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Zwift Update Version 1.77 (136131) Released

Eric Schlange
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85
Zwift Update Version 1.77 (136131) Released

Zwift version 1.77 begins its phased rollout today. While not a major release, it includes some basic garage sorting, new badges for the upcoming Watopia expansion, XP bonuses for ToW workouts, a welcome update for Wahoo KICKR Bike owners, and more. Let’s dive into the details!

New Badges (for Unreleased Routes), Re-Sorted

Zwift has re-sorted the list of route badges, grouping them, it appears, by map then sorting them by release date (oldest to newest).

But the bigger news here is 7 new badges, which are attached to the Watopia expansion arriving November 12 for stage 5 of Tour of Watopia!

You can see the new route names are:

  • Deca Dash
  • Waisted 8
  • Loopin Lava
  • The Classic
  • The Classic Run
  • Coast to Coast
  • Triple Twists

KICKR BIKE Gearing Visualization

KICKR BIKE V2
KICKR BIKE SHIFT

While not mentioned in Zwift’s release notes (because the functionality has been in game for a while, just waiting for Wahoo to update firmware), today Wahoo released firmware updates for KICKR BIKE v2 (firmware version 2.2.22) and KICKR BIKE SHIFT (firmware version 1.21.18) enabling the display of your current virtual gear on the Zwift HUD.

This will be an especially welcome upgrade for KICKR BIKE SHIFT users who have no gear display on the bike itself.

And yes, we asked: Wahoo says, “this feature won’t be coming to the KICKR BIKE v1.”

Garage Auto-Sorting

When the Drop Shop was released in 2019, Zwifters did what cyclists do: we bought every bike we could afford.

Since then, the community has been asking for ways to better organize our crowded Zwift garages. Could we “favorite” are top setups? Sell used frames or wheels back? Or even just delete some we’ll never use?

This update contains the first garage sorting update ever (as far as we know). Zwift says, “Items in the Garage (frames, wheels, kit) are now automatically sorted by most recent use.”

Until now, frames and wheels have simply been sorted alphabetically. Now, they will be sorted chronologically based on last use.

In our tests, it appears that there’s no limit to how many frames or wheelsets show in this chronological list. That means for now, you’ll have the alphabetically sorted list of frames and wheels, and then as you select new frames or wheels to use, those will be moved to the top of your lists. Eventually, your frame and wheel lists will be topped by the handful of frames or wheels you use.

Friend Notifications

Zwift has always been a social platform, and this week’s update includes a small tweak to help riders connect a bit more easily. Zwift says, “Looking for a friendly wheel to join? Zwifters will now receive a notification when a friend starts Zwifting in the same world. Simply use the Teleport feature to join them.”

Here’s what the notification looks like in game:

BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits Route Opens

Scotland’s new BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits route, raced recently for the last event of ZRL Round 1, is no longer event-only. It is open to free ride whenever you’d like, and yes, there’s an achievement badge with 415 bonus XP attached.

Tour of Watopia Workouts Bonus XP

If you’ve been riding Tour of Watopia events and routes, you know there are XP bonuses available. Riders earn 2x the usual XP when riding in ToW events, and 1.5x the usual when riding a ToW route on demand.

Now, with this week’s update, if you do a workout on a ToW route, the XP you earn will be increased by 1.5x.

Learn how Zwift calculates XP for workouts >

So if you’re looking to knock out a scheduled workout, but also like the idea of earning extra XP, choose one of these routes:

Beacon Bugs Begone

In the past, if you were on a group ride with a designated leader (yellow beacon) or sweeper (red beacon), things could get a bit confusing if one of the beacons left mid-ride.

This week’s update includes a tweak for PC and Mac users so the beacon will switch to an alternate designated ride leader or sweeper after 1 minute instead of the previous 10 minutes.

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

  • Runners can now open the Pairing screen and continue running in-game at the same time.
  • The gradient percentage shown in the dynamic elevation display now changes more smoothly during a climb.
  • The symbol for the distance indicator in the HUD has now been updated to provide 100% (IYKYK) clarity.
  • The font size in the left section of the HUD has been increased to improve readability.
  • The estimated difficulty and duration for the Navig8 and Power to the Tower routes in Watopia are now more accurate.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the Zwifters Nearby list to not be visible when fan viewing another Zwifter in an event paddock.
  • Fixed an issue where the virtual shifting gear indicator was not displayed after pausing a workout.
  • Fixed an issue that could potentially cause flashing orbs to appear on the Epic KOM in Watopia. 
  • Android: Fixed an issue that could prevent Bluetooth devices from reconnecting after a disconnection.

Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

All About Trainer Difficulty on Zwift (Concept Testing a ZI/AI Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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28
All About Trainer Difficulty on Zwift (Concept Testing a ZI/AI Podcast)

All About Trainer Difficulty on Zwift (Concept Testing a ZI/AI Podcast)

Over the years, we’ve toyed with the idea of starting a podcast here at Zwift Insider. But it was simply too time-intensive of a project, so we opted to leave it to the experts.

Recently, though, I’ve been messing around with AI-based podcast generation tools. We all know AI is the biggest thing happening in tech right now – and it’s only getting bigger. What you may not know is that AI is revolutionizing the way podcasts are created, since AI can greatly reduce the time required to edit a podcast’s raw audio to remove unnecessary content and tweak audio settings for an optimal listening experience. (Simon used Adobe’s AI tools to edit the latest episodes of the Zwiftcast, in fact.)

I was interested in going one step further, though. Having already spent the time to write up detailed articles on so many Zwifty topics, I was looking for a way to auto-generate a full podcast. Just point the robot at key source articles, let it consume the content, and spit out a podcast with real (simulated) human voices.

Enter Google’s just-released NotebookLM, which does exactly that. And does it very well.

List to our first (let’s call it beta) episode, a 12-minute romp on the topic of Trainer Difficulty:

This podcast was created by pointing NotebookLM to the following posts:

As you’ll hear, NotebookLM has two voices (a male and female) who riff off of each other on the topic at hand. Having listened to this particular episode multiple times, I’m impressed by how they organize the content thoughtfully, summarize it, and even add little comments that I don’t remember writing in my original posts. Maybe that info comes from user comments on the articles? Or maybe the bots are more Zwift-smart than anyone realizes?

Your Feedback

I’m sharing this with the Zwift Insider audience because I want your honest feedback: do you believe a podcast with short episodes on specific Zwift features be useful to you, and/or the Zwift community at large?

Yes, no, maybe so… let me know in the comments below. You won’t hurt my feelings – after all, the episodes aren’t hard to create, and it’s not my voice you’re hearing!

“Trollstigen” Climb Portal Details

Eric Schlange
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2
“Trollstigen” Climb Portal Details

“Trollstigen” Climb Portal Details

See zwiftinsider.com/portal/trollstigen/

Woman Racer Spotlight: Alice Lethbridge 

Karla Williams
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Woman Racer Spotlight: Alice Lethbridge 

Woman Racer Spotlight: Alice Lethbridge 

Name: Alice Lethbridge 

Hometown: Epsom, Surrey 

How did you get into cycling? I was an injured runner when the London 2012 Olympics was on and I live 20 minutes from Box Hill. I had a bike for commuting and rode out to watch the Olympic road race, thought it looked more fun than keeping fit in the gym, and started doing ‘Olympic loops’ regularly then joined the local cycling club and got hooked. I started racing in 2016 as it took a while to build my confidence.

Photo credit Garry Hibbert

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I joined in lockdown in March 2020, so have now been on the platform 4 years.

Are you part of a Virtual team? I currently race for Coalition and Coalition Alpha. 

What do you love most about racing? The team camaraderie. That’s definitely the main reason I race. 

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)?  Races with repeated hills. Big Foot Hills and Surrey Hills are my favourite courses. I also like races where you can deploy team tactics. TTTs are always great fun, too. 

What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? The WTRL Vienna TTT league. I love the camaraderie and friendships it builds.

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? Inside has to be the Esports Olympic event in Singapore last year. Racing on that stage in front of large crowds and with your teammates by your side was awesome. Outside it’s racing the women’s tour in 2021. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Lizzie Deignan and Demi Vollering for a week was a dream come true. Get me talking about either event and you can’t quell my happiness. 

Alice and her Esports Olympic team

What is your favourite food to eat post race? I often end up craving vegetables after a race. I need a contrast to the sweetness of gels and energy chews!

