When you need to modify you weight to be able to follow cyclists that you know and that you are better then them on the road (the real life)…
If I use my real weight I just can’t follow a lot of cyclists that I know…I asked few questions about members on Zwift to try to understand how they can reach and get such a result and they are not able to give me a good answer…
Ther are to much things that can give an innacurate measure compare to real life and this is what make me and persons that I know not really motivate to such a platform…
Very likely that either your or their or both trainer calibrations are off. For example some of the cheaper smart trainers have just awful power accuracy where the person using it could be well over or well under what they actually are. You need to be comparing apples with apples i.e. you and your friends all using the same power meter or same trainer. Zpower / virtual power is only an approximation if they’re using a dumb trainer and can be way off what they actual power is.
I use my real weight also. I am on Zwift to improve myself and not to boost my ego with false data. I don’t have to prove anything to anybody.I am a lifetime cyclist and do thousands of kilometers a year. Now that said, i agree with you. I also feel that a lot of people cheat for whatever reason. Most likely to boost their egos. The sad part about it is they actually defend their efforts and claim its real.
Short Story: A rider i know briefly was putting out big power and topping the leader boards every ride he did. When i confronted him with it, he claimed he wasn’t cheating and that he was that good. I said fine, lets go on a ride outdoors. You pick time and route and will have a go. That’s what we did on 3 occasions. Every time he had absolutely no chance. In the mountains i road away with ease.