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Zwift Update Version 1.44 (115409) Released

Eric Schlange
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39
Zwift Update Version 1.44 (115409) Released

The latest Zwift update has been announced and will be released in phases over the next few days.

In contrast to recent updates, this release doesn’t include any fun new headline features – just a lot of bug fixes and small “quality of life” improvements.

Release Notes

Here are the tweaks and bug fixes Zwift provided for this update, with notes from us in italics:

  • Sections of the road in Watopia should now appear seamless, without gaps or texture issues.
  • Mega Pretzel lap arch moved to correct finish of route. We’re not sure what this means, but we’ve got a bot riding the Meta Pretzel right now to find out!
  • Cyclists using Wattbike Atom smart bikes will now see their selected gear displayed in Workouts during Free Ride blocks.
  • Climb Portal routes are now more clearly identified in Route cards and saved activities.
  • Zwift Play: Giving Ride-On bombs (by pressing and holding the Z-button) no longer plays the “Ride On” sound effect. Riiiiiide on!
  • Teleport: The Friends list now shows average w/kg. Nice little tweak, so you can see your friend’s pace before joining.
  • Fixed an issue where, in some situations, the Zwifters Nearby list would show your name at the top of the list and riders ahead of you were not visible. Hopefully this is finally fixed, as it’s been an issue for several weeks.
  • Fixed an issue with Offroad Steering Sensitivity slider not saving after an adjustment.
  • Fixed an issue where the running split time may be displayed on the Login screen after completing a run.
  • Fixed cosmetic issues with the Pause Menu user interface.
  • Fixed an issue where riders would be positioned at the side of the road without steering input when paired with a steering device
  • Corrected the phenomenon where some portions of Climb Portal routes would appear black (instead of their gradient color) on some Apple devices.
  • Fixed an issue where messages sent via Zwift Companion may not be visible to others while riding Climb Portal.
  • Fixed an issue where U-turns may not function properly after completing an Event ride.
  • Fixed an issue where cyclists may briefly swerve on some routes.
  • Fixed an issue where in-game graphs could not be toggled during workouts.
  • Fixed an issue where camera views would continually cycle in an Event paddock after manually selecting a camera view.
  • Fixed an issue where canceling the Confirm Teleport prompt in Zwift Companion did not close the corresponding prompt in Zwift.
  • Climb Portal roads have been adjusted so it is no longer possible to slightly ride off the edge of the visible road.
  • Pair with Phone: Fixed an issue where devices may not be discoverable if Zwift Companion is restarted during a ride.
  • Fixed game crashes that could occur when loading into a route or joining an Event in another world.
  • Zwift Play: Various improvements to in-game navigation and connection reliability.
  • Various improvements to game visuals, animations, game performance, and stability. Rumor has it that the swerving rider bug with steering has been fixed in today’s update.
  • PC & Mac
    • Zwift game launcher updated to v1.1.9, which improves game update reliability.
    • Fixed an issue where the Save button on the End Activity screen would flicker enthusiastically when hovered over.
  • PC
    • AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT GPUs now have the Ultra graphics profile enabled.
  • iOS, tvOS
    • Fixed a visual issue that affected the nameplates of nearby riders.
  • tvOS
    • Fixed an issue where the Ride Report “Highlights” section could not be navigated via Apple TV remotes.
  • Android
    • Fixed a crash for Zwifters that would sometimes happen when switching to a new world after an event.

See Zwift’s release notes in the forum >

Questions or Comments?

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

How To Deliver Mega Ride On Bombs with Play Controller + Companion App

Eric Schlange
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12
How To Deliver Mega Ride On Bombs with Play Controller + Companion App

How To Deliver Mega Ride On Bombs with Play Controller + Companion App

One of my favorite Zwifty features (and one of the unsung heroes of Zwift’s social success) is the Ride On. These little blue thumbs delivered to my screen by other riders are always a fun mid-ride encouragement.

I especially love to give Ride Ons, so when I’m riding with a group for any significant amount of time, chances are good that any nearby riders will get a thumbs up from me.

After racing and riding with Zwift’s new Play Controllers for a few weeks, I noticed that the Ride On bomb dropped using Play’s Z button was on a slightly faster timer than the Companion app’s Ride On bomb. (Neither allows you to just tap the button repeatedly – you have to wait several seconds between button presses to deliver Ride On bombs.)

