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    News

    It’s April Fools’ Day on Zwift, and We’re Big Wheelin’…

    Eric Schlange
    By Eric Schlange
    April 1, 2021
    33

    It’s April Fools’ Day, and you know what that means – the game team at Zwift is going to have a little fun!

    This is our 7th April Fools’ Day on Zwift, and each year ZHQ has come up with something fun for the community. (Last year we were transported to 1989, and in 2019 we were burning rubber. The year before that it was Paperboy. In 2017 we had big heads, 2016 gave us the old-timey effect, and 2015 we rode big wheels on Jarvis.

    This year Zwift recycled some of the funny stuff they’ve done in the past (with a twist). That’s right – the big wheels are back!

    Changing Bikes

    If you’re free-riding in game today, you’re stuck on the Big Wheel bike. Attempting to change to a different bike simply changes your bike’s colors. But if you head back to the garage, you’ll see your frame change wasn’t saved. And you can’t change your wheels, either!

    • Changing frame just changes your color
    • You can’t change wheels

    Not Used In Events

    It appears that the big wheel isn’t being used for official events – Zwift says they definitely aren’t being used in races. Which is good, since today is TTT day, and these trikes do not perform well (see below)!

    Tron Trike

    Some riders are seeing themselves in game with a Tron trike. This is the first time we’ve seen a Big Wheel with a tron look! It seems as though only you see yourself on the Tron trike, though – other riders see you on the normal trike.

    And not everyone gets a Tron trike. It seems to be level-based, but we’re not sure what level that is! Our test account at level 13 didn’t have the Tron trike, and our test account at level 42 did have it. So the level unlock, if there is one, is somewhere in between 13 and 42.

    Speed Testing the Big Wheel

    We took the Big Wheel for a spin on our regular flat and climb tests. (We also tried testing it after “changing” frames, to see if it made a difference. It didn’t.) Here are the times the Big Wheel turned in:

    • Flat Test: 51:37 – this is quite slow – the same time as the Zwift Safety bike, and about 80 seconds slower than the fastest road setup.
    • Climb Test: 50:04 – this is quite slow – the same time as the Scott Plasma TT bike with the stock 32mm carbon wheels. Slower than any of the road frames, coupled with the 32mm wheels.

    Runners

    Some runners are showing up in the Delta Daring skin, which debuted in game for Halloween 2020:

    But we’re not seeing that for all runners, and we’re not sure what determines who suits up and who doesn’t!

    See It In Action

    Watch our favorite Aussie Lama test the big wheels:

    Your Comments

    What do you think of April Fools this year? Did I miss anything in my summary above? Share below!

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      Eric Schlange
      Eric Schlangehttp://www.zwiftinsider.com
      Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Follow on Strava

      33 COMMENTS

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      P Madigan Jr
      P Madigan Jr
      1 year ago

      I thought it was fun. A little disappointed that it was used during the TOW ride so I logged back in just to ride it. It would be fun to do a group ride with everyone on trikes.

      1
      Reply
      René Rosendahl
      René Rosendahl
      1 year ago

      I got a good laugh today🤣🤣🤣

      0
      Reply
      Steve Ricketts
      Steve Ricketts
      1 year ago

      Great fun… appreciate the time and effort Zwift puts into it just for a change of pace and a little fun!

      0
      Reply
      Missy Bennie
      Missy Bennie
      1 year ago

      I actually rode better this morning with my Big Wheels. It actually fits me better being 5′ tall. I’d like to keep it please. LOL

      5
      Reply
      Brent
      Brent
      1 year ago

      So it’s not the new aero recumbent e-bike, the Trek Mad-money?

      0
      Reply
      Isaac
      Isaac
      1 year ago

      I am Level 29 and I have the Tron Tricycle:
      //:0

      0
      Reply
      Isaac
      Isaac
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Isaac

      argh cant copy the image

      0
      Reply
      Humbug
      Humbug
      1 year ago

      Tedious. Perhaps the devs could spend time fixing the piss-poor UEX and less time on nonsense like this.

      -32
      Reply
      M4rk0
      M4rk0
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Humbug

      Picturing all the people asking for handcycles for all these years, shaking their heads.

      7
      Reply
      Simon Shackleton
      Simon Shackleton
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Humbug

      Bet you’re fun at parties.

      6
      Reply
      Whitney Stidham
      Whitney Stidham
      1 year ago

      I think it’s hilarious! I saw a couple yesterday when I was riding.

