Join the Cycle Nation 2023 24-hour Charity Ride this Weekend
Want to put in some big miles for a good cause? This weekend (October 21-22), the Cycle Nation team is hosting a 24-hour charity ride on Zwift. Led by some of the biggest names on Zwift, the event benefits the Distance For Difference organization.
You don’t have to ride all 24 hours to take part… 10 events are scheduled over the weekend so riders can jump in whenever they’re able! Read on for details…
About Distance For Difference
Distance For Difference (D4D) is a registered non-profit organization which, since 2005, has made a significant impact in the well-being of children in South Africa. D4D use sport to generate funds for distribution to various children’s charities.
This set of Zwift events is happening in conjunction with an IRL 24-hour event as well as a 24-hour spinning event on the same weekend. Hats off to all!
To participate, you’ll need to join one of the 10 Cycle Nation events below. Late join is enabled, and each event is 135 minutes long and held on Tempus Fugit to help everyone stay together. Yellow beacons will lead the rides at 1.8w/kg, but riders are free to form their own groups above or below this pace.
This week Zwift rolled out a firmware update for the Zwift Hub which brings key new features to the smart trainer, plus some quality of life improvements. Let’s talk about the new features first!
10Hz Power Reporting (Race Mode)
Zwift Hub now broadcasts power data via Bluetooth at 10Hz (that is, 10x per second). If you use ANT+, it is now broadcasting at 4Hz.
Previously, the trainer broadcasted at 1Hz, which is sort of the industry standard. (The only trainers we know that do it differently are the Tacx NEO and some of the newest Wahoo KICKRs.)
What does faster power reporting get you? The ability to react faster in races (hence Wahoo calling it “race mode”)! It won’t change everyday riding, but it makes a noticeable difference in race situations where reacting quickly matters.
One thing Zwift needs to quickly fix, though, is the display of power numbers in game. I did a quick video demo below, but to put it simply, race mode on your Zwift Hub makes your power numbers change on screen at 10Hz, even if you have 3-second averaging enabled! The number you’re seeing is an accurate 3-second average, but Zwift is updating that average 10x per second, and displaying the updated numbers.
You can still get a good idea of what power you’re putting out, but having the number change so often feels unnatural and hectic. I’ve shared this feedback with Zwift, and my guess is this will be changed so the number is only updated once per second if you have 3-second averaging enabled. This is how bike head units handle it.
Some riders may not like how often Zwift changes the 10Hz power numbers on screen (I know I don’t). The problem is, there are only two possible fixes:
Zwift makes race mode optional (like Wahoo did). But Zwift hasn’t done this. If you are on firmware version 5.2+, race mode is enabled and cannot be disabled.
Zwift changes how 3-second average power is displayed so it only refreshes once per second. Again, this fix hasn’t been implemented, but I think Zwift should do it soon.
Virtual Shifting
The new firmware enables virtual shifting capabilities if you have the Zwift Hub and either Zwift’s Play controllers or the new Zwift Click.
So what exactly is virtual shifting… and do you need it?
With virtual shifting, your chain isn’t moving between different physical cassette cogs when you shift. Instead, a virtual shift changes the resistance of your smart trainer so it feels like you’ve changed cogs. This is how smart bikes like the Wahoo KICKR Bike, Wattbike, StagesBike, and Tacx NEO Bike have always worked.
There are many benefits to virtual shifting, including:
Fast, smooth, quiet: with no chains skipping between cogs, your shifts are completely silent, perfectly smooth, and lightning-fast.
Less wear and tear: your chain won’t wear out as quickly, and neither will the Zwift Cog, since it is built beefy because weight is not a concern.
Shift under full load: no need to ease off the pedal when shifting under power, as your chain isn’t going to “skip” when virtual shifting like it can with mechanical shifting.
Compatible across many bikes: no more spinning out on your low-geared mountain bike, or needing to swap cassettes if you swap bikes. The Hub One works with virtually any 8-12 speed bike and auto-calibrates to your physical gearing.
