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Zwift Racing League 2023/24 Round 1 Week 5 Guide: Temples and Towers

Eric Schlange
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26
Zwift Racing League 2023/24 Round 1 Week 5 Guide: Temples and Towers

The fifth race of Zwift Racing League 2023/24 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 10, and it’s our second points race of this round. With three KOM segments and zero sprint intermediates, this week is all about watts per kilo, smart racing, and… bike swaps? Maybe.

Let’s dig into crucial segments along with bike choice, powerups, and strategic options!

Looking at the Route: Temples and Towers

Makuri Islands’ Temples and Towers hits all three KOMs on the map, covering a total distance of 33.4km with 280m of elevation. This our second time racing this route in ZRL (we raced it in 2021/22 round 2) but this time around, D category will be racing a shortened version that ends atop the Temple KOM (around 22km):

Rather than taking you through a turn-by-turn, let’s just discuss the three KOMs, since that’s where the action will happen. We’ll also talk about the finish.

First, the Rooftop KOM. At 1.87km and 2.7%, this is the “easiest” of the three KOMs. It’s a very draftable climb, especially on the first half, which is a series of steps.

The first selection of the race will happen here, but it won’t be a huge selection. There will still be a sizeable front pack hitting the flat roads at the bottom.

Second, the Castle KOM. At 2.67km and 2.1%, this climb comes in two parts. The first, flatter half is draftable, and the pack typically stays together. The second half, especially after the hairpin left into the Castle area, is where things string out.

Expect a second selection here.

Third, the Temple KOM. This is the big one! 2.5km at 3.6%, this climb is all dirt and thus will take around twice as long to complete as the Castle KOM. Strong climbers will put in their biggest attacks here to shrink the front pack’s size substantially and grab some segment points.

The finish is set in a custom location for these ZRL events, so it comes before the typical finish if you were to ride the route for one full lap. You’ll hit a bit of dirt, go through the tunnel, and when you exit the roundabout you’ll have less than 600m left to go. Watch your distance to go, watch the pack, and sprint smart.

The finish arch just coming into view as the Premier League ladies sprint for the line

The finish banner only comes into sight with around 200m to go!

Read more about the Temples and Towers route >

PowerUps

Riders will be awarded powerups through each banner, and WTRL has assigned specific powerups to specific banners. Here are the powerups you’ll receive as you progress through the race course (note that D riders will only receive the first 3 powerups):

Aero Boost (helmet) @ Rooftop KOM Arch (~5.2km): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.)

Lightweight (feather) @ Railway Sprint Arch (~7.8km): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds.
Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. The steeper the road, the more this helps.

Steamroller @ Castle KOM Arch (~17.8km): reduces Crr for 30 seconds so you roll as fast as a road tire on pavement regardless of wheels or road surface. Event-only.
If you’re on a road bike, use this when you hit a dirt patch. (It also provides an advantage on cobbles, bricks, ice/snow, etc.) If you’re on a mountain bike in the jungle, use this when you hit the wooden bridges or the hard-packed dirt at the bottom of the Jungle Circuit.

Draft Boost (van) @ Temple KOM Arch (~22.6km): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.)

Steamroller @ Castle KOM Arch (~25.7km): reduces Crr for 30 seconds so you roll as fast as a road tire on pavement regardless of wheels or road surface. Event-only.
If you’re on a road bike, use this when you hit a dirt patch. (It also provides an advantage on cobbles, bricks, ice/snow, etc.) If you’re on a mountain bike in the jungle, use this when you hit the wooden bridges or the hard-packed dirt at the bottom of the Jungle Circuit.

Bike Frame + Wheel Choice

An all-arounder setup is your best bet here, since you want something decently fast for the flats and descents, but light enough that it won’t hurt you much on the key climbs.

