All About the New Roval Rapide Sprint CLX Wheelset in Zwift

Yesterday’s Tarmac SL9 launch included a new wheelset to match the new bike – the Roval Rapide Sprint CLX:

These are the first road wheels from Roval to be added to Zwift since 2021, so we expected them to perform strongly against the older Rovals in the Drop Shop. Here’s how the Roval Rapide Sprint wheelset is described in the Drop Shop:

Meet the Roval Rapide CLX Sprint – built to get to the finish line first. Since 90% of aero benefit comes from the front wheel, we went all-in with a 63mm deep front rim to slice through the wind, paired with a lightweight 58mm rear wheel with carbon spokes for blistering acceleration when it counts. Charge full gas with confidence: Roval is shifting the aero paradigm – depth redefined for absolute speed.

The wheels are now available in the Drop Shop, accessible at level 29 and above, for 650,000 Drops. They are rated 4 stars for aero and 3 for weight, like other strong all-arounder wheelsets. But how do they compare? Since Zwift’s 4-star rating system isn’t precise enough for our tastes, we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other wheelsets.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the in-game performance of these new Rovals!

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Roval’s Rapide Sprint CLX hoops turn in a strong aero performance on our flat tests, coming in alongside the new Miche Deva RD 62 tied for 3rd overall among non-disc hoops.

The Rapide Sprint CLX puts 43 seconds into our stock wheelset across an hour of flat road, which puts them behind the Swiss Side HADRON Ultimate 650 (46.8 seconds) and Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560 (44.3 seconds) but ahead of all other non-disc wheels.

Climb Performance

The Rapide Sprint CLX wheelset is a bit heavier than the newer super “aero all-arounder” wheelsets we’re seeing come to Zwift lately, turning in a time that puts it just behind the new Miche Deva RD 62 and well behind the lightest wheels.

Roval’s Rapide Sprint CLX puts 6.7 seconds into the stock wheelset, while the Miche Deva RD 62 gain 7.2 seconds and the best climbing wheels in game, the Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532, gain 14.5 seconds.

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Conclusions

The new Roval Rapide Sprint CLX wheelset greatly outperforms other in-game Roval wheels in aero performance, and loses only to the Roval Alpinist CLX in climbing. So they’re a strong upgrade for Roval fans who haven’t seen any new road wheels on Zwift for ~5 years.

That said, when compared with pure aero wheels, they fall a bit short. And compared with aero all-arounders, they’re edged out by the new Miche Deva RD 62, and handily bested (like everyone else) by the Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560 super wheels. So it’s hard to recommend them, especially priced at 650,000 Drops with a level 29 unlock, since they’re not much easier to unlock than other wheelsets with better performance.

These wheels have been, or will soon be, added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List (added)
• Zwift Speed Tests: Wheel Ranking Charts
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

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.

All About the New Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 Frame on Zwift

Today, Zwift released a rare out-of-cycle game update (v1.116.2) for the sole purpose of unveiling one of the most anticipated new road bikes of 2026: the S-Works Tarmac SL9 from Specialized:

(Today’s release also includes the new Roval Rapid Sprint CLX wheels, which we’ll review in a separate post.)

The S-Works SL8 is already the most popular bike in the Zwift race peloton, with an impressive real-life WorldTour palmares to match. But how does the new model compare to other bikes on Zwift?

You’ll need to be updated to game version 1.116.2+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 40+ with 1,900,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in game:

The all-new S-Works Tarmac SL9 is the fastest road bike ever made. Not just because it’s the lightest. Not just because it’s our most aero. But because it delivers the lowest real-world Time to Finish of any road bike. Validated across real race courses, terrain, and riders. When the goal is to cross the line first, no road bike gets you there faster.

See our master list of all frames in Zwift >

It’s rated 3 stars for aero and 4 stars for weight, like other top all-arounders on Zwift. But that’s actually a sizeable group of bikes at this point. So how does it actually perform? Since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular performance metric, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance in nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!

Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame, unless otherwise noted.

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Across an hour of flat riding, the new Tarmac trims around 1 second off the S-Works SL8’s flat time, making it the new fastest all-arounder in game.

The frame’s time puts it 63 seconds ahead of our baseline frame across an hour of riding, which means it’s just 0.5 seconds behind the current aero king, the new Cervelo S5, which was also released this week.

Note: these results will change when Zwift gives the SL9 a “polish” in an upcoming release… more on this below.

