> But I don't understand Zwift anyway. A big part of the joy of cycling is about being outside, feeling the wind, handling your bike. The actual physical exercise is important but it is not the whole thing. I understand pro racers using turbo trainers when the weather is so crappy so that they can do specific structured training necessary for their job. But amateurs??? If the weather is too crappy (which only really happen in freezing temps or storms), just do another sport or focus on another hobby while waiting for the weather to be better.
This seems unnecessarily narrow-minded. There are lots of hobbies and pastimes out there that lots of other people don't enjoy or understand; why the need to gate-keep, to judge? Maybe consider Zwift racing as competing on a computer game (think Fifa, or Fortnite, or Counter Strike) with the added bonus of exercise thrown in.
It's also worth noting that the world of cycling is quite threatening when you're a relatively unfit amateur; even joining a local group ride can be scary, given the uncertainty of relative fitness and speeds. Attending a race is likely even more forboding, and it should be obvious that joining an anonymous online race would be magnitudes easier - logistically and psychologically.
> even joining a local group ride can be scary, given the uncertainty of relative fitness and speeds.
You get dropped. So what? You just finish alone and happy no?
Besides there are many rides with no drop rule (sometimes until the last 10km or so) or with regular regrouping.
> Attending a race is likely even more forboding
Usually you would join the local club where people would prepare you for it and possibly introduce you to the etiquette. Usually you need a federation license for racing anyway, and you need to be member of an affiliated club for that. I doubt Zwift, or any other esport, has no etiquette anyway. I heard people are called noobs in fps and esports for stupid reasons.[1]
[1] like using default skin character in fortnite or things like that.
> You get dropped. So what? You just finish alone and happy no?
You feel shit. You feel useless. You feel a drag on the group. You give up on the idea of riding with an unknown group until you've gained more fitness riding on your own.
> Besides there are many rides with no drop rule (sometimes until the last 10km or so) or with regular regrouping.
There are many that aren't; and even if they are, believe me it sucks to be the one that's always having to be waited for.
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Take some well-meaning feedback from an anonymous person on the internet: you are seriously lacking empathy on this subject.
Speak for yourself. I've been dropped on group rides many times. It's no big deal. You would have to be really fragile to get upset about that.
Clubs or bike stores will often have A/B/C road rides for different ability levels. Usually only the A ride is a drop ride, while the B and C rides have designated regroup points.
This seems unnecessarily narrow-minded. There are lots of hobbies and pastimes out there that lots of other people don't enjoy or understand; why the need to gate-keep, to judge? Maybe consider Zwift racing as competing on a computer game (think Fifa, or Fortnite, or Counter Strike) with the added bonus of exercise thrown in.
It's also worth noting that the world of cycling is quite threatening when you're a relatively unfit amateur; even joining a local group ride can be scary, given the uncertainty of relative fitness and speeds. Attending a race is likely even more forboding, and it should be obvious that joining an anonymous online race would be magnitudes easier - logistically and psychologically.