Your choice of virtual bike frame influences your Zwift speed significantly. And Zwift’s Drop Shop gives us access to a pile of bikes: over 125 if you include the Halo, TT, Gravel, and mountain bikes!
At Zwift Insider, we’ve tested every Zwift frame and wheelset using an accurate, repeatable procedure to determine how it performs in game.
Based on those speed tests, we’ve chosen the five best gravel frames in Zwift today, and the best wheelsets for gravel racing. This isn’t just a stack rank of the most aero or lightest gravel setups in game, although that is the primary factor. We also took into account how each item performs across a variety of gravel routes.
Without further ado, let’s get to the list! Drumroll please…
The Best Gravel Bike Frames in Zwift
Cannondale SuperX LAB71
1,000,000 Drops, must be level 28+
The best climbing gravel rig in Zwift currently, and it’s also the second-fastest on flats. Plus, the paint job is Cannondale-cool! What’s not to like?
Why it’s a winner: super lightweight, and strong aero performance as well
Pinarello Dogma GR
1,100,000 Drops, must be level 30+
Just a fraction of a second slower on the flats than the Cannondale above, but it loses 3-4 seconds on the climbs, so it definitely plays second fiddle.
Why it’s a winner: strong aero and climbing performance
Cervelo Aspero 5
1,250,000 Drops, must be level 35+
The most aero gravel bike in Zwift, and by a decent margin (3 seconds or more). The only downside is that it’s rather heavy, so if your gravel race includes climbs (and most do), you’ll probably want to trade off a bit of aero performance for easier climbing and go with one of the bikes above.
Why it’s a winner: most aero gravel bike in game
Canyon Grail SLX
800,000 Drops, must be level 10+
It’s the 4th-fastest gravel bike on flats and climbs, and available at a super low level compared to other fast gravel bikes. If nothing else, it deserves a spot on this list as “the gravel bike you buy until you can buy the very best.”
Why it’s a winner: strong aero and decent climbing performance at a very low level unlock
Specialized Crux
950,000 Drops, must be level 35+
This is the only “older” gravel bike to make the top 5 list (the four above all came out in 2026). While it’s the least aero frame on the list, the Crux earns this spot by outclimbing every frame on the list, apart from the Cannondale SuperX LAB71. If Zwift ever brings the new Crux 5 into the game, it’ll no doubt be a real gravel weapon!
Why it’s a winner: strong climbing performance
The Best Gravel Wheelsets in Zwift
While we would have preferred to list the top five gravel wheelsets in Zwift, there are only two worth mentioning. The Drop Shop has seven gravel wheelsets available, but the oldest five all perform identically, while the two below are much faster (click for performance details).
Roval Terra Aero CLX
650,000 Drops, must be Level 38+
Simply the best gravel wheels in Zwift. Their speed on flats matches the Zipp 303 below, but they outclimb the Zipps by ~4 seconds across an hour of riding.
Why it’s a winner: best aero+climb performance of any gravel wheelset
Zipp 303 XPLR SW
1,100,000 Drops, must be Level 35+
The same aero performance as the Roval Terra Aero CLX above, but a bit slower on climbs since the wheels are a bit heavier. Still, apart from the Rovals, the Zipp 303 is far and away better than all other gravel wheelset in Zwift.
Why it’s a winner: strong aero performance
Upgrading and Digging Deeper
If you’re concerned about race performance – and you’ve read this far, so I assume you are – it’s vital that you upgrade your bike frames. In fact, upgrading your gravel frame boosts your speed much more than buying any new frame or wheelset! The difference between an un-upgraded frame and a fully-upgraded one is approximately 33 seconds across an hour of Jungle Circuit riding. Learn more here >
Want to dig deeper into the precise speeds of various frames and wheels? Check out our gravel frame ranking charts and public test data.
Share Your Thoughts
We hope all you riders/racers found this post useful. Think there’s a frame or wheelset we should have included but didn’t? Got other questions or comments? Share below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
