MY FIRST EVER ZWIFT RACE *were they cheating?!*

[@User_476]

Guys, Im almost 17 and I weigh 58kg. I barely averaged 400 watts up that hill and cam said his 1 minute power was over 800 so I'm not sure why he couldn't keep up. As for my turbo it was set up correctly and I will be getting a heart rate monitor soon. Many smart trainers are very inaccurate and it could have been over reading but I had nothing to do with it :(

[@evdb7246]

@chris McLaughlin - Pro Tip: throw a HR monitor on if you want people to believe your wattage numbers.

[@joeblogs893]

Well one Chris! Clearly got bags of talent!

[@tyronejeez6512]

Chris how tall are u ?

[@samandleoride1078]

Chris Mclaughlin wow I only hit about 850 watts doing a flat sprint

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

Really enjoyed racing you Chris. Onto the next one!!👊

[@EWANTheChainGang]

This title aged like fine wine

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

🤣

[@SwedishHouseFifa]

Everyone can still agree that racing on zwift is a good bloody workout!

[@itzamezeezee9102]

SwedishHouseFifa it really is rough

[@CEOofSleep]

Where do u play it

[@brissiAU]

The only way zwift races are going to be fair is if everyone puts there TRUE weight and they all use the same trainer, there is a lot of differences between types

[@thewisecrab1541]

Yeah, you shouldn't complain about the boosts since they would make no difference if everyone is on their fake weight.

[@JoseMendozaPublications]

There are too many variables that canot be controlled. Tire size, tire type, Crankshaft size, and back gear , also crank length. If you add all that to your weight and height, it adds up to a lot. Also there are some bikes that favor your style of riding, and the computers response to your change of speed, bears a lot on how the program )algorithm) interprets the work you actually do. Grimshaw and chapman, averaged a lower wattage than Jeffers, yet jeffers lost to both of them, even McLughlin had a lower wattage. It seems to me in some areas it has to do WHEN or HOW SOON YOU START SPEEDING UP, that gives you the advantage. Final thought if in real life you can achieve speeds of 30 miles per hour in flat (even for a little while) and a bit more, do not be surprized that in swift, you might seem unreal. There is no wind, the are no pavement imperfections, there is no sun to dehydrate you, so if in the street, you are above average, in swift you might seem professional. Swift would need to dictate, the type of trainer and bike you use, monitor your weight through the trainer, in order to make it a bit more fair,but common, teh number of "aficionados" or customers it would loose, would be significant. After all, most of us, just want to ride and do our best, trying to be as fair as possible with teh equipment we have. Sometimes it doesn't work out, "se la vie" , just enjoy teh ride.

[@barefeg]

By the way 5.7wkg for 36min and no HR data... Yeah man seems legit!

[@joethomas3593]

Huge tip, Zwift will jam you into wheels when you’re behind people, when you’re on flats and downhills, you can pedal way easier than whoever is pulling. I can sit in front groups in A races at 3.5-4wkg.

[@jackhayes8478]

Great video Cam, it would be great to see more zwift racing commentaries over the winter period :)

[@MrMrilikepie1234]

Dude, these numbers you put out are incredible. I've just started training on a watt bike (80kg guy) and those numbers seem untouchable! 340W for 38 minutes!!! You're a beast dude

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

**Just want to say I wasn't referring to Chris, the winner as the cheat. Just saying his power was very impressive. But he's a super talented climber IRL, I just can't keep up with those skinny guys on the climbs haha!!**

[@knight1boner]

What is with the click bait title then?

[@dougcross99]

If your power is correct then your an animal! Don't worry about the others, it's just training. Out on the road is where it counts.

[@1kslane]

"those skinny guys" says a skinny guy.

