About Zwift’s New $499 Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One + Play Bundle
This week Zwift added a new bundle to their store, along with updated photos. The Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One + Zwift Play Bundle includes the Wahoo KICKR CORE smart trainer with the quieter, adjustable Zwift Cog v2 (the orange one) installed, plus a Zwift Click shifter and Zwift’s Play Controllers. All for $499USD!
Wahoo’s KICKR CORE is the most popular budget direct-drive smart trainer on the planet today, and it’s only growing more popular now that it’s the trainer that ships with the Zwift Ride. With solid specs and proven reliability, the KICKR CORE’s success is no mystery: it’s an affordable trainer that meets or exceeds the needs of the vast majority of Zwifters.
A few key specs:
Accuracy: +-2%
Flywheel: 12lb
Max Wattage: 1800 W
Max Incline: 16%
Autocalibration
Built-In Cadence
Connects via Bluetooth or ANT+
About That Orange Zwift Cog
Zwift Cog v2 and Zwift Click
This trainer bundle ships with the Zwift Cog installed in place of a standard cassette. The Zwift Cog is made for trainers using Zwift’s virtual shifting, and is simply a single sprocket surrounded by a housing. (You only need one sprocket since virtual shifting changes the trainer’s resistance to mimic a gear shift, instead of changing a physical sprocket on a cassette.)
But this new bundle doesn’t use just any Zwift Cog – it uses the new, quiet, adjustable orange Zwift Cog v2! This Zwift Cog easily adjusts left to right between 10 different sprocket positions, so you can get the perfect chainline. And it’s built with rubber rings and other changes to the housing which make it noticeably quieter than previous Zwift Cog versions.
The bundle also includes a Zwift Click virtual shifting button (shown above). This may seem redundant since the bundle includes Play Controllers which also enable virtual shifting, but who’s complaining when the Zwift Click can be paired alongside the Zwift Play controllers and attached to any part of your handlebars to act as a satellite shifter!
Play Controller Capabilities
Zwift Play controllers usually sell for $99USD. They easily mount on most road bike drop-bars and unlock various capabilities for Zwifters, allowing you to interact with the game without needing a keyboard or remote. Game interactions include:
Remember when the Wahoo KICKR CORE sold for $899 without a cassette (or virtual shifting, or autocalibration)? Times have changed, and a quality Zwifting experience is more accessible than ever.
This weekend we’ve got a big charity ride, plus the kickoff races for two new race series. And of course, Tour of Watopia is well underway! See our picks for top events below…
✅ Good Cause ✅ Endurance Challenge ✅ Beginner Friendly
This weekend, the Cycle Nation team is hosting their second annual 24-hour charity ride on Zwift. Led by some of the biggest names on Zwift, the event benefits Distance For Difference (D4D).
You don’t have to ride all 24 hours to take part… 12 different 90-minute events are scheduled over the weekend, so you can jump in whenever you’re able. All events are held on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit route, and paced at 1.8 W/kg.
I’m leading the 8am PT ride and would love to have you join me!
Tour of Watopia 2024 is well underway, with its double XP, double powerups, kit unlocks, and more! Ride these as social events, or go all-out and treat them as a race. You do you!
This weekend we’re on stage 4, which has three route options: Itza Party (46.2km, 505m), Mayan 8 (26.1km, 249m), and Going Coastal (18.7km, 69m).
The ZTPL club is kicking off their Zwift racing season with a three-stage race on back-to-back days, and early signup numbers look strong! (Here are direct links to stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3.) The races are at the same time each day and happen this Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Interestingly, these are scored races… but with only one category. Find your pace and win your race!
This new series from the veteran race organizers at VirtuSlo kicks off this Sunday. The 4Endurance League features two timeslots each Saturday, with six stages of races on the longer side (~50km).
This weekend’s kickoff race is on Elevation Evaluation (52.3km, 803m). The first stage is mass start, while all subsequent stages will be staggered starts. My guess is the race organizer will be using custom Zwift Racing Score ranges for the groupings in stage 2-6, which is fun to see.