Were they on totally separate timers, and could I therefore trigger both simultaneously to give twice as many Rides Ons?

Turns out I can. Here’s a video demo:

Using this method you can drop 10 Ride Ons to nearby riders every ~8 seconds, making it easy to give everyone nearby a Ride On, even in a group of 50-100+ riders.

Note: thanks to an unannounced update in early 2025, you can use your keyboard‘s F3 button to drop a Ride On bomb as well. Doing so also makes your avatar exclaim, “Ride On!”

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 15-16

Oli Chi
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2
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 15-16

Grab some elevation towards the “Climb Mt. Everest” challenge with BanditZ’s banded Tronathon event! We’re also highlighting a new endurance group ride, a fast-paced training ride, a group workout, and a classic social ride.


🥇 BanditZ Tronathon (Banded)

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Beginner Friendly

For those looking to do some climbing or gain some elevation for the Everest challenge, Banditz is hosting its weekly Tronathon event on Sunday. The ride is banded, meaning the group will stick together no matter how hard riders are pushing. This is a great way for newer/slower riders to participate in a group ride.

The ride takes place on the Road to Sky course and finishes at the top, so riders can descend as quickly as they’d like!

Sunday, July 16 @ 1:15 pm UTC/9:15 am EDT/6:15 am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3763937


🤝 ZTBR Saturday Group Ride

✅ Popular Event 　 ✅ Endurance Ride

Zwift Team Brazil is hosting a new weekly group ride every Saturday. This is a more endurance-focused group ride with an advertised pace range of 1-2.5 w/kg. Additionally, the length of the ride will vary depending on the course and week. Stronger riders are encouraged to drop back and help those who fall behind.

This group ride takes place over 120 minutes on the Watopia’s Waistband course.

Saturday, July 15 @ 10:15 am UTC/6:15 am EDT/3:15 am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3764756


🥇 6Points Mallorca Sunday Training Ride

✅ Popular Event

6Points Mallorca is hosting its weekly training ride for those looking for a quicker-paced activity! The event serves as a challenge for riders and an opportunity to train for the charity ride that happens yearly. Throughout the ride, leaders will hold a pace range of 2.5-3.2 w/kg.

Participants will ride 3 laps of the Farmland Loop in the Makuri Islands. Keep an eye out on the chat as there is a mini-race at the end!

Sunday, July 16 @ 10:40 am UTC/6:40 am EDT/3:40 am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3763895


📊 ZZRC Cardio Challenge Workout

✅ Popular Event 　 ✅ Beginner Friendly

This weekend, ZZRC is hosting its Cardio Challenge group workout. The group ride aims to combine the social element of their usual group rides with a bit of structure to help riders gain fitness. 

The group workout takes place on the Jungle Circuit in Watopia. Note: this group workout is banded, so speed will be slower than usual for most.

Saturday, July 15 @ 9 am UTC/5 am EDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3741505


🤝 PACK 1.5 Saturday Coffee

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Beginner Friendly 　 ✅ Legacy Leaders

The PACK 1.5 Saturday Coffee Ride remains one of the most popular Zwift events every weekend, with leaders doing their best to maintain 1.5 w/kg regardless of the terrain.

This group ride takes place over 60 minutes on the Island Outskirts course in the Makuri Islands.

Saturday, July 15 @ 8:30 am UTC
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3763005

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!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Play Controllers, Long Races, and KOM Attempts

Oli Chi
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2
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Play Controllers, Long Races, and KOM Attempts

This week’s top picks from the Zwift community include a well-done review of Zwift’s new Play Controllers, a comparison of long and short races on Zwift, a downhill KOM attempt in Zwift’s new Climb Portal feature, a rider getting dropped on the downhill, and a recon of the next Beach Party stage.

Zwift’s New Play Controllers Review

As more and more riders receive their Play Controllers, Matt Legrand has released his in-depth review of them. Watch as he gives his take on the all-new Zwift Play.

Zwift Race | Are LONGER races EASIER than SHORT?!

Max from The Watt Life is back with another Zwift racing video. This time he reviews his recent race, Stage 1 of the Beach Party ZRacing series.