The Tron bike is a good all-arounder. We also like the Scott Addict RC + ENVE 7.8 wheels – a combo which climbs slightly faster than the Tron on this route’s KOMs (less than 1s difference, but that matters). See our Tron vs Top Performers chart for details on the performance of various top frames and wheels.

The most aero setup in game (Specialized Venge S-Works plus DT Swiss disc combo) loses 2.5s to the Scott+Enve combo on the Temple KOM, so we wouldn’t recommend going pure aero.

To Swap, Or Not To Swap?

This is the question many are asking. If it’s not worth riding a gravel bike from the start (and it’s not), is it worth swapping to a gravel bike before the Temple KOM, to take advantage of its speed on the dirt? And if so, should you swap back to a road bike… and when?

The answer is… it depends. Let’s run through three likely scenarios for A/B/C riders:

Scenario 1: Starting the Temple KOM in a large pack (10+ riders), and you are a strong enough climber to possibly get FTS points. Swapping may work, but it’s a big maybe. It would only make sense to swap if you were to stop before the KOM start line, swap, then chase back onto your pack and finish at least 10s ahead of them at the top, so you can swap back to a road bike after the KOM banner and get back into the group. If you can do all this from the front group (and that’s a big if!), you’ll earn FTS and FAL points, still be in the pack you started with, and on a road bike that lets you contest the finishing sprint.

Scenario 2: Starting the KOM in a large pack (10+ riders), and you are not a strong enough climber to get FTS points. If you’re just praying to that Zwift gods that you’ll be able to remain with your group over the top, don’t swap. Because even if you match the power of others in your pack, you’ll probably still be dropped due to the time cost of swapping off the gravel bike. Put another way: the best that can happen if you swap is to “break even” and finish the climb in the same pack you started with. Better to keep it simple and work to hold your position in the pack.

Scenario 3: Starting the KOM alone or in a very small group (less than 10 riders), and you are not in the front group. If you’re in this position, your drafting on the climb will be minimal, and you probably aren’t strong enough to get FTS points on this KOM anyway. Don’t worry about swapping. Just work to maximize your finish position.

If you’re a D rider, there are just two scenarios to consider:

Scenario 1: You are a D rider and can swap bikes fairly quickly (15 seconds or less). Stop before the Temple KOM start line and swap to a gravel bike. It will save you 20 seconds or more over your road bike, so it’s worth it.

Scenario 2: You are a D rider who cannot swap bikes quickly. Just stay on your road bike and give it all you’ve got to the top!

Related: Which Bike Should I Use on Zwift’s Makuri Islands Routes?

More Route Recons

Many recon rides are planned each week on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re unfamiliar with this course, jump into an event and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming Temples and Towers events.

Si Bradeley

Strategic Options

Points Distribution, Week 5 (A/B/C)

Points Distribution, Week 5 (D)

The maximum points a team of 6 could earn in this race. D category is unique since FAL points on the final climb are effectively Finish points, so we recategorized them in the chart.

As you can see from the chart above, KOM points make up a large majority of the overall points. Winning teams will have riders with high W/kg in the 2.5-7.5 minute range.

So what strategies will riders employ in race 5? Here’s what we predict:

  • Smash-n-Ease First Two KOMs: riders strong enough to chase KOM FAL and FTS points will attack the second half of the first two KOMs, but not work to stay away from the pack afterward. It’s not worth the effort to stay away when they know they’ll drop weaker climbers on the final KOM anyway.
  • Hanging ’til the Finish: riders who aren’t strong climbers will be doing all they can to hang with the front pack over the KOMs in order to find themselves in the front group on the flat lead-in to the finish. If sprinters can make it over the top with the front group, they should be able to grab high finishing points.
  • A Strategic Final 11km: once we finish the final KOM, we expect to see a small group of climbers off the front, with a group of “flatlanders” chasing. Whether those groups come together or not in the final 11km will be a question of teamwork and strategy. Is it smart for a sprinter in the chase group to work to bridge up to the front if he has teammates in that group? What if you aren’t a sprinter? What if you don’t have teammates in front? Lots to consider.
  • Destroy Any Gravel Starters: if a strong competitor begins the race on a gravel bike, it would be smart to push the pace on the pavement, particularly on the climbs, in order to drop that rider before the Temple KOM. (This gets extra-interesting when you consider that Zwift caches other riders’ bike selections, so what you see on screen may not be entirely accurate…)
  • Bike Swapping: some riders (especially in D category) will swap to a gravel bike for the Temple KOM. See “To Swap, Or Not To Swap?” above for more discussion on this.
  • Smart PowerUp Usage: having particular powerups assigned to particular arches means riders can plan powerup usage before the race. Knowing powerups, arches, and the race course can be a real strategic advantage this week.

