What’s everyones wattage like for sprints? Max sprint numbers?

60kg

I weigh 60kg and I’m 5’10’. It’s just my body shape. BMI of 19, which is in the normal range – as far as anything to do with BMI can be considered normal.

I’m sure there’s loads of weight doping going on. Don’t forget though that the heavier rider goes faster in Zwift…

I’m sure there’s loads of weight doping going on. Don’t forget though that the heavier rider goes faster in Zwift…

Not really. On medium to steep climbs speed’s pretty much a function of power to weight ratio, but the flat where air resistance is the determining factor, it’s mostly about outright power, so heavier riders – if they put out more watts – tend to have an advantage. On climbs, it’s the other way round. If you lied about being lighter than you actually are, you’ll pretty much go the same speed on the flat, but be faster on climbs.

People on Zwift who think w/kg is a way of standardising pace on a group ride haven’t really thought it through, though it would theoretically work if everyone set their virtual weight to an identical figure…

Don’t forget though that the heavier rider goes faster in Zwift…

Only if they have the power to go with it.

On climbs, it’s the other way round. If you lied about being lighter than you actually are, you’ll pretty much go the same speed on the flat, but be faster on climbs.

Absolutely. But I get dropped on flat rides in B, let alone A, so I would think it’s not difficult to figure out who’s cheating.

And it’s not just weight doping, you’ll see there’s a consistent winner in B who veeerrrryyyy carefully keeps his 95% power fractionally below 250W (yet maintains kg/W of 4.5+) to ensure that he never gets bumped up into A.

I enjoy it because it’s fun and I’m far more motivated in a workout when I’m racing someone else.

What’s everyones wattage like for sprints? Max sprint numbers?

1286 peak, 986 15 seconds, 871 30 seconds.

BUT 79kgs 🙁

I keep just below C limits, but mostly because I can’t average more than 265w for any length of time

@blader1611 – I have entered as STW team, but not actually looked around Zwiftpower options around what details etc it shows about the team before.
But read on here about height doping – which I’d never heard about before – so had a flick through the STW team stats … specifically looking at the other A cat riders there; which only showed 2 others besides myself at the time; and as said; maybe my suspicious nature picked up on their weight & height because of the mention on here about height doping.

Until zwiftpower start giving prize money, and I get good enough to be at the sharp end to be in with a chance of winning it … then I not care if anybody/everybody drops 10kg and 12inchs from their race profile.

@flaperon I did not intend to accuse you of doping; appols for my often lack of forethought.

Kryton I dream of 79kg. I’m 96!

1286 peak, 986 15 seconds, 871 30 seconds.

BUT 79kgs

Peak about 850
15s about 650
30 about 500

I have no sprint and 90kg

90 day values from ZP @ 77Kg

Peak 980W (12.72wkg)
15 Seconds 844W (10.96wkg)
30 Seconds 708W (9.19wkg)
1 Minute 533W (6.92wkg)
5 Minutes 374W (4.85wkg)
20 Minutes 341W (4.42wkg)

I also don’t have a great sprint.

At the end of Zwift races my sprint is rubbish because I’ve spent most of my effort hanging on with the group. I’m going to go back to my other tactic of going steady off the start and letting people come back to the group I’m in in a hope that I can actually attack and influence rather than just hang on. It’d be a rare and short B race where I can worry the podium.

Recently around 500watts for 15s which is generally the final sprint. I lose out early in the sprint then tend to start pulling people back towards the line. Mind you they’ve beaten me by then. If I start earlier I get swamped. I can’t get a big wattage output of 800+watts out at the end of a race. It’s just not available. Doesn’t particularly worry me at the moment as I’d rather build my FTP than produce a high power short sprint at the moment. Plan is to work on short power for hill climb season but still not really looking at finish line sprint speed.

Such an interesting perspective in different capability.

My sprint appears high but then my mid range is poor and my z2 quite high . In short I’d ride all day next to Nixie, then need him to tow me through the last 10k to keep me at the front and finally act as my lead out man.  😀

All this talk has me interested in a Zwift race on the 17th in leiu of a costly MTB event which isn’t necessary.  Might have a look and see what’s available.

All this talk has me interested in a Zwift race on the 17th in leiu of a costly MTB event which isn’t necessary. Might have a look and see what’s available

Apart from the fun of mud, Zwift racing gives me more than any outdoors racing can. Because i’m not racing (generally) against guys like you and nixie. It gives me a level playing field where i get to use tactics as above, sometimes pushing on, sometimes hanging in… etc.

