Eight years ago today I went for my first ride on Zwift.
The winter of 2015 was my first “indoor season” as a serious cyclist, and I was already dreading the roller sessions. At the time, none of my local riding buddies were on Zwift – I don’t think any of them had even heard of it. But I saw it somewhere on Facebook, downloaded the game, ran it in “just watch” mode, and immediately knew I had to give it a try.
I found a website in Germany selling Tacx Vortex Smart trainers for ~$290 to my door, so I pulled the trigger. The night it arrived I put it together, hooked my bike in, and went for my first Zwift ride from the middle of my living room. The trainer wasn’t calibrated, and I wasn’t dressed for a real ride… so that effort didn’t last long.
But two days later I went for my first “real” Zwift ride – two laps of Watopia’s Hilly Route (the only route on Watopia at the time). Uploading it to Strava certainly confused local friends. “Are you in the Solomon Islands right now?”
That’s how it all began for me. And I jumped in with both feet! Less than a month later I launched ZwiftBlog.com, which became Zwift Insider two years later.
I wish I had been on Zwift from the beginning, but when Zwift beta launched in 2014 I was just rediscovering cycling after an 18-year hiatus. So I never got to ride Jarvis. But what I have been a part of so far has been really special. So each year, I look back and deliver my perspective as a Zwifter and the editor of the web’s biggest Zwift fansite.
Post-Covid Normalization
Our all-time Peak Zwift of 49,114 came in January 2021. Remember that time? It was actually illegal to ride your bike outdoors in some European countries! Covid lockdowns sent Zwift numbers off the chart.
A year later traffic numbers were much lower than their mid-Covid peak. The following year was the same story, and this year looks like it’s trending in a similar direction. Zwift is by far the most popular indoor cycling platform, but growth seems stagnant post-Covid.
(Disclaimer: Zwift doesn’t provide detailed user stats, so any number claims in this post are based on educated guesses, Companion app “Zwifting Now” accounts, and any other sources we can pull from.)
Leading the Cycling World
Zwift is far and away the industry leader based on the size and engagement of its user base. But they’re also leaders in the overall world of cycling. Consider this:
- Zwift has multi-year deals as the title sponsor of the women’s Roubaix and Tour de France
- Zwift was the cycling platform selected for the Olympic Esports Series 2023
- Each year, Zwift’s Road Academy continues to place riders into pro teams – the first virtual cycling platform to do so
- The “Zwift Games” were just announced for Feb-Mar 2024, and they will aim to be “the largest cycling esports competition ever held”
Zwift was dealt one big blow this year, though. They lost the bid to host the 2024 UCI Esports World Championships, a race that Zwift has hosted since its inception. The bid went to competitor MyWhoosh, who was selected as the exclusive platform for 2024-2026.
This news surprised me since Zwift seemed like the only sensible choice for such a partnership. We could speculate all day long about what motivated the UCI’s decision, but at the end of the day, my positive take is that this will allow Zwift to concentrate on making their platform better for everyone, which can only be a good thing long-term.
It’s Not All Roses
2022 saw Zwift making some major cuts to their workforce, reducing staff by approximately 20% along with other big players in the indoor market. 2023 saw it happen again when Zwift reduced staff by 15% in March.
The news we didn’t report on, though, were the names who exited not long after that March cut. Zwift made cuts at all levels of leadership, including some very senior staffers who had been with Zwift since early days. That list included Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer Steve Beckett, VP of Acquisition Ian Vinten, SVP of Brand Experience Laurent Janneau, Director of Content Programming Craig Taylor, and more.
Zwift calls their employees “Watopians”, and it’s always a bummer for me to say goodbye to a Watopian who I’ve worked with over the years. That said, former Watopians seem to have a knack for staying positive and landing on their feet. Must be something in the La Croix at ZHQ.
The restructuring clouds had a silver lining, though: it allowed Zwift to bring on fresh leadership. First we heard of Kurt Beidler coming on as Co-CEO, then Mike Lusthaus and Manlio Lo Conte followed not long afterward.
