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3 Posts
I've looked for clear answers to this question but they are surprisingly elusive (Peloton dirty little secret?). I have a work colleague who is 40 pounds heavier than my 170 lbs who isn't in nearly as good shape but who consistently smokes me when we've ridden together. I have an FTP of 200 W so not pro but not beginner either. I am an active recreational cyclist and club rider. He, on the other hand, hasn't been on a road bike in years but consistently puts out 275W average on 30 minute rides. This is well above what the best riders in our club can sustain, including one who uses a Peloton in the off-season (he rides at about 230W average).
The glaring error that seems to get glossed over when discussing Peloton is the advantage heavier riders have since there is no accounting for the heavier mass that they would need to move on a real bike, yet they generally put out more watts, which helps on flats but heavy riders are considerably disadvantaged on hills in the real world. When we crank the resistance for a hill climb on Peloton, rider weight isn't taken into account.
I also ride a Zwift smart trainer. For serious races (the ones I DON'T participate in haha) competitors need to do a weigh-in before the race. This is absolutely critical in ensuring a level playing field.
One easy fix would be for Peloton to include a watts per kilogram stat on the Leaderboard. True, there will always be cheaters who put in a weight lower than actual, but by showing W/Kg, at least we can compete with other riders on the Leaderboard who have a similar stat. And let's not kid ourselves - there are lots of heavier folks who are just built that way and have excellent cardio.
The glaring error that seems to get glossed over when discussing Peloton is the advantage heavier riders have since there is no accounting for the heavier mass that they would need to move on a real bike, yet they generally put out more watts, which helps on flats but heavy riders are considerably disadvantaged on hills in the real world. When we crank the resistance for a hill climb on Peloton, rider weight isn't taken into account.
I also ride a Zwift smart trainer. For serious races (the ones I DON'T participate in haha) competitors need to do a weigh-in before the race. This is absolutely critical in ensuring a level playing field.
One easy fix would be for Peloton to include a watts per kilogram stat on the Leaderboard. True, there will always be cheaters who put in a weight lower than actual, but by showing W/Kg, at least we can compete with other riders on the Leaderboard who have a similar stat. And let's not kid ourselves - there are lots of heavier folks who are just built that way and have excellent cardio.