Zwift added two new frames at the end of March (the Parlee RZ7 and Pinarello Dogma F12). And their latest update adds two more: the Factor One and Ridley Noah Fast 2019. All of these frames are rated 3 stars for weight and aero – the same ratings given to those frames which made it onto our “fastest frames” list.
So how fast are these new frames, really? There’s only one way to find out: by testing!
We ran each frame through our standard tests: two laps of the flat Tempus Fugit route, giving us ~50 minutes of flat. And one time up Alpe du Zwift, giving us ~50 minutes of pretty steady climbing. All tests are run using our “standard” setup: Zwift 32mm carbon wheels, a 75 kg rider, at 300 watts steady.
Ridley Noah Fast Factor One Pinarello Dogma F12 Parlee RZ7
Flat Performance
Here are the raw performance numbers on our flat tests, as well as a percentile ranking showing how the frame lines up with all other “standard” frames available on Zwift. (A “standard” frame is a normal road racing frame – not a TT, MTB, or cross/gravel frame.) A lower number of seconds is better, a higher percentile is better.
- Pinarello Dogma F12: 3083 seconds, 85th percentile
- Factor One: 3084 seconds, 81st percentile
- Ridley Noah Fast 2019: 3085 seconds, 75th percentile
- Parlee RZ7: 3087 seconds, 69th percentile
Climb Performance
Here are the raw performance numbers on our climb tests, as well as a percentile ranking.
- Pinarello Dogma F12: 2950 seconds, 63rd percentile
- Parlee RZ7: 2962 seconds, 35th percentile
- Ridley Noah Fast 2019: 2966 seconds, 25th percentile
- Factor One: 2967 seconds, 21st percentile
Solid Beginner Options
The Ridley and Factor frames are both quite affordable, and have very low level locks:
- Ridley Noah Fast 2019: 426,000 Drops, level 9 required
- Factor One: 426,000 Drops, level 8 required
Comparing them to other frames available for beginning Zwifters, they actually rank quite high in performance! So we’ve added them to our “Fastest Frames and Wheels for Level 15 and Below” list. The Factor is ranked at #2, the Ridley at #3. We’ve also highlighted both frames in our Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy At Each Level.
Dogma F12: a Solid All-Arounder
It’s also worth mentioning that the Pinarello Dogma F12 is a solid choice in terms of all-around performance. Looking at our combined percentile ranking chart, we can see the F12 is ranked 6th overall when we combine the climbing and flat performance performance rankings of all frames.
It’s quite fast in terms of aero performance, too: If we were to expand our “fastest frames” list to include just one more frame, this would be it, at the bottom of the list. So this is a solid choice if you’re looking for a good aero bike that climbs decently well.
Conclusion
None of these frames made it into our “short lists” for fastest aero frames and fastest climbing frames, but if you’re a beginning Zwifter or someone with a taste for Italian who is looking for a solid all-around performer, there are some good options in Zwift’s latest additions.
To see how the performance of these frames compares to other bikes in Zwift, check out our Frame Ranking Charts.
Your Comments
Questions or comments? Share below!
Thanks Eric.. Yet again you have performed valiantly. 😋 👍👍
So, 3 of the 4 new frames are “good”.
I bought the RZ7 yesterday, lol
Maybe more importantly, can you change the frame colour on these new frames???
That’s the most important question as I am a right fashion victim when it come to my avatar looking the part 🙂
The answer is… you can… on some of them.
Thank you for all this testing you do for the community Eric.
We really could use a better rating system within Zwift, though. Having so many frames simply rated 3* weight, 3* aero makes it pretty much redundant, and provides no means of making a meaningful comparison between them. Praise be to this site so that we can at least get some objectivity into it.
As someone who owns multiple Ridley bikes IRL, this seems about right. 🙂 Not the lightest or fastest, but coming from the land of cobbles they do tend to last.
excellent content thanks again for the hard work.
Thanks Eric! btw who decides which bikes get into zwift? Is it both zwift and manufacturer? Just waiting for Scott Addict RC
No idea!
I wonder how much Specialized paid Zwift to have the fastest and lightest bikes in the game?
Thanks for the test Eric! There is one thing I’m really interested in with these speed tests. You test at 4 w/kg, but I’m FAR away from ever reaching those kind of figures for more than a few minutes 🙂 If you would do the test at 2.5 or 3w/kg, what is the difference between the bikes? Does the effect of a better bike decrease at lower watts (like aero doesn’t really matter at low speeds in the real world), or is it the other way around?
The effect actually increases somewhat at lower power levels. So time gaps get a bit bigger.
I think that any newly introduced bike that is currently being ridden by a top level/world tour team is likely to have very similar performance, so that there is minimal benefit relative to others when the team ends up riding in Zwift races and events. Are there any really good bikes or wheels that will used in next week’s series?
Still hoping for a revamped in-game ranking system that more accurately gives the user the info they need, without having to resort to looking up several blog articles. 4 stars for weight and aero is pretty much meaningless.
True, but do you really know all of that information in real world cycling? Make it too easy and everyone just gets the same 🚴 bicycle 🚴unless they really care about the fashionista!
Sounds like I’ll be sticking with the S5 and the ENVE most of the time then 🙂
Thanks Eric. Was wondering about these. Knew you’d come through for us.
Actually I think that all frames should be available to all Zwifter’s regardless of Level. If you have the “drop” bucks you should be able to purchase the bike of your choice. Just like walking into a bike shop…if you have the money you can purchase a 16K $$$ Pinarello regardless of your cycling ability!
Is it true that only 4 seconds flat improvement moves from the 69th percentile to 85? And 17 seconds on climbs goes from 21 to 63rd percentile?
Yes, whatever you see is true.
The percentile numbers can be a little weird, because several frames might be “tied” with the same time. So you might have 6 frames with the same time on the flat, so they’re all at 85%. Then the next slowest frame (just 1s slower) is 69%. Does that make sense?
That’s the best we can do, unfortunately, since Strava doesn’t get any more granular than 1 second timings.
it’s time to tell us how many watts give us the ceramicspeed kit 🙂
Great update Eric, thanks! But I have to admit – when I see a pro or semi-pro rider at level 5 on a Zwift Carbon speed right by me on my Dogma F12, I’m immediately reminded that my frame is more fun than fact! 🙂
Just like outdoors… the bike itself is just a small factor compared to fitness! 🙂
Hi Eric. Does drafting work the same with the gravel/MTB do you know? As in, is there less of a draft benefit if you’re in a pack on a gravel or MTB compared to being on a road bike?
Drafting DOES work, yes. I believe the draft is exactly the same regardless of bike type.