If you’re racing on Zwift, upgrading your frame and wheels can cut crucial seconds off your efforts. But figuring out where to spend your hard-earned Drops can be confusing! So we’ve put together this table which lists the best climbing frame and wheelset available at every Zwift level.
Keep in mind this list applies only to bigger climbs. If your race is flat or only has short, rolling climbs you’ll probably want to go with a more aero setup.
Fastest Climbing Frames
| Level | Fastest Frame | Time Savings |
| 1 | Zwift Steel (Free) | 0 |
| 3 | Zwift Carbon (55,000) | 31.1s |
| 8 | Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025 (1,000,000) | 72.1s |
| 10 | Canyon Aeroad 2024 (1,100,000) | 73.9s |
| 12 | Canyon Ultimate CFR (350,700) | 74.2s |
| 17 | Scott Addict RC (660,200) | 77.8s |
| 21 | Van Rysel RCR Pro (1,400,000) | 79.4s |
| 30 | Specialized Aethos S-Works (966,300)* | 85.8s |
| 40 | Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 (1,900,000) | 87.7s |
* The un-upgraded version of the Specialized Aethos S-Works climbs a bit slower than the un-upgraded Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9, but if you compare the fully-upgraded versions of both bikes, the Aethos is a much stronger climber. This is due to how Zwift’s upgrade system is structured. See charts/data >
Fastest Climbing Wheelsets
| Level | Fastest Wheelset | Time Savings |
| 1 | Zwift Classic (Free) | 0 |
| 3 | Zwift 32mm Carbon (100,000) | 11.4s |
| 5 | Shimano DURA-ACE C36 (150,000) | 18.7s |
| 24 | Zipp 353 NSW (600,000)* | 21.2s |
| 29 | CADEX Max 50 (680,000) | 22.5s |
| 32 | Princeton CarbonWorks Wake 6560 (685,000) | 24.1s |
| 35 | Princeton CarbonWorks Alta 3532 (685,000) | 25.9s |
* the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels turn in essentially the same climb performance as the Zipp 353 NSW, but are unlocked via the spinner at the top of Alpe du Zwift/Ventoux and thus could be unlocked much earlier than level 24.
Total time savings of fastest frame and wheelset over stock Zwift setup (Zwift Steele frame and Zwift classic wheels): 87.7+25.9=113.6 seconds
Times above are based on our climbing speed tests, done with a solo 75kg, 183cm rider at 300 watts on Watopia’s Alpe du Zwift.
Strategic Shopping
It may seem simplest to just purchase each frame or wheelset on the list as soon as you level up, but if you want to maximize performance you also need to take Zwift’s Bike Upgrade functionality into account, since it rewards riders who stay on the same frame long enough to fully upgrade it. Simply put: it doesn’t make sense to buy each frame/wheelset on this list, since you won’t be able to fully upgrade it before having access to buy the next fastest frame. So you’ll need to choose your purchases/upgrades wisely.
There’s another factor to consider here as well, when you’re looking strictly at climbing performance. Zwift’s upgrade system is structured so that, if a bike is classified as a climbing bike, the upgrades it receives are more climbing-focused. All-arounders and aero bikes, on the other hand, receive more “balanced” upgrades between aero and climb performance.
So while the table above shows the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 outperforming the Specialized Aethos S-Works on climbs, this is only true if the frames aren’t upgraded. If you compare fully-upgraded versions of those frames (the toggle on this Tron vs Top Performers chart may help), the Aethos is actually a much better climber, putting ~21 seconds into the S-Works Tarmac SL9 over an hour on a climb.
The Trek Emonda (unlocked by completing the Climb Mt Everest Challenge) earns a mention here as well, because it is classified as a climbing bike and will outclimb all bikes except the Aethos when fully upgraded.
Don’t have enough Drops? Keep riding – you’ll get them soon enough! (Learn how to earn more Drops here.) And if you’re wanting to level up faster, check out How to Earn More XP and Level Up Faster on Zwift.
Improvement by Level
Even more so than our list of most aero frames and wheels by level, the biggest performance gains for climbing come very early in a Zwifter’s level progression. Almost 80% of total gains are attainable by just level 8!
Your Thoughts
Hopefully this helps you select a bike for your next race, no matter your Zwift level. Got questions or comments? Post below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Hopefully this will calm the confusion in the choices 😅, my only question , 😆 , is a new halo bike faster than its fully upgraded equivalent , is the specialised halo faster than a s works tarmac sl8 fully upgraded , I really not concerned about fully upgrading a halo , I’m 60 next year , hehe
You can figure it out using the fully upgraded numbers from our public data sheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S0pTN_hBMddX0GhCqSOd6fPlIJeWtw0xr6Y1M6PzNJY/edit?gid=173681512#gid=173681512) but it takes some thinking, as you have to figure in wheels on the Tarmac while the Project 74 includes wheels.