Looking for a group ride this weekend? Zwift NL is hosting their longer ride, which is really three separate events since each category has its own pacing and route!
C group will ride two laps of Three Little Sisters at 2.5-3 W/kg for a total length of 76.2km. D group will ride Watopia’s Waistband at 2-2.4 W/kg for 2 hours, and E group will ride Dust in the Wind at 1.5-1.9 W/kg for 2 hours.
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Today, Zwift announced the company’s first-ever event created to bring Zwift’s global community together in real life:
After celebrating 10 years of Zwift with our community, we felt it was the perfect time to gather Zwifters in person—to ride, connect, and strengthen the bonds we’ve built online, all in one of the world’s top cycling destinations.
Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder
Zwift Community Live 2025 is a four-day event taking place in Mallorca, Spain, on April 3-6. Ambassadors, community leaders, VIPs, and passionate Zwifters will meet to celebrate all things Zwift as we ride the island’s iconic roads, connect with the community, and see firsthand what’s next for Zwift from special guests and Zwift leaders.
Zwift says we can “Expect exclusive previews of new Zwift products, guided rides, and organized talks with VIPs and ambassadors who’ll inspire, share insights, and make the Zwift community feel more connected than ever. Get ready to log miles, make lasting memories, and turn virtual friendships into real-world connections.”
More details will be released in the coming weeks, but here’s what we know as of today…
Discover Mallorca’s Legendary Roads
Each day, we’ll have the opportunity to ride Mallorca’s iconic routes via professionally guided rides alongside VIPs, Zwift leaders, and community friends. You might even take on a personal challenge or two!
An All-Inclusive Zwift Experience
Starting at €1,150, Zwift Community Live 2025 tickets include:
Accommodation: four nights at the Iberostar Playa de Muro Village. Choose between single (€188/night) or double occupancy (€206/night), with breakfast and dinner included.
Airport Transfers: relax with smooth, coordinated transfers to and from the hotel.
Daily Guided Rides: discover Mallorca’s famous routes with guided rides.
Exclusive Kit: receive a custom Zwift Community Live 2025 jersey as a keepsake.
Presentations: Get the inside track on upcoming Zwift features directly from product experts, and enjoy inspiring presentations from special guests and VIPs to elevate your own cycling journey. Note: All presentations will be held in English.
Bike Rental (optional add-on, additional cost): reserve a high-performance bike from Zwift’s event partner to make the most of Mallorca’s roads. Subject to availability.
How to Secure Your Spot
Tickets go on sale November 19 at 8pm UTC/12pm PT, and are very limited.
We don’t have the ticket sales link, so make sure you’ve opted in to receive Zwift emails and follow them on social (Facebook, Instagram). Zwift says you will need to do the following to book your ticket(s):
Choose your travel dates
Book your single or double-occupancy room
Confirm your Zwift Community Live 2025 ticket
Optional: Reserve a rental bike
Questions or Comments
My wife and I are looking forward to visiting Mallorca for the first time ever this April. Will we see you there?
Zwift Camp: Baseline 2024 Announced – Assess Your Cycling Fitness
Today, Zwift announced the upcoming launch of an assessment-oriented training program. Zwift Camp: Baseline contains six stages – three workouts and three tests – and upon completion, you receive a report assessing your cycling strengths and limiters and advising on next steps.
Read on for details of Camp stages, schedule, and more…
The Sprint Booster workout has you tackle high-intensity sprint intervals, with recovery sections in between. The full workout is 55 minutes long with 10 sprint segments, while the lite version is 29 minutes with 6 sprints.
After finishing your chosen Sprint Booster workout, let your legs recover for at least 1-2 days, then take the Sprint Test. The important part of this test is its three all-out 15-second sprint efforts. Your goal is to get your best possible sprint power in these segments, so Zwift can accurately assess your sprinting abilities!