No more fine-tuning: many riders find they have to fine-tune their physical shifting when they move between outdoor riding and a direct-drive trainer, since the cassettes aren’t lined up exactly the same. The Zwift Cog doesn’t require any such fine-tuning… just shift to a physical gear that has your chain lined up straight on the Cog and you’re ready to ride.
Expanded shifting: at launch the Hub One supports a virtual 24-speed setup, which is more gears than most riders have on their outdoor setups. Additionally, the gear ratio range is very wide (from .75 to 5.49), meaning everyone should find that virtual shifting offers more easy gears and more hard gears than your mechanical gearing.
In-game gear visualization: with Zwift’s virtual shifting, you can always see what gear you’re in on screen.
Time will tell, but I think virtual shifting is one of those features few Zwifters requested, but many will grow to love.
Two additional notes for firmware version 5.2 are worth mentioning since they relate to virtual shifting:
Implemented Real Gear Ratio Auto Detection – calculates the physical gear ratio on the bicycle using pedal cadence and flywheel speed. This is what Zwift is doing in lieu of letting Zwifters set up their own customized virtual gearing. Zwift simply detects the physical gear ratio of your current gear, then sets your virtual gears up so you’ve got plenty of high and low gears as long as you remain in the same physical gear you started with. After many hundreds of miles, I’ll say this seems to work remarkably well. I have yet to even hit my hardest or easiest virtual gears, which means I’ve got plenty of room on my virtual gearing.
Introduction of Zwift Protocol. This is the first time Zwift has publicly mentioned “Zwift Protocol,” but I’m sure it’s something we’ll hear about more in the future. Zwift Protocol is an application protocol Zwift has been developing for quite some time which allows the game to efficiently communicate with hardware. Its first use is in virtual shifting, and it may very well be that if third party trainer manufacturers want to support virtual shifting on Zwift, they’ll need to implement Zwift Protocol capabilities.
Quality of Life Improvements
On top of the new features, this firmware update includes improved Bluetooth connection parameters for a more consistent ride experience. It also implements better recovery processes to help the Hub not be “bricked” if a firmware update fails.
Checking and Updating Your Zwift Hub’s Firmware
To check your Zwift Hub’s firmware version, start the Companion app on your phone, go to More>Zwift Hardware, then click on your Hub. (Note: the Hub only allows one Bluetooth connection at a time, so if you already have Zwift running and are connected to your Hub there, it won’t show up in Companion. Close Zwift, then try connecting in Companion.)
Ready to update your Hub’s firmware? Here’s a quick video showing (among other things) how to upgrade your Hub’s firmware via the Companion app:
Tasty Features, Appealing Price
The simple truth is this: at $599/€599/£549 including 1 year of Zwift, most Zwifters will be hard-pressed to find a smarter buy than the Zwift Hub. While it may not pack the max wattage or 1% accuracy of the best direct-drive trainers, Zwift’s latest Hub upgrades make this already attractive smart trainer even more appealing.
This is another relatively quiet weekend on Zwift, so we’ve selected a nice set of weekend classics. Our picks include a mix of longer endurance rides and races, and a mellow social ride.
Next week appears to have quite a few exciting events, stay tuned!
Join the team at JETT for an endurance ride around the roads of the Makuri Islands. In this group ride, there will be two categories: one at ~2.7 w/kg, and one at ~3.2 w/kg.
This ride is just over 100 kilometers and will last roughly 2.5 hours. Riders will be on the Wandering Flats course in the Makuri Islands.
The WEDU Suffer Sunday is a community-led event where riders work together to try to hit certain time goals. Category B aims to reach the top of the Alpe in 2.5 hours while category C aims to reach the top in 3 hours.
Leaders and sweepers will be present in this ride. The ride will be taking place on the Four Horseman course in Watopia.
✅ Popular Event ✅ Highly Competitive✅ Endurance Ride
The KISS 100 race has been going on for quite some time now. This is likely one of the hardest races on Zwift, and it typically attracts some of Zwift’s top racers. As we get closer to Zwift season, expect sign-up numbers to increase quite a bit.
