Our wheel and frame performance charts are useful tools, but they don’t clearly answer one crucial question for many Zwift racers: how does frame X paired with wheelset Y perform compared to other top setups, including the Zwift Concept Z1 (Tron) bike?
Additionally, those charts don’t get updated as regularly as data elsewhere on our site (it’s a problem; we’re working on it). So we’ve created this chart, which pulls from current, live data on the very latest frames and wheels in Zwift.
The chart below compares the relative performance of un-upgraded and fully upgraded versions of the game’s fastest frame and wheelset combinations, allowing you to determine which setup works best for you. We’ve charted how many seconds each setup saves across an hour of riding compared to a basic bike/wheel setup (Zwift Carbon frame + Zwift 32mm Carbon Wheels). This means you’ll find the top performers higher on the Y-axis and further right on the X-axis.
Select frames and wheelsets below. Each frame you select (unless it’s a Halo bike) will be combined with all selected wheelsets, creating a single dot for each frame+wheelset combo. Hover for details.
Frames
Wheelsets
Bikes with wheel combos also require a wheelset selection.
Observations
While the Specialized Project 74 is clearly a standout performer on the flats, it’s worth noting that moving to an all-arounder setup like the Specialized Tarmac SL9 + Princeton CarbonWorks Wake 6560 wheels costs 17 seconds on the flats, but gets you 70 seconds on the climbs (assuming both bikes are stage 0). Not a bad trade.
Next, you’ll notice that the Aethos regains its position as King of the Mountain when viewing fully-upgraded frame performance. The fully upgraded Aethos really is a climbing weapon, and moving from an all-arounder like the Specialized Tarmac SL9 to the Aethos means you’re basically just trading flat seconds for climb seconds on a nearly one-to-one basis.
Example: the Aethos + Swiss Side HADRON Ultimate 650 wheels lose 24 seconds to the Specialized Tarmac SL9 on the flats, but gain 21 seconds on the climbs. That’s a pretty solid trade if you’re a rider who struggles on the climbs more than the flats.
Of course, when considering performance, one must also consider the work that goes into upgrading the bike. Getting a fully-upgraded Tron is going to take significantly more riding than upgrading a production bike like the Pinarello Dogma F 2024!
There is certainly more to observe from this chart and our more complete wheel and frame charts, but for now I’ll leave it to the Zwift community to look at the numbers and share thoughts. Ride on!
Your Thoughts
What conclusions do you draw from this updated chart? Share your thoughts below!
