is inclusive of people like myself. I know I’m not the only petite cyclist out there. I have a friend I ride with that’s 4’10 and around 89 lbs. We exist and it would be nice to have that acknowledged rather than brushed off as if we are trying to cheat.
This is a very important point. 7.5% is not insignificant! Anyone who’s suggesting it’s not a big deal should consider how they’d feel if they had to increase their weight in Zwift by 7.5%.
Watts are often expressed as a ratio: w/kg. So if my weight isn’t correct, my watts per kg aren’t correct. Also, lighter riders like myself go faster on climbs but descend a bit slower than heavier riders. I guarantee if I strapped a seven pound weight to my bike, I’d be slower at climbing and probably faster at descending too. I’m not sure how accurately Zwift’s physics take this into account, but again, that also effects accuracy. I’ve been told that Zwift’s physics are intended to resemble real life conditions as closely as possible, so why wouldn’t 7 lbs make a difference. On someone my size, 7 pounds is a lot!
Again, I may be getting hung up on specifics, but I should be able to input my correct weight for the most accurate data possible.
I don’t agree with that statement. I think the reason is the formulas for calculating speed from power is not very accurate at low weights that is why Zwift has a weight limit. We see this in the juniors racing.
Do a few rides and compare it your outdoor rides. I think you will be surprised at how close it is. If you think about how many other factors there is like trainer accuracy.
Thanks, I’ll definitely do that. I just joined Zwift yesterday, and I’ll do my first ride this evening. I really do hope everyone is correct and that the difference won’t be significant or noticeable.
Hi @S_D14 - Welcome to Zwift Forums!
It looks like we currently have a support ticket submitted for this current topic. We’ve been reviewing the conversation and looking into a way to assist with this specific issue. We’ve sent an email response to the initial inquiry, so be sure to check for that and respond back. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Julie! I’m excited that there are potential solutions, and Zwift is taking my feedback and acting on it. It means so much to me. Excited for my first ride on Zwift tonight