The KISS 100, as the name suggests, is a 100-kilometer race. This week’s race will take place on the Country to Coastal course in the Makuri Islands.
✅ Popular Event ✅ Legacy Leaders ✅ Beginner-Friendly
Looking for a relaxing way to end the weekend? Look no further than the EZR Weekend Wind Down. EZR is well-known for its supportive and beginner-friendly group rides. Join EZR for a spin around Watopia at ~0.9-1.3 w/kg.
For many, the JETT ride may be a bit too much too fast. Rest assured, Zwift NL will be hosting their weekly long ride. This ride is longer than the standard 60-minute group rides, but not quite as long as the 100-kilometer endurance rides.
Throughout this ride the leader will be holding a steady pace of ~1.7-2.2 w/kg depending on the terrain. Riders will be on the Douce France course.
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!
Your Thoughts
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!
The sixth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2023/24 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 17, and it’s the second team time trial of the round. In contrast to the climbiness of our first TTT, this week’s route is quite flat and all about pure watts.
Let’s dig into crucial segments along with bike choice and a trainer difficulty tip!
Looking at the Route: Greatest London Flat
Greatest London Flat has been used multiple times as a ZRL TTT course. It takes you around the City of London itself, then over to Surrey with the flattest of the three paths through before taking you back to London to finish on The Mall.
Total ride length is 31km for all categories – that’s a 7.4km lead-in to The Mall followed by a 23.6km lap. Here are some notes from Sherpa Dave:
While the profile above may look rather lumpy, this is a fairly flat course, with just a few important bits (climbs) worth mentioning:
Northumberland Ave @3.6km (150 meters at 4%): your first ramp of the race, and you’re still in the lead-in portion! Give it the beans, but don’t drop anyone. Recovery is just around the corner…
Surrey Parkland Ramps @18.3km (3km long): the toughest part of the course for many riders, this series of long rollers forces you to keep the power high if you want to maintain race-winning speed!
Ramp up from the Underground @22.5km: teams can lose several valuable seconds by attacking this one incorrectly! You want to ramp up your power heading into this steep, short ramp so you carry more momentum, then keep hammering hard over the top to get back up to speed.
Northumberland Ave again @27.2km (150 meters at 4%): with just a few kilometers left, you may have already lost a rider or two at this point. Make sure you stay together so you can pull hard to the line.
Also worth noting: in between the key climby bits above you’ll find a light of slight inclines and declines. Riding these smartly can make a big difference in your overall time! That means going harder on inclines, and easing a bit for recovery on the declines. Raising your trainer difficulty to 100% may help you feel the slight gradient changes and react appropriately.
Bike choice here is simple: go aero. On a flat route like this, weight doesn’t matter much, and aero is everything! The best setup by far is the CADEX Tri frame paired with the DT Swiss Disc wheels, but you’ll need to be at level 42+ to access that sweet rig. Here are the 4 fastest TT frames in game:
CADEX Tri + DT Swiss Disc wheelsCanyon Speedmax CF SLX DiscFelt IA 2.0Scott Plasma RC Ultimate
Team Time Trialing on Zwift is a challenging mixture of teamwork, physical strength, proper pacing, and Zwift minutiae like picking a fast bike and understanding drafting.
Flatter courses like this week’s are about big sustained watts on the front while riding efficiently in the draft so you’ve got big watts when your turn comes. Additionally, as mentioned above, it may help your team to raise trainer difficulty so you naturally go a bit harder on slight inclines and ease a bit on declines to maximize your overall speed.
Si Bradeley’s video above is packed with tips from special guest James Barnes – we recommend giving it a watch if you’re looking for pro-level TTT advice!
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 be different, based on the abilities of each rider. We highly recommend practicing beforehand and having an experienced DS on Discord directing your team, especially if your team contains some inexperienced TTT riders.
Enter our giveaway to win Zwift’s new Hub One smart trainer!
UPDATE October 31, 2023: Congrats to winner Andrew K. from Liverpool, England!
Zwift just announced the latest version of their Hub smart trainer, named the Hub One. And we’ve secured one for a giveaway, so one lucky rider will win a new trainer + 1 year of Zwift membership!
