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?
Found this video interesting (not sure about the discourse in the comments about the author being a B cat
https://youtu.be/sxgnevm3Tn4
In real life people pay more for better bikes, better wheels, more aerodynamic clothing and better nutrition. All of this also could be seen as unfair advantages…
I love the new steering. It’s so much better than than the Sterzo. Like you, I find steering helps make Zwift more engaging.
What would make Zwift more engaging is it working without bugs and Crashes.
there’s always this guy //sigh!
I have had fewer bugs on Zwift than on any other online cycling platform and crashes I have had have been the result of internet issues, not Zwift issues. So, not sure what you’re talking about.
I can see that you’ve never used Rouvy. I’ve been splitting my virtual riding time about equally between that platform and Zwift. In over two years, I’ve never seen Rouvy crash. Zwift…not so much.
Agreed I find this zwiftt platform very stable. For the most part steering is excellent. Last couple of days the steering has taken me off course when I’m following up Pacer can’t make it stop but otherwise I’d much rather steer than not steer keeps your brain working
I think Zwift steering is fair; I just think it’s not very good.
It’s not proper steering – it’s just corner-cutting – and while it felt great when I took my only ever outright Zwift race win by cutting the final turn in a steering-enabled race where no/one else had steering, it didn’t feel good enough for me to bother replacing my Sterzo’s batteries when they ran out.
Until it’s like Grand Theft Bike – where steering and braking is proper and you can crash if you corner too fast – I’ll just think it’s a bit “meh.”
I have a feeling braking is going to be more important in the future, given how they’ve built it into the triggers of the Zwift Play. We’ll see!
Braking is a pretty rare thing to take advantage of. You can already “dab” the brakes with a quick press of A and escape on desktops, however I can count of one hand the times I’ve used it for an advantage.
Not possible on Android (if I am not misstaken)
I hope not as it would mean you need to buy that in order to ride on Zwift
Using steering on Zwift is like learning any cycling skill. It is a learning curve. Steering is much more than cutting corners. After using it for over a year now, I can position my avatar optimally in the peloton, make turns taking the optimal line and stop non-steerers drafting me if I try a breakaway or on a sprint. I have found it very helpful in races. My advice to you is to try it for longer to maximize the benefits.
I am in favor of any innovation that makes the platform more mentally engaging. Don’t like the automatic nature of just riding without having to think. Steering definitely helps optimize the draft and helps you drop drafters on a Sprint. I suspect it will continue to improve
“stop non-steerers drafting me”
This right there is the whole problem. One you think it us perfectly fine to win by a a design flaw rather than fitness or skill, two that Zwift creates two sets of behaviours. I can draft non-steerers automatically but cannot if they have steering. That is terrible design, I should be able to draft all racers not just a subset.
Knowing Zwift they probably don’t even realise it, but if I was cynical I’d say its a ploy to sell more equipment. Fair enough, if they fricking worked. Mine stopped after the second ride because I guess I sweated on it. Lol. Sweat on a trainer, who would have thought?
Have not had to use but if you had to concentrate on not hooking a bke or got dinged getting ‘off course” it would be more acceptable to me.
I don’t think I’d call it “unfair”, there’s a potential advantage to being able to steer but it’s also something else that those riders would have to concentrate on manually doing. It is unfortunate though that Zwift chose to price the new Zwift Play Controllers at such a high price-point, even for the ‘beta’ pricing, since £100-150 for what is essentially a video game controller is remarkably steep even in today’s marketplace. Had they price them at £50 (which would I’m sure still be at a profit making price point) there would likely have been a significantly higher take-up, and far less annoyed users talking about unfair advantages etc.
Personally I won’t be buying the Zwift Play controllers at their current price point, so I’ll just have to deal with any slight deficit in performance that may leave me with, no biggie, just unfortunate they didn’t make them more affordable
How can steering be unfair if anyone can buy and install it?
This concern would all be alleviated if “Auto steer” worked at passable level so that someone without steering wasn’t made to feel they are at a severe disadvantage. When I see stories about people being able to reduce race distance by half a kilometre or more by simply cutting corners something is wrong. Maybe steering won’t have a huge impact to racing, but at the moment there is a lot of uncertainty and unfortunately that breeds fear and ultimately hostility, especially when you create a separate community of “haves” and “have nots”.