So here’s the answer – these are the time gaps after an hour. Higher=faster=better:
So the fully upgraded Project 74 Halo Bike is faster on the flats than the fully upgraded S-Works Tarmac SL8+858/Super9 disc wheels. But the Tarmac will climb faster.
Always appreciative Eric , certainly won’t be going out of my way to fully upgrade the halo bike anytime soon .
And what about the Roval Alpinist CLX?
Slightly slower than the Zipp 353, so they don’t make this list.
What about this set – Trek Emonda and Giant SLR 0? those wheels have the same weight and aero as Meilenstein, what do you think?
This guide is a lifesaver! I’ve been grinding levels on Zwift and always wondered when it was really worth investing in better climbing gear. Great to know that most of the performance gains happen early—makes the decision-making way easier. I just picked up the Chapter2 Tere and Mavic UST wheels and noticed a real difference on Alpe du Zwift. Also, totally unrelated but if you’re a cat person like me and need a break between rides, I highly recommend https://kittyhelper.co—found some great tips and products for my furry training partner there
I’m looking to purchase either a Zwift or Pinarello bike where it uses elevation climbed for the upgrades. I am not sure if there’s a way to determine that before one purchases a bike from the drop shop. I am halfway to my AdZ Masochist badge so a climbing bike would be ideal. Any recommendations? Preferably something that upgrades quickly.
This post lists all bikes in the Drop shop, and what type of upgrade scheme each uses: https://zwiftinsider.com/bike-upgrade-details/
Thank you for your reply. The post certainly answered my question. Unfortunately Pinarello doesn’t have a bike that uses climbing for upgrades. At least I won’t make a purchase trying to guess at obe.
question, have both the lightweights and the 353s, since they both climb identically should I not equip with the 353s which could be better on flat?
Correct. There’s basically no reason to use the Lightweights. At lower w/kg (2wkg) our tests show the Lightweights are 1.2s faster up the Alpe than the 353’s… so at lower power that lighter weight helps a bit more. But at higher power that slim advantage goes away, and as you said, the 353s are much faster on the flats.
see THAT is why I’ve been losing races, not me. thx Eric.
From my experience, an 88kg heavy rider with around 220W average power. The speed/time to finish a route is heavily related to the speed gain and retention upon climbs. The fixed power test may be a good indication of cruising speed. In Zwift races, the acceleration, rolling resistance and power to maintain cruising speed may be more important for selecting the best frame for your event. For example, consider Lightweight wheels, which, from the test, recorded d lower flat speed (inconsistent power 300w/150w). From my experience, it is more agile in acceleration both on flat and climbs. Suggesting to further refine the test by using a GPX file to account for the power to acceleration/speed changes for segments rather than averaging a fixed route/time duration.
The LAB 71 isn’t mentioned in this article ranking against the SL8 and Aethos. Where will it rank for flats/hilly and climbing. Hate to want to buy the SL8 if I can stick with the LaB71 and be brand loyal.
The Lab 71 is very marginally heavier and less aero than the Sworks SL8. The difference shows up on a spreadsheet but you’d never notice it while riding. And the Lab 71 is undoubtedly better looking.
Howdy,
I am at lvl 37 and on lvl 4 of 5 upgrading specialized aethos s works .
I think it was a must buy on the list w/ zipper 454s, I think they were also a must buys.
I do not see myself moving up further than cat D anytime soon, probably not in my lifetime.
I would like to get and upgrade 2 bikes ,one for climb routes and one for flats.
With the recommended wheels for each.
Can you dumb it down for me and suggest the 2 to get at the lvl they become available ?
Isn’t the Roval CLX Alpinist the best climbing wheelset?
Zwift Insider’s Roval Alpinist CLX article shows an Alpe du Zwift time of 49:12, and explicitly says that’s equal to the Lightweight Meilensteins, and faster than the Zipp 353 (49:20). Zwift Insider’s Zipp 353 NSW article (also 2021-era) says the 353 is ~5s slower than Meilensteins on their Alpe test.
Those two pages alone already create “353 is 5s off best” vs “Alpinist equals best and beats 353”.
this is from your data posted.
Both of those posts include a disclaimer at the bottom stating:
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Rankings and data on this page are from current performance tests.
While I’ve never won them, I think it’s a miss on Zwifts part that the fastest climbing wheels aren’t won at the top of the Alp, or better yet, Ventoux.
zwift hq don’t think that clearly 😂
Eric,
The Frame Drop Shop of the Zwift game app, the new Tarmac SL9 does not include the term ‘S-Works’. It shows up with the Tarmac SL-7, Tarmac SL8 & Tarmac SL-9. Where as the the ‘S-Works’ Tarmac SL-8 is a different bike from the Tarmac SL8.
Just checking clarification.
Zwift didn’t name it correctly. They omitted “S-Works” in the SL9 name. But you can see it says that on the frame.
Specialized currently only sells and S-Works version of the SL9. And Zwift currently only sells the S-Works version, too.
Thanks for the verification.