Now through October 31st, enter the giveaway below for your chance to win. You can enter once every 24 hours. You may also grab extra entries by referring friends or visiting us on social media.
More About Hub One
Zwift’s Hub One is the same smart trainer as the Zwift Hub Classic (1800W maximum wattage, +-2.5% accuracy, 4.7kg flywheel) but ships with the new Zwift Cog instead of a standard cassette plus the handle-bar mounted Zwift Click to enable virtual shifting. Both the Hub One and Hub Classic are priced at $599/€599/£549 and include one year of Zwift membership.
Zwift Cog + Zwift ClickZwift Click installed
Why the Cog and Click? Because the Hub One uses virtual shifting. So instead of your chain physically jumping between cogs on your rear cassette as you click your bike’s shifters, virtual shifts are handled by the trainer altering resistance whenever you shift using Zwift Click or Zwift Play.
Smart bikes have used virtual shifting for years due to its advantages, including reduced drivetrain wear, perfect silence, and the ability to shift under load. Hub One is compatible with almost any 8-12 speed bike, too, so you can swap bikes without swapping cassettes or adjusting your shifting.
The latest Zwift update has been announced and will be released in phases over the next few days.
This release’s big new feature is virtual shifting for Zwift Hub, which delivers a host of benefits to users. There’s also a pile of bug fixes included in the new build. Let’s dive in!
Virtual Shifting for Zwift Hub
Today’s update brings virtual shifting to Zwift Hub owners who have Zwift Play and/or the new Zwift Click controller. Use the Companion app to make sure your controllers have all their firmware updates installed, and make sure your Hub is on firmware 5.2 or higher, and you should be good to go!
Start up Zwift, pair your controller(s) and Hub, then make sure Virtual Shifting is enabled on your main settings screen:
How does virtual shifting work? The same way it does with any smartbike. You can read more about it in today’s Zwift Hub One post, but basically you’ve got 24 virtual gears, and as you shift between them the resistance on the Hub changes to mimic a mechanical shift.
You cannot currently set up custom virtual gearing, although Zwift says that may happen. Instead, the Zwift Hub auto-detects your physical gearing when you first start pedaling, then auto-calibrates resistance so you’ll have plenty of gears to work with. (Zwift calls this “‘real gear ratio calibration”, and in our tests it works flawlessly.)
Virtual shifting may be one of those features few asked for, but everyone loves. Benefits include:
Fast, smooth, quiet: with no chains skipping between cogs, your shifts are completely silent, perfectly smooth, and lightning-fast.
Less wear and tear: reducing mechanical shifts means your chain and cassette/chainrings won’t wear as quickly.
Shift under full load: no need to ease off the pedal when shifting under power, as your chain isn’t going to “skip” when virtual shifting like it can with mechanical shifting.
Compatible across many bikes: no more spinning out on your low-geared mountain bike, or needing to swap cassettes if you swap bikes. The Hub auto-calibrates to your physical gearing.
Expanded shifting: at launch Zwift supports a virtual 24-speed setup, which is more gears than most riders have on their outdoor setups. Additionally, the gear ratio range is very wide (from .75 to 5.49), meaning everyone should find that virtual shifting offers more easy gears and more hard gears than your mechanical gearing.
In-game gear visualization: with Zwift’s virtual shifting, you can always see what gear you’re in on screen.
Zwift’s release notes include two items dealing with bike behavior in packs:
Improved bike movement behavior in worlds with left-hand traffic.
Fixed an issue that could potentially cause Zwifter’s bikes to sway left or right in a pack and lose draft in Pack Dynamics 4.1.
Zwift continues to stomp out bugs when it comes to pack dynamics and steering using Zwift Play. While the experience still isn’t flawless, it’s quite good and much improved from a few months ago, so kudos to Zwift’s developers on this front!
More Release Notes
Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:
Zwift Play: Fixed an issue which could cause reconnection issues or game crashes on the Pairing screen.
Fixed a crash that could potentially occur when starting a Coffee Stop via the Zwift Companion app.
