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Zwift Fondo Series 2025/26 Final Routes Released

Eric Schlange
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79
Zwift Fondo Series 2025/26 Final Routes Released

Zwift Fondo Series 2025/26 Final Routes Released

Zwift’s big fondo events are a popular tradition where thousands of riders push themselves to finish long weekend rides. And while the ZFondo Series took a year off last year, it’s back for the 2025/26 indoor season, with the longest fondo in the series taking place in December during the Rapha Festive 500!

Here are all the details for this year’s ZFondo Series…

Routes and Schedule

The last weekend of each month is designated as a Fondo Weekend, and each month features a different route.

Events are scheduled every three hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during Fondo Weekends.

September 26-28, 2025

  • Route: Bambino Fondo
  • Length: 52.6km (32.7 miles)
  • Elevation: 581m (1906’)

October 24-26, 2025

  • Route: Medio Fondo
  • Length: 73.4km (45.6 miles)
  • Elevation: 1010m (3314’)

November 28-30, 2025

  • Route: Gran Fondo
  • Length: 97.8km (60.8 miles)
  • Elevation: 1196m (3924’)

December 26-28, 2025

January 23-25, 2026

February 20-22, 2026

March 27-29, 2026

  • Route: Gran Fondo 2022
  • Length: 92.7km (57.6 miles)
  • Elevation: 1116m (3661’)
See Upcoming Zwift Fondos and Sign Up

Categorization and RoboPacers

You must choose a category when you sign up, but the category you choose is entirely up to you, and all categories start together and are visible to each other.

The idea is that you’ll choose a category at the approximate pace you plan to ride, making it easy to see and group up with other riders targeting a similar pace. Each category will include a RoboPacer with a beacon, and you can choose to ride with that RoboPacer group or not.

Available categories:

  • A: 4.2 W/kg (RoboPacer: Constance @4.2 W/kg)
  • B: 3.2 W/kg (RoboPacer: Jacques @3.2 W/kg)
  • C: 2.6 W/kg (RoboPacer: Coco @2.6 W/kg)
  • D: 1.8 W/kg (RoboPacer: Miguel @1.8 W/kg)
  • E: 1.5 W/kg (RoboPacer: D Bernie @1.5 W/kg)

1000 XP Bonus + Kit Unlocks

Past fondos have typically featured jersey unlocks, but some of the designs weren’t always a hit. (Does anyone wear the salmon/chocolate 2023 kit?)

So Zwift is switching things up this year by giving a 1000 XP bonus the first time you complete each month’s fondo event.

Read All About Zwift XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Cyclists >

Of course, a fondo wouldn’t be a fondo without a kit unlock. But instead of releasing another set of fondo kits, Zwift is awarding different legacy Zwift Fondo kits each month:

September (ZFondo Medio 2023)

October (ZFondo February 2022)

November (ZFondo November 2020)

Kits for December, January, February, and March:

Is this a race?

Officially, no. But hundreds (possibly thousands) of riders will turn out for each of these popular “fun race” events, and the front of each event will certainly be filled with strong riders going all out.

With so many riders participating, everyone should be able to find a group that suits their desired pace. You do you!

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Upcoming Events from Flamme Rouge Racing

Richard Vale
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9
Upcoming Events from Flamme Rouge Racing

Upcoming Events from Flamme Rouge Racing

Editor’s note: With the new year just around the corner, event organizers on Zwift are already deep into planning 2026 events. Richard from FRR is a key organizer in the Zwift racing space, so I asked him to provide an update on what’s coming next with FRR. See all the details below!

Tour Watopia

Tour Watopia will start our third Tour of the season on January 3rd with an epic first stage to welcome in the New Year. Once completed, you will probably want to  ‘Fuhgeddaboutit’…

The Tour opens with three stages on fresh New York routes before heading over to Watopia to complete the remaining five, which also incorporate new routes to tick off some badges.

The event travels 340km, climbs 3,650m, has 6 points and 2 iTT stages and guarantees one epic week of racing. You can sign up as explained below.

To give a special New Year boost, everyone who completes the first 3 stages will enter our free prize draw! There’ll be at least 10 prizes like FRR Tour T-shirts, store discounts/vouchers, FRR Level Jerseys… just ride and earn your ticket!

Click here for information, and here is the Tour Roadbook

6IX Team Racing

6IX Team racing will start the final round for Series 1 on January 16th, a series of 5 races across three race times APAC (0830UTC) – EUROPE (1830UTC) – US EST (0030UTC). Teams of 5 riders compete weekly to be crowned best in class in the March Finals, with classes defined by vELO rating level.

