Today Zwift announced a new ride series kicking off March 11 and running for four weeks. Called the “Zwift Big Spin,” it’s a series of group rides focused on fun, fitness, and… goodies! Read on for details…
Prize Spinner
The prize spinner we’ve only seen atop Alpe du Zwift has been refreshed and put to work on the Zwift Big Spin events:
Each time you complete a route in a Zwift Big Spin event, the spinner will pop up to give you a prize. If it lands on a prize you’ve already won, you’ll get a sweet Drops bonus!
The prize spinner has 8 slots, with different probabilities assigned to each. Six of the slots will feature the same prize throughout the series:
We’re definitely going after the tri spoke wheel, Atomic Cruiser, and headphones!
The other two slots’ prizes will change for each stage, giving us a total of 14 possible prizes throughout the series. And Zwift tells us these prizes won’t be available in the Drop Shop any time soon (possibly never), so this is your only known chance to unlock them.
Prize List:
Tri Spoke and disc wheel
Classic Crew socks
The Zwift Big Spin Shoes
Atomic Cruiser
Sky Blue Helmet
Orange Headphones
A kit for each stage (see below)
A world-themed item for each stage
Schedule and Route Details
Each stage is hosted in a different Zwift world, with long and standard-length route options. (Keep in mind that you’ll see the prize spinner each time you complete a lap, which means stage 4’s events will give you two spins!)
Officially, no. Zwift Big Spin events are group rides without a stated pace. That means some riders will treat them as races, and the front of these rides will certainly be “spicy.”
Others will just spin their legs for a prize-laden recovery effort. You do you… just have fun!
Kit Unlocks
Zwift Big Spin Kit
Complete at least one event in each stage to unlock the Zwift Big Spin kit.
There are also four World Kits, which can only be unlocked as prizes on the spinner!
World Kit (left to right): Makuri Islands, London, NYC, and France (the hats are separate spinner prizes as well)
Zwift has rolled out a fresh Mission for March, and it’s all about climbing. We’re celebrating Women’s History Month and kicking off the countdown to Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift by climbing at least 1035 meters in March, the height of Alpe du Zwift, since the Femmes ends atop Alp d’Huez this year!
Note: signups opened this week, but the Mission doesn’t begin until March 4.
Getting Started
To begin the Mission, select the mission card on your homescreen and click to register:
Once you’ve registered, clicking the mission card will show your Mission progress.
Completing the Mission
To complete the mission and earn the achievement badge, climb at least 1035 meters (3,396′) between March 4-31 after registering for the mission.
In the Drops Episode 41: Guests Rich Vale and Lee C Cycling
In episode 41 of In The Drops, great friends of the show Rich Vale and Lee Cassidy join us to talk about the commencement of the FRR World Tour Triquetra starting March 2nd.
Rob has become Youtube famous, finally being randomly recognised as the “That guy from In The Drops” and demonstrates his DS’ing prowess in recent Zwift Games races. Youtuber George and the Bike levels up his racing game to Cat B showing off his drafting skills.
The creator of the Flamme Rouge Racing series and torture king himself Rich Vale discusses the tour starting March the 2nd along with the challenges of running the most comprehensive tour on Zwift and his motivations for route choices. Lee Cassidy (from Lee C Cycling on Youtube) goes into his preparation for taking on all 21 stages over 22 days.
We look at the new Women’s Race League coming out of Copenhagen and Rob delivers one of the best quizzes using AI’s interpretation of what it imagines Zwift routes might look like using solely the route name. How many can you guess correctly?
How did you get into cycling? I started off in college/Uni with triathlons because I wanted to keep doing a sport to keep me active.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? About 3 years!
Are you part of a Virtual team? I race for Wahoo Le Col but also am a part of Level E-sports for the ladder leagues and such.
What do you love most about racing? I love the challenge of it all – the dynamics of it all whether it be the physics side or race tactic aspect. Always learning and love it!
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? Scratch, iTT, and TTT because of my Ironman triathlon background.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? Zero clue haha.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? Probably crossing the line at Ironman World Championship as a top Age Grouper and my brother being at the finish line to catch me. Completely epic experience!