      0
      Reply
      Alan
      Alan
      1 year ago

      Super upset that I couldn’t use the Trike for TOW!! I don’t really see the logic behind that one. I know some people may not have wanted it, but it definitely should have been an option. Really really really sucked!!!!

      1
      Reply
      Hugh Grainger
      Hugh Grainger
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Alan

      I did the TOW and one person was riding the trike. Very funny. No idea how.

      0
      Reply
      Evan
      Evan
      1 year ago

      I thought that people who have the Tron Bike, get the Tron Trike. I have the Tron Trike, and was riding it, and then I switched to Canyon Aeroad and it was different. Maybe only me?

      1
      Reply
      Eric Schlange
      Author
      Top Member
      Eric Schlange(@eschlange)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Evan

      That would make sense!

      0
      Reply
      D eadpool
      D eadpool
      1 year ago

      I wish they’d not disabled it for group rides. It would have been easy to make it a sub fit the basic Zwift carbon as they have in the past so Zwifters could choose to ride it if not (which we couldn’t today).

      -1
      Reply
      Sherpa Dave
      Sherpa Dave(@dashton)
      1 year ago

      I just wish we all had BigWheels for the TTT… that would have been amazing

      2
      Reply
      Paul
      Paul
      1 year ago

      Although there’s quite a few things to fix and on going bugs I do get a load out of zwift so top marks for today’s trikes. Gave me and my mate a laugh today!

      0
      Reply
      Lori
      Lori
      1 year ago

      I loved it! Took photos!

      -1
      Reply
      Tracy M
      Tracy M
      1 year ago

      Hey Zwift! Can you make the Big Wheel a regular option???? It was just so fun to switch things up like that!!! Thanks for the experience! PS the wobble head 🤣

      4
      Reply
      John Laurence
      John Laurence
      1 year ago

      Perhaps a coincidence but Zwift crashed on me on me 44 miles into a 45 mile ride today. Never once crashed before. Can’t but help think it was related to the silliness.

      0
      Reply
      Pat
      Pat
      1 year ago

      A TRON Big Wheel is about the only thing I’d spend drops on, should be choice in the shop along with the other one off bikes we’ve gotten over the years.

      No supertuck coming off of Fox Hill on my Big Wheel, looks like the long arm of the UCI extends to Zwift…

      Saw two aliens out for a run among all spacesuits out for a jog, different.

      0
      Reply
      Isaac
      Isaac
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Pat

      yeah i saw an alien in watopia

      0
      Reply
      MeBikeEscape
      MeBikeEscape
      1 year ago

      Been using Zwift for a few years now and this is the first time I was able to ride the Hot Wheels. So enjoyable. Especially since my main bike is a Catrike Expedition, which is a three wheel tadpole style recumbent bike. Wish it was an in game skin/bike I could use my drops on. 

      -1
      Reply
      Barry Flegenheimer
      Barry Flegenheimer
      1 year ago

      Hated it. Stopped trying to ride immediately.

      -4
      Reply
      Joel
      Joel
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Barry Flegenheimer

      All you had to do was end your ride and start a new one and it reverted to everyone in normal bikes.

      2
      Reply
      M4rk0
      M4rk0
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Joel

      And how is one supposed to know that?

      0
      Reply
      Ken
      Ken
      1 year ago

      Loved the Big Wheels. Great change of pace to look at. Loved how they went up on 2 wheels around sharp bends even though it was the inside wheels instead of the outside wheels. Super cool if we could drift them haha

      0
      Reply
      Xavier
      Xavier
      1 year ago

      I saw someone on a trike during a TOW stage yesterday and I was immensely jealous.
      As a triker IRL (never rode a normal bike) I would love to be able to ride a trike in Zwift as well. I see it’s technically possible and I have 20 millions drop, how much is it going to cost me? 🙂

      3
      Reply
      Norman Barrett
      Norman Barrett
      1 year ago

      Not for me I’m afraid very distracting 🙁

      0
      Reply
      Dan
      Dan
      1 year ago

      Wife and I laughed watching our heads bobble side to side.

      0
      Reply
      m.lee
      m.lee
      1 year ago

      fun but the dynamics seemed off. i got passed a few times but trikes at much lower w/kg. maybe that was part of the April Fool’s fun?

      -1
      Reply
      Daniel Goehring
      Daniel Goehring(@daniel-goehring)
      1 year ago

      For next years April Fools day shenanigans, I’d like to see zwifters all riding unicycles.

      5
      Reply
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