If you’re racing time trials on Zwift, upgrading your frame and wheels will cut some significant time off your efforts. And in the “race of truth” where there is no hiding in the draft, every bit of savings counts!
But figuring out where to spend your hard-earned Drops can be confusing, so we’ve put together this table which lists the fastest TT frame and wheelset available at each Zwift level.
(Keep in mind this list applies only to flat and rolling routes. The list below is essentially a simplified, flat-race-focused version of our complete Zwift Shopping Guide. If the climbs in your time trial race last more than a few minutes, you may want to consider a more climbing-friendly setup.)
Want to keep it simple? Just purchase each frame or wheelset on the list as soon as you level up. Don’t have enough Drops? Keep riding – you’ll get them soon enough! (And you might want to ride near a Pace Partner so your Drops add up more quickly!)
Fastest TT Frames
| Level | Fastest Frame | Time Savings |
| 1 | Zwift TT (Free) | 0s |
| 10 | Specialized Shiv (710,000) or Shiv S-Works (852,000) | 18s |
| 15 | Cervelo P5 (710,000) | 25s |
| 18 | Specialized Shiv Disc (994,000) | 30s |
| 26 | Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc (891,000) | 35s |
| 42 | CADEX Tri (1,029,500) | 39.5s |
Fastest Wheelsets
| Level | Fastest Wheelset | Time Savings |
| 1 | Zwift 32mm Carbon (Free) | 0s |
| 4 | ENVE SES 3.4 (191,700) | 26s |
| 5 | Roval CLX64 (170,400) | 30s |
| 6 | DT Swiss ARC 62 (184,600) | 34s |
| 13 | Zipp 808 (177,600) | 42s |
| 31 | ENVE SES 8.9 (205,900) | 43.5s |
| 35 | Zipp 808/Super9 (1,075,700) | 51s |
| 42 | DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT DISC (1,579,800) | 59.5s |
Total time savings of fastest TT frame and wheelset over stock Zwift setup (Zwift TT frame and 32mm wheels): 39.5+59.5=99 seconds
Times above based on our flat speed tests, done with a solo 75kg rider at 300 watts over two laps of Watopia’s very flat Tempus Fugit route. Our test rider completes the route in approximately 50 minutes.
Improvement by Level
The biggest performance gains come early in a Zwifter’s level progression, but TT setups have a slower progression than road setups. Here’s how much time you would be saving at each level if you upgraded to the recommended setups above:
You can see that by level 18, 72% of the overall possible improvement has already been achieved. And once you’ve hit level 42, the only way you’ll get faster is by racing smarter and training stronger!
Digging Deeper
Want to dig deeper into the speeds of various frames and wheels? Check out our TT Frame Ranking Charts and Wheel Ranking Charts.
Your Thoughts
Hopefully this helps you select a rig for your next TT effort, 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 TT frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top TT Performers for current time trial-related performance data.
Can’t help but wonder when we finally get to use TT bikes for TTT (draft allowed) so that we look less silly. How do the TT bike times compare to the road bikes? Just the difference between your 2 stock setups would suffice 👍.
Fastest TT frame vs fastest road frame is 1:36 difference with the stock wheelset.
Fastest TT frame vs fastest road frame is 1:36 difference with the stock wheelset.
You asked and we get to find out for real on Thursday of this week as WTRL is starting TTT races with conveyor belts and allowing TT bikes to give and receive draft benefits.
DT Swiss ARC 1100 paired with Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc for a long time, not tested even once as studying IRL, no time 4 fun
why on the fastest wheels category, is not a mention of the Zip 858/super 9? thank you Eric for all your effort and commitment with the updates!!
Because they are slower than the DT Swiss disc wheels, and unlocked at a higher level.
Hi Eric, Any idea how these times compare to the Tron?
Being a lightweight rider (57 kg) I’m wondering whether aero trumps all else for a flattish ITT, or if a slighly lighter (but still aero) bike like the Tron might be better?
A TT bike is always better in a non-drafting flattish race situation on Zwift. Even the Specialized Shiv (first TT bike on this list) is 29s faster over our ~50-minute flat test than the Tron bike. Get the fastest TT frame (Canyon Speedmax CF SLX) and you’ve trimmed 46s off!
Thanks Eric, much appreciated. I’m level 35 so it looks like I’ll be opting for the Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc + Zipp 808/Super9 wheelset.
First TT on zwift this week. Im level 38. Wondered what best bike is at that level. Got plenty of drops