The feedback and the racing have been great. Just click here to see race clips and what you could be part of in January.

New teams can join up to January 16th and have every chance to make the finals. 

The racing is exciting, fast, and aims to keep the whole team engaged every race.

For more info on format, rules, and how to join, see the 6IX Rules

Tour Triquetra

Tour Triquetra will return on April 25th to deliver the Grandest of Grand Tours with 21 Stages over 3 weeks with just 2 rest days. The parcours will travel across many of our Zwifting worlds to elevate the experience, build the fatigue, test you like never before, and deliver the hardest but most rewarding event organised to date. 

The question is, can you handle it…? 

Not as though you need an incentive to join the best virtual Grand Tour of the year, but every rider who rides the Tour

  • will be eligible to purchase a Triquetra Rockstar Tour T-Shirt
    • complete all 21 Stages and earn the option to buy it at cost
  • all Class Jersey podiums (top 5) will enter a prize draw for some great rewards, with a host of other prizes to be announced for competitors

Over December, we are releasing on the website a Stage each day up to the 24th.

For more info, check out the Tour Schedule 

Club Series & Event Hosting

Team VirtuSlo have partnered with us to bring you their unique New Year Tour which starts December 20th, all on the back of the fabulous Team Fearless Women’s event. 

Want us to host your Club series and have your own space?  Contact Race Control and let’s start the simple process…

Event Schedule

  • Tour Watopia 3: 11th January
  • 6IX Team Racing: 16th January (5 races each Friday)
  • World Tour: 14th-22nd February
  • 6IX Playoffs: March 7th & Final March 14th
  • Tour Triquetra April 25th-May 17th

FRR partnered with Octaine Racing in the Summer to develop a new and exciting brand for the whole community – delivering free merchandise for riders who choose to Subscribe to FRR and support in moving us forward in all directions to improve and enhance what we do.

How To Sign Up

Riders can register throughout events, but the event race links are private, so registration is required at flammerougeracing.com.

To compete, you must meet these minimum requirements for accounts and equipment:

  • Riders must be OPTED IN to share their race data with ZwiftPower from their Zwift Profile Connections
  • Riders must have created and connected a ZwiftPower account – full instructions on this can be found here
  • Riders must have an FRR account to be able to register for an event,  be included in results and to allow Team Managers to select them for a 6IX Club Team – to do this simply follow these instructions:
    • Simply visit the FRR Home page and Login or Register a New account – once in, click on your name to open your Profile options
      • New accounts must first complete their basic Profile Information when they first log in – just select Profile and complete the fields presented not forgetting to SAVE at the end
    • To register for the event click on Event Admin and then select Register from the 3 tabs shown
      • The page details the 3 simple steps to follow to complete event registration
      • Race BIO confirmation is important to us as we look to improve rider responsibility for their virtual profile, since these define how our virtual self competes
  • Riders are advised to have completed at least 3 Zwift race events prior to racing to ensure your vELO rating value is reflective of you as a rider

Once registration is completed you will appear on the Registered list of riders and you will receive a welcome email to confirm along with some helpful details about the event.

You can email FRR race control at [email protected], or join the FRR Discord server.

FRR Socials

Octaine – FRR Partnership

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 13-14

Eric Schlange
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3
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of December 13-14

This weekend, we’ve chosen three events to help you earn route badges (and XP bonuses) for tougher routes, plus two very different TT-related events. See our picks below!

🤝 THE COALITION PRL Full and PRL Half Badge Hunt

✅ Route Badge 　✅ Endurance Challenge 　✅ Unique Event

This event from popular Zwift team THE COALITION is essentially three events in one, designed to help riders of all types have a great day out while riding London’s PRL Full or Half routes. Choose your own adventure! Ride the PRL Full (A group), the PRL Half (B group), or a banded version of the PRL Half (C group).

A and B will start together, while C will start two minutes later. All riders will be able to see each other on course. Read the event description for more info.

Saturday, December 13 @ 1:30pm UTC/8:30am ET/5:30am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5214890

🥇USMeS Fuego TT Record Attempt

✅ Endurance Challenge 　✅ vEveresting 　✅ Crazy

The USMeS squad tells me their last attempt to break the Fuego Flats Reverse TT record was just 4s off the record of 7:34. This event begins with a warmup/lead-in, but once riders hit the segment, the front pack will feature A/A+ riders hitting the line at 55kph/34mph in TT style rotation ~8.5wkg for 1 min.

