robertorolfo

I'm far from being a "gamer," but my brief forays into online gaming were fascinating and eye-opening to say the least.

To start with, cheating is much more prevalent than I think most people realize. Part of it is human nature (more on that below), part of it is cultural (as we know, some cultures don't look at cheating the way that we do), and a big part of it is monetary.

Using bots is a good way to make money (and we also know that in some parts of the world a little goes a long way). Any game with achievements, especially achievements that offer a boost in performance, will have a black market for buying and selling accounts. There are tons of people out there who are willing to pay for an account that is "high level," and plenty of people who can run bots for little to no money and/or time, and eventually sell the accounts for profit.

As for the type of people that cheat? Well, as Colnago pointed out, there are those that want to be like the cool kids, and various iterations thereof. It might be a somewhat foreign concept to a lot of BF members, but there are a lot of people out there that are desperate for a taste of "winning." Like many of you guys, I'm one of those people that gets zero satisfaction out of winning in anything other than a fair way. As a non-biking example, if I hit a winner in tennis off of my frame (in other words, by accident), I genuinely feel a little lousy about it. Or, at best, I get zero enjoyment from it. But some people simply don't think that way.

There are tons of people out there that were never particularly good at competitive endeavors, especially those in the world of sports. They were never good enough to win at anything, and often not even good enough to compete, and this is their way of getting a taste of that feeling. Or maybe even they just want revenge for always being beaten. Either way, they are desperate for a "win" (and online gaming is obsessed with 'wins' and stats), and they are desperate to be, for once in their lives, the "alpha." And of course there is always the idea that if they are cheating, anyone/everyone could also be cheating, so really they are playing on an even playing field.

Anyway, this is all just my personal interpretation, but there are tons of cheaters out there, to the point I was truly shocked at just how rampant it is, and just how devoid of morals the perpetrators seem to be.

jadocs

How do you switch to watching someone?

MinnMan

and then there are those who are not bots, but get booted because, well, they're pros...

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/7988/...ing-too-strong

sdmc530

I was doing a TOW group ride and racking up the double points. It was the Volcano Climb After Party ride. We were just starting the second lap of the flat route and some guy was finished with the ride. When he passed the first time I was like that is a glitch, the second time I clicked on his name, he was doing like 57 mph at 225 watts and a w/kg of 4.9. Not sure how that can even be "rigged" but I bet he/she racked up a lot of double miles doing that!

I was laughing at the deal. It was just comical!

sfrider 

Well, today someone blew by me on Rouvy (climbing Passo Giau) while they were doing 1.5 W/kg... I was holding just over 3 W/kg. Could be a junior, but could also be they entered the bike weight in the body weight box

Tom L

I do agree with that, but it still gets to me, can't understand how some people are putting in so many miles and elevation gain, just seems impossible for some to be riding 40-60 miles a day
with 2000 ft of elevation . maybe it's just me, but the other night riding up the epic kom I get passed by a guy doing 5.5 w/KG he is 28 miles into a ride and 3600 ft of elevation
they all can't be pros, but it just takes the wind out of my sail, gets frustrating having so many pass you with these incredible efforts
jealous yes, if true, but if they are cheating, it really bugs me

Cypress

If you're not doing a programmed workout, just click on their name in the rider list. If you're in a workout, use the mobile app and click on their profile. It should give you the option to switch to their screen if they aren't private.

sdmc530

Oh I get it. Zwift says they care but I doubt the really do. They care about money, and that's about it. If they really cared they would police it themselves instead of having a separate website (zwiftpower) be the race police.

I was really hoping they would release a new world/addition during this time of peoples needs. It has been so congested its annoying! 20,000+ people on line makes is laggy and not fluid. I cut my membership off in mid April so I guess hopefully in the fall there is something more to motivate me again when I log back on.
I am just trying to be better than I was and get fitter so I just ride and be me and the heck with others doing crazy stuff!