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? The start is the hardest part of the race. I did not know people sprint out the gates and got left behind in my first race – oops! I think also that learning how to race on Zwift takes time and joining a team is the best way to get tips on that, and make great friends. 

Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? I’m currently racing the Zwift World Series. The courses are great but I’m finding it pretty tough to balance around work and have had to lower my expectations with respect to results. Several of the women racing now ride full-time and are so incredibly strong.  Thursday evening is definitely my most exhausted point of the week! The races are good targets to provide structure to training over winter though. 

Where can people follow your racing adventures? I’m not great with social media, as being a teacher we’re not meant to have any public profiles. I do have an Instagram account that I try to update with my outdoor racing though, @alicett12.

ZRL Round 2 Route Design Contest Winner Selected

Eric Schlange
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2
ZRL Round 2 Route Design Contest Winner Selected

ZRL Round 2 Route Design Contest Winner Selected

We recently announced the second Zwift Racing League Route Design Competition, where Zwifters were invited to create the route to host the last race of ZRL’s second round on December 17, 2024.

A total of 17 routes were submitted, and a panel of judges narrowed it to 3. Then the Zwift community voted for their favorites. And now, the results are in!

The winning route is Tair Dringfa Fechan, submitted by Bryan Culliford (CLS). See the Zwift ride creating this route >

Vote Details

If you recall, riders were asked to rank the three routes in order of preference. The voting system assigned 1 point to the first choice, 2 points to the second choice, and 3 points to the third choice. That means the lowest total points wins. Final vote tally:

1st Choice2nd Choice3rd ChoiceTotal Pts
Tair Dringfa Fechan4153383172042
Three Ring Circus4023343342072
Ride To The Hills2533984192306

As you can see, it was a close contest between “Tair Dringfa Fechan” and “Three Ring Circus”!

Why was Tair Dringfa Fechan the favorite? I can only speculate. It was the longest and climbiest route of the three finalists, basically maxing out the limits of what was allowed (35km and 400m of elevation). But I’d like to think this route was chosen because of Bryan’s creative use of Watopia’s roads, covering sections that are rarely used and, in the case of his Hilly KOM loop, covering roads in a way that hasn’t been done.

Route Details

Tair Dringfa Fechan is a 32km loop with 349 meters of elevation.

See complete route details >

Note: this route will not be available for any other events until after the ZRL race on December 17.

Round 3 Contest Now Open

The plan is to use a community-designed route as the final race for each round of ZRL 2024/25. The route design contest for Round 3 is now open – submissions must be received by December 1, 2024. See details at wtrl.racing/zwift-racing-league/#routecompetition

Questions or Comments?

What do you think of the community’s route choice, and what do you think of the overall idea of having the community designing ZRL routes? Share your thoughts below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 26-27

Eric Schlange
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2
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 26-27

Lots of big races this weekend, including the monthly Zwift World Series events, the start of a big series from DBR, and a very popular women’s 3-day stage race! See all of our event picks below…

🤝 The BMTR Fundo Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness

Top-down view of three cyclists in matching black BMTR jerseys riding on a road, with the BMTR logo featuring a bear on the left side of the image.

✅ Good Cause 　✅ Endurance Challenge

We feature BMTR’s weekly fundo quite regularly due to its popularity, but this weekends event is a special one since it’s being held to “raise awareness and work to help those who have or are fighting the insidious disease of Breast Cancer.” There’s no requirement to donate, of course, but the event description links to three charities supported by the ride.

Rides have their choice of 4 different lengths on Watopia’s Triple Flat Loops. All riders start together.

Saturday, October 26 @ 12:10pm UTC/8:10am EDT/5:10am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4245929

🥇 Tour de Andrasta Presented by The Warrior Games

A group of cyclists race through a brightly lit, futuristic city at night with neon signs. The logo and text “The Warrior Games” appear on the left side of the image.

　✅ Women Only 　✅ Unique Event

Tour de Andrasta is a women-only stage race that kicks off today (Friday) and runs for three stages: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s proving very popular, with hundreds of ladies signed up, so even if you can’t make all three events you might want to join one or two just for the experience of racing in a larger all-women field!