All riders will be placed on draftable Cadex Tri bikes with the fastest disc wheels. Riders of all abilities are invited to join in the lead-in, then attempt their own PRs.

Saturday, December 13 @ 6:30pm UTC/1:30pm ET/10:30am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5215965

🥇CTT Winter Series on Zwift

✅ Popular 　✅ Race of Truth

Cycling Time Trials (CTT) – the national governing body for time trials in England, Scotland, and Wales – continues to evolve their popular time trial series (read about the launch here).

Saturday is your last chance to complete week 5’s race on Tempus Fugit (12.1 miles, 16m), which is a repeat of the first week’s race. Set a course PB and you’ll earn series points to boost your overall ranking!

Multiple timeslots Saturday, December 13
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/cyclingtimetrials

🤝Feed Fondos

✅ Kit Unlock　✅ Prize Giveaways　

The Feed is holding three longer fondo-style group rides this Saturday on Navig8 (66.1km, 421m), Dust in the Wind (52.5km, 582m), and Sacre Bleu (73.8km, 410m).

Each fondo has a ride leader, with a pace of 2.2-2.8 W/kg. Finish the ride and unlock The Feed kit on Zwift. Each fondo ride also features two prize giveaways – the ride leader will explain how they work!

Three times on Saturday, December 13
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/thefeed

🤝Badge Hunters

✅ Route Badge　✅ Banded　✅ Beginner-Friendly

Join the Zwift Riders Scotland team and tackle some of Zwift’s more difficult routes to earn those route badges! These are banded rides, so you’ll stay with the pack as long as you keep pedaling.

This week they’re on New York’s Fuhgeddaboudit route (79km, 838m).

Saturday, December 13 @ 11am UTC/6am ET/3am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5228833

How We Make Our Picks

We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:

  • Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
  • Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
  • Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
  • Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
  • Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
  • Is it for a good cause?
  • Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
  • Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?

In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!

Tiny Race Series – December 13 Routes – Hitting the BRAEks

Eric Schlange
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0
Tiny Race Series – December 13 Routes – Hitting the BRAEks

Tiny Race Series – December 13 Routes – Hitting the BRAEks

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

How the Race Was Lost: Maxing Out the VO2 Max (Empire Elevation)

Eric Schlange
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10
How the Race Was Lost: Maxing Out the VO2 Max (Empire Elevation)

How the Race Was Lost: Maxing Out the VO2 Max (Empire Elevation)

This week, ZRL racers headed back to New York for the final race of round 2. It was a scratch hosted on the new Empire Elevation route, and my team (Coalition Delusion) was tied for 1st place in the B1 Development Lime division. It all came down to this!

Planning and Warmup

As usual, my team was chatting on Discord in the days leading up to the race, deciding how best to ride the course. We found ourselves in a difficult spot. Sure, we were tied for 1st. But we were up against team TSE, whose strength was climbing. (Ours is not.)

We searched high and low for a brilliant race strategy to secure the overall win, but found nothing. Our conclusion? Teamate David said it well: “I think there is only one tactic for this and it’s go into the KOM with as much energy as you can and try to empty yourself on that climb.”

I’d scouted the KOM to write the week’s race guide, but that wouldn’t make it any easier. I knew I was facing an all-out 5-minute effort on some steep slopes, so I pulled the Specialized Aethos out of the garage (level 3 upgraded, good enough), fitted with the fancy new ENVE 4.5 PRO wheels.

With a whiff of PR Lotion and mint MEG gum in my nostrils, I started my warmup, putting in a few good digs and chatting about Zwift with other riders as I woke up the heart and legs. Soon enough, it was time to sign into Discord and join the start pen. Let’s race!

The Easy Part

The Empire Elevation route was brand-new, created for this specific race, and I’d never ridden it. But that didn’t mean it was unfamiliar. I’d ridden all of its roads multiple times via other routes, so I had a pretty good idea how this would play out as a scratch race.

Simply put: it would be quite easy for the first 24km. Then the KOM finish would be an all-out ~5-minute effort.

It played out as expected. Sure, some digs were required whenever the road tilted upward, including those pesky escalators. But the pace was never truly “high.” My heart rate sat firmly in the tempo zone, and I sat firmly in the draft.

