In the Zwift Hot Topic series, each week we’ll bring up a popular discussion, controversy, question, or creative idea in the Zwift community. We’ll share a couple of different perspectives, but we want to hear your thoughts, too. So read on and chime in below!
Until recently, steering was an oft-overlooked feature in Zwift. It can be fun and engaging, but once you careened down Repack Ridge a few times and tried to go for a PR on a twisty climb, what else was there to do? There were virtually no group rides or races that allowed it.
Now there’s a steering revival! The freshly retooled “Repack Rush” has us swerving all over the road to beat our best times (and our friends’ times, too). The Zwift Play controllers that were just released offer a new, easy alternative to other steering devices like the Elite Sterzo Smart.
Steering is also enabled by default now for all events, unless organizers turn it off. (At the time of publishing, 87% of upcoming events had steering enabled). This means people without steering will be riding and racing alongside people with it (marked by a handlebar symbol in the rider list).
On one hand, I am concerned about fairness and accessibility. Does this turn Zwift racing into a “pay-to-win” game, where you have to buy a steering device to be competitive? I noticed a few Zwifters expressing the same concern in the Zwift Racers Facebook group.
Matthew Hermann: “Noticed that steering is getting used in races now and it is definitely being used to gain an advantage… In real life we steer, but on Zwift surely it needs to be a level playing field. The steering is being used to cut corners and avoid being drafted. I know it’s not real and technically a game, but I feel like this is not right for the E racing community.”
On the other hand, I welcome anything that makes indoor training more engaging and fun. After all, I love bikes AND games! I’ve seen several people who are excited about this new era of Zwift steering.
Stuart Lynne: “Of course, it provides a (small) advantage. So does KICKR Race Mode. So do rocker plates. So do fans. So does having time to train. So does watching how to race in Zwift videos and race recon videos. Zwift is amazingly like IRL [in real life] in that there is no level playing field. People willing to spend time or money or both will have an advantage… My Sterzo sat on a shelf for two years because race events were few and far between. Now I’m using it because most events have it enabled (and I can avoid the ones that don’t).”
Stuart added that the cost of a Sterzo Smart is not much more than a Garmin heart rate monitor, and some races already require HRMs to get points or results. The new Zwift Play will be more expensive, but in the future, third-party hardware could give us cheaper options.
When I tried racing with steering, it was a double-edged sword. I watched with glee as I sailed through the field by cutting corners, as long as there was room on the inside. I could move left or right to try to “shake” someone off my wheel. But when I broke away with another rider who didn’t have steering, I found it hard to stay on his wheel or keep him on mine.
I also kept steering myself out of the group’s draft, leaving my avatar stranded, trying to find space to tuck back into the pack. Zwift sometimes does this on its own, but apparently, I’m not much better at directing my avatar. It takes mental energy to actively steer throughout a race. You need to choose the right positions, and it’s not always easy to get where you want to go. I’m not the only one who had a mixed experience.
Jon Steadman: “I have actually found it both an advantage and a liability. When going through the twisty bits of Titans Grove or France, I seemingly kept being thrown out of draft more than normal. Had to fight with constant correction and more power – got dropped.”
Jon told me he did notice an advantage on the forward KOM climb in Watopia. Taking those corners on the inside gives you a more direct line, and drafting isn’t as important as it is on shallower climbs.
This tells me that Zwift steering takes skill, focus, and tactical smarts. It’s not an automatic win, but it can give you a boost if you use it well. And race organizers can choose to either turn off steering or require it, making sure there’s a level playing field.
Your Thoughts
What do you think? Does steering add to the Zwift experience, or is it a silly gimmick? Do you use it? Is it fair in races when not everyone can?
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