Will these three (and other new Watopians) have what it takes to move Zwift to the next level? Beidler and Lusthaus came from Amazon, while Lo Conte came from Meta. One would think their experience working in companies on the bleeding edge of big tech would lend itself well to Zwift’s further development. So far, I’m optimistic that fresh leadership is moving things in the right direction. Let’s talk about that…
Moving Forward
For years, Zwifters (myself included) have been disappointed in Zwift’s lack of progress as a platform. Over and over again I’ve heard the same phrases from Zwift superfans, the same ones I mutter myself: I love Zwift, but I wish they’d add more roads. I love Zwift, but they need to build out the features. I love Zwift, but they need to fix the bugs.
Superfans like me love Zwift, and because we love it we dream about how much better it could be and get frustrated when it’s not.
During Covid and even for the year or two following, Zwift seemed just to be keeping their heads above water. Hardly any new features shipped, but the platform stayed stable so people could use it.
This year, things seem to be moving forward more noticeably. Zwift updates are now scheduled every two weeks, and they’ve been coming out as planned. Zwift Play controllers were released in June, which is big news. The Hub trainer continues to evolve; it now supports virtual shifting, which is more big news. We got a library of famous climbs in the colorful Climb Portal, and even got a Watopia expansion!
Is it enough? Perhaps. Zwift has to keep current subscribers happy while expanding its market, and that’s a difficult balance to strike. While I’d love to see more new roads, expanded race features, rowing, AI-based coaching, and more, I’m happy to see Zwift planning and releasing new features on a regular schedule for the first time in a few years.
A Look at the Competition
Last year I wrote about how RGT may be a serious competitor to Zwift now that they were backed by Wahoo, who had just opened up a lawsuit against Zwift.
A year later, Wahoo and Zwift settled the lawsuit. On top of that, Wahoo shut down RGT at the end of October! From what I’m hearing, Wahoo and Zwift are working together well today and have big plans for the future.
So who is Zwift’s competition in the software space in 2023? While there are lots of indoor cycling platforms out there, only a few are worth mentioning today:
- IndieVelo: the new kid on the block, IndieVelo is where many former Zwift racers have migrated due to its racing-first architecture and rapid speed of development.
- MyWhoosh: they got the nod from the UCI to host Esports Worlds for 2024-26, but it feels like people only use the platform because it’s free and awards some big prize money.
- Rouvy: a popular platform for riders who want to ride “real” roads.
While IndieVelo is bringing some nice race-specific features to the table, and MyWhoosh gets to host Worlds, Zwift doesn’t seem very concerned with trying to beat these competitors.
And they shouldn’t be.
For Zwift to survive and thrive far into the future, they have to focus on growing the market, not on market share. To put it another way: it doesn’t make sense to fight over Rouvy’s happy but tiny user base when there are hundreds of thousands of potential customers ripe for the picking once Zwift makes its product easier to use and more compelling.
Have Trainers Plateaued?
Zwift early success fueled demand and development in the smart trainer space, but ever since Covid we haven’t seen anything happening apart from:
- Iterative improvements of existing smart trainer models
- Price drops
This year Wahoo released the KICKR Move and KICKR Bike Shift, but we haven’t seen much else for new trainers or smart bikes. What we have seen, though, are price drops. Most trainers that used to be priced between $600-$1000 are now $350-$750. Why so cheap? Multiple reasons:
- Glut of product: some companies are still trying to sell trainers they ordered during Covid
- Price competition: when Zwift’s Hub sells for $599 with a year of Zwift, it’s hard to justify pricing your mid-level trainer any higher
Apart from Zwift and Wahoo, it feels like trainer companies are simply selling the products they’ve already created. And perhaps that makes sense: maybe we’ve reached a spot on the development curve where continued investment into R&D doesn’t turn a profit. Maybe cyclists already have the features they want.
Maybe.
Or maybe there’s a big opportunity here for someone to come in and do something amazing, like creating a smart bike that works well without breaking the bank.
Still Rocking
Rocker plates are getting more mainstream every year, and I think that’s a great thing. I say this every year, and I’ll say it again: I still don’t understand how people ride for hours on a static setup.
Today you can find affordable rocker plates on Amazon, and full-motion models are becoming the standard as designs are tested and dialed in. The UK has Omnirocker, while here in the US we have lots of options including the SBR Rockr, Velocity Rocker, InsideRide’s E-Flex, Axxion Rocker Plate, KOM Cycling plate, and more. Rock on, I say.