Climb Performance

The SL8 was a very strong climber – the best climbing road bike in game, in fact, when comparing un-upgraded bikes. (The Specialized Aethos S-Works at stage 5 is far and away the best climbing bike in game, though, handily beating the S-Works Tarmac SL8 at stage 5.)

While the new SL9 weighs essentially the same as the S8, we expected the SL9 would perform at least as well as the SL8, if not a bit better due to aero improvements. And it does!

The frame’s climb test time puts it 57.7 seconds ahead of the baseline frame after an hour, which is basically the same time as the Tarmac SL8 and ~2 seconds ahead of the lightweight new Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71 Team.

Upgrading Your Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9

Like all frames in Zwift, the Tarmac SL9 can be upgraded in five stages. It uses the Distance, High-End upgrading scheme, giving it the following characteristics:

Performance At Each Upgrade Stage

This chart shows how many seconds this frame will save across 1 hour of riding compared to our stage 0 baseline frames (Zwift Carbon or TT). This is based on a 75kg rider, 183cm tall, at 300 watts, riding on tarmac.

Upgrade Stages (Distance, High-End)

1. 200km: Aero Upgrade for 100k Drops
2. 260km: Weight Upgrade for 200k Drops
3. 320km: Drivetrain Upgrade for 350k Drops
4. 380km: Aero Upgrade for 500k Drops
5. 440km: Weight Upgrade for 750k Drops

Conclusions

The S-Works SL8 was already the most popular bike among Zwift racers. I predict the SL9 will supersede it in popularity, although Zwifters will have to put in some significant miles to upgrade their new SL9 so it beats their fully upgraded SL8.

Specialized claims a 3.8-watt savings for the SL9 vs the SL8 when riding at 45kph. That may not sound like much, but it’s actually quite massive in Zwift terms. Specialized says that savings translates to 14 seconds saved across an hour of riding. In our tests at 300 watts, which works out to around 40kph on flat ground, we’ve found that a 3.8 watt difference works out to around 23 seconds saved on Zwift.

But Zwift can’t exactly set up the SL9 so it trims 23 seconds (or even just 14 seconds) off the SL8’s flat time, can they? It would blow away their game design, which has a handful of top frames performing within 1-3 seconds of each other. So instead, Zwift is looking to make the SL9 just 1-2 seconds faster than the SL8 on flats, while keeping it the same weight so its climbing performance isn’t much different from the SL8.

One interesting related tidbit: the SL9, as it appears in game today, is actually a touch slower than Zwift wants it to be. Sources within Zwift tell me the bike will be receiving a slight “polish” in the coming weeks, which will be noted in the release notes. This should make the bike approximately 1 second faster on the flats.

The long and short of it is: the new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 beats the S-Works SL8 on Zwift, and it will even get a bit faster in the coming weeks. With the SL8 already ranked #1 in our list of Top 10 Road Bikes, the SL9’s performance is big news for Zwift racers. And I, for one, am glad to see it. Because I’m tired of seeing so many white bikes in the peloton!

We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:

• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• The Top 10 Road Bikes in Zwift
• Zwift Speed Tests: Frame Ranking Charts
• Speed Tests: Concept Z1 (Tron) Bike vs Top Performers (Un-Upgraded and Fully Upgraded Versions)
• A Complete List of Zwift Bike Frames (added)

Questions or comments?

What do you think of Specialized’s new Tarmac in Zwift? 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.

All About the New Reserve 57|64 Wheelset in Zwift

Zwift’s latest release added two new wheelsets from Reserve – the first road wheelsets from the company to arrive in game. Their 57|64 wheelset (57mm front wheel, 64mm rear wheel) is optimized for aero performance in road races:

How good are these wheels IRL? You may have seen Jonas Vingegaard using these very hoops on his Cervelo S5 (also released in Zwift’s latest update) for flatter stages in last year’s Vuelta, which he won. So there’s that.

Here’s how the Reserve 57|64 wheelset is described in the Drop Shop:

When speed is the strategy, the Reserve 57|64 delivers. With deep aero profiles and race-ready stability, these wheels are made for high-speed breakaways, long pulls, and full-gas finishes. Developed with Turbulent Aero technology to stay composed in crosswinds, the 57|64 rewards riders who keep the power down and never look back.

The wheels are now available in the Drop Shop, accessible at level 29 and above, for 550,000 Drops. They are rated 4 stars for aero and 3 for weight, like other strong all-arounder wheelsets. But how do they compare? Since Zwift’s 4-star rating system isn’t precise enough for our tastes, we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other wheelsets.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the in-game performance of Reserve’s first aero road wheelset in Zwift!

