As an “older Zwifter” there is not way for me to easily identify my age that is recognizable as I ride a in a workouts or scheduled events. Can we as older riders be identified in a way that we are recognized as we ride against much younger riders? At 84 years young, thank you!!
What do you want to get out of it? Some older riders put their age in their Zwift profile name.
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You can give yourself gray hair!
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I have thought of this in a slightly different way.
I would like to see grade of rider identified slightly. I am new to zwift and in my first month i have been trying to ride with small groups but I have no clue of their ability. I am approximately 140-160 watts/kg on my rides. It is quiet poor so there are very few riders in my range. I therefore fall off the bike after 40 minutes trying to keep up with groups and feel discouraged when i drop out the back after a few minutes.
So the last week I have given up trying to find groups and just ignore the visuals. I see this ending in my going back to you tubes and just ploughing on without zwift.
Mild colour coding of the name would identify the user watts- age. User choice to hide this or show. I have tried pick up people to see they fly by when they caught up.
If people could see they were similar ability there would be less competition and make more social groups in social rides. Or compete against someone higher grade to push yourself. Slow down to help someone in a lower grade to get over the line. Categories would help the game.
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Do you mean 1.4 -1.6 w/kg? This is already displayed on the riders nearby list. However, it doesn’t reflect ones ability. I might be doing a recovery ride at a lower intensity, rather than a full out race effort.
There are group rides for all power abilities, you should be able to find a regular group ride that fits your needs.
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Hi Mike - Oops yes- 
How is it displayed? I have said to a few friends and no one has suggested. Do you mean go into their profile and view the ftp? By that time they will be gone. I mean a visual code or colour tinge to their title. Again a user could hide it if they dont want to participate.
I have seen the “c” group ride events but havent found one to fit my time. Seems people ride at 7am or 11 am and rarely in between. It would be a good feature so i can ride my times and fall into a small group of my level.
It is displayed right under their name on the riders nearby list (right side of screen under mini map), it’s small however and can be hard to see.
Thanks Mike. Never noticed it. But will watch it now. Won’t chase people with large watts. 
That was a serious group you were with. Cheers.
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You can also use the Companion App to to find different group rides and races. There’s a filter option there, so you can limit the results. Lower watt/kg events are the D and E ones. So if you limit the filter to those, it’ll be easier to find the events you’re more likely to enjoy.
That said, during the big Tours (like the current Tour for All), those lettered categories are used for multiple purposes, which makes things a little confusing, and the filters are less reliable. But normally, I find the filters really helpful, since I want nothing to do with a cat A event (or B, or C, or D really … where’s the Cat J snail’s pace race?). But seriously, there are events for all paces. They don’t always fit your schedule, but keep looking. Group rides and races, even when spit out the back, are a lot of fun. Ride On!
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Did you read my post at all? 
I am offering feature advice that if people were colour coded of similar watts, ftp, it would be good for casual riders to find little groups as they cycle.
I probably have units wrong here but the idea is sound. (My average ride ability is 145 watts hence I am using this).
Assuming not everyone can fit into event timeslots. This could be used for age also.
If the numbers already displayed, but in tiny writing it is simple to do. All riders in ability 140-160 watts avg have a purple tinge. Riders in 160-180 have a blue tinge. Then as they cycle they easily see someone of similar ability they could cycle with.
OR
Go one step further and compare each rider and code a rider specific to them. Colour gradients relative to their ability. If we see deep red the rider is way above our ability. Don’t even try keep up with him. If it is only light red they are just above my ability.
So if my ride average watts is 240 watts. Light red is 250 deep red is 340. Similarly light green is 230 and dark green is 140 watts. You could slow down and help a light green or join in and keep up with a light red group. Visual queues would keep you interested. Watching the screen and pick up other riders of your ability along the ride. Little blobs all over the places. Similar ability pushing each other to go longer and stronger.
This is just a cycling game after all to make grinding pedals indoors more palatable. Make it interesting and with features to make it social. Especially for €14 a month. Otherwise I can’t see myself staying.