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Race Training, Zwift Clubs, and Setups

Oli Chi
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2
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Race Training, Zwift Clubs, and Setups

This week we have a pretty exciting set of videos, starting with a Zwifter racing non-stop for two weeks! There’s also a rider launching a Zwift club, pain cave remodeling, birthday racing, and an Alpe du Zwift race.

16 Zwift Races in 14 Days: A Good Training Plan or a Bad Idea?

Eric Barnett recently challenged himself to tackle 16 races on Zwift in just 14 days! In this video, he talks through the races and discusses whether they were effective in building strength on the bike.

Launching My Zwift Club!

Triathlon Dan, YouTuber and Triathlete, has recently been doing lots of indoor training. As indoor cycling season approaches, he has decided to create a Zwift club so riders worldwide can join him on his rides.

My Indoor Training Setup Makeover

Looking for some inspiration for your pain cave? Watch as Keira McVitty dials in her new indoor cycling setup.

Can I Win a Zwift Race on My Birthday?

Happy belated birthday to Jake Sanderson! In his latest video, he races in a mixed-category short sprint race. Can he take the win on his birthday?

YouTuber Alpe Du Zwift Race

Watch as a group of Zwift YouTubers race in a handicapped race up the iconic Alpe Du Zwift. (Start times were calculated using ZwiftPower numbers to create a close race.)

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

How the Race Was Lost: Wrong Bike, Weak Legs (ZRL TTT)

Eric Schlange
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5
How the Race Was Lost: Wrong Bike, Weak Legs (ZRL TTT)

How the Race Was Lost: Wrong Bike, Weak Legs (ZRL TTT)

The first TTT of ZRL Round 1 happened last week, and it was on an interesting route: France’s Roule Ma Poule. What makes this route “fun” is that it begins and ends with a ~6-minute climb, and there’s a long flat stretch in between. So you have to get your wattage bazookas over that first climb so you can go fast on the flats, then it’s up to your fastest 4 climbers to finish it off on the last climb!

My new team (DIRT Kraken) hadn’t done a TTT together yet, but we had all raced plenty of TTTs and had a solid plan. You know what they say, though: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. This race didn’t go as planned, but we gave all we had and, in the end, secured a decent result. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Pre-Race Practice

We had our pull order and power plan worked out, but we decided to hold a meetup on the race route on Monday (the day before the race) so we could talk through strategy and get used to riding as one.

We were all on Discord, and had a great practice run around France while discussing pacing on the key climbs, timing our pulls, etc. Our pull order would be:

  1. Darren (Daz)
  2. David Mac
  3. Dave H
  4. Myself
  5. Captain Diogo
  6. Wojtek

Wojtek was one concern over the first climb, because we wanted to go as fast possible, but couldn’t afford to drop him on the climb since we needed his watts for the long flat that followed. So we planned our climb pacing at a level that would keep him with us, hoping he could hang on the flats then put in one final suicide pull as we neared the final climb.

The Warmup

The race began at 9:30am, so I ate a carby breakfast (oatmeal) then 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 a TT bike for the warmup – the Cadex Tri with DT Swiss Disc wheels (the fastest TT setup in Zwift). I also put on our team kit. But I kept my very non-aero orange Zwift casquette, so each of us would have unique hardware, making it easier to tell each other part.