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

The Reserve 57|64 hoops turn in a strong aero performance on our flat tests, coming in with the fourth-fastest time compared to other non-disc wheelsets.

The 57|64 puts 41.8 seconds into our stock wheelset across an hour of flat road, which puts them just behind the new Miche Deva RD 62 at 43.1 seconds and just ahead of the ENVE SES 4.5 PRO at 40.2 seconds. In contrast, the fastest non-disc hoops (Swiss Side HADRON Ultimate 650) turn in a time savings of 46.8 seconds.

Climb Performance

The 57|64 wheelset from Reserve is heavier than the new wheelsets in its category, and its climb performance reflects it. In fact, it’s the slowest of the “aero all-arounder” wheelsets when the road gets steep.

The 57|64 puts 5 seconds into the stock wheelset, while other comparable wheelsets gain 7-12 seconds, and the best climbing wheels in game, the Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532, gain 14.5 seconds.

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Conclusions

On Zwift, Reserve’s 57|64 are strong aero performers with midpack climbing performance. Their tested performance puts them ~2 seconds behind the new Miche Deva RD 62 and even further behind the category’s strongest wheels, particularly the Swiss Side HADRON Ultimate 650 and Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560.

So it’s hard to recommend them, especially priced at 550,000 Drops with a level 29 unlock, since they’re not much easier to unlock than other wheelsets with better performance. My guess is, you won’t see a lot of Zwifters rolling these new wheels, unless they’re big fans of Reserve and/or going for the nondescript (“reserved?”) look.

These wheels have been, or will soon be, added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List (added)
• Zwift Speed Tests: Wheel Ranking Charts
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

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.

All About the New Reserve 34|37 Wheelset in Zwift

Zwift’s latest release added two new wheelsets from Reserve – the first road wheelsets from the company to arrive in game. Their 34|37 wheelset (34mm front wheel, 37mm rear wheel) is optimized for climbing:

Just how fast are these hoops? Well, you may have seen Jonas Vingegaard sporting these very wheels on his Cervelo S5 (also released in Zwift’s latest update) on his way to winning last year’s Vuelta. That says something.

Here’s how the Reserve 34|37 wheelset is described in the Drop Shop:

Climb fast. Descend faster. The Reserve 34|37 is built for riders who want lightweight responsiveness without giving up free speed. Tuned with Turbulent Aero technology for stability in changing winds, these wheels feel right at home on punchy climbs, rolling terrain, and technical descents. The perfect setup for riders who want one wheelset that can do it all.

The wheels are now available in the Drop Shop, accessible at level 29 and above, for 550,000 Drops. They are rated 3 stars for aero and 4 for weight, like other top climbing wheelsets. But how do they compare? Since Zwift’s 4-star rating system isn’t precise enough for our tastes, we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other wheelsets.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the in-game performance of Reserve’s first climbing road wheelset in Zwift!

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

The Reserve 34|37 hoops don’t stand out for aero performance. Like other newer pure climbing wheels, they finish sort of midpack in terms of a percentile ranking when the road is flat and fast.

The 34|37 puts 27.6 seconds into our stock wheelset across an hour of flat riding, which is comparable to the Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532 at 28.8 seconds and the Zipp 353 NSW at 27.4 seconds. In contrast, the fastest non-disc hoops (Swiss Side HADRON Ultimate 650) turn in a time savings of 46.8 seconds.

Climb Performance

The 34|37 wheelset from Reserve performs nicely when the road tilts upward, clocking the 4th best time of any wheelset on Zwift.

The 34|37 puts 10.4 seconds into the stock wheelset across an hour climbing, which is less than 1 second slower than the new CADEX Max 50, and ~4 seconds behind the best climbing wheels in game, the Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532.

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Conclusions

On Zwift, Reserve’s 34|37 are strong climbing wheels with midpack aero performance. Their tested performance puts them just ahead of the Zipp 353 NSW both on flats and climbs, which means they’ll replace that wheelset on our list of Top 10 Wheelsets in Zwift.

But it’s hard to recommend them, at a level 29 unlock, when you’ve got the Princeton Carbonworks Wake 6560 super wheels available at level 35, the Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532 as stronger pure climbers at level 32, and even the new CADEX Max 50 at level 29. All three of these wheelsets outperform the 34|37 in all respects, so unless you’re just a big fan of Reserve, or perhaps like the nondescript (“reserved?”) look, you probably won’t be rolling these wheels.

These wheels have been, or will soon be, added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List (added)
• The Top 10 Wheelsets in Zwift
• Zwift Speed Tests: Wheel Ranking Charts
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

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.