Watts. So Hard to Understand?

• 2026.05.10
• 2

Zwift’s current w/kg‑based categories might look fair on paper, but the physics tell a different story. When you hold watts per kilogram constant, heavier riders quietly gain an advantage because they’re pushing more absolute power at the same w/kg, and that translates directly into faster speeds and bigger time gaps. By contrast, grouping riders by raw watts pulls finish times much closer together and gives more people in a race a real shot at that unexpected victory – the kind of surprise that makes both women’s pro cycling and virtual racing genuinely exciting.