Fastening my Boa while coasting down the bridge…

There was just one snafu: I somehow neglected to fasten the upper Boa on my left shoe, and didn’t notice it until the race was underway! So I pedaled with a loose shoe until the Manhattan Bridge descent 12km in, where I managed to stop pedaling and fix it while sliding backward through the pack:

Here’s something a bit crazy, which also speaks to how easy the first bit of this course was: we didn’t lose a single rider from the starting pack of 48 in the lead-in to the final climb. When was the last time you did a ZRL race where nobody was dropped in the first 24km?

The Hard Part

35 minutes into the race, we hung a right onto the glass road of the NY KOM, and the “fun” began.

Someone on Discord said, “Last 6 minutes of the round, so lay it on the road.” Exactly right (except it would be closer to 5 minutes). I steeled myself mentally and began to push. Time to empty the tank.

I stayed close to the front on the first and second of the four ramps, and still had a feather in my pocket with 1km to go. Then we hit the “main” ramp, and the pack began to stretch out ahead. I triggered the feather and kept hammering, riding on that razor’s edge between easing and losing places or pushing harder and blowing up in spectacular fashion.

With 600 meters to go, I realized I was just behind a TSE rider named Grosso. I lacked the glycogenic bandwidth to execute complex strategies, but I knew one thing: we had to beat TSE to win 1st overall! So I dug deeper, passing him and teammate Andrew with 500 meters to go:

One ramp to go. I eased a bit on the flat road leading to the final ramp, but then Grosso flew past with 180m to go! It was now or never. I went all in to catch him, channeling my inner Pogi with a seated sprint. Glancing up from my sweaty top tube, I saw I was getting closer to Grosso. But where was the finish arch?

Another glance up and it appeared Grosso had sat up early. With 20m left, I flew past as he dropped his power to 2 W/kg. I beat him to the line! For… 15th place.

See my ride on Strava >

Watch the Video:

Results and Takeaways

Coming across the line, I saw that teammate David had taken 1st overall. Well done, sir!

Unfortunately, our overall team performance didn’t place us on the top step this week. We tied for 3rd, and team TSE took first:

That dropped us from a tie for 1st to a firm 2nd overall. Ladies and gentlemen, the final standings for the Lime B1 Open Development Division, Round 2:

Well done, TSE!

As for my personal performance? Once again, I think I played this as well as I could. Heck, I was even doing some VO2 max training in the weeks leading up to this race!

In the end, I used all my W’ weebles, according to intervals.icu:

That final climb was almost exactly 5 minutes long, which let me (almost) set a new 5-minute power PR for 2025. (I did 379W to finish this race, but did 387W in an FTP ramp test in September.) So I feel I gave it all I had. Which is all anyone can ever do.

Good work, Coalition Delusion. And chapeau to all our competitors as well. See you next round! (Watch for details of ZRL 2025/26 Round 3 to be shared here on Zwift Insider next Tuesday.)

What about you?

How did your final race of round 2 go? Share below!

Missing Rewards? Update Zwift! Here’s How…

Eric Schlange
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13
Missing Rewards? Update Zwift! Here’s How…

We occasionally hear from Zwifters complaining that new features or achievements on Zwift aren’t working as advertised. The main reason this happens? Running an outdated version of the game.

Here’s how to check your installed Zwift version and update to the latest available version.

What Is the Latest Zwift Version?

Zwift maintains a page showing current versions for each platform.

Checking Your Version

The simple way to check your currently-running Zwift version on any device is to visit My Settings>About:

On PC, you can also right-click the Zwift icon in your taskbar to learn which version of the game and launcher you are running. This can be done even if Zwift isn’t actively running:

How to Update Zwift

Keeping Zwift up to date is quite simple, and usually automatic, depending on how your device is configured. Settings vary by device, so here are some specific tips…

Windows PC

  • Any new updates will be installed when you next launch Zwift.
  • Recommended: right-click the Zwift launcher which appears in your system tray (usually at the bottom right of your screen, near the clock) and make sure “Auto Startup” and “Background Updating” are both checked. This will download updates automatically without your intervention, so they can be quickly installed the next time you start up Zwift.
  • If you want to manually check for an update, right-click the Zwift launcher and click “Check for Update Now.”

On a Mac

  • Just launch Zwift and it will update for you!

On AppleTV

  • Open the App Store and go to your “Purchased Apps” list. Select Zwift. If the app needs an update, there will be a button you can select to update it.
  • Recommended: enable automatic updates by going to the Settings menu, selecting “Apps,” and making sure that “Automatically Update Apps” is turned on.
  • Also Recommended: shut down the Zwift app or your entire AppleTV when you’re done with your day’s session. This unloads it from memory and ensures that when you start your next Zwift session, you’re using the newest version installed on your AppleTV.

