The 5 advanced Zwift racing tips post received a lot of good feedback, so here’s a follow-up with more tips.
Keep in mind these are Zwift-specific tips… I’m not trying to analyze racing tips and strategies which work outdoors as well, such as riding near the front of the group, attacking at the crest of hills, etc. There are plenty of places to read about bike race strategy, and much of that applies to Zwift racing as well.
Show Up Early
For larger races (75+ riders) joining the event as early as possible assures you a starting position closer to the front. Since the first 5 minutes of any Zwift race is fast and crazy, being near the front of the pack at the beginning helps you keep track of attacks and easily spot packs of riders going off the front.
Trainer Difficulty Tweaking
This tip only applies to smart trainer users. In races do you typically overtake riders on short climbs, then need to put down extra power to stay with the pack on descents? That’s the joy of racing against “dumb” trainer users. (For the details behind why this happens, read “Hanging with the Group Over Gradient Changes” and “Using the Trainer Difficulty Setting in Zwift“)
One way to reduce this yo-yo effect is to adjust your trainer difficulty settings under Menu>Settings to something in the 0-25% range. Doing so will make your trainer resistance change less in response to gradient changes, helping you keep the power more consistent so you can ride more efficiently.
Grab a Pre-Race Powerup
Many Zwift races allow powerups to be used, so why not begin the race with a useful one? Ride through the start/finish banner, a KOM banner, or a sprint banner to grab a powerup before joining the group at the start gate.
The aero boost, feather, and van are all useful powerups in most races. Not sure what each does? Learn more about powerups in Zwift >
Follow the Race Broadcast
Nathan Guerra and the team at Zwift Community Live (ZCL) have been doing a wonderful job of covering Zwift races since the early days. If you’re in a race ZCL is covering, watch or listen to the broadcast to get a full picture of what is going on.
