Zwift’s FutureWorks Boost Mode is a fun race type that allows you to strategically charge and discharge an on-bike virtual “battery”. It adds an interesting element racing, forcing you to charge on easier sections so you can use the boost when needed (on a challenging section, when you want to attack, or for that finishing sprint).
I’ve enjoyed the Boost Mode races I’ve done (one won, one lost) but I hadn’t seen any events labeled with “boost mode” on the calendar for many weeks. Most annoying of all, there was no way to search for events with the boost mode tag – Zwift’s events filters are very basic, ZwiftPower doesn’t support such a search, and ZwiftHacks didn’t have the search filter either.
Then I heard from a few Zwifters who had had stumbled across boost mode when joining a “ZHQ Beta” race event.
Here’s the thing about those ZHQ Beta races: I generally avoid them. Because even though I love the idea of Zwift testing new race features in live races, I hate the idea of not knowing what they’re testing. I’ve heard through the grapevine that past races have tested steering, altered draft dynamics, different air density, and yes, boost mode. But races are a bit of an emotional and physical investment for me, so I like to know what I’m getting into when I sign up.
And that’s why, as long as ZHQ continues to keep the beta race descriptions generic, I’ll probably stay away.
Except… now I have a way to find boost mode races! I pinged ZwiftHacks‘ Jesper last night, asking if he knew of a way to filter his events list to show boost mode races.
“There will be a way soon. It’ll be easy to add,” was his reply. 24 minutes later, “Try the ‘Boost mode’ filter under Rules.”
The man is a wizard. And we all reap the benefits of his dark arts!
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: the list of upcoming boost mode races, courtesy of ZwiftHacks.
Jesper’s work is amazing! I had an issue with zwifthack maps chat overlay not showing text after win update. I regulary use this overlay while leading group rides. Jasper came with a solution within 30min 👍Big kudos to him!
At the moment it seems ZHQ Beta Crit City and Circuit (on the Paris course) are both running boost mode for now. They both also have the anti-sandbagging warning before joining the event but it doesn’t seem like they are actually enforcing it with the green cone of shame anymore. Would it kill Zwift to tell people what changes are active with these beta events?
I noticed the warning too. I got the warning while I joined my correct category… And what I found strange: there was no button to change the category! All I could do was ‘understand’.
So I was +22 lbs the entire event, and otherwise nothing else happened.
Not fun at all.
Presumably it’s because you cannot reasonably activate anything from Apple TV Remote and anyway, they didn’t even say what you would do to activate anything.
Companion app didn’t even show regular powerups for this race. They were on the tv display, but the apple tv remote is a non-starter.
I guess if you want to do these things you have to switch to a computer.
More real life and anti sandbagging effort than video game effort. Just my opinion
I did not fully understand how this boost mode worked, and spectacularly failed mid crit city race, I pressed a button….. and watched the pack head off u the road. I then hit the boost and saw an all too brief quick boost. Never again.
Boost Mode? A couple of comments from the Ds…
1) The power required to charge the “boost” for a D is significant but manageable; but,
2) I have found the initiation of boost as really unreliable. It takes multiple button pressing to get things going…
The issue for me is that when I want to use boost I don’t need the further distraction of worrying if the darn thing is actually having any effect.