IRL in XC/Cat4 etc i’m simply destroyed by the field within the first 15 mins, so the racing is then just me against other backmarkers… which holds very little interest.

It’s also great training, along with being instantly accessible and very cheap.

As Tom says, sprinting and sprinting at the end of the race are 2 very different games 🙂 Especially at the pointy end of your Cat as in theory you’ve been at the high end of your ability for 45min.

Yeah strategy is where I’d lose out.  As you say it’d be a cheaper way to a decent effort though.

You can see here how much tactics play a factor

https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=165006

https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=164529

In both races, the non-pro Zwift stars feature well.. .arguably better than they would outside i’d bet. Zwift racing is to me a very precise form of racing, racing like Team Sky in a way, power, HR, effort… When i’m outside i don’t have any of these Metrics available to me, so i can’t ride in the same way. But indoors on Zwift you can time your moves, hold your position in the draft etc.. I rekon in a given race i beat several guys who would crush me outdoors purely due to the number of Zwift races i’ve done

My absolute peak sprint was in a 2 wkg training ride. Normally I max mid 800s after a medium distance race. Normally my matches are a soggy mess by sprint time. Hence I will try and break away whenever possible or jump onto a break.

Putting my numbers into the category power tables I’m better at longer efforts as I can just keep going (think longer power is two cats higher than sprint). It’s the variability and short term spikes that do me in. That said it does feel like my in race recovery is getting better. I’ve noticed more time in the low 150s HR Vs 160+. Either getting fitter or better at hiding.

I’ve never raced IRL. Probably should at some point.

As Tom says, sprinting and sprinting at the end of the race are 2 very different games 🙂 Especially at the pointy end of your Cat as in theory you’ve been at the high end of your ability for 45min.

Trust me at the bottom end of my Cat I’ve been at the high end of my ability :0)

I’ve never raced IRL. Probably should at some point.

Probably you’ve got decent numbers. I keep meaning to have another go as I probably won’t get dropped halfway through the local Cat 4 circuit races now.

I also tend to do a long sprint of mediocre power as my legs are shot for trying to get the cadence up. In todays pursuit race which was very fast throughout i managed to finish in 2nd and it was a bunch sprint of about 15 and yet i only peaked at 646w. I did start from about 450m out and slowly wound it up and that seemed to get me enough of a lead to cross the line as they were all fast approaching. This only works though if the race has been very hard, if not i just get swamped.

Struggle to get my sprint over 600w at end of a race … I am usually on my limit merely getting to the end of a 45 min race.

Dropped back into C, weights crept up a couple of kg, the 18:07 Hares and Hounds, much more fun, large fast group stayed together, rather than me being shelled out early and in no mans land, went early in the sprint, 2nd, got done right on the line, bang on 3.2w/kg so in limits, and felt like i had a much better work out and more motivated in the later stages

Nice work!

In todays pursuit race which was very fast throughout i managed to finish in 2nd

Just to clarify, 2nd overall! Bloody impressive

Well done. You were comfortably under at just over 3wkg for 95%. You could easily tip it back over to being a B though if you hit 3.1something in a race though.
I’ve got over a month of underperforming to get demoted to C. I’m not trying to underperform honest ;0)

Ok, I’m in.   I’m on Zwiftpower already but what do I need to do to be categorised / be in team STW’s ranks?

Edit – forget I’ve joined STW although I can’t see myself on the list.

I think you need to do a group ride or a race and your profile will be updated.

Oi! I thought we were all trying to get to B, not all of you dropping down to C to join me!

On your profile does it have team listed as STW?

Do a race that’s longer than 20 minutes and it will categorise you.
I’d suggest you start as a B. Be really happy if you get DQed and end up as an A.