Fixed an issue which caused the roadway and water to flicker in the cave on the Jungle Circuit route in Watopia.
Fixed an issue which caused water to be missing on some routes in Makuri Islands.
General game stability improvements.
Windows
Fixed a crash that could occur on the pairing screen
Fixed a crash that could occur when saving a video screenshot
Android, iOS
Fixed an issue where password reset emails were not sent if the account’s email address contained a “+”.
Zwift Releases New Hub One Smart Trainer with Zwift Cog + Click Virtual Shifting
Today Zwift unveiled the new version of their popular Zwift Hub trainer, dubbed the Zwift Hub One. Shipping with the new Zwift Cog and Zwift Click, the Hub One offers virtual shifting and expanded bike compatibility, making it easier for more riders to have more fun on Zwift.
I’ve been using the Hub One for several weeks, so today let’s dive into the Hub One, Zwift Cog, Zwift Click, virtual shifting, and all the other details of today’s release!
Hub One vs Hub Classic
Zwift is now offering two versions of the Zwift Hub trainer. Both have the same smart trainer specs the Zwift Hub has always had: +-2.5% accuracy, 1800W max power, 16% max incline, 4.7kg flywheel, etc. The difference is the rear cassette and virtual vs mechanical shifting:
Zwift Hub Classic: the same Zwift Hub we all know and love, including a preinstalled standard cassette (your choice of 8-12 speed).
Zwift Hub One: the same smart trainer as the Zwift Hub Classic, but with a Zwift Cog installed instead of a standard cassette. It also includes the wireless Zwift Click device for easy handlebar-mounted virtual shifting.
Both trainers include 1 year of Zwift and sell for $599/€599/£549 at zwift.com.
Virtual Shifting Basics and Benefits
Hub One is built for virtual shifting. What is that exactly, and is it even something you want?
Virtual shifting means your chain isn’t moving between different physical cassette cogs when you shift. Instead, a virtual shift changes the resistance of your smart trainer so it feels like you’ve changed cogs. This is how smart bikes like the Wahoo KICKR Bike, Wattbike, StagesBike, and Tacx NEO Bike have always worked.
There are many benefits to virtual shifting, including:
Fast, smooth, quiet: with no chains skipping between cogs, your shifts are completely silent, perfectly smooth, and lightning-fast.
Less wear and tear: your chain won’t wear out as quickly, and neither will the Zwift Cog, since it is built beefy because weight is not a concern.
Shift under full load: no need to ease off the pedal when shifting under power, as your chain isn’t going to “skip” when virtual shifting like it can with mechanical shifting.
Compatible across many bikes: no more spinning out on your low-geared mountain bike, or needing to swap cassettes if you swap bikes. The Hub One works with virtually any 8-12 speed bike and auto-calibrates to your physical gearing.
No more fine-tuning: many riders find they have to fine-tune their physical shifting when they move between outdoor riding and a direct-drive trainer, since the cassettes aren’t lined up exactly the same. The Zwift Cog doesn’t require any such fine-tuning… just shift to a physical gear that has your chain lined up straight on the Cog and you’re ready to ride.
Expanded shifting: at launch the Hub One supports a virtual 24-speed setup, which is more gears than most riders have on their outdoor setups. Additionally, the gear ratio range is very wide (from .75 to 5.49), meaning everyone should find that virtual shifting offers more easy gears and more hard gears than your mechanical gearing.
In-game gear visualization: with Zwift’s virtual shifting, you can always see what gear you’re in on screen.
Click or Play? You choose.
Virtual shifting with any Zwift Hub is controlled by the new Zwift Click or the Zwift Play controllers. You can even pair and use them both simultaneously. Here’s a look at the Zwift Click, which uses a simple 2032 battery for power and two rubber o-rings to mount onto any handlebar:
Zwift Click is super simple: it has up and down buttons to control your virtual gear.
