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Weird Zwift Experience

Old 12-17-21, 10:23 AM
  #26  
esarhaddon
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There is a bug in meetups that can cause people to ride around with absurd speeds no matter their power, so that might be an explanation for why they were riding so quickly with such low power.
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Old 12-17-21, 11:11 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by AdkMtnMonster
I hate it when I'm on a long climb, like the big KOM to the radio tower, or even the radio tower itself, or the Alpe, etc, and I'm putting out a steady 3.5W/kg (when I feel great) and other riders pass me like I'm stopped, and their stats say they're putting out an unwavering 1.4W/kg and they're not doing a workout. One point four W/kg!!! What kind of bull is that? What's the point?
Can't say I've ever seen that. 1.4 W/kg and they are passing you on a climb while you are up at 3.5 W/kg? The physics of that just doesn't make any sense. I've seen plenty of guys unrealistically pulling a steady 6+ W/kg up the big climbs at warp speed, but anyone I've seen at 1.4 W/kg is crawling along.
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Old 12-17-21, 10:10 PM
  #28  
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The 1.4 W/kg (any power really) meetup bug is a well known exploit, people are using it to level up. I thought that Zwift fixed it. The groups I have seen are travelling at 42 kph regardless of slope or power. Two updates ago there was a bug where if you went to the pairing screen while riding your avatar continued at the same speed. Some jokers went to the nearest down hill and sprinted at 90 kph, then continued for the next 2 hours at that speed to take all the Strava KOMs. It's only a game, so I don't worry about those people.
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Old 12-20-21, 01:11 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by AdkMtnMonster
I hate it when I'm on a long climb, like the big KOM to the radio tower, or even the radio tower itself, or the Alpe, etc, and I'm putting out a steady 3.5W/kg (when I feel great) and other riders pass me like I'm stopped, and their stats say they're putting out an unwavering 1.4W/kg and they're not doing a workout. One point four W/kg!!! What kind of bull is that? What's the point?
I think they use some "tricks" to face high workloads on servers, and sometimes this generates unexpected behavior. I remember 3 times I wanted to get rid of a few riders who were drafting me. So, during descents, I shifted to big gears and I input some 5 - 6 w/kg for 10-20 seconds, at highest cadence. One or two guys simply remained "stitched" to me, although they continued to input 1.5-1.7 w/kg. Then, when I tried to draft them with the same 1.5-1.7 w/kg, they dropped me hard with the same 1.5-1.7 w/kg. Like a "punishment" .
I prefer something more realistic, even if it's not perfect...
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Old 12-21-21, 07:23 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Redbullet
I think they use some "tricks" to face high workloads on servers, and sometimes this generates unexpected behavior. I remember 3 times I wanted to get rid of a few riders who were drafting me. So, during descents, I shifted to big gears and I input some 5 - 6 w/kg for 10-20 seconds, at highest cadence. One or two guys simply remained "stitched" to me, although they continued to input 1.5-1.7 w/kg. Then, when I tried to draft them with the same 1.5-1.7 w/kg, they dropped me hard with the same 1.5-1.7 w/kg. Like a "punishment" .
I prefer something more realistic, even if it's not perfect...

I’ve noticed similar things. Zwift has some weirdness, to be sure. All that $$$ they make and they still make riders drive through each other, trying to occupy the same space at the same time, even passing directly through each others’ eyeballs. That’s a terrible interface. (Pun intended.)
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Old 12-22-21, 11:43 AM
  #31  
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One thing that annoys me about Zwift is the default 50% slope simulation. Now obviously I can simply switch it to 100% for a more realistic experience, but it's a good bet that most other riders remain at the default 50% setting. The effect this has when riding in a group is that you have to mash through the gears like crazy going over the top of a climb just to avoid getting dropped. For that reason it is more efficient to race in Zwift at a lower slope setting to avoid having to shift gears so rapidly to maintain your power output. But then it's not very realistic. So I wish the default setting was 100% so that more people would be using it.

Also with such a wide variation in trainers and trainer modes being used, it's a very inconsistent environment. During races I often see people spinning at 100 rpm cadence up steep climbs, which would be impossible with real world gearing. Zwift is definitely not a level playing field, but I just focus on competing with those who look to be riding with at realistic cadence and power. Fortunately there are plenty of those too.
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Old 12-22-21, 03:17 PM
  #32  
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It's just a game. And that is all it will ever be unless they decide to create a level playing field like mode, sort of like a real physics mode of play. I am not holding my breath.
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Old 12-23-21, 12:37 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by spelger
It's just a game. And that is all it will ever be unless they decide to create a level playing field like mode, sort of like a real physics mode of play. I am not holding my breath.
I am from EU and I assumed that my very poor experience with Zwift (lack of real draft effect and the feeling that I was sometimes riding offline, although still surrounded by a moving peloton) was due to the very long distance from their servers, although my country is one of those with very high internet speeds. But I understand you are much closer to their servers, so I would expect you not to have major issues with Zwift...
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Old 12-24-21, 11:31 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by spelger
It's just a game. And that is all it will ever be unless they decide to create a level playing field like mode, sort of like a real physics mode of play. I am not holding my breath.

Of course it's just a game, but it makes indoor training a lot more fun and the benefits are definitely real. I don't use Zwift as my only indoor training app (also use SYSTM, Rouvy and FulGaz), but Zwift is my go-to app for indoor endurance rides and virtual meet-ups with friends. I don't compete in Zwift races very often, but will do the odd big Fondo event and paced group rides.
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