After completing the Sprint Test, you’ll receive an email from Zwift summarizing your results. Think you can do better? You can do the test multiple times if you’d like, and you’ll get an email each time.
Attacking
Next, it’s time to work on your ability to attack! The Attack the Bunch workout features high-intensity intervals ranging from 45 seconds to 3 minutes. As the workout progresses, intervals get longer, but the target power also drops. The full workout is 53 minutes long with 8 hard intervals, while the lite version is 34 minutes with 6 hard intervals.
After finishing your chosen Attack the Bunch workout, let your legs recover for at least 1-2 days, then take the Attacking Test. The important part of this test is its two all-out 60-second efforts. Again, your goal is to get your best possible power in these segments, so Zwift can accurately assess your attacking abilities.
After completing the Attacking Test, you’ll receive an email from Zwift summarizing your results.Think you can do better? You can do the test multiple times if you’d like, and you’ll get an email each time.
Endurance
We’ve looked at sprint and attacking power, and now it’s time to tackle those lengthier endurance intervals. The Endurance Elevator workout has you tackle intervals at or around your FTP, with recovery sections in between. The full workout is 59 minutes long with 3 key intervals, while the lite version is 33 minutes with 2 key intervals.
For the endurance test, riders won’t execute a structured workout. Instead, you’ll take on the Elevation Evaluation route, which lets you get a quick warmup before taking you up The Grade. (Haven’t ridden The Grade yet? Read my review of the experience…)
Important: this stage isn’t testing your FTP, exactly. Zwift is taking your maximal 10-minute power from this ride and using it as your endurance power number. Our recommendation: start your 10-minute interval at the bottom of The Grade, and hold your best power to the 10-minute mark!
Be sure to finish the full route to get credit for the stage.
After completing the endurance test, you’ll receive an email from Zwift summarizing your results.Think you can do better? You can do the test multiple times if you’d like, and you’ll get an email each time.
Rider Strength Report
Upon completion of all six stages, you will receive a “Rider Strengths Report” email from Zwift sharing your strength as well as your limiter.
For the cycling nerds in the room: Zwift isn’t disclosing exactly how they’re determining your strength and limiter, because they want to make the results simple and actionable for newer riders. But their FAQ says, “The data from your best effort with these tests is captured and then compared against the rest of the wide and diverse set of Zwifters. Your relative score for each ability is then calculated, which results in your ‘strengths ranking’ where you can discover what is your highest strength versus your area for improvement. Remember, you can repeat these workouts as many times as you want, only your best performance will be taken into account.”
Your strengths will be one of the following:
Sprinting
Attacking
Endurance
Versatility (note: this will be your strength if your ability in two or more of the tests is close to equal)
Based on your strength, you’ll get recommendations for routes and races that fit you best.
The report will also share your limiter, which will be one of the following:
Sprinting
Attacking
Endurance
You will get recommendations for ways to improve your limiter, including taking on a particular training plan, or doing one of the new Challenges (see below).
Important Note: Email Opt In
You will not receive any emails for this program or any Zwift campaign unless you’ve opted in to receive Zwift emails in your profile. To do so, sign into your account at zwift.com/sign-in and go to Profile>Notifications, then enable the setting and save your changes:
Followup Challenges
Zwift Camp: Baseline isn’t a training program as much as it is an assessment of your abilities. The magic happens when Zwift assesses your strengths and limiter, then points you to workouts that help you improve the area most limiting your cycling fitness. This is where three new Zwift mini-challenges will come into play:
Sprinting Challenge
Attacking Challenge
Endurance Challenge
These will be available starting December 23, and each mini challenge will contain a mix of ERG workouts, route-based workouts, and (possibly) other activities to help boost your fitness in a specific area.
While you can execute the six stages of Zwift Camp: Baseline in whatever order you’d like, Zwift says the program is best executed in sequence (as outlined above).
Zwift will be hosting hourly events for each stage of the Camp, but you can also complete them on your own schedule, on demand.
