My friends, the day has finally arrived.
After years of Zwifters asking for a fourth in-game challenge, with Zwift Insider posting articles and the community offering heaps of challenge suggestions and even creating amazing concept art… it has arrived. Hurray!
Here’s a quick walkthrough:
Getting Started
You must be at level 40+ in order to take on the Factory Tour Challenge. Level 40+ riders probably already know how to sign up for Challenges but here’s a quick refresher anyway…
There are three ways to get signed up for the Factory Tour Challenge. The game actually prompted me to do it when I started my Zwift activity – that’s the first screen. It also showed up on my Challenges carousel on the homescreen (second screen). Lastly, you can always access the list of Challenges in the main menu, at the top-right:
What’s a “Power Unit”?
While the other three challenges (Climb Mt. Everest, Ride California, and Tour Italy) are based on accumulated distance or elevation, the Factory Tour Challenge is power-based. (The concept is that you’re powering a RoboPacer factory as you pedal your bike, so the animation for the challenge moves through the factory as you progress.)
Cyclists move through this challenge based strictly on the power you’re putting into the pedals, and progress is tracked using a metric Zwift calls “Power Units”.
One power unit is one watt-hour per kilogram, or Wh/kg. If you hold 1 w/kg (say, you’re an 80kg rider holding 80 watts) for an hour, that’s 1 Wh/kg, or 1 power unit. If you average 2 w/kg across your Zwift rides, each hour of riding will earn you 2 power units.
Finishing the Challenge
The Factory Tour Challenge is a 2-part challenge, like Climb Mt. Everest. The first part requires 250 power units to complete and awards you with Lightning Socks:
Once you finish the first part of the challenge, your progress will revert to 29% and you’ll automatically begin the second part which requires a whopping 600 additional power units to complete, unlocking the Aero Lightning Socks, which will replace your boring ol’ Lightning Socks.
How long will it take to complete the entire challenge? For riders, the math is fairly easy. Take your average w/kg multiplied by your hours of Zwifting per week. That’s how many power units you’ll be earning each week.
Examples:
- 1 w/kg for 5 hours each week earns 5 power units each week, requiring 170 weeks to complete the challenge
- 2 w/kg for 6 hours each week earns 12 power units each week, requiring 71 weeks to complete the challenge
- 3 w/kg for 7 hours each week earns 21 power units each week, requiring 40 weeks to complete the challenge
As you can see, this is no short-term challenge. And I think that’s a good thing.
About the Socks
The new Lightning and Aero Lightning socks work sort of like Fire Socks in that they unlock cool animations above certain effort levels:
- Power < FTP * 1.5: No Effect
- Power >= FTP * 1.5: Sparks and Tire Halo (both Lightning & Aero Lightning Socks)
- Power >= FTP * 2.1: +Tire Sizzle Flash (both Lightning & Aero Lightning Socks)
- Power >= FTP * 2.7: +Full Aero Lightning Effects (Aero Lightning Socks Only)
- Power >= FTP * 3.2: +Lightning feet (Aero Lightning Socks Only)
In addition to the visuals, the Aero Lightning Socks are particularly special because they are the first piece of performance apparel in Zwift. When you wear the socks, you receive a slight CdA reduction, making you faster in game. (Just how much faster is unclear, but I’ll definitely test the socks once I’ve got ’em.)
Read more about the Lightning and Aero Lightning socks >
A Few Gotchas
There are three limits built into the Factory Tour Challenge, presumably to discourage cheating:
- You can earn up to 4 Power Units per hour. (This limit resets at the top of the hour, so in theory you could ride at 4 W/kg for one hour, then sprint at 10 W/kg for 24 minutes and earn a total of 8 power units in 84 minutes. Good luck!)
- You can earn a total of 15 Power Units per activity. If you save your ride/run and start a new activity, this counter is reset.
- If you get the Cone of Shame (read more about it here) your progress will not count towards the challenge.
Also, a note for Zwift runners: this challenge doesn’t apply to you. While in my tests the game was awarding Power Units while running, those Power Units weren’t actually saved to my account. Reaching out to Zwift, they confirmed that this challenge does not apply to running.
Questions or Comments?
What are your thoughts on this fourth challenge? Got questions, comments? Share below!
Finally, the 4th challenge 😁
C O O L
I’m not going to make it by March 4 2026. My new target is May 1. But I still would prefer a color option to match my outfit, at least offer black.
I’m aiming for before end of 2026 hopefully (cross fingers, knock on wood).
I just finished the last available challenge and wondered if I’d eve see a new one. Perfect timing!
Why the limit of 15 per activity? Anyone doing the classic goal of an Imperial Century (100 miles) will lose a significant bit of progress. Same for folks doing the long routes like Uber Pretzel.
Makes it marginally less convenient to use a bot to complete the challenge
I am not sure about Uber.
