I’ve also NOT experenced this in the C1 division, maybe higher up divisions have it worse? But WTRL has many automatic DQ codes to filter out people who go above category limits, this is far better an experience than ZHQ’s Zracing series.
Plus the fact that it is a team based competition, usually teams want to be represented in a good light, and hopefully are discouraging cheating and sandbagging at their organizations levels.
Racing in b and also from what I’ve seen in c, there are loads who know how to massage numbers for races, a c team with all 3 members with a race score of over 600
Same experience in my C1.
ZRL has improvements that could be made but at least there are some rules.
Everyone is required to have a public Zwift Power account.
That is a low bar but it is significant.
Also, the team based format does seem to discourage sandbagging - I think.
Everyone wearing a HRM - that’s a start.
Now if we can get restrictions on weight changes (forget verification) and maybe a race series requiring dual recording.
Rules where some riders do get up graded then not permitted to let their results stand is an improvement.
Zwift racing with ZRS has not panned out.
This is the biggest thing that I think needs to be done. I don’t particularly care if someone’s height and weight is correct, I care that it’s not being manipulated. My avatar is racing their avatar, I’m not racing them.
The actual numbers don’t matter as long as they’re reasonable enough to not be breaking the physics model. Add in a verification and education piece for only those who are producing pro level power when they’re not pro level riders.
Zwift uses past performance to indicate future performance, for the system to work it needs more help to prevent manipulation.
Love the optimism, but dual recording is just polishing a broken bike. 
Even without cheaters, the Zwift physics are basically fan fiction. Since there’s zero headwind and the aero model is totally off, the results will never reflect reality. That “Wild West” vibe is why so many skip racing. Zwift should spend that budget on stuff that actually improves the experience for everyone! 
Zwift doesn’t need to emulate reality, it only needs to have a more level playing field.
I don’t care how fast I go in Zwift. I care if I can hold 250 watts for 4 min..
The Zwift problem that I feel would be addressed by dual recording is people who can just hold 250 watts for 4 min can suddenly hold 325 watts for 4 min.
That doesn’t sound like much ,and that’s why it gets overlooked, but for me, 250 to 325 is a whole 1 wpk difference.
A real increase of my 4-5 min power by 1wpk would be great.
what percentage of users have the ability to dual record do you think? I bet it is pretty small, even among race enthusiasts. I don’t have a power meter on my old road bike that is now my trainer bike, so that would rule me out.
I think it’s quite a bit.
Most people who have the ability to record power outdoors, would be able to do it.
I know not everyone has power outdoors but many do and yet they don’t take the opportunity to dual record and confirm the accuracy of their equipment.
With the recent integration of ride data from Garmin, Wahoo and Hammer, almost all those riders could be dual recording.
Improved accuracy has to start somewhere.
It’s obvious it won’t be from the top down. It never has been. That’s why Zwift power was created and flourished.
FYI, that still works without power on your outdoor rides. Power meter not required for that.
I also record power data outdoors, with a power meter that can’t be used with the bike I use for Zwift. I have no plans to dual record and would not participate in any events that require it. Consider that a large portion of the Zwift Ride user population doesn’t have a way to dual record, and that’s the company’s flagship product. It would be crazy to torpedo those users and I don’t see it happening. But there are many things they could do to improve accuracy, like banning more rubbish spin bikes from races. There doesn’t seem to be any appetite for that either.
Such a myth that that will solve any problems.
It will open a whole new can of troubles, angry people, more questions, Disappointed people, people having to spend a lot of money and it still would not proof anything.
How do you know if you never check?
I ate rather a lot of food yesterday on Xmas Day.
You probably did too.
At my normal time of weighing myself today, after a visit to the bathroom, I’ve unsurprisingly put on some weight.
I’ve added 1Kg to my Zwift weight, which is now 93Kg.
I was actually 91.7Kg yesterday, but I rarely alter my Zwift profile these days for changes less than 0.5Kg, but my smartwatch app on the mobile allows a very quick data point entry.
Haven’t changed yours? You haven’t pigged out? For 90%+ racers, I don’t believe you if you’ve not increased your weight since yesterday.
There is day to day variation.
I don’t have a scale at home.
What I suggest people do is weigh themselves everyday for a week and take an average and be done with it.
They can vary morning and afternoon if they want.
Unless you are ill or purposely try to lose or gain weight, you will see what your weight is.
You can then periodically step on the scale and if it’s still in the ballpark, you’re good.
I don’t think that 1-2 kilos is going to make a difference in a race.
Also, nobody loses 1 -2 every day.
As a first step, and as you highlighted previously, is “Hardware Enforcement” abandoned now? I look at some of these series’ descriptions today. The “Fresh Outta” races only indicate there are rules for the “Advanced” series. The Crit and Epic descriptions only indicate that power meter etc are required if you care about your result showing in Zwiftpower. I read the below meaning that you couldn’t even enter these events without such. How much do the community race organizers enable this?
Loads of organizers enforce the power meter requirement. Many horrible trainers can still be used with that setting enabled, but not speed sensors. Overall positive but needs improvement.
Bizarrely, some series have dropped the HRM requirement, such as Tiny Races.
Now have a look at the power Coolhand can put out when he is trying and look at his very dodgy low heart stats, 11th overall in Tiny Races z2 yesterday and winner last week in pen D. Either he is naive and doesn’t realise his turbo is massively boosting his real power numbers, or he is using something like a single sided 4iiii power meter with the power balance adjustment massively skewed to the drive side that doesn’t have a reading. Or he is a gifted rider that really should be in A and is not showing his true ability in zwift.
Going back to my suggestion that dual recording is useful, wouldn’t a second power record identify a set up as dogey and unacceptable?
Conversely, can dual recording demonstrate that a different system, while processing the ability to be dogey, is being used in an acceptable fashion.
I have power pedals that can be used for sticky watts or micro bursts but can also be a tool for accurate measurement.
Paired with my properly calibrated dumb trainer, the system demonstrates internal accuracy that is consistent with outdoor power using the same pedals.
Is this good enough for Zwift?
Enforce, as in you can’t enter the starting pen, or just you’ll get a DQ in Zwiftpower results? Which appears that Zwift is now only doing the latter for their own events, so you could still happily look at results in the CA or on zwift’s website events page.
Is there a ZwiftHacks filter to identify races you can’t even get into the starting pen, unless you have a smart trainer with power meter and a HR monitor?