Zwift Drafting

General Discussion
1

How does Zwift Drafting work? Are there some crazy idiosyncrasys to look for?

I find that it often shoots me forward in the pack, eventually off the front, to which it then shoots me back. All while trying to hold a relatively constant pace in line with everyone else in the pack. Velocity just shouldn’t be that different from the rest of the pack if you are maintaining relatively steady power in line with the pack.

Mostly, I find I can stay in there if I concentrate really hard, but last night i happened to be doing an easy C ride and with about 15 minutes left it just shot me off the back. So far and so quickly that the leader beacon became the giant yellow line. I immediately kicked it up to 4.8 w/kg but didn’t get any closer to the pack which was still at 2.8-3.1.

It must be some sort of bug, or they need to greatly increase the draft effects when you are in a big pack. Particularly if you are at least 2 bikes behind the leaders. It’s like it literally put me in reverse.

2

If everyone is doing the same steady W/kg, everyone would eventually get to the front and then go back. It would be a natural cycle due to the drafting effect. But everyone is not always steady so sometimes the speed of the pack surges or slows. Also, there is a delay in your application of power in your home vs what you see your avatar doing. Spend more time doing group rides and you will get used to the draft effect. You should not need to “concentrate really hard” to sit in. Try to relax, find the rhythm of the group, and be smoother with your application of power. No coasting, soft pedal w/reduced power.

Once you lose the draft of the group, you are going to need at least 1W/kg more than them if you expect to catch them.

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