After putting in some steady effort and a few digs to get my heart rate up into the threshold zone, I headed to the pens 5 minutes from take-off time.

The Start

The clock hit zero, the Kraken jumped out of the pens, and before we could even cross the start line disaster had struck! I heard David Mac on Discord:

“Oh no, I’m not on the right bike! Oh f***. Classic.”

Uh-oh. David hadn’t swapped off his road bike and onto a TT bike. There was no way he’d be able to put in big pulls for the duration of this race, given how much faster TT bikes are.

As we climbed the backside of the Petit KOM, we had an idea – what if David could get far enough ahead of us on the climb to stop and swap bikes before the descent? It seemed like a good plan, if David could get a big enough gap.

“Ah, this gonna be grim…”

Soon enough David went off the front, but even with us trying not to push the pace, he just couldn’t get a big enough gap to make it work. So he eased up, rejoined the pack, and we all grabbed a breather as we descended the Petit KOM’s zigzags.

The Flats

I could see in the rider list that Team Foudre (who had started just ahead of us) had put 9-10s into us on the first climb. And Coalition (just behind us) had put a whopping 22s into us! We had some work to do.

At the bottom of the descent, it was time to get the TTT train chugging. We started taking our pulls, calling how long we were pulling for, and calling when we were on deck.

Our goal was to keep a single-file line since it’s by far the most efficient formation for TTT racing. We found that riding efficiently in a TTT with Pack Dynamics required three things:

  1. Modulating power to stay in formation as much as possible
  2. Upping your watts ~5 seconds before your pull starts, so you come around the front rider at the right time
  3. Dropping off the front once the new pull passes you and easing a LOT so you drop quickly back without messing up the formation too much. The put in a quick dig to grab a wheel!

We worked together nicely, and David Mac even put in a pull or two on his road bike. For the most part, though, he said in the back of our line, unable to take fast enough pulls to help the team.

At the 13km, Wojtek finished his pull and drifted back, but something went sideways and a gap opened up ahead of him and David Mac. David didn’t have the legs to close the gap on his slow road bike, and Wojtek was gassed from having taken a pull.

This is one of those judgment calls you have to make in TTT racing. If we ease up and lose a few seconds to get them back, will they be able to put in the work to make up those seconds?

We opted to press on without them. The race was only halfway over, and we were just 4 riders:

  1. Darren (Daz)
  2. Dave H
  3. Myself
  4. Captain Diogo

This was going to hurt.

Everyone was in their own pain cave. I wasn’t feeling great – my pulls were getting weaker as we continued, which is not a good sign. More judgment calls. How hard should I pull? Should I skip a pull? With only 4 riders, we all had to make it over the final climb. I didn’t want to blow up on the climb and add a bunch of time to our team’s race (your team’s result is based on the time of the 4th rider across the line).

As we neared the base of the final climb, I told my team I needed to skip a pull so I could recover a bit before the final effort.

The Final Climb

As we began the final climb I looked at the rider list. Coalition had grabbed a few more seconds on the flats, now 28s faster. But we had put time into Foudre, and were now ahead of them by 17 seconds!

That was just the incentive I needed to dig deep on the final climb. I pushed hard, trying to pace myself for what I knew would be a 6-minute hard effort. I sat on my teammates’ wheels as much as possible, but they turned into carrots I had to chase back over and over again as my power waned.

With 900 metes to go we had just ~5 seconds on Foudre up the road, and Coalition was behind us, closing fast. How are they so strong? We caught Foudre’s 5th rider, and Daz and Dave H just kept hammering out a strong pace on the front. With 250 meters left, Coalition riders caught us.

Normally when one team catches another in a TTT, the caught team might ease a bit to let them pass, while the catching team should bump up the pace a bit too, to make it clean. But that wasn’t going to happen today. We were all-out with just a few hundred meters to go, so it was a pell-mell dash of both teams to get across the line.