On iOS Devices (iPhone or iPad)

  • Go to the App Store, tap your profile icon at the top-right, and you should see a list of available updates. If Zwift appears in the list, tap the “Update” button beside the Zwift icon to download and install the most recent update.
  • If you aren’t seeing the latest Zwift update, or want to make sure you haven’t missed an update, pull down on the screen which shows all available updates. This will force your device to look for all available updates, which will often bring up recently-added app updates that weren’t already listed.
  • If you want your apps to update automatically, go to Settings>Apps>App Store and enable “App Updates” under “Automatic Downloads”.

On Android Devices

  • Go to the Play Store, tap your profile icon (top right), and go to Manage apps & device>Updates available. If your version of Zwift is old, it will appear in this list. Tap the “Update” button beside the app to download and install the most recent update.
  • To enable automatic updates, open the Play Store and tap your profile icon (top right) then Settings>Network Preferences>Auto-update apps. From there, you can choose to auto-update apps over any network, over Wi-Fi only, or never.

Forcing a Zwift Update

Zwift has maintained a biweekly release schedule for the past few years, with updates typically released on Tuesday mornings around 8:30am Pacific Time.

These rollouts are phased, so the update isn’t available to everyone immediately. Zwifters have asked if there’s a way to force a Zwift update, but unfortunately, there is no approved method for doing so. The timing of phased releases is tied to individual Zwift accounts, so chances are you’ll receive each update at approximately the same day and time every other week.

Using Zwift as a Lifeline: My Rehabilitation Journey After a Cycling Accident

Whitney Stidham
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57
Using Zwift as a Lifeline: My Rehabilitation Journey After a Cycling Accident

Using Zwift as a Lifeline: My Rehabilitation Journey After a Cycling Accident

On September 14th, everything changed.

One moment I was out on the road doing something I loved; the next, I was dealing with injuries, restrictions, fear, and the uncertainty that comes with recovering from a cycling accident. Like many riders, I had relied on outdoor miles for stress relief, fitness, and a sense of identity. Losing that – even temporarily – felt overwhelming.

What surprised me most, though, was the role Zwift would play in helping me rebuild my strength, confidence, and routine.

Returning to the Bike — Carefully

Riding in Erg mode to manage intensity

In the early weeks after the accident, I wasn’t sure when I’d be allowed to ride again. Once my physician and physical therapist gave the green light to begin low-intensity training, I knew the safest place to start wasn’t on the roads – it was inside, with Zwift.

For my rehab team, the controlled environment was a major advantage. No balance hazards. No traffic. No sudden braking. No risk of hitting a pothole (unless you count the ones on Cobbled Climbs). It gave me a platform where the only variable was my own power output.

Zwift allowed me to:

  • Keep a strictly aerobic, low-wattage range when required
  • Incrementally build time in the saddle
  • Track changes in power and endurance with precision
  • Manage intensity using Erg mode and structured workouts
  • Ride consistently without worrying about weather or terrain

That stability gave me the reassurance I needed to focus on healing instead of what-ifs.

From Short Spins to Stronger Efforts

At first, my rides were short – 20 to 30 minutes – focused entirely on light spinning (well, I’m still a masher) and loosening up. Riding every day was actually encouraged because the intensity was so low. Zwift became part of my daily rehab routine: part workout, part meditation, part rebuilding.

As I progressed, my physio gradually expanded the plan:

  • Longer rides: first 45 minutes, eventually pushing toward an hour
  • Higher-intensity short rides: allowing me to test cadence, control, and targeted power
  • Reintroducing efforts: like a 30-minute ride averaging 2.7 w/kg, which felt like a breakthrough. I chose Scotland After Party for this as it allowed me to do efforts.

Seeing those numbers come back on the screen helped me trust my body again. Zwift’s data gave me objective proof that I wasn’t as limited as I feared.

No Restrictions — and What That Meant Mentally

At my follow-up appointment, my ortho told me something I had been hoping for: no restrictions. The words sat with me. They felt liberating, exciting, and – if I’m honest – a little intimidating. I was a little nervous about trusting my body after multiple injuries, but I was also ready to put in the work and regain my fitness.

Zwift made the transition manageable. Instead of jumping into long outdoor rides, which were off limits, I used the platform to:

  • Test my endurance safely
  • Slowly increase total weekly volume by 10-15%
  • Rebuild my muscular resilience
  • Reintroduce climbs, sprints, and threshold intervals
  • Regain confidence before facing real-world variables

Zwift gave me a structured, safe progression that matched exactly where my recovery was.

