Black Sheep HuMan Ride Announced for October 15-16
Over its first seven years, Black Sheep Cycling’s been driving the conversation on men’s mental health in cycling through their MR. initiative. What started as a bunch of mates in 2016 is now a movement of over 150,000 people participating every year!
Life ‘aint a race. It’s a bloody ride. A long, winding, confusing, challenging, illuminating ride. And the power to get through it comes from strength, from within and from each other. It’s power in numbers, to challenge the numbers of those lost to mental illness.
This year Black Sheep is joining forces with Zwift to raise funds for LIVIN and awareness for all things Men’s Mental Health. Join for 30 (or 60) minutes to work your most important muscle. Or to give it a break. And to go pedal to pedal, arm in arm, with your mates. Whoever you are, wherever you are, jump on your bike and help us make a bigger noise and impact for men’s mental health.
BlackSheep ambassadors will be leading the events and providing messaging about mental health, Livin, and the MR. initiative.
Ride Options
Riders can choose between a 60-minute (A category) or 30-minute (B) ride. Both rides are on the Makuri Islands Wandering Flats route.
Both groups start at the same time and can see each other, and both groups have a stated pace of 2.2-2.8 w/kg.
This week we’re featuring two nice events for good causes and a handful of fun events including a “Women’s Only” race and Tiny Races with an important new rule.
🤝 AEO – Crush Breast Cancer and Ride On – Awareness Ride
If there is one ride to do this weekend, it’s this one. A ride to raise awareness of Breast Cancer, an illness that directly or indirectly impacts millions throughout the world. The event description on Zwift thoroughly explains why this is an important ride:
“In 2020, more than 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide. Every 14 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Globally, breast cancer now represents one in four of all cancers in women. Since 2008, worldwide breast cancer incidents have increased by more than 20 percent...
If you, a friend or relative are going through a cancer diagnosis, if you are a breast cancer survivor or know a survivor, or if you are fighting it right now, this ride is for you.”
This is a group ride with a focus on men’s mental health, organised by Black Sheep Cycling.
According to the event description: “Black Sheep Cycling’s been driving the conversation on men’s mental health in cycling through our MR. initiative. What started as a bunch of mates in 2016, is now a movement of over 150,000 people participating every year. It’s a cause that is embraced and powered by the passion and belief of our community.”
I am keen to highlight this event, and hope that there are more like it on the calendar. This is a ladies-only event, and is designed to inspire women to try racing. The event is hosted on Watopia’s “Flat Route” and is just 10.7km in length.
This event is going to be held every week with a different course, so dip your toe into the water and have a go.
Round 12 of Zwift Insider’s popular Tiny Race series (4 short races within 1 hour) is this Saturday. This week sees Eric testing out a new rule which removes rider results from anyone who doesn’t finish all 4 races.
This is done to promote fair racing, as riders dropping in to race just one event after most of the racers have put in hard efforts in earlier races isn’t exactly sporting.
This event is hosted on the “Tempus Fugit” course with four different lengths, the longest being 160.9km/100 miles. Join this event if you have never cycled 100 miles before and you want to tick off that achievement!
Other distances include 100km, 70km, and 42km, so something for all.
Looking to climb? KQOM segments on Zwift are climbs which include leaderboards, leader’s jerseys, and HoloReplay functionality. They vary greatly in length, so if you’re looking to do hill repeats you can always find the right incline for you!
Below you’ll find a master list of every KQOM segment on Zwift. Click a segment for details including routes using that segment, Veloviewer profiles, ZwiftPower leaderboards, and more.
A word about accuracy: as much as possible, we’ve used Zwift’s in-game numbers for segment length, gradient, etc. Occasionally, in-game data is incorrect; however, we will post accurate numbers whenever possible. (Strava data may differ slightly from what is shown in game as well.)
The sixth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2022/23 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 18th. We’re in Watopia racing on former Rebel Routes, and for the first time that we can remember, A/B riders are on a completely different route than C/D riders! That’s right: A and B riders are racing on Eastern Eight, while C and D races Downtown Titans.
Let’s dig into the race, including tips for bike choice, powerups, strategy, and crucial segments.
Looking at the Route: Downtown Titans
Downtown Titans began its Zwift life as a Rebel Route (published March 2020), but was adopted into the game 2 years later. The thinking behind this route was to cover the newest (Titans Grove) and oldest (Hilly) KOMs in Watopia.
C and D racers will complete one lap of the course, for a total of 25.4km and 295 meters of climbing. Let’s look at the key segments in order of appearance:
Titans Grove KOM Reverse: didn’t we just race this in race #5? Yes we did. Let’s have another go! It’s a draftable climb, so sit in the wheels and time your jump just right. Or just try to survive and hold a wheel so you can stay in the mix.
Hilly KOM: this climb is almost exactly the same length as the Titans Grove KOM Reverse… but it’s steeper (5.5% vs 4.4%). That difference may not seem like much, but mark our words: this climb will force a major selection in your race. Save your legs for this climb, and do all you can to hold onto the front pack over the top!
JWB Sprint: not a short sprint, riders approach the JWB differently depending on whether they’re chasing FTS, FAL, or just trying to survive.
While powerups were originally planned for this race, WTRL has disabled all powerups due to ongoing Zwift bugs which award powerups inconsistently.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
Tron bikeVenge + Disc
While this route has a bit of climbing, the climbs are short and not steep. We recommend the Tron bike for its balance of aero and climbing performance, as it outclimbs the pure-aero Venge+Disc combo by ~1s on the crucial Hilly KOM.
An aero setup like the Venge+Disc is a good pick if you’re confident you can hang with the front over the climbs, but you plan only to contest the sprints.
