Powerups have been a part of Zwift since early days, but they’ve evolved over the years as Zwift fine-tunes their usage and expands the list of powerups.
While many riders are still trying to figure out how to use all the powerups properly (see our Misused Powerups series), we thought it might be helpful to explain all the ways a powerup can be activated. Because what good is a powerup if you can’t use it?
#1: Spacebar
Long a favorite keyboard shortcut for Zwifters, the spacebar is one big powerup trigger. Just tap it and go.
On a related note: tying powerups to the spacebar means you can do fun things like implementing a wireless, handlebar-mounted Bluetooth button so you can activate powerups without taking your hands off the hoods. Brilliant!
#2: Companion App Tap
If you’ve got a powerup, it will show up on the home screen of your phone’s Zwift Companion app. Just tap it whenever you’d like to use it.
Watch out that you don’t let a drop of sweat or errant finger trigger the powerup accidentally. That mistake could really hurt if you’re holding an anvil!
#3: Play Button on AppleTV Remote
Here’s a little-known powerup activation method: the play button on the much-hated AppleTV remote! That’s right. If you’re holding a powerup and hit “Play” it will be immediately triggered.
And you thought that remote was good for nothing!
#4: Mouse Click
On a Mac or PC, but don’t have a keyboard nearby? You can click the powerup icon on screen to activate it.
#5: Tapping Your Screen
Zwifting from a touchscreen device like a phone or tablet? Tapping the screen will activate the powerup, just like a mouse click.
#6: Wahoo KICKR Bike Button
Wahoo KICKR Bike riders have a super-sweet powerup shortcut built into their handlebars. That’s right: if you ride a Wahoo KICKR Bike, the top-right hood button activates your powerup!
In order for this to work, you have to have the bike paired via Bluetooth in the “Controllable” box of the pairing screen.
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