Zwift Play uses the buttons next to the orange paddles – your left-hand button shifts to an easier gear, your right-hand button shifts to a harder gear:
Review of Virtual Shifting with Zwift Hub/Cog/Click/Play
I’ve ridden with virtual shifting on Zwift for over two months (thousands of virtual miles), and it hasn’t skipped a beat. Shifts are quick and never missed, and I’ve never run out of gears on steep climbs or in the middle of hard sprints.
Zwift Click (cute, right?)Contents of the Zwift Click box
As of today, Zwifters are unable to customize virtual gearing setups. Instead, the Hub auto-detects your gear ratio when you start pedaling (Zwift calls it “‘real gear ratio calibration”), then sets your virtual gearing accordingly. While I wasn’t convinced this was the best approach initially, it has proven to work flawlessly, whether I start in a super-easy gear like a mountain biker, a super-hard gear, somewhere in between, or on the Zwift Cog. It just works.
Want to shift multiple gears quickly? Just hold down the appropriate shift button on the Click or Play.
I’ve ridden many miles on my standard rear cassette using virtual shifting. I’ve also ridden a fair amount using the Zwift Cog in place of the cassette. Both setups work great for me. The Zwift Cog is a bit noisier than my standard cassette, but that makes sense since it is built to be compatible with a wider range of chains. It’s also possible that the housing amplifies chain noise a bit.
It’s easy to swap between a cassette and the Zwift Cog since you only need a simple wrench to remove them from the Hub. (Both the cassette that ships with the Hub and the Zwift Cog come attached to the freehub body, so when you’re swapping between them you’re actually swapping out the entire freehub as well.)
Unfortunately, despite its benefits, virtual shifting hasn’t won me any races. (I guess I need a leg upgrade for that!) Here’s a recent race using virtual shifting via Play controllers which I lost quite handily. (You won’t see the virtual gearing UI, though, since I’ve covered it up with a Sauce overlay for several weeks to keep it under wraps.)
Already own a Zwift Hub? Enable virtual shifting!
If you own a Zwift Hub and want to try virtual shifting, I have good news: it’s easy.
If you have Zwift Play controllers, virtual shifting is already available (or will be once you update your Zwift game and Hub firmware). As long as you have Zwift version 1.50 or higher (releasing today) and Zwift Hub firmware version 5.2 or higher (already rolling out, check your Companion app) you can shift virtually using your Play controllers. Just pair your Hub and Play, then enable virtual shifting in your settings:
(Zwift Hub’s 5.2+ firmware also enables 10Hz power reporting over Bluetooth and 4Hz over ANT+, like Wahoo KICKR’s race mode. More on that in another post…)
With virtual shifting enabled, your bike will still have its normal rear cassette and mechanical shifting abilities, but you won’t need to do any mechanical shifting. Just put it into a mid-range gear where your chain is straight and smooth, then use the Play controllers to shift virtually. Easy!
Upgrade to Zwift Cog + Click
If you own a Hub but no Play controllers, you can buy the Zwift Cog + Click combo pack for $59 starting today (regular price $79). This is a good option if you like the compatibility and ease of the Zwift Cog design. (Installing the Zwift Cog is quite easy, requiring only a simple wrench to remove your existing cassette.)
Getting into the weeds a bit, if you’re on Apple TV the Zwift Click option may be preferable to Play controllers because it only uses one Bluetooth channel, meaning you can pair your Zwift Hub, Zwift Click, and HRM (as long as it’s run through the Zwift Hub) directly to your Apple TV without needing to go through the Companion app.
Upgrade to Zwift Play Controllers
Alternatively, if you’re happy with your current rear cassette and don’t plan on swapping trainer bikes regularly you might consider purchasing Play controllers ($99), since they’ll give you virtual shifting on your mechanical setup plus lots of other handy controls like steering, a quick powerup button, in-game menu navigation at your fingertips, etc.
Virtual Shifting for Non-Hub Trainers
All this news is great for Zwift Hub owners, but is Zwift going to support virtual shifting on third-party trainers like the Wahoo KICKR or Tacx NEO?
The answer I’m hearing internally is yes, this is planned. But Zwift isn’t giving any timelines, and some of the implementation will be up to the third-party companies.