I wanted to sprint, but I had nothing left. So I gave whatever was left, and eventually the suffering ended. I was 4th across the line on my team, but only half a second off my teammate’s wheel. I had survive the final climb… but how well did we place?

See my activity on Strava >

Watch the Video:

Team Result

We finished 4th, with Coalition taking 1st (well done, boys). We beat Foudre by just a few seconds, which means we’re now tied with them for 2nd on the season, with SZ in 1st and Coalition in 4th.

Takeaways

Our team worked together well, but David Mac’s wrong bike snafu definitely hurt us, as did my weak legs on the day. These things happen, though (last week it was me with a ZNF).

When we head to London (a flatter route) for the final TTT in race 6, Kraken will be hungry for revenge!

Your Thoughts

How did your ZRL TTT go? Share below!

Zwift Launches Reorganized Workout Library

Eric Schlange
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51
Zwift Launches Reorganized Workout Library

Zwift Launches Reorganized Workout Library

Today Zwift is flipping the switch to go live with their reorganized workout library, simplifying its organization and reducing the number of workouts by removing those that are similar to each other.

(Not seeing the reorganized library? Be patient – it is supposed to go live today, but we don’t know a precise time.)

The main workouts screen has received a welcome reorganization. It’s now a much shorter, goal-oriented list of collections:

There are only 14 collections listed, compared to 58 before the reorg. Clicking a collection brings up all the workouts it contains:

Download Legacy Workouts

Did a favorite workout of yours get removed in the reorg? You can download a ZIP file from Zwift containing all the legacy workouts (new, reorganized zip file updated Dec 14, 2023):

Download the ZIP file >

To use the workout, you’ll need to unzip the file and copy the workout to your custom workouts folder (learn more).

Our Workouts Wishlist

The collections re-org is a step in the right direction for sure. But what else could Zwift do to make the workouts library more useful? Here’s our shortlist:

  • Favorites: let us mark workouts as favorites, and make those available under a particular collection or left-hand menu item. This list could even be auto-generated based on our workout history.
  • Search by title: sometimes we know the name of a workout, but don’t know where to find it. A quick alphabetical search for full title search would be handy.

Questions or Comments

What do you think of Zwift’s workout reorg? What’s your top feature request when it comes to Zwift workouts? Share your thoughts below.

How To Turn Off Zwift’s “Springy Camera” View

Eric Schlange
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17
How To Turn Off Zwift’s “Springy Camera” View

How To Turn Off Zwift’s “Springy Camera” View

If you Zwift on PC or Mac, it’s possible that Zwift’s automatic “springy camera” may be a bit overly springy. This is due to how your device is set up (refresh rates, framerates, etc) and how Zwift works.

Here’s an example of an overly springy view – notice how the view of my avatar is bouncing forward and backward:

If you’d like a less springy view, Zwifter Steve Clogg recently shared a little hack with the ZPCMR (Zwift PC Masters & Riders) group on Facebook for disabling the springy camera on PC or Mac.

Editing Config Files

Turning off the springy camera requires a simple edit to your Zwift config file. (The hardest part of the edit is finding and opening the file. This can be a bit confusing if you’ve never done it before.)

  • On Windows these are located under: C:\Program Files (x86)\Zwift\data\configs
  • On Mac OS they are located under: ~/Library/Application Support/Zwift/data/configs

You’ll need to edit the config file corresponding to the graphics profile Zwift is auto-assigning to your machine (basic, medium, high, or ultra). And you’ll need to have administrator privileges on your machine to do so.