Zwift KOM Attempt 👑 Climb Portal (Downhill) Col d’Aspin using Zwift Play Steering

After a bit of a break, Scott from Zwifter/KOM Hunt attempts to take the Col d’Aspin downhill KOM on Strava. Additionally, he’s got the Play Controllers to help him take the most efficient line. Can he do it?

Dropped on the Descent

Leonard Goh recently tackled the final OG Racing stage on London Loop. In this race, he gets dropped, experiences a rider using sticky watts, and more!

Beach Party Stage 2 | Seaside Sprint | The Inside Line

In the latest episode from the In the Drops cycling podcast, hosts go over some tips and tricks for the next stage of the Beach Party series.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

Measuring the Impact of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023

Eric Schlange
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14
Measuring the Impact of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023

Measuring the Impact of Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023

Zwift recently commissioned a report from Nielsen Sports measuring how last year’s inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift impacted women’s cycling. Yesterday that report was released (link at bottom), along with the press release below from Zwift.

  • 23.2 million – The cumulative live audience for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 20221
  • 2.9 million – The average live audience per stage for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 20221
  • >300% – The amount of social posts, reach and engagement for the Top 5 women’s cycling races grew by over 300% in 2022 vs. 2021 as a result of the introduction of the Tour De France Femmes avec Zwift2
  • +8.6% – the increase during the tour in Facebook and Instagram  followers for the top 35 female riders competing in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift2
  • 115 million – Women’s cycling attracts a large following, ranking it the 4th most followed women’s sport3
  • 73% of women’s cycling fans are interested in participating in sports/fitness activities vs. just 44% for the general population3.

A year on from the inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Zwift has commissioned a report to measure the impact of the race in 2022, using data from Nielsen Sports. The report delves into data spanning broadcast and written coverage, audience profiles and social media. 

The report begins by looking at race coverage. Broadcast coverage has always been the key to unlocking greater visibility for women’s racing, and with long-term backing and broadcast coverage in 190 countries, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is well-positioned to make a huge impact. 

Indeed, when looking at the coverage of the race, the report shows the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was a huge success. Across the 8 stages the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift attracted an average live audience of 2.9m and in total, the race achieved a cumulative live audience of 23.2 million people4. A significant milestone given this is the first edition of the race in 33 years. Of the eight key markets analysed, France drew by far the biggest audience. Germany and Spain rounded out the top three. 

Similar successes were noted in written coverage of the race, with Cyclingnews.com telling us the race delivered a record 700k users engaging with women’s content, with a total of 2.3m page views. Similar to what was observed in broadcast coverage, Cyclingnews also noted the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift traffic exceeded that of the men’s Giro d’Italia in 2022.

The hope is that in the years to come, it will be possible to capitalize on the increased exposure for women’s cycling and help get more women and girls on bikes. In order for that to happen, it’s important that the race reaches more women. Fortunately, Nielsen Sports data shows there is a proportionally higher female interest (44%) in women’s cycling than general sports fans (38%). With more coverage of women’s sport, we expect the gap to narrow even further and with 73% of women’s sports fans being interested in participating in sports vs. 44% for the general population, future growth in women’s cycling participation looks promising5. 

In addition to traditional media channels, the report also explores how the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is helping to grow the reach of the sport on social media. When looking at the social media conversation for the Top 5 women’s races in 2021 and comparing them to 2022, we see that the number of posts, reach and engagement on social media increased over 300% thanks to the addition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. 

It plays a vital role in supporting the growth of women’s cycling, allowing teams and riders to increase their commercial value through their engagement with impassioned audiences. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift presents a huge commercial opportunity as shown through the growth in the followings of both the teams and riders participating in the race last year. The profiles of the Top 35 riders taking part in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift grew, on average, by 8.6%, with teams seeing their followings increase by 4.3%5, by far the biggest jump seen in 2022.

