That was just an example. Also, some races are set up as double draft races with more effect.
Double draft is actually realistic draft. They intentionally halved the effect
I dispute what Jim says also. Riding on the front rarely invokes a breakaway and today I was in front bunch and a number of us slipped off. They put 30seconds into us in no time at all and we were still riding same power as we were in bunch.
Really? I was under the impression that the draft effect in Zwift is unrealistically high, but then I’ve never ridden in a peloton at speed before.
Watts saved in a large peloton could be 90% not 20%, and it’s certainly 50%, it’s completely different, in the middle/back of a peloton when going straight into headwind, you’ll occasionally need to pedal, but will spend a lot of time freewheeling, occasionally pedalling.
Of course, as soon as you hit a corner, when everyone slows and everyone has to accelerate again, you’ll have to put more to not lose touch, or if there’s a large cross tail and you’re in the wrong side, or to defend your position which you’ll want to do in a real race, and to deal with accelerations of the entire bunch etc. then it doesn’t become easy, and you have very spiky power - which is why high cadence is recommended more for road racers so you aren’t half a pedal stroke gapped when you have to react.
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Just looking at my race yesterday, when I was on the front of the peloton, I was pushing 330w, when I was in the peloton I was at 280w-290w. However, if you fall off the back of a fast Zwift peloton it is really difficult to get back on
In the real world, when driving at the front of the peloton I would normally be around 300w, when back in the peloton would be around 200w free wheeling often
On the track you really notice it due to the fixed wheel and cadence. It’s why you ride 10cm at most off a wheel. Even 30cm and you start to notice a difference
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Real life 320-350w easily during a turn. But as little as 90W at the back for me. 450W to get back in touch after a 90 degree turn if concertina off the back. 500-600W to be placed Top 20 anywhere on a uphill drag finish. Usually behind some folk I haven’t seen all race and lucky to finish if I haven’t been taken out by some random chancer with no space awareness .
At least on Zwift you can’t end up in a hedgerow !
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Well that was a barrel of laughs
Cat C race - came 51st @ 270W (3.7w/kg)
Absolutely nowhere near the front of the race. Great fun though and unintentionally did a CP20 test.
Hang-On 60km ride for me today. Was brilliant. 40km with the leader following instructions, then form up behind him and race for the final 20km. I got pinged pretty quick but regrouped and finished strong. Great workout and now about to eat a massive deliveroo for lunch as a reward!
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Is there a skill to staying in a pack?
Only my second race, and I had zero idea what I was doing first time.
I seemed to yoyo off the front to off the back…
Do you need to take into account the lag?
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I’m only using my standard turbo with a power meter only so I’m not getting the feedback that I suppose you would get from a dedicated set up.
I did a race and later on a group ride yesterday and it was the same for me at level effort - I’d be off the front and off the back until I closed the gap. Just like a wobbly wheelers club run there’s smashing it up an incline then nothing down the other side then they whizz past you at stupid watts !! Also the group ride looked more like a chain gang !
I’ve organised a meet-up with a couple of club mates tomorrow. Now a few more want in. Does anyone know where in the companion app I go to find the original meet-up, to add more people?
A race or group ride? I’ve noticed my power is not that smooth, my pedal technique is up and down rather than circular. People push it up hills and through the dust as well so you have to join in!
I think double draft is supposed to mirror real life more accurately.
Edit, I see that’s what people have said already 
I’ve just figured it out. Think my WiFi is laggy this morning.
Thanks mate. I managed to sort it. I’m pretty new to Zwift so only just learning some of the finer points!
Ive created a TriTalk.co.uk team on ZwiftPower . Just have to join and you race for “the team”
There just seems to be a massive lag from when you put down power to what happens on the screen.
Yesterday was a race and I just went front to back of pack entire time. Was relatively flat so no hills to complicate it.
Today was a group ride (which was even harder than the race, wtf) and started to be a bit proactive anticipating lag, so as i came thru pack, backed off power mid way, still moved towards the front but not quite gapping the pack.
Tried to hold a certain power in the pack when I wasn’t moving so much and found that was better than trying to react to the pack moving.
Just did a 22K Cat C race, finished 3rd in a sprint, legs were fried by then. AP was 264W with a 20 minute block at 285W.
Hard work after giving blood on Friday!
Jeff
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