Racing Development
I love to race on Zwift because it pushes me to my limits, which in turn makes me stronger. Just last month I finished my 1000th race (according to ZwiftPower). That’s a lot of sweat!
I’ve been recording most of my races this year, partly because it’s nice to have a way to go back and review what happened. Here’s one recent race where I managed to sneak onto the podium:
Racing continues to develop on Zwift, with category enforcement now the standard for breaking up the field into fun competitive groups. Still, as has been the case historically with Zwift, some of the biggest developments have come from the community. While the ZwiftPower site languishes, Tim over at ZwiftRacing.app keeps adding amazing features, the Ladder races are getting popular, and of course ZRL, WTRL TTT, and my baby the Tiny Races are all working to keep racing fresh and fun.
While I had hoped we would see results-based categories by now, I truly think that in the next six months, we’ll see a big leap forward as Zwift moves into results-based ranking. This should put a stop to sandbagging and really shake up the peloton.
So Many Rides, So Little Time
There was no in-game event calendar eight years ago, and today (I just checked) there are literally 400+ events per day on Zwift’s calendar. Amazing!
That said, the calendar needs a refresh. Back in December 2022 it was announced that the race calendar would get a cleanup… but it never felt like that happened. It feels like there are still a lot of races and group rides on the calendar that aren’t actively maintained, and see very little participation.
Participation in community-organized events has surely been impacted by Zwift organizing so many of their own group rides on the platform. These days there’s often a Zwift-owned event happening each hour, as well as the always-on Robopacers. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but the simple fact is that Zwift’s stronger presence on their calendar makes it harder for community members to launch new group rides or even maintain existing ones.
Working with the community to develop a properly-dense event calendar is no easy job, and I’m glad I don’t have to do it. James Bailey: I salute you!
What I am responsible for is a small number of Zwift Insider events including the Epic Series and Tiny Race Series. Based on my experience with those events, I would love to see Zwift invest in better backend tools for event organizers. Improving these systems would reduce event configuration errors and streamline the creation and editing of events, logically leading to higher-quality event experiences for end users.
Clubs: What Now?
Last year I had the biggest Club on Zwift, but the media juggernaut that is GCN surpassed me a couple months back.
I’ve got a confession to make, though. Even with the second-largest Club on Zwift (31.3k members, click here to join) I still struggle to put it to good use. The Club chat tool is very limited (no tagging members, no clickable URLs) which means most members just turn off notifications and never check the chat. And apart from chat, the club really just becomes a container for Club events.
Which is fine, I suppose. But having built and interacted with online communities for 20+ years, I can’t help but believe Zwift Clubs could be so much more. I’d love to see:
- Club kit designs
- Voice chat in game with Club members
- Team racing where Club members are automatically linked together
- More powerful Club chat/discussion tools
- Club leaderboards, to promote competition between Clubs
- and more!
The Future Is Bright
It’s not hyperbole to say my involvement with the Zwift community has been life-changing. It’s changed my fitness, it’s changed my work life – it’s even changed my vacation plans! And I’ve loved every minute of it.
I am truly blessed to serve the community through my work here at Zwift Insider. And I look forward to doing it for many years to come.
Ride on!
What about You?
How long have you been on Zwift? Do you feel he platform is moving in a good direction? What’s features are at the top of your wishlist? Share below!
Great review and very informative article – thanks Eric !! .Relative newbie at 2.5 yrs in. Former track athlete who wishes he had had this motivational training tool back in the day… Seen many improvements seen joining and in such a relatively short time. Keep up the excellent work and long may your enthusiasm burn brightly.
Thanks Barney!
Great article and a good reminder of how far indoor cycling has come.
Great post, thank you. I just shared your blog on my Average Joe Cyclist Facebook page, and I will write a post to promote your blog on my own blog soon. I think you add a lot of value. I am new to Zwift, and it’s been love a first ride. But as a 63-year-old, my static Zwift Hub trainer is tough on my body. Do you have a recommendation for best (affordable) rocker plate?