Here is a complete list of key dates for Zwift Camp: Baseline:
Zwift Camp: Baseline Registration Opens: November 12 (in game or online)
Stage 1 – Sprint Booster events: November 18-24
Stage 2 – Sprint Test events: November 24-December 1
Stage 3 – Attack the Bunch events: December 1-8
Stage 4 – Attacking Test events: December 8-15
Stage 5 – Endurance Elevator events: December 15-22
Stage 6 – Elevation Evaluation events: December 22-29
Sprinting/Attacking/Endurance Challenges Available: December 23 onward
Makeup Events: December 29-January 5
Unlocks
As you progress through the stages, you will unlock three exclusive rewards: the Baseline Kit (compete 1 stage), Oakley Katos (complete 3 stages), and Zwift Baseline Wheels (complete all stages).
Questions or Comments?
I’m excited to see Zwift moving into assessing riders’ fitness and helping them decide how to train next. The possibilities here are endless, and the potential benefits to Zwifters are massive!
But what do you think? Got a question or comment? Share below.
How did you get into cycling? Following an injury while running, my partner introduced me to Zwift for rehabilitation. I was able to resume competition through the Zwift Grand Prix, the French Cup, and the women’s races… I regained a taste for training and team spirit.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I have been on Zwift since August 2023.
Are you part of a Virtual team? I race with the French team Hexagone.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I like difficult races with a scratch finish because I have a light and endurance profile.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I love doing the tiny races on Saturday morning. I liked participating in Zwift Grand Prix, because the ranking was high and I am competitive!
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? The most memorable race I did was the Zwift Alps for a Zwift Grand Prix. I started last and I reached the top 20, it was a really extraordinary.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Unfortunately, I don’t have a favourite post-race meal because I often can’t eat anything. I just quickly jump into a hot shower.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Just one word: have fun! Discover the maps and start fun rides like Tour of Watopia, and if you are competitive, take part in races and you will quickly become addicted.
This route hasn’t been used in ZRL since December 2020, back in ZRL’s first season! Lots of water under the bridge since then, but one thing hasn’t changed: Tick Tock is still a magnificent route for a flat, fast TTT since it has just enough bumps and false flats to keep it interesting.
So let’s discuss route details, bike choice, and all things TTT…
Looking at the Route: Tick Tock
Watopia’s Tick Tock route is a loop that is 16.8km long, with 53m of elevation gain. We’ll be riding two laps of the loop, and there’s also a short lead-in from the start pens, so our total length will be right at 36km with 112m of elevation gain.
The lap profile might make it look like the course has a couple of punchy climbs, but the truth is, it’s a fairly flat course:
I like to visualize this loop in 5 distinct sections. I’ll include distance markers for laps one and two:
Part 1 – Across the Desert (begins @ 0km and 16.2km)
For the most part, this section is as flat as Zwift gets, so use it to tighten up your rotation and pour on the speed. There are some slight rises, though – notably heading into the lap banner at the rock arch (@2.2km), and the first part of the oasis (@5.1km). Make sure you increase your power a bit on these rises to keep your speed high!
Part 2 – Col du Saddle Springs (begins @ 9.8km and 26.7km)
Your first climb of any significance comes just after the LAX roundabout. Jokingly called “Col du Saddle Springs”, this is just a short, slack hill around 2% in gradient and 800 meters in length. Let your lighter, stronger climbers sit on the front and offer a bit of draft to heavier riders who don’t climb quite as quickly, and you’ll be over the top and descending through the redwoods in no time.
jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m before you head back down and into the undersea tunnels.
Part 3 – Descent to the Ocean (begins @ 10.6km and 27.5km)
This is the only descent on the Tick Tock loop, so enjoy it while you can! It begins with a twisty road down through the redwoods, then there’s a bit of flat road before you descend further into the Ocean Boulevard tunnel. Heavier riders should be rolling to the front on these descents. Keep pushing if you’re in the wind, so your team’s speed stays high.