Hub One Now On Sale
With the benefits of virtual shifting combined with wide bike compatibility thanks to Zwift Cog, the new Hub One is leading the industry in terms of price/performance. If you’re looking to upgrade your existing smart trainer, I recommend giving serious considering to Zwift’s Hub One.
The Zwift Hub One is now on sale at zwift.com for $599/€599/£549 and shipping to customers in the US, UK, and EU. Price includes 1 year of Zwift (a $180 value).
Tiny Race Series – October 14 Routes and Last Week’s Results
The Tiny Races happen every Saturday, and they’re all about getting a hard, fun effort done in 1 hour. You race all 4 races back-to-back, with each lasting just 5-10 minutes, giving you a short break in between.
Check out DoomGuy’s great stream of his races in C category of zone 3. (His stream graphics are pretty amazing, with the Doom face getting more injured the harder he rides. Also, he took home the overall win!)
Got a great YouTube video of your Tiny Race experience? Post it in the comments and we may feature it on Zwift Insider!
This week’s short circuit theme finds us racing around tiny loops. Some are so tiny that we’ll race multiple laps, while others will just be a lead-in plus one lap. Either way, each course has its own challenges, spots for early attacks, and strategic finishes.
Race 1: Downtown Dolphin (3 laps, 5.7km) Racers know this route well. The question is: who will go long, and can they stay away?
Powerup: Feather 2x
Race 2: Volcano Circuit (1 lap, 6.9km) After a lead-in from downtown Watopia we’ll hit one hot lap of the Volcano, finishing at the banner. This finish is always an interesting one, timing-wise. Use your aeros wisely!
Powerup: Aero Boost 2x
Race 3:LaGuardia Loop (1 lap, 4.4km) A quick lead-in, then a hot lap in Central Park that ends in a tricky sprint. The shortest race of the day will be fast… but you can catch your breath afterward in preparation for race 4?
Powerup: Anvil 2x
Race 4: Mech Isle Loop (6.06km, ends atop dirt climb) This is approximately 1.5 laps, finishing atop the dirt climb. Gravel bike or road bike? Choose your weapon!
Zwift displays preliminary race results in game when you cross the line, but points are computed after all four races are finished, with final results on ZwiftPower. (We have to do some data processing on our side to compute results, so if your rankings don’t show up right away, be patient.)
Riders will earn points based on finish position in each of the 4 Tiny Races. The category winner of each week’s series is the rider with the most points across their timezone’s 4 races. Here are the links for each timezone’s results on ZwiftPower:
Tiny Race rules are simple, but still every week 6-8% of registered ZwiftPower racers get disqualified and removed from the final results. Don’t let that be you! Four races, four rules:
You must have a ZwiftPower account, because final results are processed by ZwiftPower (learn how to sign up)
No skipping then returning. These races are meant to be raced as a set of 4. If you need to leave early, that’s fine… but once you miss a race in your hour’s set of 4, don’t come back and race another or you’ll be disqualified from that race since you rested while others were racing! (Example: racing only races 1 and 2 is fine. Racing 1, 2, and 4 is not – you will be DQ from race 4. And if you race 2, 3, and 4, you’ll be DQ from all those races, since you skipped race 1!)
Heart rate monitors are required.
Smart trainer/smart bike or power meter required. ZPower/Virtual power is not allowed.
Join a Chat & Chill Cooldown
Immediately following each hour’s racing, we’ve scheduled 30-minute “Chat & Chill” events where riders from all categories can spin their legs together and chat about how it all went down. Find them at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces.
Zwift Insider Kit Unlock
Finish any Tiny Race or a Chat & Chill ride and unlock the Zwift Insider “Ride Smarter // Ride Harder” in-game kit.
How the Race Was Lost: Tour of Tewit Not Well (ZRL Race 4)
The fourth race of Zwift Racing League Round 1 happened last week on Yorkshire’s Tour of Tewit Well. While the race was mercifully shorter than the last time we did it in ZRL (2 laps vs 4), given Yorkshire’s sawtooth profile, I knew it would still be super tough and attritional.