Not sure which profile Zwift is using? Drop your log.txt on http://zwiftalizer.com

  • On Windows, the logs are located under: HOMEPATH%\Documents\Zwift\Logs
  • On Mac OS, the logs are located under: ~/Documents/Zwift/Logs

Changing Springy Camera Option

To turn off the springy camera, add this line to your config file:

set gUseSpringyCamera=false

To turn the springy camera on, change the line to this (or just remove it entirely):

set gUseSpringyCamera=true

Sample Video with No Springy Camera

Watch a clip with the springy camera disabled:

Notice how the actual camera angle is different, as well as perfectly stable. Perhaps not the preferred view for everyone, but if you’ve got an overly springy setup on your Mac or PC, this may be just what you’re looking for.

More Graphics Hacks

If you’re on a PC or Mac, there are lots of tweaks you can make to these graphics config files which may improve your game experience. Read “Zwift Config File Graphics Tweaks: 2019” for ideas.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Hard Races, Zwift Hub Modifications, and Zwift Tips

Oli Chi
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1
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Hard Races, Zwift Hub Modifications, and Zwift Tips

As we head into the winter months, more and more riders are starting to get back into the Zwift Racing routine. This week, we’ve got several Zwift racing videos, a way for riders to level up their Zwift Hub, and tips for indoor cycling from a world-champion triathlete!

This was not fun… Zwift Crit City Bell Lap D Cat Race

After his last race a couple of weeks ago, Matt has not been on the bike too much. Nevertheless, he joins his Target 2.5 race and tries to hold on as long as possible. Can he hold on to the finish?

Elevate Your Zwift Hub Experience With The E-Flex Plus by InsideRide

A while back, Eric reviewed the InsideRide E-Flex system. Tariq Ali from Smart Bike Trainers reviews the same system but for the Zwift Hub. Is it worth the high price tag?

First Zwift Session In AGES! 40/20’s

Triathlon Dan tackles his first Zwift session in quite a while: 40/20s. Watch as he completes this high-intensity workout on Zwift.

Zwift Racing League Race 2 Recap

Oliver Moore, or Not Tadej Pogacar, provides a recap of his latest Zwift Racing League race. He goes over his mistakes, things he did well, and some overall quality Zwift tips.

Training Tips From an Amateur World Champion!

In the Northern Hemisphere, indoor cycling season is quickly approaching. Learn how to use Zwift to continue training throughout the winter from 25-19 Age Group World Champion Steph Clutterbuck and our friends at Global Triathlon Network.

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

Tiny Race Series – September 30 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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11
Tiny Race Series – September 30 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – September 30 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.

Watch Team DIRT’s Sam Crofts take on last week’s races (he finished 13th overall on the day – nice work, Sam!)

Got a great YouTube video of your Tiny Race experience? Post it in the comments and we may feature it on Zwift Insider!

Last Week’s Results

Overall Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: C. Red (DIRT)
B: Mike Horner
C: Stefan Svelch (Rotella)*
D: Daniel Scharpe (RuhrRiders)

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: Sébastien Meyckeens (BZR)
B: Nathaniel Moore*
C: Greg Wilson (Rowe & King)
D: Martin Björgvik (SZR)

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: Dan Schlieff (KAB)
B: Tim LaBerge (ALPHA)
C: Jim Smith (COALITION)
D: Ed Weadon (HERD)*

Women’s Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: –
B: Therese Kjellström [eSRT]
C: Rachel Rodger (ZRScot)
D: Duonporn Daffner (Race3R)

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: Sarah Roach (Synergy)
B: Luis Wu (RZFC)
C: Sonia Jobidon (Synergy)
D: Gem Jackson (KMCC)

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: –
B: –
C: Sarah Fletcher (NZBRO)
D: Jadene White

*Three riders turned in perfect performances last week, taking 1st place in all 4 races. In Zone 2 Nathaniel Moore hadn’t raced since May, so his 4 wins brought his ZwiftPower ranking from 505.29 to 90.39! In contrast, Zone 1’s Stefan Svelch only had his score go from 176.14 to 173.68, and Ed Weadon in Zone 3 didn’t receive any upgrades either. (Stefan and Ed: we can’t make you race up a category, but if you aren’t getting ranking upgrades while winning first place it’s a good sign that it’s time to race up a category and challenge yourself!)

