Events w/kg

The indicated watts/kg in the event categories are always given in a span. What does that even mean? If I can do 2 w/kg can I then participate in a 2 to 3.5 w/kg event???
Why not give an absolute number like 2 or 3 and then the pacers should keep as close to that as possible. Or if it is a workout, say average like i.e 2 w/kg with up top i.e. 4 w/kg intervals of max x number of seconds. In that way you would not have people joining events that are too hard or soft. Moste events have more than 30% dropping due to this

Simple answer, w/kg doesn’t say much if you don’t know the weight of the leader.

It’ll often give more details in the event description. Often something along the lines of “the yellow beacon will ride at 2.2wkg on the flats and 2.5wkg on the climbs"

Always - always - read the event descriptions. :+1:

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Most events do not have 30% DNFs and reasons for leaving an event vary (eg, it’s time to take the kids to school or put them to bed). There are many steady-paced rides on mostly flat routes with leaders who try very hard to keep the group together. In a group ride, you are signing up for an experience with a human and they will not ride like a robot. Some of them are really excellent at what they do, some are less good, sometimes the human has an off day, and sometimes they never intended to offer a steady paced ride because that’s not what it’s about. A well managed ride will have information about their intent in the event description, and make announcements about it in the starting pen, and call out intentional changes in pace during the event. You are always free to leave the event if it’s not satisfactory, you don’t have to say goodbye, you just click the Leave button and carry on or go do something else. It can take some time to find a group ride that is a good fit for you, so I encourage you to keep trying different rides and return to the ones that make you happy - those are your people.

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Yes it does. It says everything! If all do the same watt/kg, you will all do the same speed, no matter if you are going up or flat. Downhill the heavier rider will in theory have an advantage, but the algorithm in zwift will account for that

I suggest you go fan-view a robopacer rider. See if everyone has the exact same w/kg riding next to the RP bot.

Here’s a repurposed screenshot of one that was done for a different purpose. I see anywhere from 2.0 to 2.5 in the abridged riders nearby list.

Tell that to a 50kg woman riding with an 80kg leader at 2.5wkg on Tempus Fugit.

Can 125 watts hang with 200 watts? Maybe … if the leader is in the wind. Maybe. If the leader is in the draft, no chance.

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https://zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=5242728

Event was advertised as 1.6-1.9W/kg average pace. Most participants finished together with average power of 1.7-2.0W/kg, so pretty close to what they said they were doing. There were a couple bumps in the route, nothing major, but if there were surges on those rises, that might explain some of the people who got dropped. A lot of people in that ride were probably not working very hard due to the low pace, which means they barely notice a few brief increases in pace and are never out of the draft. But probably for some participants, the pace is harder for them and they might struggle to hang on, and of course W/kg does not tell the whole story. Rider height, weight, bike choice, momentary inattention, etc. all affect their speed as well.

You are right. It was just thinking about climbing. But on the flat the heavier would go faster, if they do the same amount of watt!

No, lighter rider will go faster (in Zwift, especially) if they do the same Watts on the flat, because Zwift uses weight & height to calculate CdA. The heavier rider will go faster if they do the same W/kg.

that’s what I meant! same w/kg