A shame the change management side of this seems to have been an afterthought…
i think your thoughts are WAY exaggerated! it doesnt give you that much advantage unless you say 1/2 Km is over 200km
On the Makuri 40 route if I saved 496 meters according to Strava by taking the shortest route. As I was travelling at 24 mph that is a saving of 46 seconds.
You can use the Performance Predictor which is part of Sauce for Strava to find the actual distance you travelled on a Segment.
It’s not an exaggeration, I saw a race yesterday which was a 31km mass start iTT on the Ocean Cliffside Loop and this guy with steering who was clearly aiming for apexes etc. literally finished with 500m less distance showing than the person behind him who didn’t have steering.
We are, I guess, supposed to believe that though Zwift can intelligently correct your power and divine your intent at any moment in a pack they can’t predict a reasonable line.
If nothing else the steering data will make the ability to make a prediction practically perfect, at which point the steering ability and the non steering ability becomes just about equivalent for a lot of things. Maybe not the mario kart events.
But this all misses the point. This line of narrative is supposed to give you FOMO.
It’s about driving sales and adding revenue.
That may be taking it a bit far. The simpler answer is that steering was looked at as a new way to make Zwift more immersive and very little (or no) concern was given at all to the implications for racing given racers are something like 10% of all riders. “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by neglect.”
In any case, the Sterzo can be had for less than $50. If Zwift isn’t going to make steering easily accessible for those on an incompatible bike (e.g., via companion or keyboard) then that would seem to be the cheapest and easiest way to get back to a level playing field. It comes with the added bonus that it doesn’t involve handing money over to the same company to fix a problem that they created in the first place.
Nothing to do with malice. It’s revenue.
Yeah, they’re leveraging the lizard brain (the fear/anger jump made in the post a few answers up shows that way more than ‘FOMO’ in my opinion) but there’s nothing new there.
Just understand it’s by design.
Steering also allows you to position your avatar better in the peloton and stop others drafting you in sprints and breakaways (like in IRL), it is much more than just taking the best like through corners. Ultimately, it is like any new technology, some will take it up, others will resist it. A matter of personal choice.
How do you stop people drafting you in real life? Another Zwift nerd who has never actually ridden outside.
Yeah I’d say that it just makes clear that Zwift are deliberately not using the “optimal line” for the automated steering…I’m not sure that they will choose to improve on that though even with additional data as that would remove the benefit of buying their new (expensive!) product
In my opinion verywhere you ride should equate to the same distance (calculate based on rotational speed, that is fair). That means you chatacter will visibly slow down a bit if you corner cut. This isn’t realistic, but a virtual game isn’t realistic anyways.
What I would suggest is that only if you really take the outside your character will get a longer distance. This way steering can be fun by making others not ride exactly behind you and get the draft or things like that.
What would be a better option is that you should be able to steer with a keyboard and or the companion app. This way everyone can steer. Buttons for left right, and a button for middle of the road (where you’d normally ride if you don’t have steering). We should be able to just conn3ct anny controller fpr this and set it up. At least everyone can steer and everyone has a keyboard or phone with the app. It may not be good steering but it’s something at least!
If you feel like a have not… Just buy the kit!!!
I was in a PD 4.1 race with steering enabled. I Found myself in a small group at the front of the race. In that situation it just felt unfair. I could gap the group anytime I wanted by putting in a little effort and diving into a corner. Two of us with steering put a lot of pressure on the group riding down Titans’ grove. By the end of the race I had stopped steering because it seemed like too big an advantage. By the end of the race I had ridden .2 miles less than everybody else (out of ~24 miles). So 1 percent out of an hour long race, our about 36 seconds. I keep looking at the distance saved when I do group rides and it seems like it is too high.
im pretty sure was there too, mr curtis. tested… stayed for 30 min. it was fun, and steering did help
ive been using the [Play controllers] and love them; there are times they help, but it makes racing in particular so much “busier”. you really got to practice using them, so you can micro position rather than wide swing out of a draft etc. ive improved a lot there and it IS an advantage. also working together with other steerer’s helps too.
the hard part is being busy; its constant work to get your spot – its a lot easier to just put your head down and bash out watts without the worry.
