Zwift CEO Eric Min is an avid Zwifter, reaching level 100 a few months ago after riding more than 80,000 km on the platform.
Over the past 10 years he’s led group rides, raced, and ridden every bit of tarmac in Zwift’s virtual worlds… including some roads none of us have ever seen!
But do you know what he hasn’t done yet? London’s The PRL Full – the longest route in Zwift.
That’s going to change soon, though. Next Saturday at 4pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT, Eric aims to cross this final route off his list. And he’s inviting the Zwift community to ride it with him, because long days in the saddle are always better with friends!
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4691206
About the Route
The PRL Full route was released with the original London map back in 2018, and the intent was to mimic the length (but not the actual roads) of the IRL Prudential Ride London event.
In contrast to Zwift’s other long routes, The PRL Full is quite simple: it’s just 11 laps of the London Loop, followed by a bit more riding to get you onto The Mall where you finish at the Classique forward sprint:
But simple doesn’t mean easy. The route is 173.5km (107.8 miles) long, with 2625m (8,599′) of elevation gain. Strava KOM holder Stefan Kirchmair did it in 3 hours and 58 minutes during a Zwift Insider badge hunt ride in March of 2021. But the rest of us mortals will need to plan on a ride that takes 5+ hours. (Our ZI Metrics estimate stays 280 minutes at 4 W/kg, 313 minutes at 3 W/kg, and 397 minutes at 2 W/kg.)
The big feature of the London Loop is Box Hill – 3km/1.9 miles long with 136m (446′) of elevation gain for an average gradient of 4.4%. It’s not a particularly long or steep climb, but 11x up any climb is a challenge!
Read more about The PRL Full >
Tips for a Successful Ride
- Show up on time. Yes, late join is enabled for this ride, but if you arrive late the game will place you with other riders partway into the route, which means you won’t earn the route badge. Ouch.
- This is not a race – it’s a group ride. You can treat it as a race if you’d like, of course, but the ride will break up naturally into pace groups. Find riders working at your target pace and work together. Don’t burn your legs up early.
- The VeloViewer Leaderboard shows that top riders crush The PRL Full in under 4.5 hours. But most mortals require 5-7 hours, with plenty taking even longer. You do you. Be sure to plan accordingly.
- Because of its repetitive nature, this route is best tackled in a group. Discord and in-game chat will help pass the time as well.
- Prep your fuel and get good rest the night before. It’ll be a long ride!
Join Me Discord
Zwift Insider’s Discord server will be open for voice chat during the ride, and I’ll be signed in as I ride the course with everyone else. (I bet I can even convince Eric Min to join us.)
This really helps pass the time, so we highly encourage it!
Join the server at https://discord.gg/zwiftinsider and sign into the Cycling Chat Room. And if you’re new to Discord, read “Using Discord on Zwift” for tips!
Rapha Festive 500
This event happens right in the middle of the Rapha Festive 500, and finishing it will let you check off over 30% of the 500km challenge! (Plus, finishers will unlock the new Rapha Festive 500 kit.)
Sign Up Now
Sign up for Eric Min’s PRL Full Ride at zwift.com/events/view/4691206.
Questions or Comments?
Post below and we’ll do our best to answer them!
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