[@kazukaru357]

Jared Bone "It's not about money"

[@silverarrowslk]

dougcross99 Totally agree! Using a smart trainer then your at a disadvantage compared to crank or pedal based power meter users. These register higher power as there’s drive train loss as emery trainer registers lower numbers

[@cicirunner]

He's even doing 7w/kg after the hill at around 11:30 into the video. How can you be averaging 7w/kg downhill especially after smashing a climb like that? I call BS. Maybe his weight is legit but his trainer is not. Something is up.....

[@nicksheader1071]

Honestly, who cares. Its a game and a training aid. I'm a fat b*stard on my Tacx Neo and my weight and reality settings are correct. However, even including road feel, the simulation is not realistic. The smart trainer doesn't simulate road surface, potholes, weather, other riders, etc, etc. and will always be faster than real life. However during a busy day its a really handy way of doing a taxing cycle without the faff of having to leave the house / office. There's no way of knowing how realistic other riders' set-ups are or whether they are really faster of slower than me. It doesn't matter. Maybe in another decade the bugs will be ironed out and we can all play on a level field...or cycle the same hill. This technology is still in its infancy. I can't weight for Zwift VR to become a real thing.

[@silverarrowslk]

cicirunner Agree! Utter BS

[@stanislaogerman3743]

Great effort!!! Those races are pretty brutal. You will only get better after learning the courses and knowing how and when to use to performance boosters.

[@EvangelosPapaioannou]

Try the same race with a Taxc neo and you ll go 150 watts lower.400 watts average is a pro racers level and above.

[@funkyfearon1]

Some people cheat on Zwift and some set things up wrong, it happens but you know how hard you've worked which brings it's own reward.

[@dustdevil2387]

Does your dog bark with a British accent. Oh dam you can’t tell..🤣👍

[@Shouldbeeasier]

Lol at this popping up in my feed now

[@felixhickman7845]

The irony that this just popped up 😂😂

[@M9IN0G]

I had exactly the same thought just now.

[@joemel2]

Been on zwift about 2 weeks after not cycling for years. Have taken 2 ftp tests now to check progress and nearly kill myself. Gone from 155 to 180 ftp and you are cranking out an average above my max, that's depressing lol

[@HappyPhace]

Electric bike possibly?

[@yijuntey]

hey i know im late to the video and hopefully you see this comment. I just got my first indoor trainer (wheel on) and was wonder what tires you use since my road tires seem to wear out super fast and im scared I'll be going through tires too quickly but i also dont want to go through the hassle of changing tires just for indoor training. Is there a brand/choice of road tires that you would recommend that could also be used indoors and wont be worn out as quickly?

[@emyrdavies5295]

Awesome video Cam. Really enjoyed watching that race with the insights. Need to give a zwift race a go!

[@TurneyUK]

You had the aero helmet power up. You could have saved that for the final sprint, it would have been a big advantage. It’s not real world so don’t feel too disappointed.

[@adgeebike9173]

Zwift looks fun and a good work out, I wouldn't take it as anything more than a training tool.

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

+Adge e bike. Me too.

[@robertopics]

And racing on it should be fun and race against yourself.

[@josh33172]

Its cool to treat it like that, but the reality is that its pretty much a virtual Strava.....and we all know how that's treated.

[@chazpilks]

Zwift racing is fun and for kudos, if people want to cheat, then let them. Until Zwift starts to offer money, it isn’t the most important thing. Great work by anyone who can compete in an A race

[@blackjohnny0]

You silly, he obviously weight 30 kg and produces 600 W. :)

[@phillydee3592]

Love the zwift racing..i would have been dropped in the first minute 🤣😂🤣

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

+Phillip du Plessis I felt like I nearly was!!

[@phillydee3592]

But bloody well done!!