My only experience was in a small race – but there is seemed like steering could be a big advantage – as you can steer such that you can’t be drafted, but if the non steerers catch back on you can steer back to drafting them. Maybe in a big race blob then it won’t be such an advantage. But in a small race it made it not really fun to race people with steering when you don’t have it.
that’s the point of steering so you can avoid having someone draft you. perhaps an update in the future where if someone is across the road and “undraftable” for a period of time, eg: 5-10 secs, the blob/rider(s) behind will auto-cross road to line up. then the lead rider can cross again if he wants to / much how it goes in RL.
If that’s the point then screw them and screw you. I know its Zwift, but show me a real life scenario where I can hit a button and people can no longer draft. You are winning not by skill or fitness but by a design flaw. And you’re proud of it. Jesus wept.
I’ve had steering for some time now on the kickr bike and while it was initially a fun novelty I honestly don’t use it much anymore, even when active. I can see it being used in races to some effect but I find it just a bit of a fad. Just me personally, but I wouldn’t go spending 100 on the controllers just for steering, although I do like the idea of them for easy access to menu controls etc.
Since my comment that Karissa has quoted in the article I have had the opportunity to practice with steering a bit more. As with any skill in zwift, as you get more practiced, you get to know better how to use that skill, Where it does/does not give an advantage, once you have that all worked out then you can maximise the outcome.
Same as knowing how to draft, when to time a sprint, what tactic to use in a given scenario/location. It’s just another tool to add to the armoury.
Used wrongly it will get you in trouble – I have steered myself out of the draft many times cutting a corner let alone being forced out as I described.
Used well, there are gains to be made.
Some things that would improve fairness with steering:
It’s an easy thing to add to the companion app like they did in January over at RGT! Simple to use, calibrates on the fly, everybody has access! Seems like a bo brainer if you want to add to the experience and not just your bottom line!
I just did my first steering race today with the new Zwift Play controllers. I agree with the comments above. It’s definitely not an easy win (I was 9th out of 10). It can be great in twisty bits, like Titans Grove or the Esses, but you have to be mentally on the ball the whole time and it is definitely more tiring. It’s not a free pass for the win (or even an expensive one). It’s quite easy to get out of position.
I did manage to successfully brake my way back into the pack once when I was on the front. A quick dab on the brake and I was back where I wanted to be. Waste of energy, I know, but wanted to try it.
I think it’s great to have options though and possibly as I use it more it might become second nature and less hard? We’ll have to see. Anyway here’s a video of today’s ladder race…
https://youtu.be/dZaWcP_uZqo
What if you had just stopped peddling would have done the same no?
It needs to be available to as many as possible and being able to be done via the keyboard. Not sure if theres a way it can be enabled for apple tv though.
I’d like to see steering hotkeys added, but from my experience with the GTA 5 bike mod, steering with a keyboard is not easy! I think the main benefit is that other devices could then map to those keyboard inputs.
Virtupro has steering with the keyboard. I find it difficult to use, especially if pedaling hard, as it involves taking the hand off the handlebar.
As a Cat C Rider steering is not a problem for me. marginal gains you may call it.
The biggest problem, having bought the “Play” is deciding whether to use it or not 😂
Use it, it is great fun and adds to the gaming experience.
I’m not sure I’d gain an advantage, I’m reasonable at cycling, but useless at computer games. For people that have used it, would you feel that it feels more like riding a bike or playing GTA? I’d definitely be interested in trying it, but don’t want to be swerving all over the road.
Ppl living in N.America have huge advantage due to much lower network LAG. Ppl with powerful gaming PC with FPS at 150-200 have huge advantage against ppl with very low FPS or unstable network with much network jitter. Ppl with direct connect using network cable have huge advantage over ppl on wifi, even the best wifi. Ppl racing in a cold basement have huge advantage in the summer heat, no matter what fan/cooling solution you have. Ppl with ATV are at a disadvantage due to the horrible remote. Life’s never going to be fair.
– “This is the way”🙂
Surely you see the difference here, right? Steering is an inequality introduced for people to pay to have it taken away again. There’s no equivalence with your examples.
Following your logic, it seems you’d be fine with replacing drops with actual cash?
I wouldn’t say it’s “unfair” it’s just another tool you can use effectively, use poorly, or not use at all. If anything I’d say it’s fairer than the power ups, as at least it’s not down to pure random chance. Is cutting a key final corner with a feather (or worse an XP bonus) for a flat finish more useful than not cutting it with a van or aero power up?
