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Old 02-10-21, 08:22 AM
  #5  
burnthesheep
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Yeah, I don't doubt at all the folks higher up on the food chain can do it.

But C and B class Zwift per the w/kg definitions, if you interpret it this way, to me would be like Cat 4/5 in USAC. And A would be Cat 3. Then A+ would be on up from there.

The other talking point was BIG dudes tossing power. Maybe so. I've just not personally seen that strong of a linear correlation to power output and how much folks weigh. The 220lb dudes who ride the B group that leaves before the hammerfest simply are not magically making mega power. You can tend to make more, but I feel I see more that the people who "care" and do the "work" and grow their fitness........a side effect of that is a pretty lean build. By lean, I mean under 80kg.

They were trying to tell me it's "common" for 85kg dudes to be tossing out HUGE aerobic wattages. I don't buy it. The "weeknight worlds" and most races you attend.........just don't look like that. Usually the body size comes down with the aerobic fitness. Or the folks I hang around that's the case.

So: 80kg dude......250w........3.1w/kg in C. Gains 20w. 270w is now needing to go up to 87kg to stay in the same w/kg class. 270/87 = 3.1 . 250w/80 = 3.1

That's what I think is happening. Folks sandbagging.

I could do that if I raced Zwift. If a race necessitated a 20min effort I would most certainly blow over 4w/kg and be into A for sure. Or, I could just add some kg's and stay B.

This is why I think my anecdote of the real world rider sizes and power not matching what we see in Zwift. The riders maybe DO make that power..........but they're not actually that big. They're sandbagging.

Last edited by burnthesheep; 02-10-21 at 08:42 AM.
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