I almost thought it wasn’t going to happen this year, so you can imagine how honoured (and slightly surprised!) I was to be invited back to Zwift Community Live 2026. One minute it was all uncertain, and the next… boom! Flights booked, bags (over)packed, and that familiar last-minute panic of “how many kits is too many kits?”
Mallorca, here we go.
From the moment I landed and hopped on the shuttle, it already felt like the start of something special. Within minutes, I was spotting familiar faces, community leaders from last year and the excitement started building fast. By the time we reached the hotel, it was in full-on reunion mode. Zwift staff, ambassadors and leaders greeting you with big hugs like no time had passed… which is impressive, considering most of us usually only see each other as tiny avatars riding somewhere in hilly Scotland.
This year’s energy? Definitely turned up a BIG notch. Because everyone kind of knew each other already, there was less “awkward small talk” and more “where have you been hiding?” The groups mixed easily, the laughs came quicker, and it just felt… effortless. Plus, meeting new community leaders meant even more great people to add to the ever-growing Zwift family.
The daily routine was simple and brilliant: eat, ride, repeat (with a bit of coffee in between, obviously). Each day kicked off with breakfast before heading out on one of four rides: Uber Pretzel, Mega Pretzel, Pretzel, or Mini Pretzel. Yes, just like Zwift but with actual sunshine, real hills, and no “connection drop” excuses. Some of us did miss the feather powerup! Each ride had a leader and a sweeper too, so no one could mysteriously “disappear”… nice try.
Day two brought something really special: women-only rides. This was such a highlight! A group of incredible women, riding together in the sunshine, sharing laughs, supporting each other, and just enjoying being out on two wheels. Same four route options, same good vibes, just even more empowering.
By day three, we were all seasoned pros… or at least pretending to be. The legs may have been questioning our life choices, but the smiles said otherwise.
After each ride, we swapped helmets for conversations: community leader meetings covering racing, community growth, and what’s coming next for Zwift. But the real magic? Getting to know the people behind the avatars. Turns out, everyone is just as fun in real life, just with better snacks and louder laughs.
One of the standout moments was the very first Scotty’s Awards, a brilliant way to celebrate the community:
- R3R – Most Engaged Club
- Shark Worx – Fastest Growing Club
- The HERD – Largest Community Club
Huge congratulations to all, and proof that the Zwift community isn’t just active, it’s thriving.
And as if that wasn’t enough, we also got the fantastic news that Zwift’s title sponsorship of the Tour de France Femmes has been extended for another four years. Massive win for women’s cycling and incredibly exciting for the future of the sport.
Honestly, this might have been my favourite Zwift Community Live yet. So many good moments, catching up with old friends, meeting new faces, lots of laughs, and just sharing that love of cycling together, all under the Mallorcan sun. Hard to beat that. (Maybe with slightly fresher legs… but let’s not get carried away 😄)
And a BIG THANKS to the Zwift team for making it all feel so special for everyone.
Here are some thoughts from other community leaders who survived sorry, enjoyed the trip:
Georgina Alsop – Cycle Nation
My favourite part of ZCL was meeting and making connections with so many other club leaders. I’ve already tapped into their expertise in racing, and our time together will allow us to pool our knowledge to make community-led events on Zwift the best they can be.
Sonja Weber – FemmeCycleCollab
It was my first time at ZCL, and I loved every minute of it. What stood out most to me was the number of women attending and the energy around growing women’s cycling on Zwift. Being able to exchange ideas with community leaders and Zwift staff about empowering more women to race felt really meaningful. And yes… the Scotty hugs were definitely a highlight too!
Gail Kocher – Revolution Velo Racing
ZCL 2026 was amazing! I had to keep pinching myself to remind myself it was real! Being able to spend time and cycle in such a beautiful place with like-minded people, a.k.a. the Zwift Community, meeting friends for the first time and making new friends was simply wonderful! Bonus I got to meet a couple REVO teammates while I was on the island also! Thank you Zwift!!