I’m 40+ years old getting back into cycling not a kid, in case anyone is wondering.
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I like the content of this post.
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I would suggest using the same color code that is used for workouts and the graph at the bottom of the screen. Gray is low intensity recovery zone 1. Blue is zone 2. Green is tempo zone 3. Yellow is sweet spot zone 4. Red is above FTP zone 5.
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One thing that I think of is not all riders go full gas the whole time, so event if I am a C rider there are days where I go slow and most D riders will pass me.
My advice is to decide in what Zone you want to ride, and as you ride hang with riders that are your same speed but keep note of your own pace and power don’t go over your predetermined pace.
Most of the time if a rider pass you they are going faster than you so there is not much point in trying to hand with them. If you see someone up the road and you slowly catch them then you know you are about the same pace, you can then speed up a bit and catch them then ride together.
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Thanks Dave. I realise I have changed it from age but I saw a different use for visual categories which should help everyone.
Mike I pack rode yesterday and those numbers change so they are your watts/ ftp at that moment in time rather than average ability.
Andrew. It was a nice d event.
Gerrie your average watts for a ride is just that. It is what you cycle over the ride. The colour code should be based on average. While I pump it at times and recover, if I was riding with someone of same ability we should be similar over the whole ride and I would be encouraged to try keep with them as they are coloured the same as me. So if they are pushing a little up the hill compared to me I would likely push too, as much as I could.
What I tend to do is warm up and then push for a while then slow to try get in with someone. Hand Waves etc. So I have 10-15% spare. Then as people pass, tag in and try keep up. As some pass it is obvious I ain’t gonna try. But others seem ok and as I join I just get burned. They are obviously mid red to me!! Other times I catch up with others and slow so they tag on. Wave etc. But they are not able. They have perhaps been cycling an hour already or just doing their ability and no more. They are mid green. Where I get follow requests is from the few light green/red compared to me and they tag in and push a little and we swap back forth. Social. ZWift isn’t just a pump of pedals. It is a social interactive game. More than just “ride on” as I blast past. This feature would keep me riding longer. Actually more than that it will stop me cancelling my sub. That isn’t a threat I just don’t find zwift interesting as a casual social rider.
Coffee for Karen was good but my kids meant I almost missed it. Set times are my enemy. Caught a nice sub group of my ability and rode with them. Should be possible everyday though. ZWift are missing a game changer here.
So yesterday I averaged 165 watts but maxed 600+ (perhaps a glitch). My category should be for 165👍
After the ride I checked a few I rode with and in their various rides (in history) they averaged just above and below me with a few exceptions that were riding socially. It works!! I added a few as friends.
By the way my normal average is 145-155 so yesterday I grew as a rider as I balanced a bit more. Pushed with others and rested at times. Very good day.
84 . Respect
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I like the concept of being able to see similar level riders to group up with. No doubt that riding with others provides motivation. There are lots of ways to approach this and of course we should not forget some riders want to ride alone!
That’s the beauty of the big fondo rides for me, by default you end up in a group of riders wanting to go the same speed.
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Hi Neil.- Yes it should be optional. Display your info if you feel social- switch it off if you feel solo- or in a comp/race etc. You don’t want someone knowing your average there… mentally beat them.
Hi Folks,
I just noticed there is the possibility t vote for posts. Could you vote this up and share. Might get some attention.
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As an older rider (85) with Zwift I would enjoy knowing just how I am doing compared to others in my age classification group in a race. If this were made an option then Zwift could go with 10 year grouping to the age of seventy and the go to five year grouping after that as performance deterioration tends to accelerate.
From my perspective the most important element is measurement comparison to my contemporaries. Since each person is a unique creation both mentally and physically there exists no set criteria that will equalize everyone. Superior performance by a peer would provide added incentive to excell.
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Hi Cliff,
being an older rider, too (compared with you I am an “young” older rider - 61 
). Really hope I will be riding in 24 years, RIDE ON!
FYI - you can compare with others on Strava segments. You can get the list for an age group (for me it is 55-64 years). But you must have a paid Strava account…
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