Far more detail is contained in Zwift’s long-form report (link below) but the above highlights some of the most notable successes of the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. This is just the beginning, and the coming years will prove to be even more important in sustaining the growth of women’s cycling, as noted by

It would be an understatement to say we were thrilled by the response to the inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. As longtime supporters of women’s cycling, we knew the racing would be exceptional, but it was the millions of fans that made it game-changing. This is just the beginning. Our job now, as industry, fans, sporting media, and riders – is to keep the fires burning bright. We need to work together to ensure this big moment sparks action and investment at all levels of the sport. We’ll continue to use our platform to shine a light on these superstars, while also creating space and content for women cyclists around the world to grow their community and chase their dreams. That’s what Watch the Femmes is all about. When we Watch the Femmes, we pave the way for a bright future for all women’s cycling.

Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy @ Zwift

Footnotes:

  1. Source: Nielsen Sports Cycling24. Cumulative audience based on data from 8 markets (USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Japan)
  2. Source: Nielsen Sports social media analysis
  3. Source: Nielsen Fan Insights. Based on cumulative interest in women’s sports among the general population  In USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Japan
  4. Source: Nielsen Sports Cycling24. Based on live audiences across the eight key markets.
  5. Nielsen Sports Social Media analysis

Read the full report here, or visit zwift.com/watchthefemmes  to learn more about Zwift’s #WatchTheFemmes initiative.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Tiny Race Series – July 15 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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4
Tiny Race Series – July 15 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – July 15 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Last week’s races were a nice mix of climbs and flats, and one C racer finished with “a first Tiny Races podium, a failed break attempt, a mis-timed sprint, and a Top-5.” Watch his video below:

This week we’re testing out Pack Dynamics v4.1 for the first time ever (more on that below). But first, let’s look at last week’s winners!

Last Week’s Results

Overall Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: Mads Buster (Dragons)
B: Kyle Ross-Waddell
C: Tak I *YS)
D: Georg Sauer*

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: Mickael Plantureux (HEX)
B: The Green Ninja (RHINO)
C: Gary Cordery (COALITION)
D: Andrew Feehan

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: Stu Turner (AHDR)
B: Steve Schilling (CRYO-GEN)
C: Mitchell Pearce (FZR)
D: Jeff Cockerill (BPCC)

*For the first time ever, we had a THREE-way tie for 1st in the zone 1 D category. Georg had more 1st place finishes than Duncan Nash KCC (ZRScot) and Seth Kaiser (Freedom Machine), so he gets the overall win.

Women’s Winners

Zone 1 (9am UTC)

A: –
B: Jackie Gilbert (SYNERGY)
C: B.よーちゃん(TMR)
D: –

Zone 2 (3pm UTC)

A: –
B: Tina (WattFabrik)
C: Louise Godfrey (eSRT)
D: Lucy Smith

Zone 3 (9pm UTC)

A: –
B: –
C: Patrina Brennan (eSRT)
D: Birgit Jarst (RV Trave)

Pack Dynamics 4.1

For the first time ever, this week’s Tiny Races will use Zwift’s experimental Pack Dynamics version 4.1. PD4.1 is another step toward reaching the goals of PD4, so riders should notice:

  • Reduced speeds of larger packs due to reduced “automatic churning” near the front
  • Increased possibilities of more dynamics and unpredictable race situations – e.g: increased chances for breakaways
  • More stable packs with less unintentional forward/backward movement

Read more about PD4.1 on this forum thread, and chime in there after your races to share your experience and help Zwift improve their pack dynamics!

This Week’s Routes: Getting Steeper…

This week’s routes begin flat, but the finishes get steeper with every race, adding insult to injury as your legs get increasingly tired. Who will have what it takes to finish first on the final race up the Leg Snapper?

Approaching Volcano Circuit CCW finish
Volcano Circuit CCW finish
Approaching Railways and Rooftops finish
Railways and Rooftops finish
Approaching the Innsbruckring Leg Snapper banner
Through the Leg Snapper banner
  • Race 1: Neokyo Crit Course (1 lap, 4.7km)
    We start off with a fairly flat route to get the legs churning and hearts pumping. Will you go early on the Castle Park rise, or save it for the finish?
    • Powerup: Aero (2x)
  • Race 2: Volcano Circuit CCW (4.84km, ends at Volcano Circuit lap banner)
    Covering the lead-in section only, most of this course is flattish. But the finish is famous for being one of the most technical in Zwift! First you have the longish ramp that saps your legs and encourages early attacks…then there’s still a few hundred meters of twisting, slightly uphill road. Good legs will keep you in contention, but timing will get you the win!
    • Powerup: Feather (1x)
  • Race 3: Railways and Rooftops (5.44km, ends at Rooftop KOM banner)
    The reverse version of the Rooftop KOM in Neokyo isn’t an official segment, and it’s a rather unfamiliar climb to most Zwifters since few routes go this way. It’s also a very draftable climb, so we’re giving you a draft van. Because we care!
    • Powerup: Draft (1x)
  • Race 4: Innsbruckring (5.434km, ending atop Leg Snapper)
    Always a crowd favorite, Innsbruckring’s Leg Snapper is made even more dynamic when the race finishes at its top. Will you save your legs for that final effort, or try to sneak away early with the help of a ghost?
    • Powerup: Ghost (1x)