Read all about Tour de Andrasta

If you aren’t familiar with this route – take heart. Nobody else is! But you can pre-ride it in one of the many recon rides being held over the weekend!

Saturday and Sunday at 6pm UTC/2pm EST/11am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/andrasta >

🥇 DBR SufferDay League X Begins

✅ Endurance Challenge　 ✅ Unique Event

This is the first race of DBR’s SufferDay League X series: an 8-week series with long races each Saturday!

This week’s race is on two laps of Eastern Eight for a total length of 105.6km with 817m of climbing.

Saturday, October 26 @ 8:30am UTC/4:30am EDT/1:30am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4559262

🥇Zwift World Series Race 3 – Community

✅ Route Badge 　✅ Popular Race

The third race of the Zwift World Series happens this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s the community edition of the race, so anyone can join, and it’s racers’ first chance to take on the new Yorkshire Double Loops course (29.7km, 547m).

Multiple timeslots
See upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/zwscommunity

🥇 BRAEk-fast Crits & Grits Points Race – OTR Snap Crackle Pop Special Edition

✅ Unique Event 　✅ Route Badge

Did anyone else race on BRAEk-fast Crits and Grits in ZRL and think, “This would make a great points race?” The folks at OTR certainly did, so they made it happen.

Riders will cover all 22.1km/260m of the route, but with FTS points on various segments plus finish points. Whoever gets the most points wins, so be sure to read the event description for details!

Multiple timeslots this weekend
See events at zwift.com/events/tag/snapcracklepop

How We Make Our Picks

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!

Tiny Race Series – October 26 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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0
Tiny Race Series – October 26 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – October 26 Routes and Last Week’s Results

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift Racing Score, CycPlus T3, Zwift Cog

Oli Chi
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2
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift Racing Score, CycPlus T3, Zwift Cog

Has the new Zwift Racing Score fixed cheating in Zwift races? This week’s top video focuses on the recent release of the Zwift Racing Score. Watch as one Zwifter puts the new categorization system to the test.

We’ve also included videos about the CycPlus T3, Zwift Ride, route badges, and training plans.

Zwift is Fun Again

Are Zwift races finally fair? Jeff from Norcal Cycling takes a look at the recently launched Zwift Racing Score and tackles some races using this new categorization system.

CycPlus T3 Smart Trainer – My 7-Month Experience!

It has been 7 months since Tariq from Smart Bike Trainers received the Cycplus T3. After clocking over 1000 miles on the trainer, he provides a review of the trainer.

What’s The Most Ridiculous Bike We Can Zwift On!?

Do you really need a fancy bike to get started on Zwift? In this video, Dave from Road.cc tries a boatload of different bikes on the Wahoo KICKR Core Zwift One.

Can I Complete Every Zwift Route Before New Year? Episode 1

Watt Cyclist on YouTube is trying to complete every Zwift route before the New Year. Follow along as he tackles one of the first routes on his list.

My Zwift FTP Test to Plan 2025 Training with My Coach

Russ from Cycling with Russ tackles an FTP test and talks through his plan to train for the 2025 season.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 2 Details

Eric Schlange
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7
Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 2 Details

Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 2 Details

Now in its 14th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Team signups for the second round of the season are now open.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s coming next for Zwift Racing League…

Intro to ZRL

Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is the world’s largest virtual cycling competition. How big is it? Over 36,000 riders participated in the 2023/24 season, making it the biggest season on record!

Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spread across multiple weeks, with teams organized into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races happen every Tuesday, and the season is broken into three 6-week rounds with short breaks in between.

ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.

This page contains the latest info about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.

Routes and Dates

Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.

Race #1: Tick Tock
November 12, 2024 (TTT)

Just like the previous round, we’re starting this one with a TTT. It’s going to be flat and fast! Two laps through the Fuego Flats desert, on a circuit that includes just enough climbing to keep things interesting.

Cyclists in colorful gear and helmets ride racing bikes on a road through a rocky, desert-like landscape with mountains and a modern building in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Race #2: Turf N Surf
November 19, 2024 (Points Race)

We haven’t raced this route before in ZRL, but it’s definitely one for the punchy climbers. Legs will be softened on the climb up to the Shisa Sprint, then they’ll be broken through the Pain Cavern leading to the flat, fast finish!

