Zwift knows our FTP, it knows our weight, so could it tell us our w/kg when it detects a change in our FTP, or tell us this figure somewhere in our profile?
All the prize money on the line, endorsements, bragging rights at the coffee shop… I’d think an FTP test is pretty necessary. 
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Why? You need to pay for a cycling license to join any legit crit race IRL and drive up to it. Is it really too much to ask someone to complete a ramp test to join a race on Zwift? Zwift can even design the UX so that new racers feel like they are stepping into an experience and “awarded” an e-license at the end of the ramp test showing their minimum category.
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Aad if someone doesn’t want to do a FTP test or a hard ride then put them in the E pen or point them to mass start events.
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Is this post going to end up like that other one?
Sounds like you all are about to start covering topics that have already been discussed to death.
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Or it’s going this direction Auto-Assign Race Categories
Probably the most and longest request is to have Zwift assign categories and let orginizers define how these categories look.
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Agreed.
We’ve been discussing this for YEARS.
Still nothing happens…
By the way, we previously confirmed that previous training data or better yet, a qualification race for new riders would be a superb solution to sorting new riders into correct cats.
New riders should NEVER be allowed to destroy C and D races. It’s not fun for anyone. With the ten of thousands of users. Every major D race would have an A racer and bunch of Bs by accident till the end of time.
Race D, as a D and you’ll understand the volume of this problem.
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Amen!
Now close this thread down, let’s move on…
Well that escalated quickly,
.
I agree, the whole topic of how to “fix” racing in general belongs and is elsewhere. I started this thread in the hopes of making this specific series not perfect but at least functional in a practical, easy way.
Doing the following two things could do so:
Set up E Cat and recommend it to all new racers as the appropriate cat for them to use;
Clearly state in the event description that DQs will result if riders select the wrong Cat (so if you have any doubt go with E).
I hope that someone at Zwift HQ is listening and will act.
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Well, next Tuesday’s race description hasn’t changed, still says noobs should race in D cat and there is no E cat setup.
@James_Zwift I hope you can get some changes made before Tuesday’s race but it’s likely already too late.
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I’m here and listening (well, reading at least).
I can’t promise any changes for Tuesday but we’re definitely looking into all the feedback that’s been given over the last couple of days.
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You know me well enough to know that I understand the concerns that are being raised. But I’d like to see all racers looked after and it’s really important that the experience for new racers is just as good as it is for existing ones. The last thing I would want is for someone to try racing out for the first time and have a bad experience and decide not to bother again.
With regards to @_JamesA_ZSUNR - yes a single out of category rider can impact a race. If they start to go off the front it’s likely to change the entire dynamic of a race as it’ll force probably the front half of the group to push harder to try to catch, essentially unnecessarily.
(Replying as James rather than Zwift, which will get really confusing really quickly!)
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James, I think the main issue is that the current setup and description is unfair for both new riders and veterans: aside from necessary changes to the event description, it’s very harsh DQing a rider who entered the correct pen in good faith and likely to dissuade them from racing again.
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Yep, fully understood from the other posts.
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@James_Zwift I’m sure you can pull the stats easier than one of us, how many legit ‘new riders’ were out of cat, and how many were experienced racers with multiple races behind them.
I have a feeling, actual first time racers will be minuscule, and so much of this discussion is about the race experience of single number of new riders over the vast majority of experienced riders (both legit & sandbaggers)
Improve comms, make E available for new or unsure riders and find a way to channel people into the right pen (even if it just a pop up
Or indicator to say you should race in X/Y cat for normal races) to start the process.
I still don’t get why Zwift HQ are so terrified of funnelling users into the correct category for racing… it seems to undermine every principle that HQ throws out.
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I assume there’d be a significant build required to do the automatic funneling? And for non-races – just a regular ‘ride’ - same rule? Just a quick visit to the Events pages The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App and/or account or billing pages shows that category isn’t shown anywhere, yet it’s thru the events page that signups are done.
Zwift are working on something for pen enforcement just nobody knows what or whether it will delivery on all the things the community are looking for.
Put in the Cone of Shame, ( the Green Cone) for this race.
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….because lightweights shouldn’t be allowed on zwift, they can always ride outdoors after all.
(BTW this is sarcasm, for those who are wondering)
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I think for heavily promoted events, the number of new racers would be higher than you would expect. For most Community series’ I would be inclined to agree with you. I don’t have the numbers though.
Realistically that’s not going to change by Tuesday but I have acknowledged (and said this multiple times and people seem to like telling me over and over again, which is very thoughtful of you, I am getting old afterall…) feedback and said I will bring it up.
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