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Party On! All About Confetti Socks in Zwift

Eric Schlange
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21
Party On! All About Confetti Socks in Zwift

Party On! All About Confetti Socks in Zwift

The first cool (hot?) socks in Zwift were the Fire Socks, released as a level 50 bonus unlock back in 2022.

But there’s a new sock on the block giving the fire socks some competition both in exclusivity and fun. Confetti Socks were released in April 2024 as a bonus unlock for level 100 Zwifters (who also unlock the level 100 kit).

How do they work? Here’s me dropping a Ride On bomb while wearing confetti socks:

Riders who wear confetti socks have a special ability: their Ride Ons are confetti-filled and include a +2XP bonus! That is, when you receive a Ride On from a confetti sock wearer, you’ll see confetti on your screen, plus that +2XP bonus.

(You’ll also unlock the “Party On!” badge the first time you get a Ride On from a level 100 Zwifter. This badge is worth an additional 50XP.)

The confetti is only visible to the rider who gives the Ride On and rider who receives it.

Like the fire socks, confetti socks can be put on or taken off in your garage:

I already enjoyed dropping Ride On bombs when riding in groups. Then, using Zwift Ride with Play Controllers made it even easier. And now with the confetti bursts and XP bonuses, I enjoy it even more! It’s like I’m a walking (riding) confetti cannon…

One Confetti Caveat

If you like to use the Companion app to give Ride Ons to friends who are riding while you’re sitting on the couch or hanging in the coffee shop, you should know that those Ride Ons aren’t confetti Ride Ons.

Basically, you have to be active in game in order for your Ride Ons to include the confetti burst.

Your Thoughts

Are you a fan of the confetti socks, or are you a party pooper? Share your thoughts below.

Woman Racer Spotlight: Amy Young 

Karla Williams
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2
Woman Racer Spotlight: Amy Young 

Woman Racer Spotlight: Amy Young 

Name: Amy Young

Hometown: A small village in Northamptonshire, England.

How did you get into cycling? I was a golf widow and wanted something I could go and do by myself. Inspired by the 2012 Olympics, I bought a bike on the bike-to-work scheme. Fast forward 10 years, and several bikes later, cycling has taken over my life.

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I’ve always been a fan of turbo training but didn’t think I needed Zwift. I reluctantly did a free trial at the end of 2020 and have been an addict since.

Are you part of a Virtual team? I race for The Coalition. I joined the team after spotting them on Instagram. At the time, I had no idea about Zwift teams and the world of racing and making friends that it would open up. 

What do you love most about racing? All racing on Zwift is fantastic. I love that it’s so accessible whether it’s hopping on the turbo and selecting an upcoming race from the Companion app on the spur of the moment, or whether it’s a race series with teammates where you recon the course and plan tactics. You can really push your limits without having to think about the external environment such as weather, cornering, potholes, cars and all the other things you need to think about when you’re on the road.

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)?  I enjoy all of the different race formats on Zwift. I don’t really think too much about what sort of race it is until the day of the race when I’m doing last-minute research of the course and finding out the best bike choice. But for true teamwork, it’s got to be a TTT – it’s all about communication and working together. 

What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? Not exclusively a women-only series, but ZRL (Zwift Racing League). I love that it’s a team event which plays to different riders’ strengths and weaknesses.

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? That is so tough, every day on the bike (even the ones in rain) are memorable. Let’s go with The Marmotte Granfondo, my first big ride in The Alps back in 2017. I had never ridden abroad and I had no idea if I’d even be able to complete it. But I did it and loved it. I’m looking forward to going back this year to give it another attempt.

What is your favourite food to eat post race? After Zwift racing I find it can be hard to eat, however I know it’s really important to get that protein in so I often reach for a protein shake as I’m heading to the shower and as I generally race in the evenings, I always force some dinner down post-ride which might be something like a bowl of pesto pasta.

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Give it a go. What’s the worst that can happen? You get dropped but it’s virtual so really doesn’t matter. The best that can happen is you love it and get so hooked that your legs will be pleading with you for a rest day. 

Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? I’m going to be racing in the DRS DIRT series. I’ve never raced in it before and this time I will be in a mixed team so I’m looking forward to racing with some Coalition male teammates and seeing if the race tactics are different.

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 19-20

Eric Schlange
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3
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 19-20

The biggest events this week are from Tour of Watopia, with hourly rides handing out double XP and cool unlocks! We’ve also picked some long races and group rides, plus our Tiny Races, which we tweaked this week to help balance categories a bit.

🤝 Tour of Watopia

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Fun Unlocks 　✅ Double XP

Tour of Watopia began this week, and the events are (as always) super popular. Why? They award double XP, give double powerups, fun unlocks, and more!

Read all about Tour of Watopia 2024 >

These events are officially group rides, not races, but you can bet the pace will be high at the front. Keep it social, or go all-out. You can ride at whatever pace you’d like!

Hourly events throughout the Tour
Sign up at https://www.zwift.com/tour-of-watopia

🥇 La Cyclo MedioFondo by Foudre

✅ Unique Event 　✅ Endurance Challenge

We featured this event last week, but it’s proving quite popular, and we like that it’s different than most events on Zwift’s calendar.

It’s a mass start event (no categories), but results will count toward your Zwift Racing Score. It’s also a long race, at 84km. This week racers are on Watopia’s Coastal Crown Loop.

Sunday, October 20 @ 7:45am UTC/3:45am EDT/12:45am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4536515

🤝 Bikealicious Weekend Social Mixer

✅ Banded Ride 　✅ Beginner-Friendly 　✅ Route Badge

The friendly Bikealicious crew is leading a banded group ride on the fairly fresh Shisa Shakedown route (53.5km, 556m). Grab this route badge if you haven’t done so yet, which comes with extra XP.

Saturday, October 20 @ 8pm UTC/4pm EDT/1pm PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4549172

🥇 Tweaked Tinies

✅ Popular Race　 ✅ Random Prize 　✅ Very Competitive

Tiny Race numbers keep growing as more and more riders head indoors! We’ve tweaked our Racing Score categories a bit this week, so you may find yourself in a different category than past weeks. And this week’s courses were selected by Danny Enzo, our favorite TikToker. It’s a mix of fun crit routes!

Read all about Tiny Races, including this week’s routes >

Three timeslots each Saturday
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces

🤝 Vikings Valhalla Sunday Skaal Ride

✅ Endurance Challenge 　✅ Beginner-Friendly　✅ Route Badge

We’ve featured this event many times in the past, as it’s always well-attended and well-led, at a pace that helps everyone stay together. Experienced leaders and sweepers do their best to keep the groups together with the help of doubledraft and a zapping fence, so everyone can work together to knock out a long ride!

This week’s ride offers two options: D cat is held at a 1.7-2.2 W/kg pace on Sleepless City for a total length of 105.2km, and C cat is held at 2.3-2.7 W/kg on Makuri Pretzel for a total length of 100km.

Sunday, October 20 @ 7:05am UTC/3:05am EDT/12:05am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4550403

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!

How long would it take to ride every Zwift route?

Eric Schlange
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15
How long would it take to ride every Zwift route?

How long would it take to ride every Zwift route?

Here at Zwift Insider we recently introduced ZIMetrics which predict your finishing time on Zwift routes.

Read more about ZIMetrics here >

As of today we’ve entered and verified all the precise route details needed in order to compute ZIMetrics for every Zwift route, which means we can now do fun things like update our Printable List of Zwift Routes by Difficulty and put together this post!

Have you ever wondered just how long it would take to ride every single route in Zwift?