The Warmup
The race began at 9:30am, so I ate a carby breakfast (oatmeal) chewed some caffeine gum (300mg of caffeine), and applied PR lotion to my legs before kitting up and getting on the bike around 9am.
I swapped to my favorite virtual all-arounder rig, the Scott Addict RC with ENVE 7.8 wheels, in hopes that it might help me ascend just a bit faster. Then I warmed up for ~20 minutes, putting in a few digs to get my heart rate up while I signed onto Discord and chatted with teammates. Soon enough, it was time to join the Yorkshire pens.
Lap One
Having literally written the ZI race guide for this course, I knew exactly what was in store. Each lap had 4 legitimate climbs:
Kicker before the final descent @8.1km (0.5km, 6.6%)
The Climb up from Oak Beck wasn’t a place where riders attack, though. And the Kicker before the final descent wasn’t other, except in particular situations on the final lap. That left the Yorkshire KOM Reverse and Pot Bank Climbs.
Normally, the Yorkshire KOM Reverse would be of concern to me. But this wasn’t a points race, so I didn’t see riders attacking it very hard. No: the hardest attacks mostly likely come on Pot Bank since it was the steepest part of the course. The second time up would see the biggest attacks of the race, I wagered, since it was the last real climb before the finish.
My whole goal was to survive Pot Bank banks in the front group. So I did everything I could to conserve energy. The first Yorkshire KOM Reverse wasn’t too bad, and I got a feather at the arch. (78 starters trimmed down to 65.) As we descended from there, I noticed my Sauce draft indicator was spitting out crazy numbers – it broke 1000 at one point!
(Supposedly, this number tells us how many more watts we would need to do to hit this current speed without the draft – but I think something is amiss.)
We hit the next climb, and my idiot race-brain kicked in, triggering my feather powerup to help me up the climb. That was a dumb move, because the effort wasn’t high yet, and Pot Bank was just up the road!
Pot Bank arrived after a bit of recovery, and I hit the first slope hard to keep my momentum up and carry me as high as possible. The group didn’t go all-in, though, and I was able to hang in there without turning myself inside out. The race’s first big selection had been made, though: 65 riders down to 38.
Lap 2
I got an anvil at the lap banner and promptly used it too early, so it ran out before we hit the steeper descent. Not a big deal, though, as we weren’t working hard yet. The Yorkshire KOM Reverse arrived soon enough, and once again it wasn’t an all-out effort. All 38 riders stayed in, and when I got a feather at the arch I reminded my race brain to save it for Pot Bank.
It was on the climb up from Oak Beck that I realized I was in trouble. The pack wasn’t in full attack mode yet, but I was barely hanging on! I knew I could hold the wheels to the top of this climb, but what about Pot Bank?
We recovered as we descended to Pot Bank, then we hit the steep slope, feathers flew, watts ramped up, and I saw a mass of riders begin pulling away. Even with my feather making me lighter, I couldn’t hold the wheels. The group of 38 was whittled down to 21, and I was one of the losers.
Teammate Grant was just behind me, which was funny since we were joking before the race about how we always seem to finish next to each other. With no chance of catching anyone up the road, we rode together and got caught by one rider who we outsprinted in the end, Grant taking 33rd and me taking 34th.
With only two riders finishing in the front group, my first thought was that we wouldn’t do well in the overall results. As it turned out, we tied for 2nd!
Our league is now a super-close competition between the top 4 teams. My DIRT Kraken are tied for 1st with Coalition Exodus, but only 1 point behind are SZ Sleipner and Foudre Bergerac.
The last two races of round 1 will be super-competitive.
Takeaways
Once again, Pot Bank proved to be my kryptonite. I don’t know how to change that. Happily, I’ve got a strong enough team that we still turned in a strong result on the day.
It’s been just over a year since the Zwift Hub first shipped. Watch as a well-known sports tech reviewer revisits the trainer after thousands of miles of use. Additionally, we have selected videos about the Tour of Watopia, a rider’s Zwift racing journey, a Zwift Racing League recap, and the upcoming Zwift Grand Prix.
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