Part 4 – Underwater Flats (begins @ 12.5km and 29.3km)
Get back into formation and hammer your way through the pan-flat ocean tunnel. You’ll be hitting the longest uphill portion of the loop next!
Part 5 – Climb to the Desert (begins @ 14.5km and 31.4km)
The climb back to the start pens begins with a ramp out of the ocean tunnel. You get a bit of flat at the top, then turn right onto the desert road for another very draftable, draggy climb to the Fuego Flats. Keep the power high here so your speed doesn’t drop, then brace yourself for the second lap!
Your race ends on your third time through the desert rock arch.
This week, bike choice is easy: grab your most aero TT setup! The CADEX Tri is the fastest frame in game by a solid margin, and the DT Swiss disc wheels are the fastest wheels. If you don’t have access to that setup (level 40+) then see this post to determine the fastest TT setup available at your level.
CADEX TriCanyon Speedmax Disc
Whatever you do, do not use a road frame. Because just like in real life, even a “slow” TT frame is much more aero than a road frame.
Route Recon Videos and Resources
Here are some recon videos. You may also be interested in the short but sweet recon notes from LevelVelo.
Flatter courses like this week give valuable seconds to teams with big pure-power riders who can keep their power high on the front while staying in single-file formation to conserve in the draft behind. A few extra seconds can also be grabbed if you ride smart and keep speeds high over little bumps and false flats. (Staying in formation while surging your power for these rises is challenging, especially if riders use various Trainer Difficulty settings. I recommend turning up your Trainer Difficulty for this race, so you can feel the slight rises and naturally increase your power at those times.)
Your goal in a ZRL TTT is to get four riders across the line in the shortest time possible. That means every team’s pace plan will differ based on the abilities of each rider. We highly recommend having an experienced DS on Discord directing your team, especially if your team contains some inexperienced TTT riders.
If you really want to go down the TTT rabbit hole, check out Paul Fitzpatrick’s zwift-ds.com site. We also highly recommend using Dave Edmond’s Zwift TTT Calculator tool.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
Update (February 10, 2025): Zwift updated this challenge with an expiration date, saying it must be completed by February 28.
Zwift launched Cardio Crusher, their first “mini Challenge”, in September. Then Route Chaser: The Grade arrived in early October. Yesterday, Zwift launched the third mini challenge, named The Racer’s Edge.
This challenge focuses squarely on racing, with four race-focused workouts on the menu plus an actual race required in order to complete the challenge. Here are the details…
Joining the Challenge
To sign up for this Challenge, first click its card on the home screen (the big banner at the top, or the smaller card under “Challenges”):
Once you’re signed up, the card under “Challenges” will show a progress bar.
Then choose one of the 5 Challenge items to get started:
Clicking a card from this screen will take you into Watopia to ride a pre-assigned route (each workout uses a different Watopia route). You don’t have to ride the workout at this time, but now you’re officially signed up for the The Racer’s Edge Challenge.
Workout Details
The bulk of this Challenge are the four race-focused workouts. Here are images of each, with a short description.
Race Ready
This session is about race replication. Short intense efforts (30-60 seconds), followed by longer sustained efforts (4 minutes). Led by Time Trial Specialist Kristin Armstrong!
At/Over/Under
Three sets of three intervals designed to increase your body’s ability to buffer lactic acid and increase lactate tolerance. The intervals themselves are 3×3-minute intervals, starting off “at” FTP, then going up to zone 5 (over), and finishing at zone 3 (under). You will repeat this 9-minute block three times.
Explosive 30s
In between recovery intervals, you will undertake two all-out 30-second efforts and two all-out 2-minute efforts. The 30-second anaerobic efforts hone your ability to do short, explosive efforts in quick succession – mimicking attack covering and punchy courses. 2-minute efforts simulate the high-pressure moments that often dictate race-winning scenarios – late-race attacks, final climbs, etc.