Race #3: Mighty Metropolitan
November 26, 2024 (Scratch Race)

We raced this as a ZRL TTT back in late 2020, but never before as a scratch race. With constantly pitchy roads and a mid-course New York KOM Reverse to force a selection, this will be a short, punchy, attack-filled effort.

Race #4: Triple Flat Loops
December 3, 2024 (TTT)

We raced this in last year’s round 2 as a TTT, so seasoned ZRL racers will already be familiar with the course. A bit longer and pitchier than race #1, this one will test riders’ endurance and ability to stay in efficient formation on short climbs and rollers.

Race #5: Keith Hill After Party
December 10, 2024 (Points Race)

The Queen Stage of this round, Keith Hill After Party is a mostly flat route… until it’s not! It ends atop the Keith Hill KOM, and you can bet it will be a slugfest all the way up.

Race #6: Tair Dringfa Fechan
December 17, 2024 (Scratch Race)

We’ll be racing a new route created by the Zwift community for the final race of round 2! Route creator Bryan Culliford (CLS) describes his winning route this way: Tair Dringfa Fechan (translated from Welsh as Three Little Climbs) is a route determined to test riders before reaching the finish at the mighty Titans Reverse segment banner.

Race Timeslots

For the first time ever, ZRL is hosting two steering-enabled divisions (highlighted below). While steering isn’t required to race in these divisions, it will certainly be an advantage!

Some divisions and start times get tweaked between each round, so make sure you pick the time slot that works for your team.

Teams/Registration

ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can have up to 12 racers rostered, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can be rostered on no more than 2 teams per round.

Team registration opened on October 16 at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration.

Want to race, but don’t have a team? Here are six ways to find a team:

  1. Recruit friends onto a new ZRL team, then sign up your team at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration/.
  2. If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
  3. Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day starting two weeks before the first race. Learn more >
  4. Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
  5. Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
  6. Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.

Route Design Contest

For the first time in Zwift’s history, a unique chance is being offered to Zwifters to design routes. The chosen routes will be used for the final race of rounds 1, 2, and 3, and will also become available to all Zwift users in the future!

Round 3’s design contest is now open, with an entry deadline of December 1, 2024.

Read all about the contest here >

First-Timer Tips

If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:

  1. You have to be signed up for ZwiftPower to participate. Instructions >
  2. You must create a WTRL account as well – do so at wtrl.racing/registration
  3. The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
  4. Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
  5. Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
  6. Cadence monitors are required (new rule for Round 2).
  7. You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team, and then are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round.

Race Recon Events

Overhead view of three cyclists wearing helmets and colorful jerseys riding closely together on a road. The text Zwift Racing League Recon Ride appears to the left.

If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.

You can find a list of upcoming ZRL recon rides at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

Live Broadcasts

Select ZRL races will be broadcast with commentary on Zwift’s streaming channels, including YouTube.

2024/25 ZRL Dates

  • Round 1: Sept 10-Oct 18, 2024
  • Round 2: Nov 12-Dec 17, 2024
  • Round 3: Jan 14-Feb 18, 2025
  • Finals: Apr 8-22, 2025

Questions or Comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page for rules, team registration, results, and more. They also have a Help Center with lots of useful info, and their Facebook page is the place to go for discussion of all things ZRL.

You may also share questions or comments below!

XERT Announces Zwift Training API Integration

Eric Schlange
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53
XERT Announces Zwift Training API Integration

XERT Announces Zwift Training API Integration

Over the weekend, Zwift and XERT announced a new level of integration via Zwift’s new Training API.

See Zwift’s announcement >
See XERT’s announcement >

Let’s dive into the basics of what XERT offers, how to connect Zwift and XERT, and why this new integration is helpful for Zwifters like you and me!

First, a Bit About XERT

XERT has been on the bleeding edge of monitoring, predicting, and optimizing cycling fitness since it launched in beta back in 2016. This isn’t the article to unpack the intricacies of their ever-evolving system, but it’s easily one of the most powerful tools available for cyclists looking to measure current fitness levels and train smart to hit new ones.