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 7-10% 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 for podium finishers
  • ZPower/Virtual power is not allowed. Smart trainer/smart bike or power meter required.

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!

Master List of Zwift Climb Portal Routes

Eric Schlange
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130
Master List of Zwift Climb Portal Routes

Master List of Zwift Climb Portal Routes

Zwift launched the Climb Portal concept in July 2023 to enable hosting more famous IRL climbs in game. Watopia and France each host a Climb Portal where Zwifters can access these colorful, gamified roads.

Below is a full list of ascents hosted in the Climb Portal. Click a title to see more details for the climb, including Strava segments.

Climb Title Length Elev Gradient
Alto de Patios 5.9km 377m 6%
Bealach na Bà 9km 632m 7%
Cauberg 0.8km 57m 7.1%
Cheddar Gorge 4.7km 171m 3.6%
Cipressa 6.4km 228m 3.5%
Col d’Aspin 13.54km 807m 5.8%
Col de la Couillole 18.3km 1209m 6.6%
Col de la Croix Saint-Robert 5.7km 346m 6.1%
Col de la Madeleine 14.3km 1118m 7.8%
Col de la Madone 16.3km 902m 5.5%
Col de Peyresourde (Avajan) 8.3km 559m 6.7%
Col des Aravis 5.2km 273m 5.1%
Col du Galibier (Lautaret) 10.3km 539m 5.2%
Col du Platzerwasel 7.82km 592m 7.3%
Col du Rosier 5km 222m 4.5%
Col du Tourmalet 17.2km 1213m 6.9%
Coll d'Ordino 10.3km 511m 5%
Cote de Domancy 2.97km 240m 7.9%
Côte de La Redoute 1.5km 153m 10.2%
Cote de Pike 2.17km 215m 9%
Cote de Trebiac 4.6km 207m 4.2%
Côte des Forche 3km 148m 4.9%
Crow Road 7km 251m 3.58%
Gotthard Pass 14.4km 909m 6.3%
Hardknott Pass 2.7km 306m 11.5%
Hautacam 12.7km 1029m 8.1%
Isola 2000 18.9km 1145m 5.9%
Koppenberg 0.6km 63m 10.8%
La Laguna Negra 9.1km 510m 5.6%
La Super Planche des Belles Filles 8.6km 602m 7%
La Turbie + Col d'Eze 15.2km 616m 3.1%
Lagos de Covadonga 14.5km 976m 6.7%
Montée du Chinaillon 8.1km 353m 4.4%
Mt Fuji 25.6km 1218m 4.7%
Mt. Hamilton 31.3km 1259m 3.5%
Mûr de Bretagne 1.96km 129m 6.6%
Mur de Huy 1.3km 124m 9.8%
Norton Summit 8.7km 363m 4%
Old La Honda 5.6km 396m 7.1%
Old Willunga Hill 4km 252m 6.3%
Oude Kwaremont 1.5km 64m 4.3%
Pas de Peyrol/Puy Mary 10.2km 603m 5.9%
Paterberg 0.4km 45m 11.9%
Pla d'Adet 12.1km 847m 6.9%
Poggio 4.3km 136m 3.2%
Puy de Dome 12.96km 913m 7%
Rocacorba 11.8km 756m 6.4%
Trollstigen 12.4km 784m 6.3%

This list will grow over time as Zwift adds new mountains to the Climb Portal, but keep in mind Zwift only makes certain climbs available on certain days – see the Climb Portal Schedule for details. Allez allez!