Ultimate Warm-Up
A proper warm-up is key to top race performance, especially in Zwift races that start fast. Designed and led by Sir Bradley Wiggins, this session is the perfect warm-up before any Zwift race!
Completing the Challenge
To complete The Racer’s Edge, you must finish all four workouts shown above, plus join and finish a Zwift race.
Both the homescreen banner and the Challenge card will show your progress:
Getting Creative
Choosing a workout from The Racer’s Edge homepage takes you straight into Watopia to begin riding the workout. This works fine, but what if you want to ride a particular route instead of the route Zwift has assigned for each of the workouts?
Once you’re signed up for the Challenge by clicking on The Racer’s Edge card and clicking one of the workouts, you can access the workouts via an alternative method and give yourself an option of which route to ride for the workout.
First, sign up for the Challenge. Then access any of the four required workouts by going to Workouts>All Workouts from the homescreen, then scrolling the alphabetical list. (Just make sure you choose the shorter “Explosive 30s”, as there are two workouts by the same name.) Choosing the workouts from this list instead of from the challenge card page brings up the route picker. Choose your desired route, knock out that workout, and you’ll get credit for completing it in The Racer’s Edge challenge!
200IQ tip: if you want to get double credit, select one of the Route Chaser routes you haven’t done yet, and knock it out while completing one of The Racer’s Edge workouts!
Challenge Rewards
Your reward for completing all five Challenge tasks? Improved fitness boosted race results, of course. But also, you’ll get a 1000XP bonus!
I’m in love. I’ve been in love for 18 months. We’ve had a couple of forced breaks due to injury, but the flame is still burning brightly. High heart rates. Sweat. Back-to-back efforts. Exhaustion.
But this isn’t a secret. My wife and kids know. In fact, I can’t stop talking about this newfound love.
For those who don’t know, ZITR is a weekly race series, with four back-to-back races within one hour. I haven’t been riding ZITR since it first started, and I don’t ride it every single week (injury and life get in the way), but I do love it.
Mind you, it didn’t start well. The first time I rode in ZITR I stumbled across one of the races (a single race, not all four), joined and rode, got DQ’d, then complained about it on Zwift forums! Eventually I rode ZITR again. Properly. All four races in a row. And the romance began.
But what’s there to love? So many things…
They’re Tiny (In a Good Way)
It’s not often being tiny is something to boast about, but let’s face it, racing is all about the beginning and end, with a whole bunch of boring in the middle. So why not get rid of the middle? ZITR gives you the opportunity to hone your endgame like no other race format.
Surprise Endings
ZITR uses custom route lengths more than any other race format. The banner might be just around a blind corner, 100m past a KOM just to mess with your mind, at the bottom of Alpe du Zwift, at the entrance to a castle, at the top of the annoying Mech Isle climb, anywhere. It makes the most well-known routes feel new. I liked this one in the desert, where it ends under a rock that resembles some kind of dinosaur (is that an Ankylosaurus?):
Clever Course Combos
One of my favorite parts of ZITR is the four-race format. The course combinations are often brilliant:
Routes with a theme (end with a climb, end with a one-two punch, etc.)
The same route, but getting longer each time (e.g. London Loop, getting closer to, and eventually further up, Box Hill each time)
The same route and banner position, but with different powerups (Brilliant! Who comes up with this stuff? More on powerups in a bit, but see an example of this on Seaside Sprint below:
These clever combinations also make sure that different races and different weeks are suited to different types of riders with different strengths (not just pie-eaters like me).
Time Zone Options
There are three time zones “slots” for ZITR, and you only compete with riders in your time zone. This is great. One of the most annoying things about many Zwift general classification races is that unless you live in Europe or North America, you’re screwed because bigger fields = faster times due to the effects of drafting. I live in Eastern Australia, and it’s rare for there to be large fields when I’m awake, particularly in the ZRacing monthly race series. ZITR solves this. Simple. Shout out to Zone 3 ZITR!