Here are the numbers, broken down by map, for every single route in Zwift, including those you can only ride in events and those which do not award an achievement badge:

Time Required To Ride All Zwift Routes

Map2 W/kg minutes3 W/kg minutes4 W/kg minutes
Bologna292117
Crit City86.45.8
France989775679
Innsbruck527396343
London160612731138
Makuri Islands1336.91082.8974.9
New York834.8655.5583.7
Paris383129
Richmond310251225
Scotland179.1143.1127.9
Watopia398931312775
Yorkshire304237.9210.1
Totals169 hours, 10 minutes133 hours, 23 minutes118 hours, 28 minutes

If you’re just looking to do all the routes that award achievement badges, the numbers are somewhat reduced:

Time Required To Ride All Badged Zwift Routes

Map2 W/kg minutes3 W/kg minutes4 W/kg minutes
France706543469
Innsbruck374282245
London1252993889
Makuri Islands1336.91082.8974.9
New York489383342.9
Paris383129
Richmond251204184
Scotland170.6136.3121.8
Watopia334226162319
Yorkshire271211.9187.1
Totals137 hours, 10 minutes108 hours, 3 minutes96 hours, 1 minute

It’s pretty wild to think that a rider holding 4 W/kg could complete every badged route in 4 days. But it’s true!

Keep in mind the ZIMetrics time estimates predict how long it would take a semi-experienced rider, riding efficiently in a group, to finish one lap of the course, including any lead-in. The algorithm assumes you’re a 75kg, 183cm rider drafting on the flats, on a decently fast bike, and pushing harder on climbs than on flats and descents. Because of this, the estimates above are more of a “race situation” estimate than a free ride time estimate.

Also, it’s worth noting that the list above does not include any of the Climb Portals, which are a separate beast entirely and only rideable when they are scheduled.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Zwift World Series Race 3 Details: Yorkshire Double Loops

Eric Schlange
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5
Zwift World Series Race 3 Details: Yorkshire Double Loops

Zwift World Series Race 3 Details: Yorkshire Double Loops

The next community races of Zwift’s inaugural World Series happen next week/weekend, and riders will tackle the new Yorkshire Double Loops route. All are welcome, from beginners to the elite racers who will be joining in to recon the course for the elite events happening in the coming weeks!

Here are the big reasons why the Zwift World Series community races are interesting:

  • They function as a monument race one weekend per month from September to January, offering a chance to challenge and test yourself against the Zwift racing community
  • Plenty of opportunities to participate, with races scheduled from Thursday to Sunday across multiple time slots
  • Global Leaderboards for each month’s races (here is the leaderboard for race #3)
  • Zwift World Series Community kit unlock when you complete any of the five races
  • Elite riders can use these races as recon events prior to the big elite races, and community riders get to race the same course as the elites to see how they compare
  • Three brand-new courses and two never before featured in Zwift racing (see all routes here)

Route Details: Yorkshire Double Loops

This new route has never been raced in Zwift, although it covers Yorkshire’s pitchy roads which are familiar to many riders! The longest route in Yorkshire, it covers both loops of Yorkshire in both directions, then ends on the KOM. See more route details >

  • Powerups: Feather awarded at the Lap Arch on each passing (2x)
  • Primes (Elite races only):
    • Yorkshire Sprint Reverse
    • Yorkshire KOM

Race 3 Schedule and Signup

Community races October 24-27, 2024
Elite qualifier: October 31 (Men 18:10 UTC, Women 19:10 UTC)
Elite race: November 14 (Men 18:15 UTC, Women 19:20 UTC)

Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/zwscommunity

See complete World Series season schedule >

Kit Unlock

Complete any Zwift World Series race and unlock the Zwift World Series Community kit:

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

ZRL Round 2 Route Design Competition: Vote Now!

Eric Schlange
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15
ZRL Round 2 Route Design Competition: Vote Now!

ZRL Round 2 Route Design Competition: Vote Now!

The final race of each round of the 2024/25 Zwift Racing League season will feature a new community-designed route, and it’s time to vote on the route for Round 2!

17 submissions were sent in, and as one of the judges tasked with narrowing the list to three, I can say that nearly every submission was a well-designed route with something compelling in its favor.

After spending way too much time looking at each and every proposed route, a panel of judges (including myself) narrowed the field to just three. And now the Zwift community gets to decide which one we’ll race on December 17!

