The jump between Pace Partners is much too big. In my own case, I tend to ride around 1.8-1.9 W/kg. D Diesel is comfortable, but C. Cadence is too fast. My friend who got me hooked on Zwift had the same complaint (though regarding C and B). I propose that there should be Pace Partners at 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 W/kg, then if A. Anquetil remains at 4.2, perhaps have a 3.6 and a 4.2.
Also, the Pace Partners’ colors make no sense. Most logical would be to pick colors corresponding to temperatures of stars: blue-white = hottest and thus would be the fastest pace partner; down to dark red, the coldest (visible) color, which would be the slowest Pace Partner.
The colors correspond to the power zones, except for d.disel. A is red for vo2 max zone 5, B is green for tempo zone 3, C is blue for endurance zone 2, and D should be grey for zone 1 but that wouldn’t be a very good color probably.
One thing you can try to make D more challenging is to switch your in game bike to a gravel or mountain bike which will require you to put out more power to go the same speed as those on road bikes.
I’m not going to ask you what you weigh, because I’ve been taught that this is a rude question. Coco Cadence, while a 2.5wkg leader, is only 65kg and hence 165 watts. The Diesel leader is 82kg and rides at 125 watts. These 2 leaders in reality, looking at the numbers, aren’t really that far apart. Especially if you already ride at 1.8-1.9wkg normally.
The jump from BB to AA is hard too. Always lots of people riding with BB, and AA riding with less than 10 people (sometimes 2 or 3) its a sign of the difficulty of riding with AA.
That’s odd… So you’re averaging ~95 watts riding with D and staying with the PP? Zwift by chance hasn’t changed the original PP leader weights in the recent past, have they?
Except rarely have I witnessed the PP not surrounded front and back themselves (and therefore in the draft) by the pack. Especially Dan.
I suppose there is a possibility, which would be nice to have confirmed one way or the other, that the pace partners don’t actually receive any draft benefit from the field – in other words that the rest of the field is invisible to the PP and they’re effectively riding on a TT bike?
I think it isn’t the gap or jump between AA and Bowie, but rather people don’t like riding in the jungle. When AA started doing different routes with no jungle sections, more people joined, even with Epic KOM on the route.
Some of the AA routes involve riding in the jungle, it’s slow and not enjoyable. I prefer riding alone up Alpe or Ventop to that. (2x Alpe for instance).
I know with my own IRL Cervelo S5 2020 that riding on gravel and dirt with it isn’t that slow…
If you had AA riding on Tick-Tock or Tempus Fugit or at least a second A bot riding flat loops you can bet it would be extremely popular with people wanting to try and smash themselves on the flat, or, as it has been suggested get easy/fast kilometres. I think there is a resentment by some that Pace Partners make it too easy to go fast or get easy kilometres.
Please see my reply just above. Alternative options to have fast bots (A and B) that also ride on Tempus or Tick Tock.
This might also break up the massive C.Cadence group to a more sensible size.
This happened before and it was a disaster and was abandoned. The C bunch being so large and fast rode away from the C pace partner and had to slow to 1.5w/kg.
Maybe C.Cadence could ride through the jungle a lot more to keep the speeds of that group down?
My ideal world (note this isn’t actually a thing, just me musing aloud) would have each pace partner have a flat or hilly option, and look to have A-E (with a step between current C and D).
In my ideal ideal world, you could do things like choose a route and pace of partner so that you have something you’d like to ride around with. Especially useful for targeting PBs on climbs and things like that.
Worth restating that this isn’t necessarily something that we’ll do but is often something that I’m thinking about.
I totally agree with this. The jump from 1.5 to 2.5 is way too much for a lot of riders. Having that step in between them would be very popular if offered Hopefully, you can wave your magic wand and make this happen sooner than later
The problem goes beyond the w/kg. There is a big jump in raw power, due to the BB bot bigger weight.
Zwift Insider say it´s 165W for CC and 265W for BB.
Yeap, have to agree with you that the fact that AA rides go thru the jungle don´t help. Many people hate the super slow drag (me included).
I vote for putting tarmac all over it!
100% with you that an AA bot in Tick Tock, Waistband, Wandering flats would be great. Would make a great workout for me.