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

About this Week’s Steering-Required Races on Watopia’s Seaside Sprint

Eric Schlange
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6
About this Week’s Steering-Required Races on Watopia’s Seaside Sprint

About this Week’s Steering-Required Races on Watopia’s Seaside Sprint

We’re in our final week running a small set of “steering required” races to test what it’s like to race on Zwift when everyone can steer.

Rider feedback has been generally positive, with Zwifters telling us that the racing feels more “immersive” and “strategic”. When you can cut a corner for a more efficient line, change lanes to shake off a wheelsucker, or adjust your position for maximum draft benefit things suddenly feel more engaging and interactive.

Related: read my “How the Race Was Won” post about the first week’s race >

This week we stay in Watopia but move to the Seaside Sprint route for some fresh roads. See details below!

Schedule and Route

This 4-week series has rotated to a different “steering-friendly” race course each week. For the final week we’re on Watopia’s Seaside Sprint for 4 laps. With lots of twists and turns and a crucial corner in the final sprint, skilled steering may be the difference-maker on this route.

Every week has 3 race events scheduled on different days/times for maximum availability. Here are the signup links for this week’s events:

  • Wednesday, July 12: 12 pm PDT // 3 pm EDT // 7 pm UTC // 5 am AEST (Thursday)
    Sign up here >
  • Saturday, July 15: 11 am PDT // 2 pm EDT // 6 pm UTC // 4 am AEST (Sunday)
    Sign up here >
  • Sunday, July 16: 1 am PDT // 4 am EDT // 8 am UTC // 6 pm AEST
    Sign up here >

Rules and Results

These are simple scratch races, and each race is a standalone event. Category enforcement will be used, with all categories starting together.

A smart trainer or power meter is required to enter (no virtual power racers).

Since we don’t need ZwiftPower for special post-race results processing, final results will be available on screen as soon as you cross the line.

Steering Required

Steering is required to enter the start pens for these race events, so when you log in to the game to join the event, make sure you have your steering device connected. When the join event prompt appears, you can only enter the event if you have a compatible steering device connected.

Zwift Play is quickly becoming the most popular steering device on Zwift, but you can also steer with the Elite Sterzo, JetBlack Smart Turn Block, Elite Rizer, Wahoo KICKR Bike, and Tacx NEO Bikes.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 8-9

Oli Chi
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0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 8-9

As the iconic Tour de France makes its way through the mountains, riders have a chance to race their own tour with the Chasing Yellow series. Additionally, we’ve selected a social ride with an ex-pro, the first race of a new series, and two social rides!


🥇 Chasing Tour | Chasing Yellow – Stages 5 & 6

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Innovative Format 　✅ Highly Competitive 　✅ Prizes

This week, stages 5 and 6 of the Chasing Yellow series will be taking place. This is a race series that occurs alongside the Tour de France, with a total of 18 stages. It is easily the most popular and competitive race this weekend! Before signing up, it is important to read the description for categorization information.

Stage 5 will be taking place on the Astoria Line 8 course in New York while stage 6 will be taking place on the La Reine course in France.

Multiple time slots Saturday through Sunday
Browse all SISU Racing Tour events at zwift.com/events/tag/sisu


🤝 Ed Clancy’s Mountain Massif All-Star Ride

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Celebrity

Join notable pro Ed Clancy, who has won gold with Team GB at three successive Olympics, for this social group ride. This is your chance to ask him all your questions as you ride alongside!

The group ride takes place on the Sand and Sequoias course in Watopia, so it will be lasting roughly 45 minutes.

Sunday, July 9 @ 9 am UTC/5 am EDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3757838


🥇 Tour de Galaxy – Race Series

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Highly Competitive

Galaxy Cycling Club’s next racing series begins this weekend, taking place over 4 stages. For each stage, three different time zones will be available to accommodate for riders’ schedules. Note: there is bonus time up for grabs on the intermediate segments.

The series begins with an individual time trial on the Tempus Fugit course in Watopia. An aero TT bike and wheelset will be best for this course – see your fastest TT setup based on Zwift level here.