Best affordable one? Probably the KOM plate on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QXIo8Q
If $499 is affordable, I’d hate to see the expensive rocker plates …
Regarding Clubs, I think you missed the number one missing feature: keep-together on group rides. My local real-life club still has to use Meetups instead of a Club because keep-together is still missing, even after Zwift said it was coming on Feb 2022. Note what is desired today is keep-together (not rubberbanding like in group workouts), just like it works in Meetups, no need to make us wait for years to “make it better”. Perfect is the enemy of good enough! See this post in the long forum thread (one of many) where this feature is being begged for :
https://forums.zwift.com/t/beta-feedback-recap-january-update/573811/63
Good point. All the larger/older Clubs have access to keep together mode via the web interface, but Zwift really needs to roll it out to everyone via Companion.
Zwift support just confirmed that they will roll it out “next month or so”. We will see..
I hit three years this month on Zwift (COVID was a blessing for me in this case). Living in Ohio, I was usually dormant from November through February. Zwift changed all of that, and I rode my 7,000th indoor mile this morning. I still can’t wait to get outside in the Spring, but I now hit the road in shape having ridden as many winter miles as I ride outdoors during the warmer months.
Another positive was discovering Zwift Insider. I can’t imagine Zwift without you and your super helpful website. Looking forward to what’s to come on Zwift (and it is getting better) and following along with Zwift Insider. Thanks Eric!
Ah, thanks!
Got on Zwift in December 2020. Might be the highest level player (almost 40) still on zpower thanks to my daughter. Revolutionized my training.
Time for a smart trainer, Markus!
Between daycare, house maintenance and my IRL bikes, moneys not there unfortunately.
i started doing zwift the about a year before covid, then not long before it happened i sold my smart trainer as i thought i wouldn’t need it anymore, covid hit and i was working nights and wanted to train indoors and it was next to impossible to find a trainer lol. the one i’d just sold for £140 (tacx 2240) was selling more used then they were retail and thought bugger. then jan 2022 i found a 2180 selling nearby on ebay for £60, i offered him £40 for it and he took it. it had the clicking pulley issue they all get before they updated the roller but some superglue in the holes fixed that. i’ve put over 5000miles on zwift since then (switched to a direct drive trainer this jan). i was quite ill in through covid and working nights plus home schooling was putting on weight rapidly. so since then i’ve lost about 50kg. 30more and i’ll be at my ideal weight. that first 3 mile ride last jan 22 left me exhausted for days, my resting heartrate was over 110. which was scary as back when i cycled obsessively before i stopped around 2007 it was in the mid 40’s. but i’ve got i back into the high 50’s now.
im also a children of the revolution 2015. i think free spirits like you have made zwift great. thank you all for that 🙂
Great article as per your usual. I started Zwift in 2018 like many an add on to riding but for me to make me stronger for my IRL rides. After serious spine issues I was off my bike for a year and band from outdoor rides but thanks to Zwift I’m able to ride my Kickr again. Without Zwift my life would be a dark place. Must get serious about a rocker plate. Eric I value your opinion and I can’t even imagine Zwift without you. The one thing I’d like to see is notification of messages without having to open app to see if there’s any and ability to respond to the person without having to go to one of their rides. Sounds trivial I’m sure but response to fellow Zwiffers is about camaraderie. Keep up the great work and RIDE ON
Thanks Marsha!
You might try to borrow a rocker plate before you commit and buy one. I have a bad back and found that my rocker plate made things worse.
Got myself a ticket , asked Zwift why 2x xp wasn’t being delivered in a workout on a TOW 2023 free ride , than started checking xp elsewhere , performing a workout on a portal climbs , totally disadvantaged , you actually get less xp than standard .
Went further asked them why is a person disadvantaged xp during a workout on a climbing course compared to a rider on flat course sitting on a bot or group ride .
No one rides Hilly routes or the jungle , why , slow , xp is calculated on distance , and the xp formula for a workout is flawed , Eric has mentioned in the past .
Zwift just sit on it , just like they are sitting on my ticket , nothing gets done . Too difficult folder .
Rouvy looks interesting.
sorry Karen
Was a beta-tester in 2014 (December) and have really enjoyed watching Zwift grow over the years. It has coming quite a ways since the Jarvis Island days (3 mile loop). I did two century rides on that silly little loop with a group of riders we called the ‘killer bees’ because of the yellow and black jerseys we would wear.