This Week’s: Unpopular Routes

This week we’re featuring routes that are “unpopular” (meaning they haven’t been used much in the Tiny Races). Why are they unpopular? No good reason. They’re fun routes and deserve to be raced!

Approaching Tour of Tewit Well finish
Tour of Tewit Well finish
Approaching Flat Route finish
Flat Route finish
Approaching Two Village Loop finish
Two Village Loop finish
  • Race 1: Tour of Tewit Well (4.26km, ends atop 2nd climb)
    Get a bit of ZRL practice with this 1-2 punch of a route! Descend from the start pens straight onto the first climb – Yorkshire’s KOM Reverse. But you’re not done yet. Descend, then hit the second climb up from Oak Beck. Our route ends at the top, as the road turns sharply left.
    • Powerup: Feather x2
  • Race 2: Watopia Flat Route (5.23km, ends at bridge after Fishing Village)
    Riders will need to decide if they attack early on the ramp out of the ocean tunnel onto the dirt… or sit in and wait for the pack sprint finish.
    • Powerup: none
  • Race 3: City and the Sgurr (5.188km, ends at top of paved side)
    Another double-climb route. Up the gravel side, descend, then up the paved side to the arch for the finish. Will you use a gravel bike and try to stay away, or a road bike for advantage on the final ascent?
    • Powerup: Anvil x1
  • Race 4: Two Village Loop (5.7km, ends on the circuit around Village Onsen)
    Finishing with a flattish course, although the 1.5km of dirt near the start will make it feel like an uphill effort and encourage early attacks. You’ll do a full lap around the boxy Village Onsen outer roads, finishing partway into the second lap on a straightaway. If that ending doesn’t feel like a crit, nothing will!
    • Powerup: Aero Boost x2

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

ZwiftPower Results

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:

Rules

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.

Questions or Comments

Post below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of September 30-October 1

Oli Chi
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5
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of September 30-October 1

Sepp Kuss recently became the first American cyclist to win a grand tour in ten years. Join USA Cycling and Tissot for a long celebration ride around the roads of Watopia to celebrate his feat! Additionally, we’ve selected two popular race series and two group rides.


🤝 USA Cycling x Tissot Vuelta Watch Challenge

✅ Unique Event 　✅ Tough Ride

Tissot, the official watch partner of USA Cycling, is offering a giveaway in celebration of Sepp Kuss’ Vuelta victory. Join USA Cycling’s ride to celebrate the first American grand tour victory in ten years! This ride is categorized, but technically a group ride and not a race, so riders are welcome to ride however quickly or slowly as they please. Note: you do not need to complete the ride in order to join the giveaway – use the link in the description to enter.

This ride will be taking place over 100km using the 2022 Gran Fondo course, meaning riders will complete the route plus 6km.

Saturday, September 30th @ 5pm UTC/1pm EDT/10am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3851639


🥇 Team SZ Ladies Weekend Extravagance

✅ Women-only　✅ Unique Event 　✅ Tough Race

Team SZ is back with an all-new racing series for the female cyclists! Similar to the Tiny Races, these are four back-to-back races. However, each of the races is a different discipline. Some races will be scratch races and others time trials or segment races. In the bigger picture, there will also be a ride on Sunday where riders will aim to complete 25 laps of the Volcano Circuit course. 

Each of the four races will take place on a different course, with the first race being on the Two Village Loop in the Makuri Islands.

Special Settings: Category Enforced, HRM Required, Power Meter Required, Women-only

Saturday, September 30th @ 1:40pm UTC/9:40am EDT/6:40am PDT
Browse SZ events on Zwift Hacks


🤝 Tour of Watopia Welcome Ride 2023

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Beginner Friendly

Learn all about the recently-announced Tour of Watopia 2023 (Fall) in this short welcome ride. Throughout the ride, messages will pop up on the HUD providing details, history, new features, etc. Additionally, riders will be placed on the Z-Wheeler Trike. 