[@tsettle44]

Good stuff, maven style commentary on virtual racing. Something new we haven’t seen👌🏼 would love to see more

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

+Tom Settle thanks Tom mate

[@Life_a_bike]

I like Zwift. It's the perfect training envirement when it's to wet or cold outside. There are always people who cheat to be "the man/woman" by taking pills or lie or whatever. Same thing @ Strava. A guy I (don't want to) know has set KOM records on his e-bike 🤔 Just ignore these types and do you workout to stay in form. And last but not least: ENJOY!! 👊🏻💪

[@woolfel]

I've done comparisons of several different power meters, including stages, powertap P1S and magnus smart trainer. If you're using smart trainers, they tend to be 10-15watts lower than pedal or crank based power meters. That alone can have a significant impact on how Zwift responds on climbs. The other things that affects Zwift is network latency. If your internet connection is slow or hiccups, you won't see it in the game, but it looks like other people are breaking away. Also you can adjust how Zwift responds to slope changes, which impacts the resistance on smart trainers and the watts you generate. The game physics are quite different than riding in the real world. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to adjust your tactics

[@allankelly652]

Loved this race commentary and learning about zwift. May have to invest in this after christmas

[@ricoheff]

And see how McLaughin doesn't have a HR to show how hard he was working!

[@JoelSmithR1]

Accusing people of cheating that are not actually cheating will destroy Zwift racing just as much as actual cheaters. Not directed at anyone. It would just be a shame for Zwift or Zwift racing to die off because people get accused of cheating that aren't. I do enjoy watching them though, so upload as many more as you want. :)

[@2278kkkk]

Well C.McLaughlin is not in the official results on ZwiftPower because of not using a HRM in a Cat A ride. People finishing just behind you wee DQ because of unreal 5min sustained power. So yes Zwift assumes these people are cheating. It seems that Andreas Serop Larsen won so you are still 4th👍.

[@ttoussaint]

Pretty warm to my Canadian standards. We often see -30 to -40°C around here. Add the wind chill to that and riding a bike outside is almost impossible.

[@alexgalpin8497]

Very nice vlog cam 👍. Very entertaining from someone who doesn’t have zwifts perspective

[@michwoz]

I love this vid. Hope to see more Zwift racing from you. You're crazy strong rider!

[@stephanovic9278]

McLaughlin also used salbutamol.

[@stephanovic9278]

Dermot M Dude, don't take it too serious. Just a joke. Though, imagine he was puffing during the Zwift race... 😂

[@nonfictionone]

actually olympic swimmers have been tested on it and in a 50 second event they can take off 1 second. That's 2%. And they're not asthmatics. All this it doesn't help stuff is bullshit. Anyway froome was using it to mask the proper stuff he took because nibali was starting to stomp him in the vuelta. That's it's main use - as a masking agent. It's a giveaway if a pro is 'asthmatic'; he's on drugs and is saying he's asthmatic to mask what he's on. Otherwise I'll paraphrase walsh; 'froome is redefining what it means to be ill'. Grand tours are pretty hard right? Pretty very extremely ridiculously hard. Hard to finish... Oh but you can still win them if you are ill. Seems legit.

[@nonfictionone]

Dermot M what a RIDICULOUS question. Seriously.

[@bentran2488]

Little late but just wanna say I thoroughly enjoyed the race commentary. please do more

[@christophermerrick1100]

this is so ironic

[@tomar5e115]

Why?

[@nicks1877]

@@tomar5e115 Cause he cheated with the torn bike lol

[@barefeg]

600w and he's gapping me! Haha you sound like the vegan cyclist mate.

[@olesch88]

Prastt who was the vegan cyclist?

[@barefeg]

Ole Schreiber thevegancyclist channel

[@apalmer405]

Love it..

[@gustaflindqvist3364]

@@barefeg Did he compete in this race?

[@teknikgroup7597]

I just saw the Add on YT....is this any good? I used to do a lot of cycling but now in my 40s...ive gotten lazy, bones ache....any suggestions? This looks like a lot of fun.

[@ianstuart7911]

I once set up my Tacx and don't know what order I turned it all on, but it let me ride but didn't add the load for the climbs, it just ran as a fluid trainer. I had a ride up the mountain and was pushing twice my FTP on a 8% climb as the trainer had no load. I wonder if some people are doing this in your race ???