My last Uber race 3.48w/kg*3:58m=14points
Exactly, Roman.
There are very few riders in the Zwiftiverse who can log more than 15 Power Units in a single activity.
Example: if I chugged along at 2.5 W/kg, which is my pace when doing 70-100 miles, and did that for 5 hours (enough to finish an imperial century) that would be 12.5 Power Units. I wouldn’t even hit the limit.
Sure, some crazy riders doing vEveresting may hit the limit. But that will be a rare occurrence indeed…
My 1.5W/kg rides with Bernie will now be capped at ten hours. 😉
I did the Uber Pretzel once. It took my almost 7 hours including the “free” downhill after the finish. I don’t think I’m in danger of hitting the 15 Power unit limit. The PRL Full might.
My last result in PRL Full was 2.5w/kg*5:51m=15 points. I will go to the race there soon, probably it will be a little more. (3.2*5=16).
But I went Everesting 2.27w/kg*12h, it is 27.2 points. It is good that I do not want to repeat it again.
The one thing that is sure to not get all the power units, then, would be an Everesting. BUT . . . if you’re doing an Everesting, isn’t the badge a more significant achievement than a few missing power units?
I think it’s a good call to make the use of the socks faster in game.
They should do the same for helmets, which should already have aero benefits based on real life. Socks… not really.
But good first step!
They should make aero benefits dependent on the user’s choice of sock height. 😜
Zwift has the ability to put aero advantages into helmets (they have for years), they just haven’t done that. It’ll probably happen eventually.
Sorry if I missed in the article but couldn’t see it. Do we know when this is live from by any chance? I logged in but don’t have it yet and no updates available for me on App Store.
I don’t disagree with you in principle. The negative of doing it with shoes, helmets and jerseys is that everyone would end up wearing the same gear and that would look poring. No one really notices socks so I’m not bothered if everyone wears the same. Unless I can upgrade my helmet of choice I’m not sure I’d be interested is switching to a generic fast one.
Once U have updated to Zwift Version 1.85. Its a phased rollout this week.
Morning…I just logged on to Zwift, and went to look
for the new Challenge… And nothing? Is there another
update involved?
Thank you…Fred 👍
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..
…
Probably means you haven’t been updated to version 1.85.x yet…
Finally! That seems like an awful lot of work for a pair or two of socks … but I welcome the challenge, and appreciate it will take some time to earn. I’m also excited to see the introduction of performance apparel — perhaps someday soon we’ll finally see some helmet performance differences? (i.e. why is the Javelin as slow as a boonie hat?) Maybe skinsuits we could buy, win or otherwise unlock?
My only concern is that the power unit dependence on weight might further encourage some riders to be *ahem* inaccurate with theirs…
You’re not really doing all that for ‘just’ socks, see it as getting the abilities. First unlock is the lighting wheel effect and second is the reduced CDA. The fact they are socks is just the way of associating the ability to something you can use. I fact using socks is a good call, as no-one really notices them, so as more people get them, it won’t end up with everyone looking the same.
Black Mirror testing
The challenge should be totaled in Watt-hours or Joules with no accounting for weight.
Perhaps… but that gives bigger riders an advantage over smaller ones…
W/kg gives smaller riders an advantage over bigger ones…
Does it? How?
Pros and cons. w/kg opens it up to weight doping (subject to the cone of shame), but pure watts gives heavier riders an unfair advantage over smaller/lighter riders. I guess they think that w/kg treats riders more or less equally, and if people want to cheat then they are really only proving to themselves that they are sad individuals with no dignity, and no-one else actually loses out. Lesser of two evils.
I agree, this way it’s fair and equal for everyone. And for the ones who cheat with weight doping, what’s their joy in achieving the challenge? None really.
They should make it based on FTP %
It’s no different to the Tron challenge being biased towards lighter riders, but no-one complained about that. It’s just that, a personal challenge. Forget about everyone else and do it if you want the challenge of getting them,.or simply forget about it and just wait for them to unlock.
You say that one power unit is one watt-hour per kg, but is that whole watt-hours (and integral multiples), or does it record everything in between?
i.e if you ride at 2.5 w/kg for an hour, is that 2.5 power units, or does it only count as 2 power units, since you achieved 2 watt-hour per kg but did not achieve 3 watt-hour per kg?
It displays tenths of a Power Unit, so 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc… not sure if it saves anything less than that (like if you stop when it says 2.13, but it’s actually 2.13, does your next activity start you at 2.13, or 2.1?)
Thanks! Losing 0.09 doesn’t seem like a big deal, but losing up to 0.9 on each ride could have been.
thanks for the info and really pleased to have a new challenge, even if it will take me ages with 2-3 hours per week!
I think I have a different definition of ‘cool animations’.