XERT calculates a fitness signature based on three numbers: peak power, high-intensity energy, and threshold power. Using those factors, one innovation XERT delivered in their early days was the concept of maximal power available (MPA). XERT can monitor your fatigue in real time, accurately calculating how much high-end power you’ve got left in the tank (this is your MPA). Their calculation is startlingly accurate, and if you manage to dig deep and put out more power than XERT forecasted, you’ll record a “gold breakthrough.” (In my experience, these are few and far between!)

Their more recent AI-based innovations may be even more interesting, though. XERT’s Forecast AI lets you define attainable, date-driven end goals (such as improved power numbers or better performance in a particular race), then determines the training required to get you there:

And their Race AI is even more wild. It lets you define a target performance level from another rider’s race file or other sources, and determines whether you can train to achieve a similar level. Then it delivers the training plan to make it happen!

How Zwift-XERT Integration Works

The biggest news with this Training API integration is XERT’s ability to send a workout directly to Zwift, so you can execute your XERT training from within your favorite virtual cycling paradise. There are actually two ways this can happen:

Method 1: Manually “Send Workout To”

You can send any XERT workout directly to Zwift via the “Send Workout To” option:

When you do this, the workout is immediately available from your Zwift homescreen, or under Workouts>Custom>XERT.

This is a simple way to get any workout from XERT into Zwift. But the more useful feature, I would argue, is the automatic one…

Method 2: Automatic Planner Sync

If you use XERT’s calendar to plan your workouts, the next upcoming workout will always be available in Zwift. Here’s a screenshot of my Planner in XERT, and today’s workout as the first card in my Zwift “For You” row:

If I decide I want to do a different workout for the day, I can open up my XERT planner in a browser, choose a different workout, and it will automatically be pushed over to my Zwift homescreen, replacing the other workout.

(XERT recommends workouts from their library that match the day’s training needs, or you can click to have their AI system auto-generate a workout that meets your needs. It’s all quite magical.)

Let’s not forget that Zwift’s Training API is a two-way system, though. So if you’ve enabled “sync activities” (see below) when connecting Zwift to XERT, once you finish any Zwift activity, it will be sent back to XERT so their system can “see” your workout and use it to continuously update your training plan.

Connecting XERT to Zwift

Connecting XERT to Zwift is a straightforward process, but there’s one little toggle that I want to call out at the end of the process that makes automated training even more seamless.

First, though, let’s get XERT connected to Zwift.

Sign into your account at xertonline.com, then go to Sync>Zwift and click the “Connect with Z” button:

Sign into your Zwift account and grant XERT the necessary access:

You’re now connected:

But you need to enable “Send Scheduled Workouts” and “Sync Activities” if you want XERT Planner workouts to pop into Zwift, and if you want completed Zwift activities to pop back to XERT. (I’d recommend enabling both.)

Last but not least: if you want XERT to set up a training calendar for you automagically, go to the Planner tab under My Fitness, click the setup gear, and toggle “Automatically schedule a recommended workout of the day”:

If you skip this step, you won’t have a workout automatically set by XERT each day – you’ll need to go in and select from their recommended library (or have XERT’s AI generate a workout.)

I’d recommend enabling this setting if you’re looking for an ongoing workout plan. If you don’t like the workout XERT schedules, you can always select a different workout as described above.

Free Trial

If you’ve never used XERT, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. No credit card required!

Sign up at xertonline.com >

Concluding Thoughts

There’s been a lot of talk about AI-based training in the past couple of years, and XERT is, arguably, the most advanced AI-based cycling training system available today. Built on the back of their innovative 3-dimensional fitness metrics, their Forecast AI not only helps riders determine realistic training goals – it lays out the daily training required to meet those goals, and adapts based on your daily activities!

Having that training pop into Zwift automatically, instead of being forced to push your daily workout from XERT to Zwift, is just icing on the cake.

Taking a step back, it’s wild (but not inaccurate) to say these new Training API integrations are infinitely expanding the library of workouts automatically available on Zwift while also customizing that library to your specific needs. It may sound cliche, but we really are seeing training tools today that are exponentially more powerful than what we’ve had in the past. It’s fun to watch!

Complete List of Training API Partners

XERT is just the latest service to be added to the list of Training API partners at Zwift. Here’s the complete list, which will be updated as new partners are added:

Questions or Comments?

Have you used XERT before? Are you currently using it? What do you think of XERT as a training tool, and what do you think of this latest Training API integration? Share below!

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