Congratulations Eric! I’ve had a great 3 years on Zwift, and a great 3 years reading pretty much everything you have published. Thanks for all the good tips!
One “development” you didn’t mention was the real-life Tron bike Zwift was allegedly going to market. When I heard about that I honestly thought it was the end of Zwift. So glad they stepped back from that cliff!
Lastly, I almost exclusively race on Zwift. I’m 62 and ride a very static Stages SB20. I wouldn’t have it any other way. For me the stability allows me to really dig in on sprints. My body feels just great!
Here’s to many more Zwifty years for you Eric! 🎉
I started on Zwift back in 2020 just after COVID hit, and am a full time member of the “it’s great…BUT…” club. It is great…BUT they still refuse for some reason to release Rowing which has a ready built user base of avid Concept2 (etc) rowers just waiting to get a an eRowing platform with Racing, they also again for seemingly no good reason continue to refuse to give users or broadcasters a customizable UI something that so many want and which 1-man programmer Sauce For Zwift has shown can be done and can radically improve the Zwift experience with the various options available and with different layouts for different types of riding/racing (there’s even a Ladder Races specific mod now!)
Let’s hope the money Zwift saved by now winning the UCI eSports bid is put to good use in finally bringing these things to users, along with a major refresh for ZwiftPower
I joined Zwift in January of this year thanks to the $500 Zwift Hub. The hardware was priced right and it lured me into the ecosystem. It seems to me that the change in staffing did Zwift a world of good. Less money spent on marketing and more on innovation and development. I wish them the best at developing community and cyclist interaction. Not an easy feat.
Objective article!. I joined november 2016
Using zwift for a good year now . And i must say zwift is beginning to feel like they putting out content in a very slow way. Like they giving now and then something to chew on , very small updates that give the illusiion of progress… i know its already improved alot.but adding some new roads aint gonna cut it . For me personal they should gave way more maps dont have to be huge. And some new climbs with cutted zones. Zwift controller is something like xbox kinect. Waste of money imo
I joined Zwift when the Figure 8 was the biggest ride available, maybe a month or two before the KoM climb came along. There were still blue ghost riders on the roads, but they disappeared shortly after I joined. Then the London map was introduced…the Volcano, I also did the Eric Zim (sp?) Jungle introduction ride one Thanksgiving morning.
The maps add-ons are great whenever they come. I don’t care about racing…i just wander for 7-8 hrs a week, knocking out route badges. I L-O-V-E the Climb Portal. A great way to add to the available climbs, and the Veloviewer road is very cool.
* The Drop Shop seems like a complete waste to me. Other than the TRON bike no one (including yourself) can tell, or know what bike you’re on, or what wheelset you have (there is a one cool solid disc kalidascope out there). I’d love to see a new TRON type bike….with a big challenge to earn it.
just over 6 years for me Eric, been an avid reader since day one, my knowledge of everything Zwift is only because of what i have learnt from your good self, keep up the great work! cheers John
Ride on, sir.
Based on Strava, it looks like my first ride was 11/25/2015. I had downloaded the app and had viewed Jarvis when it was around but never actually rode it. Had old school rollers up until November 2015 and didn’t see a point in running software to show me biking around a virtual world. Held off until I got a first gen KICKR.
It’s been almost nine years since my Dec 2014 Jarvis initiation! Couldn’t do without Zwift, nor the KICKR, which is also about to begin its 10th year. I guess the hardware was a little overbuilt for Wahoo’s own good, since I’m on it 80+ “miles”/week year-round, and have been for years.
Finally bought a Zwift when July 2023 when the price was right for me. Too out of shape to keep up with the local club rides and decided it was too dangerous to train on the roads alone. So, enter Zwift and I am progressing nicely into my fitness. Should be able to participate in local rides this spring. I’m older (>50) and have been surprised at the number of people in their 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s riding on Zwift. I hope Zwift keeps this demographic in mind as they grow and change. It is obvious they are relying on us to self source information as needed. Thanks to Zwift Insider, I better understand the Zwift universe.