The Emotional Side of Virtual Riding During Rehab

The physical side of recovery is one thing. But the emotional storm after a crash is its own challenge. Fear. Frustration. Loss of routine. Losing fitness. Even questioning whether you’ll ever feel like “you” on the bike again.

Zwift helped bridge that gap, and with each ride, I felt more confident in my abilities.

There’s something uniquely healing about moving your legs in a familiar cadence, even if the scenery is virtual. The digital rides, the community chat, the route badges, the gamified accomplishments – they gave me small wins every day. And small wins are exactly what you need when the big picture feels uncertain.

Looking Ahead — Stronger Than Before

Before the accident, my FTP was 254. Watching myself gradually push pace and duration on Zwift has helped me feel not only like I’m returning to that level, but that I might come back even stronger. I’m back to leading my rides with Team Giant, and I led my first post-accident 100k!

I’ve learned that rehabilitation isn’t just about regaining fitness; it’s about rebuilding confidence and reconnecting with the joy of movement. Zwift gave me a way to stay consistent, stay safe, and stay motivated when I needed it most.

If there’s one thing I’d share with any athlete rehabbing after injury, it’s this: Zwift meets you exactly where you are—and helps you get where you want to go.

What About You?

Got a rehab story where Zwift played a role? Got questions? Share below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Best Trainers, FTP Increases, and Using Zwift

Oli Chi
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1
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Best Trainers, FTP Increases, and Using Zwift

As more riders start the trainer season, many may be looking to upgrade or purchase their first setup. In this week’s top video, hear from one experienced Zwifter as he shares the top trainers for Zwift.

We’ve also included videos on fitness gains, Zwift use cases, the fastest bikes on Zwift, and the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 (extensive review).

The Best Trainers for Zwift in 2025: From Budget to High End

Tariq from Smart Bike Trainers provides a comprehensive overview of the top trainers for Zwift, covering everything from the best budget trainer to the best high-end smart bike.

How I Increased My FTP by 25% in Just 8 Months

Who doesn’t want a hefty FTP increase? Adam from Road to A shares how he increased his FTP by 25% in the last 8 months of training.

What We Actually Do On Zwift

GCN presenters Conor, Alex, Ollie, Si, and Dan share how they use Zwift to supplement their training during the long winter months.

Fastest Zwift Bikes in 2026, Including New Level 5 Upgrade Bike!

With bike upgrades recently changing how Zwifters choose their bikes on Zwift, Cranks and Sprints shares an updated list of the fastest bikes on Zwift.

Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 In-Depth Review // The Best Budget Bike Trainer?

Desfit shares an in-depth review of the Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 after riding over 2000 kilometres on the trainer. Does it continue to perform as expected?

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

All About the 2025 Rapha Festive 500 on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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85
All About the 2025 Rapha Festive 500 on Zwift

All About the 2025 Rapha Festive 500 on Zwift

Rapha’s Festive 500 began in 2010 as a simple challenge: brave the winter elements and ride 500 kilometers between December 24-31. Since then, riders have covered over 400 million Festive kilometers, including many virtual kilometers after Covid lockdowns opened the Festive 500 challenge to virtual rides.

15 years on and it’s become cycling’s favorite year-end ritual. This year, for the first time, your outdoor miles count just like your indoor miles when it comes to finishing the challenge on Zwift. Read on for details…

The Challenge

Your task is to ride 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) in eight days, from December 24-31. Outdoor bike, e-bike, handcycle, and virtual rides all count toward the total.

This is all tracked through Strava – in fact, the Festive 500 is the longest-running Strava challenge in the world! You’ll need to sign up for the Strava Challenge and upload your rides to Strava to be considered an official finisher.

RoboPacer-Led Festive 500 Events

Outdoor rides and all Zwift miles (free rides, workouts, etc) count toward the Festive 500 challenge, but Zwift is spinning up RoboPacer-led events to encourage riders to go the distance. The following RoboPacers will be in each event:

  • A: 3.7 W/kg Genie RoboPacer
  • B: 2.6 W/kg Coco RoboPacer
  • C: 2.2 W/kg Maria RoboPacer
  • D: 1.8 W/kg Miguel RoboPacer
  • E: 1.5 W/kg Bernie RoboPacer

Events alternate between “long” 50km rides on Triple Flat Loops at the top of each hour and “short” 25km rides on Watopia’s Waistband at the half hour.