Saturday, July 8 @ multiple timeslots
See events at ZwiftHacks


🤝 ZZRC Bring a Bidon Social Ride

✅ Popular Event

ZZRC is hosting their weekly endurance group ride on Sunday. These group rides tend to last 1.5-3 hours depending on the course (this week’s route will be closer to the 1:30 end of the spectrum). The pace will be 2.5-2.7 W/kg, with the pace varying based on the terrain. 

Since this is an endurance ride, it will be taking place over one lap of the Big Foot Hills course in Watopia. 

Sunday, July 9 @ 8:35 am UTC/4:35 am EDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3757099


🤝 Vikings Valhalla Sunday Skaal

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Beginner Friendly

Week after week, this event tends to be popular! The Sunday Skaal event by Vikings Valhalla features a split category setup to accommodate for a wide variety of paces. Leaders encourage stronger riders to drop back for those who fall off the back.

Category C will be riding just over 100 kilometers of the R.G.V. course in France. Category D will be riding two laps of the Eastern Eight course in Watopia.

Sunday, July 9 @ 7:05 am UTC
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/3757065

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 on Apple TV: Pros, Cons, and Quirks

Eric Schlange
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58
Zwift on Apple TV: Pros, Cons, and Quirks

Zwift on Apple TV: Pros, Cons, and Quirks

While I’ve used Zwift intermittently on Apple TV, it hasn’t been my platform of choice for daily Zwifting. I’ve mostly used it to test new Zwift features or fanview friends so I could watch them race live from the comfort of my living room.

But recently my purpose-built Zwifting PC has been misbehaving. I’m not sure if it’s a problem on Zwift’s side, or a problem with my PC, but until I get it fixed I’ve been using Apple TV (the latest, cheapest model: 4K 2022 64GB Wi-Fi only) for most of my riding.

What have I learned from a few weeks of near-daily Apple TV Zwifting? Mostly, I’ve learned why so many Zwifters like Apple TV. I’ve also learned why PC users are annoyed by it. And I’ve found a few niggles that Zwift could fix that would improve the Apple TV experience for all.

Without further ado, here’s my list of Apple TV pros and cons for Zwifters.

Pros

  • Stable: I haven’t had it crash or lock up yet. It just works.
  • Quick booting: it goes from the startup screen (login/user selection) to the pairing screen faster than Windows, and it loads me into specific maps just a bit faster as well.
  • Quick access for multi-user households: Zwift on Apple TV keeps your most recent two logged-in users signed into the game, so when you start a session you just pick a user and go. Much more efficient than Zwift’s single-login setup for PC, and really handy if you have two Zwifters in the house!
  • Low price: Apple TV is the most affordable device for running Zwift, hands down. The latest Apple TV 4K actually dropped in price compared to the previous model, which is unheard of these days. I got the 64GB Wi-Fi only version from Apple for just $129USD. You simply won’t find a Zwift-friendly PC or iPad at that price.
  • Auto updates: while Zwift updates typically roll out a bit slower to Apple TV (think 24-48 hours after PC), the updates install automatically. So if you don’t care about getting the latest update as soon as it drops, Apple TV is the set-it-and-forget-it winner.
  • Small size: the newest Apple TV is even smaller than the previous versions, which could be held in the palm of your hand (try to do that with a PC). If space is at a premium or you just want a really clean look, the Apple TV can easily be hidden away on the back of your TV using velcro tape.

Cons

  • Basic graphics: Zwift runs at 30FPS at 1080 resolution on Apple TV. On top of that, the detail level is low, so the environment doesn’t show shadows or sharper detail on certain objects like trees, rocks, and in-game kits.

    See if you can spot the differences in these videos: here’s a recent race on AppleTV, and another in London on my Zwift PC.

    It looks sharp and smooth enough if you’re not used to higher-quality visuals on a PC, but here’s the thing: Zwift could do better. The latest Apple TV has the A15 Bionic chip, which boasts 50% improved overall performance and 30% increased GPU performance over the previous model’s A12 chip. Surely Zwift could bump up the visuals without any negative effects, at least on the latest Apple TV!
  • Bluetooth connection limit: Apple TV only allows 2 Bluetooth device connections in the Zwift game, so if you want to connect (for example) your trainer and heart rate monitor, that’s all you can do. If you need to pair up more Bluetooth devices (like Zwift’s Play Controllers, or perhaps a cadence or power meter) the common solution is to connect using Zwift Companion on your phone instead.