What is your favourite food to eat post-race? Curry or pizza! Yummm…
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Just keep racing and showing up. I raced for the men’s team and was constantly humbled each week, but it (eventually) made me a stronger athlete and I was able to meet lifetime friends from it all as well.
It’s the first Zwift Games weekend ever, so expect huge numbers at these races! We’ve also picked some beginner-friendly group rides, and one crazy group of vEveresters you can join if so inclined!
The massive race festival that is Zwift Games kicks off today, with stage 1 races throughout the weekend. We’re racing 2 laps of the new Loop de Loop route for 24.9km with 289m elevation, and signup numbers are already very high.
The Elite men will be racing on Saturday (watch it here), with the Elite women following on Sunday. Both races are at 6pm UTC/1pm EST/10am PST.
Join team Zwift NL for a longer ride with two pace options. C group travels at 2.5-3W/kg and will ride two laps of Makuri 40 (80.4km), and D group travels at 1.7-2.2W/kg and rides Big Flat 8 for 75km.
Here’s a type of event we don’t often highlight! A group of Zwifters (most from Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK) are attempting various vEveresting challenges over the weekend to raise money for a local children’s hospital (Birmingham Children’s Hospital). Some riders are attempting their first vEverest, while some are doing double or triple vEverests! Zwift names and local start times:
Branston The Pickled (Treble) starting Friday evening
B aggers69 (Double) 4pm Saturday
Wayne Loosemore (Double) Saturday early 6am?
James Potter (Double) Saturday 6am
Michael Bromwich (Triple) Saturday 6am
Christine Brill (Basecamp) Sunday 6am
Chris West (Basecamp) Sunday 6am
Nick Read (RMCC) (Single) Sunday 6am
Andy White (Single) Sunday 6am
Daz Nelthorpe (Single) Sunday 6am
Nik Wood 2Wheelsonly (Single) Saturday 6am
Nick Young (Single) Sunday 6am
Simon Stretton (10k) Sunday 6am
To join them, free ride to Alpe du Zwift, then find their names. They’ll be riding to the top, flipping u-turns, coasting down, then flipping u-turns to climb it again. Partial team list as well as donation link here >
Speaking of climbing Alpe du Zwift… if you need a little help getting up there, why not try a banded ride with the Banditz? You won’t get dropped, as long as you keep pedaling!
Looking for a beginner-friendly pace, with some climbing involved? Join one of Zwift’s oldest teams, PACK, for a 60-minute ride on the Volcano Climb route.
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!
All About the New “Who Run the World?” Women’s Race League
A new woman-only race series has seen the light of day. The league, initiated by the Copenhagen Virtual Cycling’s Ladies team, has a goal of bringing women from all corners of the world together each Thursday to enjoy the sport of virtual cycling.
About CVC’s Ladies Team
Copenhagen Virtual Cycling (CVC) is a Danish cycling club training on Zwift together. The purpose of the club is to spread knowledge of and love of e-cycling and to create a community for Zwifters of all levels.
In the past six months, the club has grown considerably, recently gaining a women’s-only team: CVC Ladies. CVC Ladies train together each Thursday evening, primarily racing together. The team includes women of different ages and skill levels.
The CVC’s clubhouse includes 11 smart bikes all hooked up to 32-inch screens and Apple TVs. The club hosts 5 training sessions each week!
CVC Ladies is a positive, women’s only community where the participants encourage each other and celebrate each other’s victories. Together with eCykle Klub Danmark (eCKD), CVC Ladies invites women all over the world to participate in the new Who Run The World League!
League Schedule
The league takes place on Thursday evenings at 6pm UTC (7pm CET/1pm EST/10am PST) in February and March and 5pm UTC (7pm CEST/1pm EDT/10am PDT) in April and May.
Categories and Series Rankings
The league consists of 15 races, with each race earning you points based on your finishing position. Understanding that many participants have busy everyday lives and other obligations, you “only” need to complete 10 out of the 15 races. Your best 10 race results will count toward your overall total.