[@samanderson7745]

I know my old Computrainer would show ridiculously high power numbers compared to my Quarq. If the Quarq was reading 280 watts the Computrainer would show around 570, if the Quarq was reading 410 the Computrainer would show over 800. So I'd imagine if Cam was on that old Computrainer and he was actually putting out 600 watts or so it would read 1200 or so. Just saying not all trainers are the well calibrated tools we would expect them to be. If you combine that with people listing their weight completely wrong they're going to fly up those climbs, haha!

[@samanderson7745]

Nope, sure wasn't. I spent hours on the phone with the folks at Racermate and even took it to a shop to do some group indoor rides and nobody could figure out why that one read so off. I got a second one, the Lab version, that was spot on accurate, that old one was just lemon. But go ahead, and say I didn't know what I was doing.

[@shan5445]

You was using the Zwift remote, they are probably on Zwift bikes that's why it seemed like they were putting out more. With the remote, you have to work harder.

[@lorddilego6805]

Just as you said, it's definitely an advantage to know the course, know the small tips & tricks for Zwift racing and how it differs from real life racing. It's just a matter of experience mostly, just keep at it, Cam. :) Otherwise, I think it could be great if you did something like a video (or a couple of them) where you race with somebody like Tim Fulford on voice. Someone who might match your power, have lots of Zwift knowledge and seems like a pretty good teacher. I bet that could be both entertaining and really enlightening for you. Just a thought. ;)

[@lorddilego6805]

Or even getting some tips and pointers from him doing a post-race analysis, like you did here.

[@nathanielfrancis3233]

Loved the commentary! Carlton Kirby lookout

[@cicirunner]

Impressive stats - 5.7w/kg for the winner is definitely not legit. I'm sorry but there is NO WAY. When you mentioned at the end that you wanted to attack but you were already knackered? Lol. That's why I race Zwift. It keeps you engaged to give it your all even if not every rider is legit. It's all about what we can get out of it for ourselves.

[@timrichardson809]

Great stuff. Very interesting to see zwift and it’s racing in detail. Cheers mate

[@cumbriancyclist385]

Zwift racing is all about controlling the surges

[@MrPncarbo]

That is so true. If you let a wheel go the amount of effort to close a 4m gap is insane. If that happens 3 or 4 times, I'm cooked.

[@robertopics]

Just like regular races.

[@anibaljesusdelgadillo2091]

200 BPM, 342 Watts average: Cam is a beast.

[@ITZSHADOWS1]

Cam if you're free 1 evening give the KISS race series a go, 8pm tuesday and thursday evening. Hardest race on zwift with by far some of the strongest riders.

[@HamiltonUlyssesBosco]

The dog is the best part of these videos.

[@juleseast3003]

I haven’t got a smart trainer. Just a roller trainer with a speed sensor. I’m taking that to resemble hills you have to change up a gear

[@Bigjuergo]

what hometrainer do you use? I see it is a very simple one. with a taxc neo you would be able to put more power output. then you would have won this race.

[@davidshields1240]

On the results screen it shows a few of the racers with no HR. In the more competitive Zwift leagues I don't think their results count. It would be interesting to see the winners HR profile for the race.

[@andrewwalmsley5628]

Lithium batteries are supposed to last longer, have more power, leakproof, and weigh less than alkali, but your alkali batteries i suspect would have lasted quite a while

[@StoppedClockImaging]

Guy who won would need ZADA approval for the result to stand.

[@nhug5674]

grat vlog! don't take zwift racing any serious. great training, nothing more!

[@matthill2492]

Forme's are absolute weapons! My cousin is a director for them. UK made.

[@TheVirtualsherpa]

Laughed out loud at "do you mind?"