Cypress

I'm that guy. The weather and political climate has forced me indoors, but I still need to get training done. Zwift also overestimates speeds on flat ground and downhills, so the miles rack up pretty quickly.

This Zwift ride has a little more climbing than I usually do because I tried to base my workout on the climbs with a late kick up and over the Epic KOM. I'll include the TraininsPeaks screenshot so you know roughly what I did. I'm 5'10" 152 pounds.

Cypress

I posted this in the racing forum, but the cheaters aren't all that subtle. Dude is 5'9" and 99 pounds? Suuuuure.

Tom L

looks like a great ride, good for you
if you rode tuesday night this week it may have been you
now slow down when you are passing me, and look a little tired so you don't make me feel bad LOL

Cypress

If it was in the desert or Titans Grove, it may have been me. I was doing sweet spot intervals there on Tuesday night (3x15 mins @ 310W). Averaged 24.3 mph for 2 hours, which isn't relatable to real life.

Tom L

no then it wasn't you, I was on the other side of the course,

surak

For those who don't know, you can ride alone or at least not with the masses on Zwift. ZwiftInsider: How to ride alone on Zwift

Thomas15

I did the PRL FULL last Saturday with a bunch of riders from Zwift Insider. 108 miles, the entire time there were many riders with me on the course. I've not seen anything like that before but it was very handy to have someone always available to draft on Box Hill

sdmc530

congats!! That is the last London course I have left and am dreading it!

sdmc530

I thought I would throw some fuel on this fire. Found this guy in NY.....27 and 63 watts, speed 85 and 87 mph. w/kg under 1!! I watched him for a few minutes and he did the central park look in like 5 minutes. Serious hacking here, you can't convince me Zwift doesn't find this odd. My point is they don't care, they care about money. I love Zwift and these people don't bother me but to cheat at a VR bike ride? I just don't understand. There were two folks doing this in NY this morning.

Enjoy!

Thomas15

I was dreading it myself. It was the last of the 67 route badges available in free ride that I had not completed. Now I have all of the badges! I also earned the masochist badge this week, that is for making it to the top of the Alpe 25 times. Earlier in March I finished the Everest Challenge and unlocked the Tron. I started Zwifting in Mid-November.

The PRL Full is easier in my opinion than The Four Horseman, Maga Pretzel and Uber Pretzel. I ride Road to Sky at least once a week, usually twice a week.

Thomas15

I do one or two races on Zwift a week. For actual races, if the racer wants their score to be recorded as part of the official results, they have to be registered on Zwift Power. Most races require the use of a heart monitor and Z-Power is not allowed. Most but not all.

In spite of that I would say that on average 40% of those entered get DQed. They are either entered in an incorrect class, not registered with Zwift Power, using a profile not consistent with their STRAVA account, weight doping or not wearing a HRM. In free ride who care what other riders are doing?

sfrider 

It's impossible to prevent cheating, really. I mean, I could rig a 10HP electric motor to help drive the cranks, and no one would be the wiser.

I've seen a couple of people on Rouvy who are ridiculously fast with W/kg numbers in the 1.2-1.8 range. Even though pushing 3 W/kg at 170 lbs, or more, I can't gain on them never mind catch up. Either their body weight is well less than half mine, in which case they're 10 year old junior racers (could be), or they're on a turbo trainer and have set a huge wheel size. If what they did was set a low body weight the numbers would be larger. I do have to say in neither case did they finish, so maybe they just wanted to see the scenics without the full climbs and effort, and gave themselves a handicap (Rouvy doesn't have the Zwift style handicap)? But then, why would they ride in race mode where they know numbers will be noted...

sdmc530

I have 4 route badges left. With the lockdown on I might just get them done now. I have been dreading them. I have all the rest already, except those $#%^ 4.

