We know your speed in Zwift is affected by the frame and wheelset you use. In fact, we’ve done a lot of testing to figure out just which combinations are fastest.
But what about climbing? Any cyclist worth their chamois knows the fastest bike on the flats isn’t the fastest bike on the climbs. It’s just physics: when the road is flat, most of your resistance comes from wind, so aero is everything. But when the road turns up, gravity kicks in and weight matters.
The massive Alpe du Zwift provides a perfect testing ground for us, and the prize spinner at the top even gives you a set of Lightweight Meilenstein wheels if you’re lucky.
Zwift’s Drop Shop now gives us access to 26 different wheelsets and 50 different bike frames. So we had to run some tests to find out: what is the fastest bike+wheelset combination up Alpe du Zwift?
Wheels: Lightweight Meilensteins Still King
The Lightweight Meilenstein set is still the fastest up the Alpe, beating the closest competition by 5 seconds with (75kg rider at 300 watts). These wheels can be tough to obtain: you only get them when the spinner at the top of the Alpe lands on the wheels, and that can take a while! (It took me 13 trips up the Alpe, which seems about average.)
Frame: A New King
The fastest frameset up the Alpe is the new Specialized Tarmac Pro, edging out the closest competition by 3 seconds in our speed tests.
Made available in the Drop Shop release, the Tarmac Pro is priced at 408,300 and level-locked at 11, making it quite easy to get. This is happy news for newer Zwifters wanting a fast climbing rig.
The Tarmac Pro frameset coupled with the new Meilenstein Lightweight wheels beats all other combinations, whether you ride up the Alpe at 1 w/kg or 5 w/kg.
Browse our test data spreadsheet for more results >
Other Wheel Options
If you don’t yet have the Lightweight wheels, the ENVE SES 3.4’s are the next best. You’ll lose around 5 seconds compared to the Meilensteins, but maybe you’ll finally unlock your own set of Lightweights when you get to the top!
See Fastest* Wheels for Climbing for a list of the best climbing wheels.
Other Frame Options
If you don’t yet have the Tarmac Pro, here are your 5 next best options:
- Cannondale Evo (3 seconds behind Tarmac Pro)
- Trek Emonda (6 seconds behind Tarmac Pro)
- Canyon Ultimate (7 seconds behind Tarmac Pro)
- Specialized Amira S-Works (8 seconds behind Tarmac Pro)
- Cervelo R5 (9 seconds behind Tarmac Pro)
See Fastest* Frames for Climbing for a list of the best climbing frames.
I hope this information helps you earn a PR next time you hit the Alpe. Of course, equipment changes help a bit, but it’s our fitness and willingness to suffer that really make the difference. So climb on!
Is it only me, or the spreadsheet gives the emonda as the fastest, and not the tarmac
Not sure where you’re looking, but the Tarmac Pro is fastest in the spreadsheet…
Hi Eric. When I look at the spreadsheet I see the Emonda/Lightweight as the fasest in all categories. Maybe somebody changed/hacked the spreadsheet?
I thought the same thing. There multiple sheets, and it loads the OLD Alpe 2018 first. Look at tabs at the bottom and switch to the Alpe sheet.
Eric, you supplied the spreadsheet at one point with more details. Is that still available?
Sorry found it
I’ve ridden up the Alpe four times in the past ten times looking to get the meilenstein wheels, got gloves first time, slightly disappointing. Gloves second time, annoying. Gloves third & fourth time, how’s this happening? As you know it takes some effort to get up there. Any advice or am I just really, really unlucky??
Kirk, make sure you don’t have a power-up when you cross the line. You’re almost guaranteed a pair of gloves if you do. Since hearing the wheel has been very generous to me. Good luck!