Hope there is an off button so I dont have to see it. I find the Tron already ugly let alone this
The real world must be a challenge for you if people with different opinions makes you want an ‘off button’.
Not really, but what is wrong with an off button for the riders who dont want or need to see these shily electrified socks ? Everyone who wants to see it can have that pleasure. I am not asking for it to be turned of for everyone
I know running is free, I’m level 30 but like many I pay (level46) on cycling but each week I read a post about something new on zwift and each week I feel like a 2nd class citizen being a runner (rant over)
I know how you feel =/
But the socks are still cool 😀
Is there a video of the animation of the new socks somewhere?
Thanks a lot Eric for explaining about it.
Two points.. The 15 points limit per day would eliminate some riders being able to get them before the ZRL finals, compared to others. Not enough time x maximum points.
2: I hope you’ll test them! They should give you them straight away as a perk… but maybe you want to do the challenge yourself 🙂
Hey Ben, from what I read it’s 15 points limit per activity, not per day. Perhaps that is a way to counter bots. So if you are planning very long endurance workouts, just don’t do them as a single activity 😁
I’ve just been into zwift and can’t see this challenge listed ?? Do I need an update or something ?
U will have to wait until u have version 1.85 of Zwift.
Are they called Aero Lightning or Aero Electric socks? both are used in this article
If you read the article it states this is a two part challenge, with two unlocks 😉
Thanks for that. I did in fact read the article. I was aware that there are two socks. The first one is called Lightning socks (with no aero), the name of the second pair was referred to as both Aero Lightning and Aero Electric in the first version of this article.
Aero Electric Socks. Zwift was a bit confused on the names, but I believe that’s the accurate name of the second set…
well, i am at level 100, but do not see the challenge? i do have my account on a discount voucher, so it seems i am not a full member…?
Neah, you just didn’t carefully read the article nor the comments
A bit of a pain it’s for level 40 onwards only, but I guess it gives people a challenge to look forward to later in the game after they’ve got the Tron etc out of the way. Currently 35 so hopefully not too long at least.
Have you finished the other three challenges already?
To be honest I didn’t bother. Once the Tron is won there’s no point in doing the other challenges, better bikes etc can be had in game before those other two are completed, but intake your point.
Imagine how useful it would be to be able to log in to the companion app right now, from the comfort of my procrastination web browsing session, and select this challenge
(And check progress on the other mini challenges too, etc. etc)
Yeah I have often thought the companion app would be great to have the ability to update things away from the game, especially garage stuff etc e.g. set your ride up for a forthcoming event etc.
Was lookin for LEJOG or RAAM for the next challenge, but this looks fun.
If they ever decided to have a running challenge, the end-to-end version of LEJOG would be a great one.
We live in hope
Damn. I suggested a power challenge, but not scaled by weight (mass) so that “big” riders would have an advantage.
It’s nice that there’s a new challenge, the socks are cool too, but why socks again? I like my fire socks and have waited a long time for them, and then I have to choose one of them, once I’ve mastered the challenge, my enthusiasm is a little dampened…
You’ll be disappointed when you reach level 100 and find out what you unlock there.
Never! Confetti socks do not disappoint!
Agree! Love my confetti socks!
true i am always showering people with confetti😎
That’s right, the confetti socks are still there… It would be nice if Zwift divided the different options into different equipment. Fire socks, lightning shoes, confetti helmet… Or gave the option to simply put them on and take them off. But they haven’t made the close the gap any smaller in all these years, even though that was one of the most common requests. But you can still dream…
Awesomeness ^^ cue countdown timer to the launch of a zwifter leaderboard for tracking progress towards new pairs of socks! =P
I think the max 15 points per activity hurts less people than the max 4 points per hour?
The latter applies to everyone with FTP of 4.5w/kg+ doing hard workouts. For people with an FTP >5w/kg everything Z3+ will result in them maxing out the 4 points/hour.
This 4th challenge isn’t showing up in my list I only see the 3. Is there an update that needs to be pushed?
Hi. Why don’t i have this available? 80 level
Have a read at other comments, I’m sure you’ll find a plausible cause
@Eric Schlange : “…sprint at 10 W/kg for 24 minutes”. Who?
Bosch, Makita, DeWalt to name a few.
If I do 1.21 gigawatts/kg, will the time needed be negative? 😉
Small, but not negative, no.
I think it only appears in the carousel once selected as a challenge.
That would make sense. I think the carousel always shows your one selected major challenge.
