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ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
That is very handy in itself, but for me the main positive is that it should increase the longevity of the rechargeable battery by reducing the number of charge cycles that it has to go through in a given period of use.
Though being (depressingly!!) realistic, since I am now 70 years old and average less than 10 hours a week on that bike, the battery might well have outlived me even with the old charging cycle... :whistle:
 
Location
Oxfordshire
Level 100 reached. It only took 31698km over 1054 hours. :rolleyes: Also TdZ completed.
I spent the rest of my ride zapping people with my new confetti socks :laugh:

Screenshot 2026-02-17 at 11.45.07.png
 
OP
OP
C

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
I couldn't decide what to do today, I didn't want to race, but wasnt interested in a pacer bot.

I decided on Stage 6 TDZ B category longer ride. I was hoping for just a few riders not wanting to race too. There was half a dozen or so where they were going steady but not pedestrian slow. We cruised along not pushing the pace or surging too much. Turned out to be a nice hour upper Z2 and shorter Z4 efforts around NY bridges and ramps

Rolled into level 75 and final level upgrade of the SL8 S-works.
 
Location
Oxfordshire
I couldn't decide what to do today, I didn't want to race, but wasnt interested in a pacer bot.

I decided on Stage 6 TDZ B category longer ride. I was hoping for just a few riders not wanting to race too. There was half a dozen or so where they were going steady but not pedestrian slow. We cruised along not pushing the pace or surging too much. Turned out to be a nice hour upper Z2 and shorter Z4 efforts around NY bridges and ramps

Rolled into level 75 and final level upgrade of the SL8 S-works.

I'm still trudging through the Aethos upgrades. About 800m left to get level 3, then 3500 + 4000m left for 4 and 5 🤮
 

Kwacka

Veteran
I am sure this has been covered many times but how do the categories work in Zwift racing?
I am currently racing in D category on the tour de Zwift & Zwift games and a lot of people I am racing against appear to be C category riders according to their profiles. I didn't think this was possible, I thought I can race a C as a D but a C can't race as a D?
I raced yesterday and came in about 50th but probably the top 30 were all C riders, which sort of defeats the object of having the split categories. I generally just use the racing to build fitness so I am not expecting to be on the podium but I'm just curious.
 

Dorset Boy

Senior Member
I did Zwift Games Stage 1 yesterday at 17:10. The course is too flat to split the group even though people tried.
Ended up 20th of 136, in 24:17, just under 2 seconds off the winner. 41st was only 4 seconds off 1st.
 

Dorset Boy

Senior Member
I am sure this has been covered many times but how do the categories work in Zwift racing?
I am currently racing in D category on the tour de Zwift & Zwift games and a lot of people I am racing against appear to be C category riders according to their profiles. I didn't think this was possible, I thought I can race a C as a D but a C can't race as a D?
I raced yesterday and came in about 50th but probably the top 30 were all C riders, which sort of defeats the object of having the split categories. I generally just use the racing to build fitness so I am not expecting to be on the podium but I'm just curious.

Zwift Games is based on your Zwift Racing Score.
Tour de Zwift stages (not the races) are open to all cats.
 
Location
Oxfordshire
I am sure this has been covered many times but how do the categories work in Zwift racing?
I am currently racing in D category on the tour de Zwift & Zwift games and a lot of people I am racing against appear to be C category riders according to their profiles. I didn't think this was possible, I thought I can race a C as a D but a C can't race as a D?
I raced yesterday and came in about 50th but probably the top 30 were all C riders, which sort of defeats the object of having the split categories. I generally just use the racing to build fitness so I am not expecting to be on the podium but I'm just curious.

In a word. Badly.
It's a mess but there is still fun to be had. There are quite a few different systems and each is open to different forms of abuse by people who like to win. It's a game and there is cheating, but that's human nature. It's still fun.

The Zwift games is using ZRS which is flawed because it takes about 20+ races to get to the level you should be at and most people don't even race that much in a year. Only the hardcore regulars will ever get to the correct level.

CE is problematic in different ways. ZP before that was even worse.
The only system that's any good is unofficial on ZwiftRacing.app vELO categories. I wish Zwift had adopted it. It works tolerably well.
 
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N0bodyOfTheGoat

Über Member
Location
Hampshire, UK
I am sure this has been covered many times but how do the categories work in Zwift racing?
I am currently racing in D category on the tour de Zwift & Zwift games and a lot of people I am racing against appear to be C category riders according to their profiles. I didn't think this was possible, I thought I can race a C as a D but a C can't race as a D?
I raced yesterday and came in about 50th but probably the top 30 were all C riders, which sort of defeats the object of having the split categories. I generally just use the racing to build fitness so I am not expecting to be on the podium but I'm just curious.

ZRS is a random number generator.

Your core number placement is set by your best 5mins effort in the last 90 days and the weight you claimed at the time, but the number generated at the same W/Kg is lower for lighter riders. Seed score calculator...
https://peca.vigred.com/blaz/zrs2.php

How your number changes after finishing a ZRS race depends on a few key things...
The number of signups in your pen, not how many started the race or crossed the finish line. The less signups, the bigger changes are at that pen level compared to a race with more signups, all the way down to just two signups!
Finish in top ~50% of pen signups, ZRS increases, in bottom ~50% it decreases. It doesn't care who should have beaten whom on paper. Some around middle get no change.
You will be given your ZRS decrease providing you demonstrate enough effort, but this bar is a pathetic ~75%+ of your 90-day best 5mins Watts.
If you podium, you will get a small extra ZRS increase.
Your ZRS can drop 15% below your seed number, so the higher the pen you are assigned to, the more chance you can purposely drop your ZRS enough to get a pen demotion below what your seed number says.
If you set a new 90-day 5mins best, your ZRS will adjust to ~85% seed, if your ZRS was below that number.
If you don't do a ZRS race for 30 days, I think we are back having a stupid daily decay.

It's such an awful system, ZRS doesn't equal ability, you often see racers playing the system to stop getting the pen promotion they should get or sandbag to get into a lower pen for a race or two before sangbagging again. Some are entering races now to not finish as high as they can, it's a farce. I'm sure some of my better results are because others didn't want the extra ZRS points for finishing higher!

Chrome plugin for zwiftpower to see the mess...
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/zwiftpower-zrs/pndlnaffagkomheigejpimbpdmapmfef
 
OP
OP
C

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
Im finding it tougher to be nearer the front of my category D these days. So I try and race C where I can and get similar placing :crazy:

You get all ages and abilities in each category. The best get promoted out of category almost instantly. Unfortunately there seems to be a steady stream of newbies to replace them which upsets the categories

Just race bigger events so there will almost always be a few of similar abilities to compete with
 
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