This is not a question of how it works but the effectiveness.
A person with classic trainer can continuously apply 200 watts over say the hr.
But the smart trainer since the resistance is variable on down hill portions wattages can be as low as 50w and thats even screaming in a big gear, then when the gradient shifts upward the wattage spikes to 500 and leg speed slows down. And that 500w surge will only last for a few seconds
I was kind of wondering something similar. Should we be able to have different races for different setups? I was in a race with someone the other day who was putting out 10w/kg for almost an hour. Of course said person took all 3 jerseys. Looking at their profile, they were on Z power, so I’m guessing they had either used the wrong settings on their trainer or put in an incorrect weight, or both. Those who were using power or an interactive trainer were generally between 3-4 w/kg for the majority of the course and had similar times on the KOM and Sprint segments. I mean, come on, when someone pulls a 1:10 KOM putting out 800 continuous watts and their name doesn’t show up in a pro peloton somewhere…
It would be nice to group racers on the island based on their calculated FTP, w/kg average, or similar.
I’m not sure you can completely eliminate cheating…or even stupidity. I mean…if I use my computrainer, calibrated correctly, who’s to say I’m not a 120# rider cranking out 300 watts for an hour. I mean…it’s much less impressive at my 190 pounds…but you know what I mean…I could put down any weight or gender I please.
Ultimately I look at this like a cyclocross race. No matter where you are, you end up riding in your own little group, mixing it up with people at the same level. KOM’s will always be for the…let’s say…people with flexible ethics LOL. There is more to zwift than having the fastest lap time
Now your idea of being able to drop in with a riders based on w/kg…then you might have bigger groups of similar riders and that can only add to the fun Great idea
