Hi all. Am an experienced real world cyclist but relativelt new to Zwift.
Loving what I’ve found so far, still getting used to the in-game mecahnics.
One question I have relates to passing (or being passed by) other cyclists. The automatic drafting feature (probably the wrong terminology) means that without a manual steer around the rider ahead, your own rider kind of bumps past/through the other rider. Same can also happen when you’re being passed by other riders.
My question is: when this happens is there any material impact on your speed, performance etc. It ‘feels’ like there is but can’t find anything definitive online.
Grateful for any advice on this? Should I always be trying to steer around my fellow riders?
There are no “collision boxes” on Zwift avatars. They have no substance, and getting bumped or drafted-through has no impact on your performance
The only in-game effect is that when you pass another rider, you will suddenly lose any draft benefits. Similarly, when you are passed, you will briefly pick up a draft benefit from the rider you are now following.
Riders do have substance sideways, though. If you were to get steering, for example, you can’t steer sideways from one side of the road to the other right through another rider. The game doesn’t have you wait until you’re 100% clear of them, but when you’re right next to them, you’re blocked from moving through them. Doesn’t affect your speed at all in terms of MPH/KPH. But taking the apex through corners really does benefit you, so other riders can prevent you from cutting a corner as sharply as you’d like with steering. (Not a complaint, it’s pretty cool it works that way.)
You can watch this happen even without steering when you’re in a bunch. Your avatar will move side to side though the bunch as you ride, but the other avatars do serve to block your motion at times. MPH/KPH stays unaffected though.
Yeah, I can catch people on twisty descents doing a lot less power. Helps that I’m a bigger rider, but the cornering makes up a lot of ground, the sharper the curve the better.
