There should be ZPower events in Zwift for example races or at least ZPower friendly events.
Isn’t every event and race ZPower friendly?
When I used ZPower, I was able to enter and participate in every event on Zwift and I believe that is still the case.
ZPower is excluded from podium spots but that is due to the inacurracies inherent to ZPower when comparing to other power sources.
There is definitely a place for ZPower and it is what it is, no more and no less.
You can play but no trophy.
Just accept it.
Over the past 7 years, many people have experimented with ZPower and the limitations are what they are.
2 Likes
That not good enough.
ZPower should have it own events and with these events should able to get 1st, 2nd or 3rd.
Lot people around the world can’t afford a smart trainer or power meter.
At lease - Zwift and Zwift should be creating events or new category for ZPower.
People with ZPower pay same amount as people with smart trainer or people with power meter.
But mixing Zpower and True Power is a bit unfair. As you know you can have podium position using Zpower but not when using a power meter.
With only Zpower you can just put a speed sensor on a wheel and spin it in the air and generate 800w without even being on the bike.
All the Zwift events are open to all riders Zpower and true power. And yes some Zpower trainers are very accurate.
Why not(Zwift,) create some ZPower events or have option have ZPOWER class, so people like me can race with other ZPower people.
It not hard for Zwift to do this.
If ZPower is so inaccurate with the speed and Zwift can fix this by doing test and and then adjustments to the software to fix the issue.
You said there some Zpower trainers are very accurate, do know any of them?
Mathew, I know where your coming from.
I was there.
So was the 1000’s of riders that have come before you.
This experiment has been done.
ZPower is fine for getting,started, group rides and workouts.
Everyone is welcome to participate in all events but ZPower has it’s limits.
We would not have bought smart trainers or power meters of we didn’t have to.
I use a Kinetic Road machine with an InRide 3 Power Sensor
It’s smart but non controlled.
About $200 used but Kinetic is getting weird with the app used to calibrate so I don’t know if it will be a viable option next year.
I have had it 3 years and always highly recommended it.
Now I hope I can continue to use it.
It has been very good.
It wouldn’t be hard for Zwift create a category for ZPower.
Only thing Zwift need to do create this category ZPower.
It just little button in the companion app.
For example when creating ride:
Instead of category a, b , c, d and the e
It would be category A, B, C, D , E
Then ZPower or ZPower A, B, C, D , E
Or have radio buttons as following:
A - everyone (deafult)
B - Power meter event - Power meter or smart trainer with power meter must be used in event!
C- ZPower event
D- later on in the future two power sources Event
Then have another radio buttons
Is the group ride or race user must heart rate monitor:
A- No deafult
B - Yes heart rate monitor must be used in event
I have always said “there should be a place for Zpower”.
You can still enter any race with a Zpower trainer.
But as you know it is a lot easier to win with your Zpower trainer than the power meter.
To be honest a Zpower race will not be a lot of fun even if you are also on Zpower, there’s many Zpower riders that hold 400w for the whole race, if Zwift didn’t limit it they would hold 1000w.
It is only on Zwift Power that Zpower get DQ.
So if you use Zpower then the results in game is the true results, especially now that we have category enforcement.
Mathew, here’s my story with Zpower.
I really wanted to use Zwift with the trainer I had and liked.
I got speed sensors and I Zwifted away and it was fun.
I was even fast in races.
I expected that because I ride 4 days a week, eat right most days and everyone says I look like I’m in shape.
The problem.
We had a group meet up ride in Zwift with my real life riding friends.
We all signed up for the same race one Winter day.
Now, IRL, I’m the old man of the group and I’m freq at threshold even in the draft.
Riding with that group, a 29 year old cat 3 state MTB champ commented on how his HR had climbed to 179 to hold another rider’s wheel and I was still at 140’s. I’m 26 years older than that guy and that NEVER happens in real life.
It was embarrassing and I faked an internet prob and dropped out.
Nothing I tried made ZPower work accurately enough to compare it to others.
My story has been repeated by tens of thousands of zwifters.
Play on Zwift with ZPower - fine.
To race, you must step up the accuracy of your set up.
5 Likes
I did test with 2 bikes
A ZPower Cyclops jetfluid wahoo SC speed Cadence
B Techogym skillbike
The difference was ZPower was 9 watts average faster compare to the Techogym skillbike and which lead to be only 23 seconds faster.
Note - it the Cyclops jetfluid was my best ride and other note heart rate was 2 bpm higher using the Cyclops jetfluid
I feel the Cyclops jetfluid is not far off compare to using bike with a power meter like techogym skillbike.
Mathew, I don’t know your biking history but 3.6 w/kg and average watts of 286 is quite robust.
If you are truly that invested in virtual racing, then you should stop using ZPower and make sure you are using a good and well as calibrated power source.
Some may say, a power source that agrees with ZPower is suspect.
I’m not familiar with the Techogym Skill bike.
Techogym skillbike uses a power meter.
Limited funds and 2nd point I would got power meter if was easy interchangeable with other bikes for example like pod.
I tend to disagree a bit.
Here are two of your races one with a Power meter and on with Zpower.
The Zpower averaged 378w at 127bpm
the power meter 300w at 145bpm.
2 Likes
The difference between power meters and zp is that power meters tend to be consistent to themselves (im talking in general terms here) - yes some are more accurate than others, but a power meter regardless of how it measures power tend to be consistent to themselves.
Dumb trainers are simply not consistent, they can be relatively close one day and the next out by 10 or 20% - there are so many factors that impact a dumb trainer, temperature, tyre pressures, contact between roller & wheel, spin down calibration etc…
ZP devices once had a place as a starting point, but that was back in 2015 and the indoor training model has taken huge strides forward in that time. It’s now 2022 and if you want to race on zwift and other platforms you need a reliable power source.
IMHO Zwift should be limiting ZP riders to stop them blowing up races not just removing them from results post race - it’s another thing they simply can’t get a handle on.
They have retired older pc hardware, same needs to happen with ZP users in races.
You have posted this same thing across multiple sites and had the same response - move away from ZP if you want to race. Regardless of circumstances that is the way the world is going…I predict this is a losing battle for you.
4 Likes
Here Is the problem, let say I outlay power meter that cost me over $700 and get the same outcome.
I did a ride going up sky road on a techogym skillbike and it has Power source and people say other things about that and worth over $5k us.
What stopping people saying when I buy a power meter and get the same out come, the same thing they say now?
Only difference I will have less money for it.
People in Australia just hate when others do well and that why lot people that do well stay over seas beacuse of this.
People are just going to hate and I fine with that beacuse it only doing damage to Thier own health.
Zwift and outdoor riding are two different things.
Zwift was never designed for racing beacuse of the following:
- people would riding in different conditions for example room temperature
- power meter bikes can also be out too
-people can hack Thier power meter give them better outcome - people put in false height and Weight
Whoa, there partner.
That seemed to get out of hand rather quickly.
Use Zwift as much as you like.
I’m not sure what Australia has to do with the topic.
Maybe you carried over a reply from another site.
No reason to get aggressive.
I’m from USA.
I’m just pointing out 300 watts is a lot.
1 Like
Back on the topic, too many care about W/KG or watts in Zwift.
I think it would much if there was option for min per distance based.
Road to sky
Non power bike: 2:22 mins per km
Power meter bike: 2:23 mins per km
Look 0:01 mins per km different
It’s not likely that we will offer races for ZPower only due to the variability of the output.
We’re trying to promote fair racing, not the other way around.
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Then I will create them on a regular base.
There was one tonight at 6.45pm on road to sky.
With the new clubs feature you can create a Club for ZPower riders and create races for the ZPower community.
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