[@guitarguy4372]

As much as i love this, it's also worrying. Guys must be careful of combination of overheating and heart rate too high for too long.

[@DennisNowland]

I am new to the Zwift game and to be honest, I just don't see the point in the racing on unless you just do it for fun. For one thing, half the time the trainer can be not working right. Especially after recalibration. Half the time you don't know what cheating is going on both on and off the bike. I just use it for riding about on. I just enjoy the scenery and try to do my personal-best now and again. I only do free riding but I love it and it suits me. it's just lovely to be able to be in another world. Mind you I am 66 years of age, all I am saying is that racing lark just seems a lot of hassle.

[@TheConfusedCyclist]

Over the top of the hill you need to hammer longer that’s how you get gaps and use power ups on the steep parts of the hills, also a torn bike is faster

[@ironmantooltime]

Dude that rear mudguard would have cost you at least 15 watts 😀

[@velocityfpv5231]

My trainer is half smart and I can easily set the resistance lower to ride off into the distance. Once you ride a half smart trainer then you'll totally change your outlook of zwift races

[@kseger1970]

New to Zwift and found this to be very informative. I'm using a Snap as well. Any complaints? Are you attaching your pedals as the power source in Zwift (Power matching)?

[@RMNOLEKS]

Galloway's Pies! Must be Wigan/St Helens/Warrington based?

[@gv0601]

2 options.they are stupid cuz they can win tdf but they race at zwift,or they use ebike or something to get that power output.world record 1hr world record 456w belongs to tdf winner Bradley W.

[@cyclingdiabetic9573]

Respect! You turn in numbers I can only dream of!

[@MrBJPitt]

1 year on - British zwift champ

[@englishpete22]

until he was found to have cheated?! Only found this out today ...

[@MrBJPitt]

@@englishpete22 cheated... as in they changed the rules post event... and it was British cyclings fault. Wtf did they not give everyone the same bike? The fact that all these national titles have all the bikes in-game set the same regardless of model, says the ban was total BS and all the organisations fault. Purely some petty individuals who made the complaint.

[@joespencer4204]

Question. ..i know everyone says no hr data is bad on zwift but how can that hide cheating if it's going off power? Or is it if someone's putting out 5wkg say with a low hr you could say they've entered their weight lower? Cheers

[@r0sco_1]

Enjoyed that! Hope you show more races on your channel.

[@iananderson6496]

Cam, there's results for this race at zwiftpower.com. It's a community-run site that keeps track of the racing. WBR requires HRM for getting placed in the results, so your mate Chris will have been "disqualified", for what it's worth. Nice coverage of the racing. I help run the KISS races on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We'd love to have you come race. the KISS eCrit last Thursday had over 400 starters among men and women. Some big hitters from the UK amateur TT scene ride these almost every week. Would love to get your take on what it takes to race on Zwift.

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

+Ian Anderson may race thursdays rage then!

[@tomrowlay7343]

Fantastic race Cam, Surely the guy who won has rigged his stats? They are good fun for the rainy/too cold days.

[@luckylifeonwheels626]

You should buy a few packs of batteries not just one mate lol.. love the video keep up the good work..

[@brucelogan8753]

It’s good to see a good variety cam

[@seanlynchcycling8044]

Good video Cam. Zwift racing seems cool and super tough. I thought there was supposed to be a poster giveaway in today's video?

[@durianriders]

looks like this video was just projection after all xD

[@benjaminjohnston2125]

No he did nothing wrong.

[@englishpete22]

@@benjaminjohnston2125 i think you'll find he did? www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/oct/04/first-british-eracing-champion-banned-for-using-bot-to-gain-unfair-advantage

[@silverarrowslk]

I DGAF he’s either been lying about his weight or his power source is well off! Great efforts Cameron 👍🏻

[@philwhiteley5963]

Zwiftpower are doing a lot to reduce cheating. The bigger established races are reasonably clean at the front end, especially the series with live finals. You will always get a few idiots. Unfortunately at the moment there’s no way to stop them entering, but I think it will come.