Anticipation
Each week I can’t wait for the big ZITR reveal. What’s the theme? Will it have a clever name? What will the routes be? The banner positions? The powerups? Which rando will leave a bizarre comment about something that has nothing to do with ZITR? Probably me. The excitement is intoxicating.
Recognition
And if you win your Category/Time Zone? Your name goes up on the ZITR page for all to see. Of course in the old days it was even better. You’d be mentioned in the intro for the next week’s courses! But I guess the Zwift celebs of the world get too busy. Still, it’s better recognition than you get for winning Zwift TT Club for the month (*crickets*)…
Powerups … It’s All About the Timing
Powerups tend to be more important in ZITR than in most race formats, and the available powerups are generally well thought out. And they matter. If you don’t optimally use your powerup, it’s very difficult to win. I’ve heard some Zone 3 riders might even watch the Zone 1 races live just to work out the best strategy, then write up a cheat sheet with when to use the powerups and stick it to the wall, ready for race time (oh wait, that’s me).
How well can optimal powerup strategy work? The steamroller powerup on the Mech Isle climb is my favorite, especially this one. Race 4, for the race win, and overall win:
But I’ve won race 4, and overall, on this route with this powerup before, and it’s probably my favourite win of all time:
(Recorded by ‘someone’ else. Thanks!)
Groupies
But my love for ZITR probably comes down to the people who come back again and again. The shared pain of ZITR seems to create some kind of underground club. The banter and friendly rivalries are so fun. It’s always good to see familiar faces like the ones I’ve seen in Zone 3, Cat D over the past 18 months, including David and Issac (NZ), David (Canada), Le Fe and Rudiger (Australia), plus Ed, Jeff, John, Joshua, Leroy (and his dog), Matt, Soren, and two Todds (USA) just to name a few!
The opportunity to rest between races in the next pen is a nice side effect of the multi-race format, creating an opportunity to reflect on the last race, and worry about the next one. This is when the funniest chat happens. Who gets off their bike between races? How many fans are you using? Will a gravel bike make any difference? Can I borrow a bucket? Is Jesus Christ in a higher category, and did anyone actually get that joke?
I could go (and already have gone) on and on, but that’s the nature of love. I haven’t even mentioned:
The AMAZING fitness benefits. I genuinely believe this is the most efficient workout you can do on Zwift
The non-linear scoring system that encourages focusing your efforts on only the races you have the best chance in
The craziness of race 1, since everyone thinks they have a chance
The Zwift Insider kit being the same brand colors as my company, including the same keywords (our love was meant to be!)
The fun of replaying all four races to your wife and kids on YouTube to reveal this week’s efforts (you see, there really is something wrong with me), and
The fact I really don’t care if people join after the first race, quit before the last race (I’ve had to so I could take my kid to sport!), or skip a race … whatever … there are most important things to worry about in life
While recent injury and the new Zwift Racing Score have tried to dent my love for ZITR, it isn’t waning. It’s regrowing. (Just don’t tell ZITR I’ve recently finished my first round of ZRL races. It was good. Shhh!)
Looking to get involved in some Zwift racing this winter? In this week’s top video, one Zwifter shares everything you need to know to start Zwift racing.
We’ve also selected videos about Zwift setups, XERT and Zwift, and the Zwift World Series.
Katie Kookaburra tackles her first Zwift race in a year. In this video, she provides commentary on her race and discusses how you can get involved with Zwift racing.
Budget Vs Premium Zwift Set Ups: What’s The Real Difference?
GCN takes a look at several different Zwift setups and discusses the differences between the budget, mid-range, and premium Zwift setups.
Zwift Chats | My Winter Setup and Training Plans
Alex from Wheel Life gives a quick overview of his indoor cycling setup and shares details about his current training routine.
Lucy Charles-Barclay participates in the next race of the Zwift World Series. Watch as she documents both her pre-race routine and the actual race itself.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