I always find it amusing when I look at cycling ppl and the crazy amount of money they have spent on pants, jerseys, watt pedals nutrition, cool shades, fancy gloves, travel here and there for racing and bike events etc, no problem, but as soon as there some small little techie thingy being released, a small fraction of the cost they happily spend on other non-tech things, ppl get so all over the place that it is expensive and unfair 😄
Often these ppl have like 3-4 crazy expensive bikes as well…
Just wonder which is more effective/easier to use, the sterzo or zwift play. Also has anyone else notice that play seem to be more responsive when you bridge with a phone or tablet?
I have been using the Sterzo since it came out. I use it whenever I can. I have put in hundreds of hours with pacer bots using it. It is second nature to me now. I don’t think about steering it just happens. The only issue I have with it is that it is a challenge to get it to force a turn at an intersection.
In a C race with a small group as a strong rider it gave me a noticeable advantage.
I didn’t know it would make a turn at an intersection. I tried a few times and just thought it didn’t do it.
I wonder if steering could be worked into the companion app by tilting a phone? Or with a steering screen?
They tried the “tilting a phone” version with the Companion App early on, with the original Repack Ridge. It worked, but not always well, and apparently Zwift got a lot of feedback that the calibration kept going off-center. They could do something like on-screen buttons, though.
Yes! They have been doing just that on RGT since January! It works great!
pity that “other” platform isn’t as good as zwift – or do you just like coming here to announce it NUMEROUS times already?
Well, it “works”, somewhat..
Fine, have some gizmo that allows you to steer anywhere other than the few places that were previously dedicated to it.
But, not sure how I feel about 87% of the races having it enabled. It just came out, and in fact it’s still in BETA (hence why there’s a discount for it now).
Zwift themselves should run Steering Only events for the foreseeable future. I’m sure they have the numbers on how many were bought, and how many are being used in a given day.
It’s almost like they’re trying to “convince” (push, force) people to buy the gadget.
As far as I know, race organizers have the option to turn steering off. It is turned off for the DIRT Summer of Champions series for example. Maybe most organizers are keen to keep it on to guage the response or maybe because there is overwhelming support for it amongst Zwifters.
I’ve got a steering block and I find it awful. It’s so unresponsive that you are basically steering for a corner you are not at yet, which is next to terrible. It also requires turning the bars so far that irl you would be turning around. It feels like you are forever moving your bars side to side continuously. I’m just saying what my experience is. Also, riding with a friend became a side by side ride as they were unable to get on my wheel, even when we tried, so a disadvantage for both of us. I’m sure the Zwift handlebar system as a lot easier, more responsive and removes the need to over exaggerate handlebar turning which would be a lot better. I’ve been in a race recently and a guy had broken away so I bridged over to him, but he just stayed over to one side of the rd which meant I couldn’t get on his wheel.. didn’t seem fair or sensible. I’m on the, why bother with it side and it shouldn’t be on in events. Just my thoughts.
I used the Sterzo steering block for several months. Found it easy to use and responsive. I agree that it is not like IRL but it is intuitive. I have used the steering on a kickr Bike for the past 10 months. The main difficulty is reaching the steering buttons. They are easy to miss when under pressure. I have used the keyboard keys when on Virtupro, much harder to use. With regards to riding with a friend on Zwift, I have found using steering makes no difference and indeed makes the positioning of my avatar to facilitate drafting, easier, It does not matter anyway as it does not affect communication. With regards to not being able to draft the breakaway rider with steering, easy solution, you have a steering block, use it :).
Until the rest of the world outside the EU, UK and US can buy the controllers then by definition it cannot be a level playing field.
What isn’t fair is selling Zwift approved smart bikes capable of steering through their array of buttons onboard but not developing the function on those bikes as priority and instead, bringing out a custom device at an additional cost. To make matter worse, it looks like the Zwift steering controls wouldn’t even fit a Wattbike Atom due to the nature of the lower gear shift buttons located under the hoods.