The welcome group rides are taking place every three hours on the Tempus Fugit course through Sunday evening Pacific.

Multiple Time Slots This Saturday
Browse events at zwift.com/events/tag/towfall2023welcomeride


🤝 The BMTR Fundo

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Legacy Leaders

Looking to challenge yourself this weekend? The BMTR Fundo is a great way for riders to build or test their endurance. Four distance options make this is a fun and inclusive event. BMTR notes that this ride is not officially a race, but like many fondos, there will likely be riders who treat it as a race. 

All of the distances will be on the same course – Watopia’s Waistband. Note: the BMTR jersey will be unlocked with the completion of this race.

Saturday, September 30th @ 12:10pm UTC/8:10am EDT/5:10am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3845812


🥇 The Trilogy League

✅ Unique Event

Similar to the Zwift Insider Tiny Races, this is a series of three back-to-back races. Races take place every 20 minutes and have a length of ~4-9 kilometers. However, this event takes place on Sundays, making it a great alternative to the Tiny Races for those who prefer to race on Sundays.

All three races this week take place in Scotland, just on different courses.

Sunday, September 24th @ 1:15pm UTC/9:15am EDT/6:15am PDT
See events on ZwiftHacks

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!

Your Thoughts

Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!

Zwift Companion Update (v3.51.0) Delivers Map Calendar and Route Browser

Eric Schlange
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36
Zwift Companion Update (v3.51.0) Delivers Map Calendar and Route Browser

Zwift Companion Update (v3.51.0) Delivers Map Calendar and Route Browser

Yesterday, Zwift released a Companion app update (version 3.51.0) with the most concise release notes ever:

  • General bug fixes and stability improvements

That’s it. That’s all it said.

But here’s the odd thing: unlike most recent Companion app updates (which really have just included general bug fixes and stability improvements), yesterday’s included some really useful stuff!

Download Zwift Companion: iOS / Android

The new Companion app now includes a guest map calendar and route details. In the new “Explore” section on the homescreen you can see the three featured maps for the day. Tapping any map brings up a list of routes, and tapping a route brings up details including length, elevation, and timed segments which you can tap to see your historic performance on those segments.

Tapping the orange “Explore” bar lets you access a complete list of Zwift routes, which you can search by title, filter, or sort in various ways. There’s even a little calendar icon at the top-right which you can tap in order to see the guest map calendar!

(The routes lists and historic performance charts aren’t new features, but Zwift has redesigned them and put them front and center with more powerful searching/filtering, effectively turning their original “Leaderboards” feature into a World/Route browser.)

Here’s a quick walkthrough:

Giving Zwifters easy access to the map schedule and route details may make this the most significant Companion app update in years, so we’re not sure why Zwift didn’t announce it.

Whatever their reasons, we wanted to share it here, because we’re sure lots of Zwifters will find the new features useful!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of the updated Companion app’s “Explore” section? Share your thoughts below!

“Wander Watopia” Mission Announced for October

Eric Schlange
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6
“Wander Watopia” Mission Announced for October

“Wander Watopia” Mission Announced for October

Zwift has rolled out a fresh Mission for October, and it’s all about getting us to explore Watopia, Zwift’s main map. With new roads coming to Watopia in late October, it’s not surprising to see Zwift organizing lots of Watopia-focused content for the month. Let’s look at the details!

Note: signups opened this week, but the Mission doesn’t begin until October 2.

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, complete three Watopia routes by November 5.

Tour of Watopia Piggyback

Want to get maximum bank for your watts? Knock out this mission, finish some Tour of Watopia stages, and earn double XP while you’re at it! Just free ride the Tour of Watopia stages, or do them as events.

Learn more about Fall 2023 ToW >

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

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