The league consists of a mixture of routes to benefit different types of cyclists, and women at all levels are encouraged to participate. These are mass start events, so riders are not broken into categories.
Route Details
Currently, the initial nine races are available. The first race has concluded. Details for the final six races will be added soon.
Read more about the league and see race results on the league’s website. To register, just sign up for upcoming events on zwift.com or in the Companion app.
I’ve seen Gymrail’s Momentum X1 system popping in and out of my Zwift feeds for years, but only recently did I notice they were shipping to the US! So I reached out to get a loaner unit and Harri Salmenautio, CEO and Founder, replied. Soon enough, it arrived at my door from their home base in Finland.
How It’s Different
Gymrail calls the Momentum X1 a “4D bike rocker system.” Not only does it allow for 15 degrees of side-to-side tilt like a basic rocker plate, it also gives 12cm (4.5″) of fore-aft movement like some advanced rocker plates. On top of that, you also get 12cm (4.5″) of side-to-side sway and 7 degrees of twisting rotation (yaw) from the central axis!
To be clear: “sway” here is your bike being able to slide left and right without tilting. You’ll notice it most when really putting the power down, as the back of your bike slides left and right.
“Yaw” is when your bike twists into a sort of “s-curve”, again seen most when you’re putting down the power, perhaps out of the saddle. As you turn your bars one way, the bike tilts in the opposite direction. (This motion isn’t seen on standard rocker plates, but it is available on the InsideRide E-FLEX Motion System.)
That’s a lot of movement. But maybe there’s something to it. Because any physicist will tell you, the physics of riding a bike are quite complex. There’s a lot of movement going on to keep us upright!
Here’s a quick promo video from Gymrail, so you can see the basics of how the system works:
Unboxing and Setup
The MX1 arrived in a box that had seen better days, but when I unpacked it I quickly realized that nothing was going to break this unit. It’s built like a tank!
Thanks for the repack, DHLEverything that come in the boxVarious parts for assembly
The system consists of two separate sections: one connects to your trainer and one connects to your front forks. Both sections require a bit of assembly. Gymrail’s website includes written and video instructions for assembling the unit, and I highly recommend using them.
The rear unit is basically a giant skateboard with added side-to-side sway movement. It comes fully assembled, but you need to mount your trainer securely to it and adjust the bumpers to your liking. To mount the trainer, you first position your trainer where you’d like it on the platform, then screw in the included steel plates beneath the trainer so you can secure the trainer to the platform via the included velcro straps. You’ll need a cordless drill to screw the plates in.
Adjusting the bumpers on the undersidePositioning the mountain bracketsScrewing the brackets inTrainer is ready to go!
This setup worked swimmingly for the Zwift Hub I was using. The trainer was mounted very solidly thanks to the custom-placed mounts and sturdy velcro straps.
The rear unit includes rubber bumpers underneath which can be slid left and right to change how easily the platform tilts. Adjust these to your liking, but know you can always tweak them later (and probably will). Just get the platform level, then you’re ready to continue.
The front unit just needs the legs folded out and locked in with bolts, then the vertical “steering unit” attached using the included tool. The steering unit has rubber bumpers like the rear unit which you can slide left and right to dampen how easily the front of your bike tilts.
Base of the steering unit, with bumpers moved toward the middleAll set!
Dialing It In
Assembling the unit is one thing. Dialing it in is another. Without a movement platform of any sort, riders have nothing to adjust. Add a basic left-right tilting rocker plate, and you have the inflation of the balls to adjust (which is no small thing). Add fore-aft movement and you may want to adjust the stiffness (although that’s rarely adjustable).
Add two more types of movement, like the MX1 does, and you’ve got even more to dial in!
The first thing I noticed was that my front forks were too stiff when trying to tilt left and right out of the saddle. So I adjusted the bumpers on the steering unit toward the center, giving that unit maximum freedom to tilt. This helped, although things still felt stiffer than I’d like up front.
(I already had the rear bumpers moved toward the middle for maximum left-right tilting, since I ride rocker plates all the time and am comfortable with that “looser” feel. The rear tilt felt great from the start, so I didn’t need to dial it in further.)
