Hi folks - I have had a good rummage around here and in Zwiftpower’s FAQ’s but obviously my rummaging is not very good - like my racing! I can’t find how women’s cats are calculated for mixed cat racing.
I understand that a rider’s category is decided using 95% of their best 20 minute effort during a race, irregardless of length. I’m at 3.24 overall and have recently been upgraded to a B for women’s races but remain at a C for mixed racing.
So as I am already finding just the women’s races super tough as a B, does anyone know at what w/kg I will also be upgraded from a C to a B for the mixed cat?
I have the setting “Upg mixed category” as “Let Zwiftpower Decide”.
Thanks for taking the time to read/reply :- 
Looking at Zwift power.
Your Average power (watts) for the best 3 races is 192watts and 3.24w/kg
Because your average watts is lower than 200w you are mixed C. Women races does not have the added raw power limit therefore the 3.24w/kg put you in B. Once you exceed the 200w average you will be B for both mixed and Woman.
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Awesome - thanks @Gerrie_Delport_ODZ - I couldn’t work out how to attach an image to my post - that all makes solid sense now - I’m ‘safe’ for a while then!! 
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Why are women’s categories calculated different than the men?? I have just upgraded to Cat B, but if I were a man I would still be a Cat C as my FTP is less than 200w. Even if I race in mixed events I am disadvantaged as I could be racing men with much higher w/kg averages and higher FTPs than me. I am sure that there must be some logic as to why there are different ways to calculate the categories for men and women, but I am at a loss to think what that logic might be. Why isn’t the same calculation used for everyone regardless of gender? As I am borderline B/C under the women’s calculation, I move between B and C. If I were a man I would have remained a C all the time.
Why are women’s categories calculated different than the men?? I have just upgraded to Cat B, but if I were a man I would still be a Cat C as my FTP is less than 200w. Even if I race in mixed events I am disadvantaged as I could be racing men with much higher w/kg averages and higher FTPs than me. I am sure that there must be some logic as to why there are different ways to calculate the categories for men and women, but I am at a loss to think what that logic might be. Why isn’t the same calculation used for everyone regardless of gender? As I am borderline B/C under the women’s calculation, I move between B and C. If I were a man I would have remained a C all the time.
I appreciate that there was a similar post to this recently, but I don’t think it answered my basic question.
I think the logic is that the categories are originally W/kg based but there was some recognition that lightweight riders need a bit of protection in the mixed (male) categories as there’s too big a discrepancy between a 90kg person and a 50kg person both doing 3.2 (say). I think for women there is usually less of an extreme range of weights, and the powers that be just haven’t bothered to deal with it for the sake of the smaller number who are adversely affected. I know it’s a particular problem for junior girls who can be promoted well beyond their true ability due to very low weight. There’s a young B/D rider in a team I’ve DSed, she’s well under 150W and really struggles to cope with top end B cat speeds.
But of course the whole W/kg cat system is pretty rubbish anyway and long due an overhaul. The 200W (etc) limit is a patch to try to ameliorate one of its obvious problems, that’s all.
There shouldn’t be men with higher W/kg values than you in mixed C cat events, unless they are also under 200W. So you should be able to have a bit of fun stuffing the men on hilly courses
Thanks for taking the time to reply James, much appreciated. I guess the answer to my question is that is the way it is calculated and while it isn’t ideal, there probably isn’t an ideal solution. It does seem strange being upgraded to B when I am not particularly competitive in Cat C - I don’t have the top end watts to get in the lead group or to sprint strongly at the end. I don’t get a lot of joy “stuffing the men on the hilly courses” and again I am rarely at the front as I don’t have the power for the fast starts before we even get to a hill! Still at a loss as to why I have to compete with women with a 3.6w/kg average and 250w FTP but if I was a man I would still be in Cat C. All hypothetical and as I am so borderline I will probably be back in C soon next time I have time out for injury or put on a bit of weight.
Thanks again fro replying 
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