Cissi Catalan – Bikealicious
My view of ZCL 2026: miles & smiles.
So many hugs. This wasn’t just a cycling event, it was real connection, real inclusion, and a community that truly lives its values.
The spirit of fun, friendliness, and belonging was everywhere.
I didn’t feel limited. I felt free. I’m bike-able
Marius Midtskogen – The Herd
Zwift Community Live 2026 in Mallorca was an incredible experience – three days of riding, connecting, and sharing the passion for cycling with people from all over the world. The mix of epic routes, great conversations, and that the unique Zwift community spirit made it something truly special. I came home tired, inspired, and even more motivated to keep riding and building the community.
Søren Andersen – Danish Bike Riders
Zwift Community Live 2026 was once again an absolutely fantastic experience. Four days of camaraderie and old and new friendships. Meaningful encounters, amazing routes, and wonderful rides. Words can’t really explain how good it was.
Stephan Maertens – Team Vegan
ZCL 2026 was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. 5 days “Meeting Up” in real life with people from Watopia you have known by name for years but have never met, and who also share the same passion, was like living in a dream. Also, meeting the ZHQ team crew was so great. And all this on the beautiful island of Mallorca. Thank you Zwift, you changed my life 10 years ago, and the ZCL 2026 was superb!!
Gareth Hay – Club Ladder
It was a pleasure to hear from so many in the community about the joy Ladder racing has brought. It’s easy to forget while fixing the problems and issues that there are so many other riders who genuinely love the races.
It was great riding with all corners of the community and making friendships, putting faces to some of the huge names in the space. Still star-struck at meeting THE Scotty!
John Ayton – Galaxy Cycling Club
My highlights were being able to speak with HQ leaders and club representatives from the vast spectrum of our community.
Every club leader shared their thoughts, opinions, and Zwift experiences, whether they were a fledgling club or one of the founding ones.
Every voice counts.
Our Community.
Together. 👍
Marjolein De Vliegher – Herd Racing
Zwift Community Live was, once again, a truly amazing experience. Mallorca is such a great place to ride, but riding with all these wonderful people is making it even better. The ability to meet all the great people in the Zwift Community, each one of them having their unique reasons to ride on Zwift, is making this event so inspiring and motivating.
Kristin “KristyLou” Reinke – Phoenix Rising
Receiving an invite to this year’s Zwift Community Live filled me with both excitement at being able to meet the people behind their avatars, and anxiety wondering if I would finally be outed as some type of fraud. Curiosity won out over shyness and socially awkward tendencies thankfully, as I would have otherwise missed out on one of the best adventures I could ever have imagined. I found ZCL to be a gathering of some of the nicest, most supportive people ever, all excited to share their love of riding and Zwift with others.
Prior to ZCL, I’d found meeting Zwifters I’d ridden with to be an enjoyable experience and marveled that they were as cool as their online personas. Now I realize that these weren’t just flukes, Zwifters simply are some of the best people one could hope to meet.
Niccolò Martinoli – Team Italy
Zwift Community Live has been an absolute blast. As they say, “It’s easy to win one championship, but staying on top is the real challenge.”
The entire Zwift Team did an amazing job in crafting, delivering, and making ZCL 2026 an unforgettable experience.
My biggest takeaway is the sense of community: it truly feels like a family, where everyone is friendly, supportive, and always willing to help others make their experience the best it can be. And that’s something truly priceless.
Time to celebrate — mamma, butta la pasta! 🇮🇹
Rich Lovelock – Squadra Castelli
What an incredible experience for my first time at Zwift Community Live in Mallorca. It was wonderful to finally put faces to names and to learn how other community leaders organise and motivate their groups. The Zwift HQ team did an outstanding job making everyone feel welcome and ensuring the event ran seamlessly. The riding in Mallorca was as spectacular as ever, but the real highlight was forming new connections and memories with this inspiring Zwift community 🫶🏽