Well that was a bit of a cock up.
Set off at a sensible wattage just over 300 and just tagging onto the back of a group and realised I was spinning the 11T quite fast. Too fast. Smart bit of trainer had connected but hadn’t. Stupidly went in to disconnect and reconnect but should have waited for a downhill. Now just the stragglers passing me.
Smashed through 3 groups but decided the next was now out of range so settled in with Cs and Ds. 2nd lap slowed so I kept some pace up. It’s quite different being able to sit at or near the front all the time rather than hanging onto the back.
Decided to spice it up and went hard in the sprint on lap 2 and used an aero and picked up a leaf which used up into the esses and quickly had a 20 second lead. Mostly maintained that for the next lap to the sprint but a concerted effort after the esses brought me back to about 8 seconds on the line. I eventually capitualated after the small rise from the tunnels and sat in as the pace dropped. Final time into the esses went for it up the climb with one of the main people who were pulling me back and we got a big gap. He wouldn’t let up so left him on the front and used another aero to “breeze” by at 200 to go and sat up with 50 to go.
Last B by a long way but fun in the end and different.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=163131

so, i drop into C, just done the 16:50 3R Innsbruckring and i go and do 291w for 20 minutes, which is 3.5w/kg so over limits, best 20min power this year,

was a good race, with the front bunch until the first time up the hill split everything, solo for a bit, then got caught by another group, stuck with them until the final hill split it again, and i got dropped on the down, 2nd in C but i assume ill get bumped, time good enough for 14/33 in B on ZP,

back to B we go

https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=163713

Well done a bit of rest does you good. Looking back at my 2 standout races they were after the 2 weeks of Xmas where I got on regularly but didn’t hammer myself so kind did a couple of weeks taper into them.

A day of scraping wood chip does not lend itself to a very hard start. No way I could produce big enough power for long enough to stay with the front on a 1 lapper. Got into a decent group pushing on at Innsbruck. Put a big effort up the little hill and hoovered up a load of riders but got stuck on my own. Caught a lightwight C rider who could realistically only take one turn as I was trying to ensure we held off the next B who was 5 seconds down. Caught another C and dragged them to the line and had no sprint left but held the B off which was the aim.
Short, hard, fun. Pick 2.
https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=163731
Might try a long one tomorrow or one of the London Afterparties routes as a race if there are any.

Those short ones have got to be brutal. Well done.

Rest certainly does do you good. I have looked at my race stats during the week when I come home feeling exhausted. And my power is down by an average 20w and I also struggle to get/maintain a high HR.

I shall be avoiding the hurricane winds outside today, and do the 12.05 3R Astoria 8 Line Hilly Race.

Bleeeurgh
.
Tough one today at the Ring. 4 lapper. Went off and worked out group 1 (which contained an STW er) was out of my league and sat in group 2. Pace was fairly high but I was getting dragged round nicely. First 2 lap up the kick/hill I was able to hold the group but coming towards it on lap 3 I knew I was it trouble and just about fell off the back of the group, I would have needed 4+ down the other side to catch again and it simply wasn’t there.
Paired up with a B I caught on the line into lap 4. We were being closed by the group behind so I eased to recover a bit and jumped on as they caught and passed us. My buddy jumped on too. As we came to the hill I knew I was done. It was all over and at only 300w up it I was shelled and it was a solo grind the rest of the lap to the end.

The other C’s had blown out the Cat limits though so I took the gold

https://www.zwiftpower.com/events.php?zid=164353
. destroyed. Shouldn’t have raced today really, but enjoyed parts lol

I did the 3R Astoria 8 Line Hilly Race as planned.
Start wasnt as fast as I expected for only a 23k race. So comfortably stayed with front group of 9 other riders for the first lap – then about half way around on 2nd lap I found myself at back of a strung out group as they climbed – and the rider in front of me lost the group, so by time I went around him the group were all descending and I couldnt get back on!

So for then on I rode solo keeping the gap from rider behind … and rode in for 9th (6th on zwiftpower).
Increased my ftp to 298w

Linky to results

Nice job! On my best day I’ve made your power. Only 20kg heavier ha ha.

I did a very gentle 90-minutes of zone 2 this morning, mostly just avoiding driven sleet and stuff in the real world. As usual I was mystified by group ride leaders desperately trying to co-opt watts per kilo into being a measure of ride pace: ‘4w/kg now everyone!’

It’s just so unbelievably stupid, unless you really think everyone is the same weight :-/

I’m 11 weeks into the 12 week ‘build me up’ programme. All was going well until work and manflu meant I missed nearly 3 weeks. Actually sacked off the last 30 mins of a two hour session today as very tired legs from a big MTB ride yesterday. Reckon it’s definitely made a difference tho – will see on next weeks FTP test.

When it’s done, I’ll get my turbo fixed (dreaded Tacx whine) and then I’m going to have a go at a few races. My days of just riding round are defintely gone, and I don’t fancy starting another plan. FTP is going to be about 245 so I guess ‘C’?

245 is about C unless you’re 65kg

Hah I wish! 78kg assuming I’ve steered away from the cake tin!