An idea has been brought up to separate zPower users from Power meter users by having the groups go in separate directions on the Island. Is there any chance of doing this or are there plans for separation?
Brilliant idea to seperate virtual power and people with power meters.
Excellent suggestion. Would provide greater parity when competing with others on the island.
Rather than something so exclusionary, I would suggest some kind of certification process to verify that zPower users are at least somehwhat correctly set up.
I think the certification process should be easy and self-service. Something that lets the rider verify that the power they’re seeing is in the ballpark (maybe by comparing to outdoor benchmarks or something like that).
The goal would be to make sure that the zPower is set up as well as possible. As I’ve said before, I don’t think it’s possible to stop those who want to cheat intentionally.
Even though it would be nice to only test yourself against more accurate turbo setups I wouldn’t want to separate the different riders. This would take away from the concept of Zwift as a game and training tool.
whilst it is nice to get a top spot on segments it is really my own timings I care about most. This is also why I am not too bothered about adding wind to the island as it could give you different figures.
As long as there’s a “do as you please” option as well so those of us with power meters can ride with our zPower friends.
I’d happily ride in the zPower section if needed
I would not like to see different platforms. I like the way it is because it allows me to ride with my friends irrespective of whether they own a power meter or not. And for those flying at 20w/kg, let them fly. We all know its not real. So they don’t demotivate me.
I’m thinking that there will be servers where you can pick your poison, mixed or single type…
I’ve never really cared because I figure I’m riding to improve my own fitness rather than to compete - it’s a videogame - and I like being able to ride with others for motivation. However, I do see some merit in being able to identify the type of trainers used. While I’ve only ridden on Zwift with my Computrainer, I imagine the feel of riding on Zwift when grades can be approximated by a smart trainer feels different than riding with a Powermeter. I cannot say with any certainty, but I have to think that the two types of setups are apples and oranges.
I’d also like to see the resistance on climbs (with a Computrainer at least) increased to better approximate real climbing. I currently climb the hills in Zwift in a big gear, and frequently shift up to slow my cadence so it feels more like climbing. I understand that this may be addressed in future releases, and if so, I look forward to it.
Just separate leaderboards…