Thomas15

I started doing routes that I hadn't completed in late December to get the bonus XPs that are available the first time you do a route. Early in January there was a blog on Zwift Insider that was making it a challenge to complete all 67 routes in 11 weeks. When I found out about the challenge, I had completed about 6 of the routes but was overall behind the 8 ball given that the 11 weeks started first or 2nd week of January. Zwift Insider created a chart listing the routes, the bonus XPs, the mileage and the elevation and rating them in difficulty. I used the list as intended, as a checklist.

A few weeks ago they announced on Zwift Insider a group ride for the PRL Full. I decided to take advantage of it and worked very hard to get all of the other routes done before the group ride with allowing a few days rest before the PRL Full. The 10 days before I did the PRL, I also did the Maga and Uber Pretzels, and 2 other long routes. I had been working on getting the Tron and in mid Feb decided to make getting the Tron, making Level 26, completing 25 Alpe runs and completing 2000 Zwift miles (beginning January 1), all that by March 31. It was a very steep goal and I made it except for the 25 Alpe runs, I did my 25th Alpe on April 2. I also went from level 25 to level 26 in 2 days. Sunday 4/6/20, I made level 28.

It took me six hours, 32 minutes including 10 minutes rest to do the 109 miles of the PRL Full. All I took was 1 (10 minute) break to fill my water bottles and changed my kit. I took my time and rode 63% of the time in zone 2, 37% in zone 3. I have been riding seriously for about a year, actually less. I'm not a honcho by any definition. just pace yourself and start early in the day. Again the PRL Full is easier than the Pretzels and the 4 Horse.

Now that I have met my goals I'm going to start to transition to outside riding. The weather here is a little bit unsettled yet but within the next two weeks I'm going to limit my Zwifting to a weekly racing league, a weekly race up the Alpe and for doing interval training when either time or the weather make it a better option than outside. But the main thing is that I'm going to do at least 1 Alpe run every week even during the summer.

All that to say that since completing all 67 routes, I'm struggling to keep myself busy, I think I crammed a lot of activity into a small amount of time and now that it's over I'm sort of lost.

sdmc530

first congrats on your progress!!

Second, I have a HUGE fear that I will lose motivation on Zwift that I have nothing to chase. I just finished up that same version of the Zwift insider program to get the ride route badges. I liked that for the winter season. I started around Christmas. Then the tour of Zwift and Watopia were a good distraction from the badges for a bit. Besides the double XP from the TOW was awesome. I just got to Level 32 because of all the XP bonuses from this year. I have been a zwifter for 4 years now. I am hoping to get to level 33 because Zwift Insider says that is the fasted bike unlocked at that level so I am sort of happy about that. Been on tron bike what seems like forever!

just a bit lost now that nothing new is happening on Zwift and is been so crowded and twitchly lately too. I have been getting outside but with all the lockdown I fear that will be short lived and will prolong the Zwifting this year.

I hope they put out a new route soon!

robertorolfo

As I said, there is money to be made by cheating. And of course there are those that simply want to "unlock" things without actually putting in the effort.

And virtual laps of Central Park?! It must be nice without all the tourists, joggers, pedestrians, dog walkers and horse poop to dodge...

You guys sound like true gamers, losing interest once the grind is complete. That's definitely not meant as an insult, it's just interesting to see how much of the gaming aspect comes into play. And that, of course, brings us back to cheating.

sdmc530

yeah that is probably true. I mean I Zwift Starting October, end late April every Year. Two years ago or whenever they finally went from 25 to 50 levels that was awesome. I was at like 22 at that point and didn't want to ceiling out. I passed 25 and a few more that year. Fast forward to this years update they put in the extra badges, that is awesome. I have enjoyed that challenge this year. Now with leveling up not being very exciting and over 3.5 million drops in the bank I need the mix up I hope more changes are coming for logging on again next fall. Level 33 has the games fastest bike according to Zwift Insider and I am only 200 miles from that unlock and that is motivating me right now.
I cant see myself doing some cheating or whatever just for something different though. I guess I am not wired that way. I just like it to keep me engaged and riding on.


I guess I like to earn what I am getting