The next thing I noticed was excessive “sway” at the back of my bike when sprinting. Some sway is natural, actually – your rear tire does “slide” left and right in a sprint. But too much sway and you feel like you’re losing power as the rear unit slides left as your right leg pushes down/back, then slides right as your left left pushes down/back. Changing from the installed black springs (the loosest included) to the orange springs (20% stiffer) helped the sway situation.
Here’s a quick video demo I made not long after getting things set up:
Ride Feel
One thing I feel reviewers miss when it comes to rocker plate testing is that you really need to give yourself enough time on a new rocker to ensure you’re actually feeling how it behaves, and not just feeling how it’s different from what you’ve ridden before. I ride with a rocker plate all the time, and have reviewed several rocker plates over the years. Every new rocker feels a bit odd when I start. It takes several rides to really get the feel for how the plate lets me move, and to fully understand if it’s letting me move naturally or inhibiting the movements I’d like to make.
After several weeks of riding with the MX1, I’ve come away with some things I really like about it, and a few things I don’t.
The Good
It lets my bike move more than any other platform I’ve tested. The rear sway and the s-curve “yaw” are something you don’t get in typical rocker plates, and they really add to the natural feel, especially when seated. The MX1, much like the InsideRide E-FLEX, offers a more natural and comfortable motion than a standard rocker plate when it comes to seated riding at low and mid-power levels.
Nothing to inflate: inflatable balls can be handy when you’re trying to customize the stiffness of a rocker plate, but there’s something really nice about a few sets of steel springs that you know will deliver consistent performance.
Quiet: even though it has springs, it doesn’t have the fore-aft noisiness that some plates have. It’s a very quiet setup.
Sturdy: yes, your bike can move a lot. But you know the unit isn’t going to break or fail in any way, because (as I’ve already mentioned) it’s built like a tank.
Needs Improvement
I’d still like more side-to-side tilting movement on my front forks. I like the feel of standing up and being able to swing my bars left and right freely, but the steering unit, even at its loosest setting, still inhibited this movement somewhat.
Too much rear sway: I wasn’t able to test the rear unit with Gymrail’s stiffest springs (red) since they weren’t included in the package, but the mid-stiff (orange) were still a bit to wiggly for me, and the least stiff (black) were definitely not stiff enough. It should be noted that this will be less of an issue for lighter and/or weaker riders. I’m 83kg, with a sprint that tops out at ~1100W. The heavier you are, and the stronger your sprint, the more you’ll notice and probably want to dampen the sway.
Lastly, I must mention that the biggest problem I had with the MX1 was that the rear unit would shift to the right slightly each time I put in a hard, out of the saddle effort. Even after putting down a mat to reduce any possible slipping, it still happened. Then I realized my problem: the floor wasn’t perfectly level!
So this isn’t a flaw in the MX1, but it’s something you’ll want to consider if your floors perfectly level. Because the MX1 uses rollers for fore-aft movement, it will work its way “downhill” if used on a floor that tilts left or right, even slightly. This isn’t a big deal if you aren’t out of the saddle sprinting much, but in a longer race, you may find the rear unit has shifted several inches to one side, which can be a real problem. (This, incidentally, is not an issue “normal” rocker plates have.)
A Word About Innovation
I want to be sure and give kudos to Gymrail, who have put in countless hours to develop a quality product for a very niche market. And they’re not done yet! Their website says they’re working on Zwift-integrated steering with the MX1, as well as braking. Keep up the good work, Harri and team!
Pricing and Availability
The Gymrail Momentum X1 is priced at €1,239.00/$1083, but on sale for €999. So it doesn’t come cheap, and feels especially pricey at a time when good smart trainers can be found for half that price.
Due to its price, I wouldn’t recommend it to every Zwifter. But if you’re looking for a well-built platform offering unprecented levels of motion, the MX1 may be just the ticket.
It is currently shipping to the EU as well as USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
How the Race Was Lost: Me vs 500+ (L’Etape du Tour Prologue)
Hello, dear reader. It’s been a few months since I wrote my last tale of race loss, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been lazy. Far from it! I’ve managed to lose (*checks ZwiftPower*) 17 races so far this year, but they’ve been pretty boring losses, so I haven’t taken the time to write about them.