[@creatorex1]

Wuao in zwift there are more talents than in real world lol

[@michaelmcdermott5329]

It does not surprise me that there is a cheater associated with anything any more. I bet they were doping and had blood transfusions as well. That's just the way it is from town races to the big boys. People will do anything to win even if it means lying and cheating. Stay honest and good things will happen. Peace.

[@AussiePeter]

The guys behind you with no heart rate were cheats. Great video. Enjoyed it.

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

thanks!

[@joecycle7534]

more Zwift racing... great commentary

[@alannkevin]

I almost had a heart attack when I saw your bpm 😬

[@stanislaogerman3743]

Hello Youngster: FYI, Alkaline batteries work fine ... I use them with my P1 pedals

[@itzamezeezee9102]

I feel like your mate had his weight set very low. Or people that fly up those mountains do at least. That would be one of my concerns. When you watch their power/weight it seems to be almost double yours up the hills eventhough you’re putting out more power.

[@nicksheader1071]

Being a larger gent myself and also doing a fair bit of cycling in the real world, I have come to live with the fact that there are people with the same power output as me and at least half my weight.

[@GearMashers]

I don't know how you can maintain those high RPMs and put out the 400+ watts on the climbs. I am usually around 80rpms. Not sure what bike you were using, but the glowing bikes are the fastest, so they had a bit of an advantage. I am not sure how Chris was pulling away considering how many watts you were putting out. I know if I am on a KICKR it is easier than if I am on a NEO. The resistance seems higher on the NEO. I ride both the Tacx Neo and the Wahoo KICKR. I think I am probably at a disadvantage, especially when on the NEO. It looks like you have a bird heart. :-) My max HR is around 165.

[@Irfanotfun]

Loving the room setup. Cozy!

[@thelightbro6185]

@cyclingcam who sorts your schedules mate? Do you have a private coach that deals with your weekly work? Keep up the great work 👍

[@adrianducroshansson8122]

I think you really kicked ass tbh, 5kg/w avg is awesome! Not sure what this McFella was on, probably some High Octane in his tank! :D

[@steve-bs3qp]

Turn off the ERG mode especially on the hills like all computer games it has it's loop holes enjoy

[@karlroszko]

There seems to be a lot of 45kg riders from Japan and Korea doing 5w/kg on Zwift, .... then again there’s probably a lot of people in Japan and Korea who weigh 45kg

[@brokenrat2176]

What do you think of the Zwift price hike. I pay£8 currently, but goes up to 13 in a year. Outrageous!

[@cicirunner]

That's nothing when you consider how much you spend on other things. It's the same as a Netflix membership basically.

[@brokenrat2176]

cicirunner yeah, I don't have that either... But I have 4 bikes with wheels that go on the open road and hill, mountains etc. Cost nothing to ride.. So much fun. 😀

[@prodigybreathe]

What is there to stop someone from sticking their e-bike into their trainer? or hook up a motor to the hub? Is heart-rate monitoring mandatory to compete in the race?

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

Heart-rate makes you eligible in results.

[@rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr0]

When you weigh so little the wind'll blow you away when standing zwift likes to shoot you ahead with the smallest power numbers

[@MiniFun92]

Hah man this was nice. Would like for u to show actual.. am real races like this.. with power hr rpm and coments :)

[@bigmitch3612]

I’d be interested to know how you stream the races if your thinking of content ideas? How’s the Wahoo, I’ve got a Kickr for Chrimbo. :)

[@TrainDriverRob]

Wow! Those figures! If only I was 30 years younger.

[@marvin123o]

Didn't you do your first race last time,when you sprinted one lap early?

[@Cameron_Jeffers]

+marvin123o nah that was a group ride mate

[@martinrieger9829]

Does it have anything to do the direct drive trainer?, maybe that's why he was faster