My zwift ID is just 4 numbers,I can still remember Jarvis and the blue riders .Zwift has changed humongously since then.Most of it for the better.Tam burns running the worlds,Race organisers shouting go go go at the start of races.I remember when you were tfc captain to..
Good times 👍
Oh man… back in the day! I still love the Worlds kit that Tam and team came up with. I bought one!
Fabulous article … I love ZwIft riding since 2016 … I have tried RGT, ROUVY, Bkool, Whoosh… yet to try IndieVelo and I believe Zwift… offers what I want! I do wish Zwift had carried on developing their indoor concept bike … they so need this to go against the Wahoo Bike and the Tron with lights would be so much fun! ..
RIDE ON!
regards
Thomas [wpd-tenor full=’kdFOCS5dUJ0AAAAM/ffmanbun-manbun.gif’ preview=’kdFOCS5dUJ0AAAAe/ffmanbun-manbun.png’ width=’471′ height=’498′]
Word on the street is…. Zwift is still working on that smart bike concept. We’ll see what happens!
January will mark one year my being on Zwift after coming from Peloton. While taking the instructor-led training on that platform was enjoyable and the catalyst of getting seriously into cycling, the number of options on Zwift, the racing, structured workout/training plans, etc offers much more and is a better fit for me. I’m thoroughly enjoying riding on Zwift and look forward to exploring more of the platform as I enter my second year of riding.
You came over from the dark side? 😀 Welcome.
Great read, and congratulations on everything you’ve done with Zwift and Zwift Insider Eric! Zwift would not be the same without you putting in all your effort and constantly publishing articles on every aspect of Zwift. Thank you, sincerely.
Thanks much, Josh.
I’m not sure Zwift is heading in the right direction with their emphasis on big rides. I liked the smaller rides where you could hammer with a small group and at least finish in the top ten even if it was a small group. In these bigger rides finishing 67th out of 600 in a big mass sprint blob isn’t that gratifying. And it used to be you could find a small time trial every morning of the week. Now it is dominated by the Zwift time trial club and the same route all week long and it may not be the distance you want to do that week. I think variety is the spice of life. Or, in this case, Zwift.
Happy Zwiftversary, Eric! Zwift insider has made my plunge into Zwift so much easier. Off to another 8 🙂
May 6th 2015 first ride for me on a dumb trainer.
I remember my first FTP on a friend Tacx Vortex, or my first un-organized ride with Ted King. Or the joy of a new world or expansion route.
Now there’s a lot, but ”back in the days”, there was only one, with the blue bot bike rider. 761 rides and 27 250km later, still zwifting!
About two years in. Started on an old dumb trainer for winter miles thinking I’d just do it three months or so. Now I ride on a Zwift hub with play controllers. Originally enjoyed exploring, badge hunting, new areas. Now chase down the tours, the monthly missions, and some group rides. No interest in racing. Keeps me engaged and interested while I ride early or late in the garage staring at a TV.
From my perspective, the past year has been a much better one for the platform development and stability. I’ve had very few connectivity or crashing problems overall, and am generally happy with the product and the innovations, and also amazed at how many different items the platform supports at once (worlds, routes, groups, pacers, portal, missions, tours, races, clubs, workouts, etc.), whether I use them or not. I assume ZHQ has analyzed how offering so many things keeps the rider base up and per capita costs down for everyone. Hopefully, it’s working better with the new leadership and they’re not bleeding cash.
I’d like to see a Garage management ability (delete things, favorite things or frame/wheel combinations), and more new roads in the big worlds of Watopia and Makuri for more routes there if servers won’t crash under the weight of the code.
And, I do very much enjoy this website. Thanks for all you do. I like the what’s new posts, and I check older posts for reference information about routes and such fairly often. Cheers!
I’ve been on Zwift since the fall of 2016. I’ve done all the usual things on the platform in that time (Tron bike, Level 50+, etc.) I have to say that while some the changes over that time have been positive, several others have not.
There seems to be too much emphasis on “elite” riders/racers—to the detriment of those of us who just want to simulate our outdoor rides as closely as possible when the seasons and weather make heading outside impractical/unsafe. I’d give a lot to see some longer actual flat routes beyond Tempus Fugit, London Classique, and the Richmond Fan Flats. I’m also a big supporter of getting rid of the “non-paved” sections for folks like me who are exclusively road cyclists. I think our mountain bike colleagues need their own gear and their own routes—separate from those used for road biking. That would more closely replicate what happens in real life.