I did win two gamified Repack Rush events, according to ZwiftPower. I’m not even sure that’s accurate. In fact, I’m quite sure it isn’t. And I got 2nd place in Stage 4 of ZRacing’s “Flat is Fast” January series, which was my best points result so far this year.
But today, I want to share my story of an exceptional race. Not because my result was exceptional, but because the event itself was far from the Zwift norm. Let’s dive in…
The Warmup
It was a Thursday, so I was on the bike at 6am spinning my legs in an easy 60-minute ride with Team Twenty24 in Richmond. I do this ride almost every week – it’s a great way to wake up, as ride leader Amanda Coker keeps the group chatty and positive while holding a steady pace.
Then I joined the pens for my race: the L’Etape du Tour Prologue event on Going Coastal in Watopia. I knew the event would be big, as over 400 riders were already signed up. I knew the pace would be high, because there were no categories – everyone raced together! And I hoped I could hang onto the front of the group to the end, since it was a flat and short route (18.7km with 63m of elevation).
I joined the pens and saw Erik Lee was in the house. If you aren’t family with Erik, he’s a streamer (Don’t Get Dropped Cycling) whose videos we often feature in our weekly top 5 series. He’s a strong B racer, and as far as I know we’ve never raced in the same event before.
Popping over to ZwiftPower and sorting the signup list by ZwiftPower ranking, I saw the top ~15 riders had a score of 100 or better. Those are strong riders! I knew there was no way I was winning this race, but if I could hold on and sprint well in the finish I may just be able to nab a solid result.
Part 1: The Start
The start was fast, but not too bad for a rider like myself who can hold solid steady watts. There were 518 riders in the start pens, but it strung out quickly, with elastic snapping all over the place before we even finished the 2.2km lead-in.
I’m easy to spot, thanks to Player Highlight!
Call it serendipity: this was the perfect use case for Zwift’s new Player Highlight feature. Because we were all forced to wear the same kit (have I mentioned how annoying this is?) and the pack was huge, so without a highlight it was really hard to see yourself in the group. Even more so if you were on the Tron bike, which meant your rider’s head didn’t pop up when drafting.
This race really broke down into three sections, and this “start” was around 7 minutes long, taking us from the pens to the exit of the Fuego Flats oasis. I averaged ~305W for this bit, and just did my best to stay a few bike lengths from the front so I would benefit from the draft without getting gapped if a sizeable group attacked.
A few riders jumped off the front in this first section, but with a pack of (maybe?) 100 chasing, they weren’t getting far. I just surfed the wheels.
Side Note: The Weirdness of Big Races in Zwift
Zwift only renders the closest 100 riders, so the size of your peloton isn’t always clear in large events. You can see where you’re at by looking at your placing in the rider list, but if your pack is over 100, you don’t know if your pack is actually 100 riders like you’re seeing, or many more than that.
That said, there isn’t much difference between racing in a pack of 100 or 300. Either way, you’re not getting away on the flats, and it’s smart to stay near the front to avoid getting gapped.
Part 2: The Easy Middle
The easiest bit of the race was from the oasis downhill to the descent into Googie Springs. I averaged ~275W for this 6-minute section, and not much happened apart from some attrition in the front group, shrinking it to around 80 riders.
I was feeling good in the front group. But then the work began.
Part 3: The Tough Finish
The last 11 minutes of the race were the toughest, by far. I averaged around 320W for this bit.
As we zipped past Mr. Crankie’s Crab Shack in Googie Springs, the rollers began. And they just kept coming! Nothing steep or long, but constant up-downs where the strong riders would put in digs and stretch the group each time the gradient turned positive.
I tried to ride as efficiently as possible, letting myself drift back a bit on the climbs, while staying in touch with the front pack of ~40 who seemed to be staying together nicely. I also used my Zwift Play steering when possible to cut corners, giving me a slightly shorter line on the twisty roads. It helped!
