Should Zwift Introduce Weight-Based Categories?

Should Zwift Introduce Weight-Based Categories?

Zwift racing has long been dominated by watts per kilogram (w/kg) as the primary way to group riders into categories. While this makes sense for climbing, it often skews competition on flats and sprints—where raw power and aerodynamics matter more than w/kg alone.

What if Zwift introduced minimum weight categories for races? Similar to real-world cycling events like the Clydesdale (90kg+) and Athena (75kg+) divisions, these categories could create a fairer playing field for heavier riders who often struggle against lightweight climbers.

How Would It Work?

Instead of just A, B, C, and D categories, certain races could have minimum weight requirements:
:biking_man: Clydesdale (Men) – 90kg+
:biking_woman: Athena (Women) – 75kg+
:balance_scale: Additional weight bands (e.g., 75-90kg, 90-100kg, 100kg+) could be introduced for more balance.

Why This Could Improve Racing

:white_check_mark: Fairer Competition: Riders of similar weight would compete on a more level playing field.
:white_check_mark: More Strategy: Race dynamics would shift, making sprints and breakaways more competitive.
:white_check_mark: Encouraging Participation: Some riders avoid racing due to weight-related disadvantages—this could change that.

What do you think? Would you race in a weight-based category? Should Zwift experiment with this idea? :biking_man::fire:

Zwift stopped using w/kg a while ago in favour of Zwift Racing Score. While it has its problems, it’s better in some ways.

The old w/kg categories were almost universally understood to be an advantage for bigger riders, so I don’t know what you’re going for with this suggestion. The “tiny human rule” where there was also a hard raw watts exemption was a counter-advantage for very light people, but that was just a poor rule in detail (not in concept).

The “top ranked” riders on the platform are all in different weight classes. So it appears finding ways to win is more valuable than the base weight.

I would argue that normalizing weight removes any strategy from the racing.