To vote, visit this page on WTRL’s website. Voting is open now and will close Friday, October 18 at 12pm UTC/5am PDT.

Vote Now

Three Ring Circus

Zwift World: WATOPIA
Distance: 25.9km / 16 miles
Ascent: 235m / 771ft
Start: Downtown Watopia
End: Hilly KQOM
See ride from creator Stuart Moore (DIRT) >

Ride To The Hills

Zwift World: WATOPIA
Distance: 28km / 17.4 miles
Ascent: 238m / 780ft
Start: Fuego Flats Paddocks
End: Mayan Mountainside
see ride from creator Robb Gassin (AERO Bics) >

Tair Dringfa Fechan

Zwift World: WATOPIA
Distance: 34.6km / 21.5 miles
Ascent: 378m / 1,240ft
Start: Downtown Watopia
End: Titans Grove KQOM
see ride from creator Bryan Culliford (CLS) >

Vote Now

Tiny Race Series – October 19 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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0
Tiny Race Series – October 19 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – October 19 Routes and Last Week’s Results

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

Zwift Update Version 1.76 (135866) Released

Eric Schlange
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46
Zwift Update Version 1.76 (135866) Released

Zwift version 1.76 begins its phased rollout today.

(This release may seem a bit light – just a route badge and some bug fixes – but it’s worth mentioning that there are additional in-game changes and important updates from trainer companies rolling out in the near term (some this week!) that we can’t discuss yet since they are under embargo. Watch this space for news as it comes available…)

“Richmond Loop Around” Opens

The Richmond Loop Around route was introduced for the first race of the Zwift World Series, and this update changes it from being event-only to being open/free-ridable.

The first time you ride the route you’ll earn the achievement badge, which comes with an 850XP bonus.

Spindown Calibration Fix

The previous update seemed to introduce a bug that affected spindown calibration for certain Zwifters. Today’s update includes this note from Zwift: “Fixed an issue that caused the spindown calibration within Zwift to fail.”

More Release Notes

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

  • For Zwifters using virtual shifting with the sequential gearing scheme, the default starting gear was changed from gear 12 to gear 8 to provide an easier starting point.
  • In Makuri Islands, support columns that were holding up a building above a portion of roadway were removed so Zwifters no longer collide with them. Don’t worry, they weren’t load bearing!
  • Fixed an issue that could potentially cause the “FTP Change Detected” notification to appear when the new FTP matched the previous FTP.
  • Fixed an issue that could potentially cause a slight delay when using virtual shifting.

Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

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

Tour de Andrasta Women’s 3-Day Race Series Begins October 25

Eric Schlange
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2
Tour de Andrasta Women’s 3-Day Race Series Begins October 25

Tour de Andrasta Women’s 3-Day Race Series Begins October 25

The Warrior Games, organizers of the popular Iceni and Tour de Boudicca series, have just announced a women’s 3-stage race series starting October 25. See all the details below!

About the Name

Andrasta was an Iceni war goddess invoked by Boudicca in her fight against the Roman occupation of Britain in AD 60. Described as “their name for Victory,” her name has been translated as meaning “indestructible” or “unconquerable”.

Schedule and Route Details

The races have just one time slot, at 11:00 PT/14:00 ET/19:00 UK/05:00 +1 AUS. Stage 1 has an extra time slot at 16:00 PT/ 19:00 ET.

Stage 1 – Friday October 25: Glasgow Crit Circuit (6 laps)

Welcome to the Tour de Andrasta! We’re kicking off with a thrilling punchy circuit that showcases sights inspired by Glasgow, the host of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships finishing circuit. It’s a scratch race, so whoever crosses the finish line first takes up the high points! Warriors, are you ready for battle?

  • Format: Scratch Race
  • Length: 18.2km
  • Finish Line Points: 75,70,65,60,55 to 1 point depending on your finishing position in your category.
  • Powerups: Burrito/Feather/Ghost

Stage 2 – Saturday October 26: Yorkshire Double Loops (1 lap)

I hope your legs have recovered from Stage 1 because Stage 2 is designed to challenge you! This route will take you to Yorkshire, covering the Queen of the Mountains (QOM) and Sprints from all directions. It’s a sprint-climb showdown! Are you ready for it, warriors? You’ve got this.