See all of Zwift’s Festive 500 Group Rides at zwift.com/events/series/rapha-festive-500-zwift

Regular RoboPacer Schedule

The regular RoboPacers will be rolling as well, and these “always on group rides” are another great place to look if you want to rack up piles of miles. Zwift is changing the Watopia routes daily, to give us a bit of variety if we’re joining these bots regularly.

Here’s the route schedule during Festive 500 (see the full RoboPacer schedule here):

Wednesday, December 24

BERNIE, 1.5 W/kg
Flat Route
Tire-Bouchon
MIGUEL, 1.8 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
R.G.V.
MARIA, 2.2 W/kg
Tick Tock
Petit Boucle
COCO, 2.6 W/kg
Sugar Cookie
R.G.V.
JACQUES, 3.2 W/kg
The Big Ring
Lutece Express
CONSTANCE, 4.2 W/kg
Volcano Flat
Champs-Élysées

Thursday, December 25

TAYLOR, 1.1 W/kg
Flat Route
Cobbled Climbs
BERNIE, 1.5 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
The Fan Flats
MIGUEL, 1.8 W/kg
Tick Tock
London Classique

Friday, December 26

TAYLOR, 1.1 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
Cobbled Climbs
BERNIE, 1.5 W/kg
Tick Tock
The Fan Flats
JACQUES, 3.2 W/kg
Volcano Flat
Cobbled Climbs
CONSTANCE, 4.2 W/kg
Flat Route
Greater London Flat

Saturday, December 27

TAYLOR, 1.1 W/kg
Tick Tock
Cobbled Climbs
BERNIE, 1.5 W/kg
Sugar Cookie
The Fan Flats
GENIE, 3.7 W/kg
Flat Route
Innsbruckring
CONSTANCE, 4.2 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
Cobbled Climbs

Sunday, December 28

TAYLOR, 1.1 W/kg
Sugar Cookie
Turf N Surf
MIGUEL, 1.8 W/kg
The Big Ring
Gotham Grind
JACQUES, 3.2 W/kg
Flat Route
Neokyo All-Nighter
GENIE, 3.7 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
Island Hopper

Monday, December 29

BERNIE, 1.5 W/kg
The Big Ring
The 6 Train
YUMI, 2.9 W/kg
Flat Route
Astoria Line 8
GENIE, 3.7 W/kg
Tick Tock
Island Hopper

Tuesday, December 30

MIGUEL, 1.8 W/kg
Volcano Flat
Loch Loop
YUMI, 2.9 W/kg
Tempus Fugit
Turf N Surf
JACQUES, 3.2 W/kg
Tick Tock
Wandering Flats
GENIE, 3.7 W/kg
Sugar Cookie
Loch Loop
CONSTANCE, 4.2 W/kg
Triple Flat Loops
Makuri 40

Wednesday, December 31

MIGUEL, 1.8 W/kg
Volcano Circuit
Loch Loop
YUMI, 2.9 W/kg
Tick Tock
Turf N Surf
JACQUES, 3.2 W/kg
Sugar Cookie
Wandering Flats
CONSTANCE, 4.2 W/kg
The Big Ring
Makuri 40

Special Event: Ride with Eric Min on December 25

Join Zwift CEO Eric Min on Christmas day at 4pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT for a festive 50km group ride on Triple Flat Loops in the limited-edition Ugly Sweater kit.

Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5283128 >

Special Event: Ride with Rapha’s CEO Fran Millar on December 31

On the last day of the challenge, join Rapha CEO Fran Millar for a Festive 500 ride. It’s another 50km group ride on Triple Flat Loops. Finish strong!

Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5288682 >

Kit Unlock

Complete the Festive 500 via any combination of indoor and outdoor rides, and you’ll unlock the Rapha Festive 500 2025 kit in Zwift:

Important: you will not unlock the kit until Zwift batch-processes all Zwifters’ efforts after January 2. Internal sources tell me it will probably be January 5-6 when everyone receives their kits.

Prize Drawing

Details of the Strava challenge say those who finish will earn the following:

  • Entry into the prize draw to win a US$1,000 Rapha voucher
  • A digital roundel for your Strava Trophy Case
  • A 20% off code to spend at Rapha
  • The chance to win a grand prize package from Rapha’s partners

More Events from the Community

Community teams always create special events (group rides and even races) to help riders hit the Festive 500km goal. In fact, each year at least one crazy group holds a ride covering all 500km in one event!