    I’ve found this to work reliably so far, but some Zwifters with poor WiFi connections haven’t been so lucky. (See this post for advice on getting a reliable Companion app connection to Zwift.) Being able to connect everything directly to Apple TV would simply be smoother, but I’m afraid the ball is in Apple’s court on this one.

    One bit of good news here: the Zwift Ride Smart Frame‘s controllers are set up in such a way that they only use one Bluetooth connection. So if you have a trainer that can connect using WiFi or a network cable, you can pair the trainer over WiFi, plus your controllers and a heart rate monitor, and Apple TV only sees this as two Bluetooth connections.

    (You can also get a Bluetooth aggregator like North Pole Engineering‘s CÔRD or WYÛR, but these don’t yet work with the Play Controllers).

Quirks

The items below didn’t quite qualify as “cons” because each one is either quite minor or has a workaround. Still, they’re worth mentioning since Zwifting on an Apple TV has some hangups in certain situations compared to Zwifting on a PC.

  • No built-in workout editor: you can’t create or edit custom workouts on Apple TV, so the only way to get them there is to create and save them elsewhere (say, on a PC running Zwift). They will then auto-sync to your Zwift cloud account.
  • Starting new activity requires re-pairing: whenever you end/save your activity on Zwift for Apple TV, it takes you all the way back to the login screen, instead of the homescreen where PC users are taken. The annoying thing here is that you have to re-pair your devices before you can get to the homescreen and into a new activity. On top of that, there’s currently a Play bug that makes re-pairing take an extra few clicks. Speaking of which…
  • Play Controllers must disconnect and reconnect: there’s a bug with Zwift’s new Play Controllers which requires you to disconnect the controllers and re-pair them each time you go into Zwift on Apple TV.
  • Messaging via Companion is a hassle: if you’ve never had a PC setup with a well-positioned table and keyboard, you may not realize what you’re missing when it comes to messaging in game. But I find messaging with Apple TV to be cumbersome and annoying, since I have to type it out on my phone instead of tapping it out on my keyboard.
  • No drone camera: yeah, this may seem picky to some Zwifters, but I take a lot of in-game shots, and the vast majority of those have been taken on a PC using Zwift’s controllable drone camera view. There is no controllable drone camera on Apple TV. While we’re on the subject of Zwift pics…
  • No photo/video storage unless you use Companion: photos and videos snapped in game while on Apple TV aren’t stored somewhere on your TV for future use, unless you use the Companion app to take those pics or videos, in which case they’re stored on your phone. This is officially just an “annoyance” because there’s a workaround (using Companion).
  • No menu screenshots: you can only take screenshots while in an actual Zwift map – there is no way to snap one (via Companion or the Apple remote) when you’re on the homescreen or pairing screen.
  • No keyboard shortcuts: this annoyance is mostly erased with the new Play Controllers, but if you don’t have those yet, getting around Zwift using only the Apple TV remote feels cumbersome and slow compared to a PC mouse/keyboard. It’s certainly doable… it’s just annoying.

Conclusions

Is Apple TV the device you should be using for your Zwift sessions? I can’t answer that. But I can say that many thousands of Zwifters are quite satisfied with their Zwift experience on Apple TV (more Zwifters use Apple TV than PC, after all). The release of Zwift’s Play Controllers has made it an even more appealing Zwifting device since Play can handle most of the in-game navigation once paired.

When Zwift optimizes the visuals for the new A15 bionic chipset, Apple TV on Zwift will be even more attractive. (In talking to contacts within Zwift, this is in their plans. But they’re not sharing any delivery dates.)

For now, if you aren’t fussed about having the highest framerate or sharpest graphics, don’t need to build custom workouts in game, and aren’t looking to generate hi-end photos or videos of your Zwifting, Apple TV may be the solution for you.

If you’re looking to stream/record video at higher framerates, like to create custom workouts, and want to be able to get around the game super quick (bike swap, anyone?) you may want to Zwift with a decent gaming PC instead.

Your Thoughts

Are you an Apple TV fan, or part of the PC gamer crowd? What are your thoughts on Apple TV as a Zwift platform – got any pros, cons, or quirks to add? Share below!

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