  • Format: Points Race
  • Length: 29.6km
  • Intermediate Points (scored 25,18,15,12,10,8,6,4,2,1):
    • Yorkshire QOM Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
    • Yorkshire Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
    • Yorkshire QOM – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
    • Yorkshire Sprint – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Finish Line Points: 50 to 1 depending on your finishing position in your category.
  • Powerups: Anvil/Feather/Aero

Stage 3 – Sunday October 27: Itza Climb Finish (1 Lap) 

Igniting the final stage with fierce determination, our warriors are set to conquer the “Itza Climb Finish.” Tackling sprints and QOMs, they unleash every tactic in their arsenal, all for the chance to be crowned Queen of the Tour of Andrasta. Best of luck, warriors!

  • Format: Points Race
  • Length: 29.6km
  • Intermediate Points (scored 25,18,15,12,10,8,6,4,2,1):
    • Woodland Sprint Reverse -Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
    • Sasquatch Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
    • Acropolis Sprint Reverse – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
    • Stoneway Sprint Reverse – Top 10 First Across the Line (FAL)
    • Mayan Mountainside – Top 10 Fastest Through Segment (FTS)
  • Finish Line Points: 50 to 1 depending on your finishing position in your category.
  • Powerups: Anvil/Feather/Aero

Sign Up

Want to race the series? Start by signing up for the race events! Numbers attract numbers, so women are encouraged to sign up early.

See all upcoming Tour de Andrasta events at zwift.com/events/tag/andrasta >

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.

Key Rules and More Info

  • All entrants must be able to participate in all three stages to have their result stand on Tour de Andrasta league standings. 
  • Participants must have a ZwiftPower account (learn how to sign up) 
  • Heart Rate Monitors (HRM) are obligatory for all categories.
  • Steering will be disabled.
  • Smart trainers and dumb trainers with power meter only, no Zpower racers.
  • Riders must match their Zwift profile name and ZwiftPower name, e.g. Jane Doe [XTeam].
  • Riders should ensure power meters and smart trainers are calibrated / zeroed out prior to each stage.
  • Zwift Racing Score will be enabled.     

For complete rules and other info, see the Tour de Andrasta Google doc. You may also join The Warrior Games’ Discord to ask specific questions: https://discord.gg/mjZ8ksybkv

Results

The series winners are the riders who accumulate the most points at the end of the competition in their category.

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift World Series, Starting Zwift, and Solo Victories

Oli Chi
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0
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift World Series, Starting Zwift, and Solo Victories

What happens when the top female long-distance professional triathlete tries a Zwift race? In this week’s top video, Lucy Charles Barclay attempts to qualify for the elite Zwift World Series.

As part of this week’s top 5 Zwift videos, we’ve included videos about getting started on Zwift, winning Zwift races, the all-new JetBlack Victory, and sprint testing.

Zwift E-Racing Comeback

Lucy Charles Barclay races the Zwift World Series Open Qualifier. Can she beat some of the top e-sport cyclists and qualify for the Zwift World Series?

How I Would Start on Zwift For The First Time

After being on Zwift for the last 16 months, Ryan Condon shares everything you need to know if you are a beginner on the platform.

Solo Zwift Victory!

Erik Lee, Don’t Get Dropped Cycling, makes a perfectly timed attack to ride away for the win. Watch all the action unfold in Erik’s latest video.

JetBlack Victory Smart Trainer Review: Unrivalled on Price, Features, Performance!

Has JetBlack just created the best smart trainer? Shane Miller, GPLama, answers this question and gives an in-depth review of the new JetBlack Victory.

How Many Watts Can I Sprint? – My Best Sprint Ever!

Benji Naesen has never really done an all-out sprint. In his latest video, Benji puts his sprint to the test and sees if he can break 1300 watts.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

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