I’ll sign up, cuz why not. But honestly I’m going to spend two years to get a pair of socks that’ll shave off 1 sec or something? What a huge nothing burger
“nothing burger”, LOL
Surely the effort calculated for this challenge should be measured in Newtons per decimetre at 200ft per sq m below sea level? At that rate it would be easier to complete the challenge by Christmas 2029. Zwift need to check their numbers in future so anyone doing the challenge has no real reason to complain. 🎄
Thanks for the review on how to start-up the challenge. It’s been years since I’ve completed the first three, couldn’t remember where they were…
I appreciate the sarcasm above about “and then sprint at 10 w/kg for 24 minutes,” in discussing the 4 power units per hour limit, BUT there is a point to be made about a far more likely scenario. Imagine you are 70 kg and ride up the Alpe (or climb portal) at 4.5 w/kg, finishing in under an hour. The algorithm sees you riding at 315 watts average and after 45 minutes, you may have 3.4 power units earned; if you pedal a bit on the descent of the Alpe and your average power is at 280 watts (4.0 for our totally hypothetical 70 kg rider) when you reach the top of the hour, you have your 4.0 units for that hour because it’s looking at average power for the whole ride time multiplied by the elapsed ride time. In short, nothing is lost by riding over 4.0 w/kg within a given hour, so long as, by the end of your ride, your overall average is down to 4.0 for the whole ride. Also, yes, the scenario described above is one I tested, checking the power unit progress at 30, 45, 60, and 75 minutes within a max effort ride up the climb portal on Isola 2000 just now where 3.4 power units were earned after 45 minutes of climbing. I used the Alpe in my example because it seems like the use case most will encounter.
So if I get to the top of Alpe du Zwift at >1h workout time with an average of >4w/kg I can supertug the 10mins down and still earn points until my average drops below 4w/kg?
Example: You reach the top of Alpe at exactly 60mins at 4.67w/kg avg and end the workout. Now you get 4w/kg, correct? But if you super tug down at 0w/kg and finish the workout in 70mins you get the full 4.67w/kg because your 70min average was 4w/kg and 4*7/6 = 4.67?
This challenge is going to take a LONG TIME. Truly a set and forget challenge like the Climb Mt. Everest Challenge. I like that it is going to lake a ling time and not instant gratification.
@Eric Schlange Is there somewhere you can see completed challenges once they have “time expired”. And is there a list somewhere of all “mini challenges”? I think I have completed all of the ones that have disappeared – and see more are about to disappear at the end of this month.
good to see a 4th challenge. and also good to see some cheat protection. although i’m sure someone out there will rewrite some software to get over this 😃
You can only be working on 1 of the 4 challenges at one time?
Yes
So 3 years for this small and light rider!
1 Watt * 1 hour = 3600 Joules
3600 joules = 0.86 kcal
Human body is between 18 and 26% efficient at power transfer, and I don’t know exactly what Zwift uses to estimate calories burned, but let’s assume they went for a round 25%, this means every 0.86 kcal of energy measured at the bike is 0.86*4 = 3.44 kcal estimated burned by the rider. So 1 Watt * 1 hour should show up as 3.44 calories burned
So if you take your calories burned, divide them by 3.44 then divide by your weight you’ve got the power units (with a minor difference based on exactly what constant Zwift is actually using for human inefficiency).
TL;DR Power units are just calories burned / weight times a human efficiency scaling factor.
Can this challenge go parallel with Mt. Everest? Or should I switch between them? Does switching from Mt. Everest to Factory reset my Mt. Everest progress?
Only 1 challenge, not parallel. Switching between those doesnt reset the progress from the other challenge.
@Eric Schlange Hi Eric, can you confirm the color of the 2 different pairs of socks with pictures please? You recent youtube clip seems to show BLUE socks? Here’s hoping they are WHITE (or come with a color slider). Can you please clarify? Thanks! =)
Lightning Socks are white. Aero Lightning Socks are blue!
Thanks! =) Since it will take quite some time to get the aero version, hopefully the blue part has been sorted out by then to at least allow for another colorway, because first impressions are: non-aero look best and could maybe compare to firesocks, but blue for the aero is a clear win for the firesocks on looks.
Unlocked them this evening, did some sprints and saw nothing? Running MBA M4 15”
But what if I want my Fire Socks to also spew Lightning AND throw Confetti? I want it all!
Something I’ve noticed is there are symbols and other things once you finish the initial challenge.Is there somewhere that describes these? One is p36 and another is a orange dot with a lightning bolt at approximately 315 power units.
Eric, what happens when you have completed the Factory Tour Challenge?
(I’ve done 70% so far..)
You get the aero Lightning socks, a banner in your screen, and… that’s it.
somehow, I signed up for Factory Tour long time ago, so long ago I forget when, got a few points in Factory Tour, 86 points, then points stopped accumulating in Factory Tour, but I kept riding and even getting a bit better. Will I ever get anymore points or has the Factory Tour stopped?
I would like to use the Lightning socks but still maintain the confetti and the ability to give XP to other riders. The fun of seeing the lightning isn’t even close to enjoying giving the 2XP to other riders.
Hi, I love 30min workouts, more new ones would be welcome.