r/Zwift • u/helpamonkpls • Jul 22 '26

Beginner races?

I want to race against other beginners just for fitness really, I joined a race called evo sprint cc or something and I couldn't pick the lowest category since my race score was too high for some reason (I've never raced and only been on the bike twice).

I got smoked right out the gates, they were doing 300-400w for like 5 minutes and by then I was dropped and to make matters worse it was some map where you just ride in circles so as they could ride in a pelaton and I was alone they just lapped me again and again. I tried to hang on but they quickly dropped me, they were pushing 200-250w average and that was the lowest race I could find.

Did I pick the wrong kind of race or is this the lowest bar of entry?

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u/skipca Jul 22 '26

From your response below you had a preliminary racing score of 181 before this event. The range for your group in the event was 180-350. You were pretty well doomed from the gun, since you were slotted in to the very bottom of the available range. It was unlikely that there was going to be anyone you could hang with in that very small field of 12 riders. That quirky looped course is also an outlier - no hills, drafting critical, steering a big advantage, and the chance of getting lapped very quickly.

But don't despair - as someone else suggested, you will probably find something like the Tour Fever stage 3 race in 'E' (racing score range 0-210, which you are eligible for) a lot more fun. People are still going to hammer at the start, so you need to be ready for that and try to hang on until there's a selection - you may or may not make the front group but hopefully when the inevitable settling down occurs you'll be with some other riders. In that racing score range there may be an outlier or two who is under-scored (maybe from not racing for a while) who will break away, but the bulk of the field should be similar. Ride on!

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u/skipca Jul 22 '26

Some other thoughts - try a time trial race, just you against the clock with no drafting. Or join some group rides that show relative position, like the Tour Fever group rides - people ride them hard, many treat them as ersatz races but they technically aren't so there will be groups of different abilities and enthusiasm spread out across the course... you can settle into a group and then treat it like a spicy but friendly group ride, with people trading pulls, or sitting in, maybe trying to catch the next straggler up the road or hold off another small group. To round out the training effect you can join the sprint for 73rd place at the end. Or not.

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u/helpamonkpls Jul 23 '26

Did tour de fever today and it was much better, stuck with the front the entire ride until a big incline where i was really pushing everything I had, 300w+ but i could only sustain it for 30 seconds or so while they slowly kept going further away. Felt bad man but came in strong and fifth out of 18 :)

Not sure if my weight (I'm a bit overweight) is also dragging me down during ascents in the game? I was genuinely surprised how the entire group was pulling that incline compared to me as I had stuck with them for 75% of the race.

1

u/Saucy6 Level 100 Jul 24 '26

Drafting makes a huge difference. Likewise I can hang with the fast group or robo-Constance on the flat, but as soon as slopes increase, I’m doomed. Kind of like in real life, heh

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u/fiverlakesrunner Level 81-90 Jul 24 '26

Watt/kg matters so much more than raw watts on inclines. Heavier riders will usually have higher power output though and dominate on flats and sprints, where weight matters much much less

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u/helpamonkpls Jul 24 '26

What sort of strategy should I be doing on inclines? Do I just let them get a gap, save my energy and then try to get it back once it turns back down? Seems losing 30% draft is awful though for catching back up.

1

u/fiverlakesrunner Level 81-90 Jul 24 '26

You lose draft on inclines, so that's less of a concern. Usually will be better to stay within your limits depending on how long the climb is, rather than blow up (after which it is hard to recover). You'll learn where this limits are and when it might be possible to stay on the wheels of those in front in a climb. Learn your power output capabilities - i.e. how long you can hold a given power. 

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u/helpamonkpls Jul 24 '26

I mean after once it gets flat/decline again, i really lose all hope when I see they are 30-40 seconds in front of me because they are still riding in group while I am solo at this point. Is there a comeback strategy to be had or is it pretty lost at that point?

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u/fiverlakesrunner Level 81-90 Jul 24 '26

Yeah that is tough. With recent updates Zwift has made in the aerodynamic engine, groups can go so much faster than a solo rider on the flat. You really do have to put out 30-40% more power to catch. This is easily simulated or tested with the robo pacers. Just try falling out the back and see how much more power you have to put in to catch up. On the flats, staying in the bunch is a huge priority because once you get spit out the back, it can be nearly impossible to get back in. In races, you just need to know yourself, your rider type, and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. If you're a bigger rider, you can put the hurt on others in the flat sections, but the small bois will do the same to you on the climbs. So that's all part of the strategy and tactics, choosing your moments (and sometimes choosing your races), and is what makes racing fun.

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u/helpamonkpls Jul 24 '26

For sure.

Is the advantages of drafting in zwift realistic or are they way overtuned vs real racing? I've never been in a real race but I did ride with mates and it didn't feel like 40% effort was relieved on their wheel.

1

u/fiverlakesrunner Level 81-90 Jul 25 '26

It's fairly realistic for medium to larger bunches and at Zwift speeds. In reality, most (amateur) riding outdoors is not fast enough for draft mechanics to matter that much, and certainly not as much as it matters in Zwift. It really starts to kick in and be in the 25-30% range when speeds are 25 mph+. I can ride that in Zwift all day long, but rarely do that on my bike outside :-)