With 4km to go, the strong riders began attacking on a false flat, and the pack stretched out. I was out of position and already working hard when I noticed there were ~30 riders up ahead who had gapped the rest of us. This was the move!
But I didn’t feel I had the legs to chase them back. So I gambled. I stayed in the wheels of the chase group of ~25. And surprisingly, we bridged up! With 2.3km to go, it was all back together in the front group of 54.
You could feel the group take a deep breath at this point. With only 3 minutes left in the race, everyone knew it was kicking off soon. Get some oxygen. Spin the legs. Because this last bit is going to hurt…
The first attacker went with 1.8km to go. Then it was game on! The pack sped up from 44kph to 49kph, and began stretching out. I saw a certain “G Ozbay” fly past at 9+ W/kg. Then the road dipped down, past Herry’s, and tilted up for the final 250-meter run-in to the line.
I didn’t have much left, so I just activated my aero powerup then stood and hammered as best I could.
40th place. Ozbay took first. And in the battle of the Eric/ks, Erik Lee came out on top, finishing an impressive 16th!
Despite finishing 36th in ZwiftPower, my result of 135.02 still earned me a slight points upgrade of 2.8 thanks to the super strong field. I’ll take it!
Could I have ridden this race differently and earned a better result? Maybe, but my gut says there’s nothing I could have done to significantly improve my finish.
I rode quite conservatively, apart from one short dig made in the oasis to follow a move I didn’t need to follow. Still, when the pack decided to go in that final 2km, I just didn’t have the legs to keep up. My only regret is not moving closer to the front when the pack sat up a bit before the final push, because doing so may have given me a few more positions in the finish.
This race reminded me of how difficult A-race finishes are, compared to B. In a B race, riders won’t go until the final 500 meters or less, and anyone who goes earlier than that is caught. In an A race, the pace picks up 2-3km from the line, sapping your legs before the sprint even begins!
So there’s a marked difference between an A-race finish and a B-race finish. But that’s why it’s such good training to race against the A’s as a B rider.
(I should add that the guy who won, Gökhan Özbay, is currently ranked #2 in the world on ZwiftPower. Is he legit? I’ll leave that for you to decide. But I’ll say this: if you’re ranked that highly without public dual recordings, elite Zwift race results, or strong outdoor results, other racers will consider you sus. And I wouldn’t blame them for doing so.)
Until next time… good luck in your racing, and Ride On.
Flamme Rouge Racing’s biggest and hardest challenge of their third series of races begins March 2. World Tour Triquetra runs for three weeks, ending on Sunday, March 24 around the cobbles of Paris. The first Zwift Grand Tour of the year will visit every Zwift World over 21 stages while covering 930km and 11,000m of ascent – with just 2 rest days!
The Tour attracted over 2,500 riders in January, and FRR is looking forward to seeing many of those return, plus a few more for this epic journey into the unknown. Let’s look at the event details…
One Grand Tour, Three Editions
Can’t complete all stages? No problems. The Tour is made up of 3 editions consisting of 7 stages, and each will be individually resulted with awards given.
Meanwhile, those who can ride all 21 stages will chase the ultimate prize (which, let’s be honest, is mostly just the satisfaction of completion and the enjoyment of competitive racing!)
Unique Classification, Flexible Schedule
FRR offers all awards by gender and has 10 classes for Men and 7 for Women to create a tighter and fairer racing format.
With at least 8 event times available at each stage there should be a time available to fit everyone’s schedule around the globe, from Auckland to Hawaii.
Whether you are a sprinter, climber, domestique, GC contender, all-rounder, or team player there is something for everyone on every stage and it’s an ideal way to build towards the outdoor season.
Key Links for Riders
Stage By Stage Guide: for complete World Tour – Triquetra details, including courses and schedules, see the Tour Roadbook.
Registration: Registration is required! Simply go to the FRR homepage, click “Register Here” and follow the instructions. Registration stays open throughout the Tour (so you can do 1 or 21 stages) but it is required in order to obtain passes to the Tour events.
Rules: FRR Tours are governed by a comprehensive set of rules. See the rulebook >