Kudos to Zwift for essentially pioneering virtual indoor riding for the masses. Hoping that all competition now emerging forces everyone to up their game in the future.
“From what I’m hearing, Wahoo and Zwift are working together well today and have big plans for the future”… Do you happen to have any indication if Wahoo Kickr (v5) would support Zwift Play’s virtual shifting in the future? I want to buy Play while it’s still € 99, but shifting is not supported right now… And I really (really!) want this, because of indexing problems and noise reducting in my apartment. Sometimes, I’m even balancing on the point to sell my Kickr and buy a Hub, just for this feature (although I know the Kickr is intrinsically better)…
This is such a great article Eric. Its good to be reminded how far we’ve all come! My husband set me up on Zwift in August 2015. I’d just lost my Mum and side-lined myself from running trying to do a half marathon I wasn’t prepared for. It gave me something new to focus on and a friendly on-line community to get involved with and I’ve loved it ever since. I remember being blown away by getting the chance to ride the 2015 Richmond Worlds Course and then watch the pros taking it on. I still dust down the Richmond kit occasionally! I’m never going to set any watts records but I really enjoy the Group Rides and usually join the 9.30am Saturday Pack Ride which has a fantastic bunch of leaders, sweeps and riders. Here’s to the next 8 years!
First Zwift Race 12/25/16
Great article, and thanks for being there Eric – via your website – right from the beginning of my Zwift membership and all the virtual trainer miles I’ve logged since November of 2017! After getting my wheel on trainer, a CycleOps/Saris Magnus in the middle of that year, I’ve never looked back from my fluid trainer as a way to keep fit during the colder months here in the northeast USA. Looking back at my early days, it’s hard to believe how much things have expanded since. There were only three worlds: Watopia (with no ADZ), London, and Richmond, no clubs feature, the user interface was a bit clunky, and racing was really only something you did on an ad-hoc basis during a training ride (think sprint and KOM sections). I’m an “OG” Bear Mountaineers member, back in the day a “big” ride had maybe 75 people on it which about 10 of were local guys who I ride with IRL, and we would do laps of the longest course in whatever world. Motivation for me came in the form of the Zwift distance challenges with California, then Italy, and of course the epic elevation grab for the Tron Bike! With me being a seasonal Zwifter, the Tron was really quite interesting. Anyway, it’s good to have a virtual bike training platform with the terrific community such as Zwift’s. It is something you cannot put a price on!
What really needs a full refresh is the onboarding process. Everything, and I mean everything on about Zwift needs a full and company based explanation. Like what is that blue number on the main screen and what does it mean and how does it work to what are the unlocks and where and when to they happen. There’s going to be MORE new users coming from Wahoo to the recent price drops and we shouldn’t have to research the Internet (including your site) to get basic information. Tips, tricks, and processes should still be out of sight though.
I really don’t know when I started! Jarvis Island, closed beta, when they opened it up for Kurt kinetic power testing! Zwift insider does a great job keeping me informed when I’m outdoors for half the year. I don’t think zwift is headed in a bad direction. It does seem I have a harder time this year finding rides at my pace at my chosen time. Some rides swallow up the users and plenty are near empty. Might just be me. I think more variety is always good but it does keep me coming back. I just started racing for the first time which changes the dynamic some.
I’ve been on Zwift for about 4 years, I jumped on during covid, primarily because of more time and riding the indoor trainer is so horrible. It took me one ride on Zwift to go from dreading an indoor trainer ride to looking forward to it. Thanks Zwift! This is going to be cliche, I love Zwift, but the zwiftpower racing categories are just the worst. I’m optimistic about the performance based categories on the horizon. The names and thumbs up popping up all over the screen needs to be optional, not just by turning off the entire HUD as Eric told me to do during a ride I was with him in. The names provide no useful information and are just a distraction, especially during a race when an attack can be going and I can’t see it because I have some random names popping up. There’s just to many rides and races available, this limits the numbers in each event making it not as enjoyable. Thanks for the forum.