"The Tyranny of Perfect" and "The Possibility of Better"

@Reneea2002 in theory heavier riders would be penalized, but in reality on the flats I see heavier riders who are able to keep up with me doing a full 1 w/kg less than me in Zwift. Also on the downhills, heavier riders go faster in Zwift. Outdoors, heavier riders can typically go faster on the flats than the lighter riders, and lighter riders in theory go faster on climbs. And outdoors heavier riders also go faster downhill. That is if they all have similar abilities.

Now, w/kg is all relative outdoors, it is HOW you use your w/kg that ultimately determines speed: through efficiency, skills and body position, positioning, combining power zones, type of terrain and rider type, etc (otherwise all Tour de France riders would be the same, as I bet you they all have similar w/kg). Not all of these factors exist or count in Zwift, so w/kg is more important in Zwift.

As for your second question, @dfriestedt and I are a perfect example. I am 120 lbs and he is 175-180 lbs. I am 5’3" and he is 6’6". Going at the same speed he does about 100 watts more than I do. We have ride files to prove it- and we rode many times together while telling each other what our power was at different points. That makes sense, as he needs more power to move a larger body mass.

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Makes sense and thanks for answering!

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