I’m member 3000 on Zwift. Been with it from the start and a few days ago I cancelled my subscription. It’s all getting a bit silly now and is sadly drifting away from becoming a professional race simulator that I personally want and would be dedicated to use as a cyclist. They do so much development in areas that are a nonsense to me that the writing is now on the wall for me. Why can’t we have a customised HUD, a draft meter, an elevation profile that actually means something to the user and show the hills properly or a list of groups when your racing along with the splits and number of racers in the groups etc? These are all basic components for me and have been needed for years – not the ability to steer to gain an advantage in a race or have a feather power up now extended to 45 seconds.
I can see where Zwift are coming from though in becoming more like a novelty game and perhaps that’s where the money is for them but I’d imagine like any game, it becomes boring when the novelty wears off for the casual cyclist or the middle aged user who ‘wants to try and get fit’ and is willing to throw money at something and then give up after a few months or simply someone who wants to use it once a fortnight for half an hour. As long as there remains a steady stream of casual users, it’s all good for them.
Yeah if it had been my choice on where to develop I’d certainly have gone for a lot of those often requested items you.mention like HUD, Draft, Groups, better profiles, accurate fixed-rpute maps etc. However it seems clear that Zwift are leaving heavily into the gaming side of things now rather than the exercise/sport/racing, they’ve even quite noticeably started calling it a “game” now instead of an app/platform/etc
It’s probably an advantage. Everybody complaining has their correct weight entered, right?
I got a Sterzo when it was half-price a while back. I like that it adds another channel of engagement into Zwift. It gives me the delusion that I’m doing everything I can to shave off milliseconds by carving the shortest path through the Alpe du Zwift corners. I think it can be more of a hindrance than a help to find the best line for drafting, which is best done by ensuring you aren’t inadvertently passing people. The way you steer is nothing like irl – a very exaggerated motion, but you quickly adapt. Steering and a rocker plate also bring back more body movement that gets pretty frozen indoors.
I’m using the Sterzo for more than a year. Intentionally bought to steer at junctions, its advantages riding in packs were quickly obvious. However, most of current discussions could be summarized as whether incomplete or buggy functionalities become now features. Best example is the advantage to shortcut ‘special’ corners which is an inconsistent implementation of street width & how & when riders could utilize. Many users have yet experienced same when riding, e.g., through monuments in London, or just far outside roads. Anyways, steering is a nice feature but won’t be an advantage anymore when enforced for all unless riders collisions will be prohibited.
I have the Elite Riser with steering capability. I bought this due to a huge frustration I experience in all events. Actually through this post I hope someone else has had the same experience and can offer a solution. The problem being that my avatar was always on the extreme left of the pack, I really mean always. Accelerating to the front or falling back keep me left and I don’t get to spend much time in the pack. My wife does not have this problem and we use the same equipment. So I purchased the steerer and finally I can place myself in the pack and ride as I would IRL.
I certainly do agree with cutting corners and I really dislike that. I specifically try to ride smoothly in the bunch and even counter-steer to keep my line through corners and not to swing from side to side. It does take some effort but that’s how it should be done. Not to gain an unfair benefit.
The last couple of days when I check in to a pace partner ride with my steering on the steering will take me in the opposite direction from the pack on almost every corner this is extremely frustrating what the heck is going on. Steering is not supposed to take you off course
I’m the only one without a steer in a 4 Riders TTT Team. In 4th position i’m about in the middle of the road, while sometimes 3 others are left or right side. Have to work hard to get in the draft. Could be me, not being strong enough, but even when i’m in last position sticking on a wheel, the game says 2 or even 5 mtrs “close the gap”. And i don’t feel the draft like i used to or in other races not TTT. Anyone having this experienced? Thx RIDE ON
Just checking – are you aware of the recent update to pack dynamics ? Eric’s helpfully done some testing of it and there’s been some comments with other people’s anecdotes, perceptions and perspectives (and complaints, and ‘would be better ifs’ etc.)
Yes, i’m trying to keep up with the comments. And the articles Eric is posting are very welcome and appreciated. Didn’t find a sort like experience in TTT. I think i only will find out when TTT’s are done with Steering and braking disabled, like the upcoming ZRL TTT’s in September. Thanks for your contribution.
Steering will make people who want to be getting fit, not play a video game, stop racing and ultimately leave Zwift for a different platform. Zwift seems to be on the edge of financial disaster already. This is just a way to try to sell more hardware (which will all end up in the trash) when Zwift pushes this nonsense too far and a new platform arrives and crushes them. Right now they’re kind of the only game in town but that could change really quickly.