See all upcoming rides over 100km in ZwiftHacks >

Questions or Comments?

Are you up for the challenge? I know I’m in, just like past years. Share below!

Zwift Releases 2025 Spinback Data (Personal and Community)

Eric Schlange
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Zwift Releases 2025 Spinback Data (Personal and Community)

Zwift Releases 2025 Spinback Data (Personal and Community)

Late last week, Zwift released our personal 2025 Spinbacks, a video available in the Companion app that reviews your achievements for the year. The video highlights key stats, including:

  • Your favorite day of the week to Zwift
  • Pizza slices burned
  • Distance ridden
  • Elevation climbed
  • Ride Ons exchanged (total sent + total received)
  • Top three worlds
  • Favorite route
  • Favorite RoboPacer
  • Total activities logged
  • Total achievements (badges)
  • Total unique routes completed
  • Total FTP bumps
  • Longest streak
  • Number of races
  • Current racing score
  • Total hours

Here’s my personal Spinback video as a reference:

Community Spinback

Along with our personal Spinbacks, Zwift also released an unprecedented amount of aggregated “Community Spinback” data:

A few fun notes about the community’s achievements:

  • 1.3 billion kilometers ridden is over 32,000 times around the Earth.
  • 11.5 billion meters is (nearly) 1.3 million times up Mt Everest.
  • 90.1 million pizza slices works out to over 25 trillion calories burned (285 calories per slice).
  • We talk about how racers are a “minority” on Zwift, and that’s true… but 2.2 million races this year works out to over 6,000 races completed daily.
  • 545.7 million Ride Ons for the year means 17.3 Ride Ons per second are shared on the platform, year-round.

In a press release last week, Zwift shared additional Community Spinback data:

  • January was the most popular month in 2025, with 226.7 million kilometers ridden.
  • The three most popular routes overall are Watopia’s Tempus Fugit, Tick Tock, and Flat Route.
  • On 5th January, a dizzying 78 million metres ascended in a single day.
  • Only 12% of the total hours with Robopacers are spent with the three top-end pacers (Jacques, Genie, and Constance). Still, that’s almost 500,000 hours!
  • 60% of Robopacer hours were spent with either Miguel (1.8w/kg), Maria (2.2 w/kg), or Coco (2.6 w/kg).
  • Biggest event participation numbers: Tour de Zwift, Zwift Unlocked, and The Zwift Big Spin.
  • Average session length: 59 minutes
    • Germany had the longest average session length at 62 minutes
    • The UK had the shortest, at 55 minutes
  • France and Germany both prefer structured workouts, while most other countries prefer free rides.

Zwift also released some country-specific data:

Country-Specific Stats

From these images, we can crunch a few numbers to come up with a fun little leaderboard showing which countries have accumulated the most Zwift distance and elevation per capita in the past year (aka, the world’s Zwiftiest places)!

CountryPopulation (millions)Total Distance (millions of km)Total Elevation (millions of m)KM per CapitaM per CapitaM/KM
USA340.1306.42,4000.907.067.83
UK69.2173.31,4002.5020.238.08
Germany83.51321,1001.5813.178.33
France68.570.3644.61.039.419.17
Australia27.253.2417.31.9615.347.84
New Zealand5.311.495.42.1518.008.37
Spain48.821.3188.30.443.868.84
Japan12455.7488.90.453.948.73

We can also see that France’s Zwifters did the most climbing per kilometer of any country on the list. Perhaps they were too busy working hard to drop Ride Ons?

My Thoughts

I was curious how “bespoke” each of our Spinback videos actually is. Sure, the stats are unique to us. But what about various text quips, like “You torched enough pizza slices to open up your very own Pipos Pizza Palace”?

In poking around on Insta, it appears most of these bits are the same for everyone. (I saw one newer rider who had burned just 23 slices of pizza, yet apparently even he could have opened up his own Pipos. Hmph.)

Still, it was fun to see my year in review on Zwift. Although last year Zwift dipped their toes into the “spinback” water by delivering career spinbacks for us, this is the first time they’ve released an annual spinback for each Zwifter, and so much aggregated community data for the year. I’m hoping this will become an annual tradition.

Your Thoughts

Any thoughts on your personal Spinback? Did anyone have a different “top worlds” list than “Watopia, France, New York”? And what do you think of the community spinback numbers? Share your thoughts below!

(Also, if you’re having trouble seeing the Spinback prompt in the Companion app, check out this forum thread for some tips.)

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