Many events are now being planned each weekend on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re not familiar with this course, jump into an event and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming Downtown Titans events.
Si Bradeley
Strategic Options
Points Distribution, Downtown Titans
These charts show the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in each race.
Of the race’s 513 potential points (for a team of 6), 405 will be earned in the last 7km of the race (from the top of the Hilly KOM onward). That’s 79% of the points!
What strategies will C/D riders employ in race 6? Here’s what we predict:
Ease after Titans Grove KOM Reverse: riders won’t push hard to keep a gap after the Titans Grove KOM Reverse, because they know if they created a gap on this climb, they’ll create a bigger one on the Hilly KOM.
Big Attack on Hilly KOM: riders with strong 2-minute w/kg will push hard up this climb, forcing a selection that will drop some sprinters, opening up more points for the punchy climbers on the JWB Sprint and at the finish line.
Post-Sprint Counterattack: cagey non-sprinters may sit in for the JWB Sprint, then attack on the kicker into The Esses (2.3km from the finish) to drop the tired sprinters and ensure a higher finish for themselves. A long solo attack here may also be a smart strategy for a non-sprinter who has a sprinter teammate in the front group.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
The sixth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2022/23 Round 1 happens Tuesday, October 18th. We’re in Watopia racing on former Rebel Routes, and for the first time that we can remember, A/B riders are on a completely different route than C/D riders! That’s right: A and B riders are racing on Eastern Eight, while C and D races Downtown Titans.
Let’s dig into the race, including tips for bike choice, powerups, strategy, and crucial segments.
Looking at the Route: Eastern Eight
Eastern Eight began its Zwift life as a Rebel Route (published February 2020), but was adopted into the game 2 years later. It’s a fun race route covering the easternmost roads of Watopia (Fuego Flats, Titans Grove, and most of Ocean Boulevard) in both directions.
At 54.1km this is the longest route we’ve raced this season. Let’s look at the key segments in order of appearance:
Fuego Flats sprint: this is a rather long sprint, especially since it’s on a false flat. You hit the sprint at the end of your lead-in, then once again for the finish of the race.
Titans Grove KOM: this very draftable climb begins quite flat, then tilts upward as it zigzags toward the finishing arch. This is where the first selection will be made in the race. Can you hang onto the front group, and will it come back together afterward?
Fuego Flats Reverse: is it a sprint? At 7.1km long, probably not. Expect riders to sag the start, then sit in the pack before attacking near the finish in an attempt to take FAL and/or FTS points.
Titans Grove KOM Reverse: didn’t we just race this in race #5? Yes we did. Let’s have another go! It’s a draftable climb, so sit in the wheels and time your jump just right. Or just try to survive and hold a wheel so you can be in the mix for the final sprint!
While powerups were originally planned for this race, WTRL has disabled all powerups due to ongoing Zwift bugs which award powerups inconsistently.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
Venge + DiscTron bike
While this route has a bit of climbing on the Titans Grove sections, the climbs are short and not steep, meaning they will be fast and very draftable. Aero wins the day, hands down.
Many events are now being planned each weekend on the upcoming ZRL route. If you’re not familiar with this course, jump into an event and do some recon! Here’s a list of upcoming Eastern Eight events.
Si Bradeley
Strategic Options
Points Distribution, Eastern Eight
This charts show the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in each race. Note: FAL points for one Fuego Flats sprint were moved to the “finish” category since the race ends on this sprint.
With a points distribution that is perhaps the most even we’ve seen in ZRL, what strategies will A/B riders employ in race 6? Here’s what we predict:
Big Push on Lead-In Sprint: The peloton will be big and fresh on the lead-in, so riders chasing FTS will want to set those times on the first time through the Fuego Flats sprint – not the second time.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Gaps won’t open up until the top of the first Titans Grove KOM. Then the question becomes – do you work to stay away if you’re in the front group? Doing so may open up more intermediate points for you, but it will also test your endurance on this long race. If the front group doesn’t work to stay away after the first KOM, expect them to push to stay away after the second KOM.
Fuego Flats Reverse Late Effort: No one will treat this long segment like a sprint… until the final kilometer. Then expect riders to attack in an attempt to grab FAL points, while some riders will sit in and wait even longer, trying to edge out the pack for FTS.
Going Long: Someone will try to go long on the final slack climb into the desert (~4km from the finish). It’s a brilliant move if you want to give your team’s sprinter a rest, and/or you don’t trust your ability to win a sprint from the pack.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
Registration is now open for Zwift Academy Tri 2022 (sign up here, or in game). Here’s a complete look at this year’s program including changes from last year, workout details, graduation requirements, schedule details, and more!
Intro to Zwift Academy Tri
Now in its fourth year, Zwift Academy Tri is an annual event that serves two purposes. First, it’s a global training program for triathletes of all levels. Secondly, it’s a worldwide talent ID competition to determine the six members of this year’s Zwift Academy Tri Team (more on that below).
New for 2022
Each year ZA Tri evolves to improve on its dual goals of building an inclusive training community and spotting talented athletes. Here’s what’s new for ZA Tri in 2022:
Shorter Program
Last year’s program had 5 required run and ride workouts, but this year’s program only has 3. Last year’s program had a total of 14 required workouts to graduate, but this year’s program only has 8. The entire program is shorter as well, only lasting 4 weeks.
Much like changes made to Zwift Academy Road, Zwift says they are trying to make the ZA Tri program more accessible and compostable. Athletes should see the ZA Tri program as an on-ramp to their training, not as a full training program in itself.
On-Demand Workout Option
Technically this isn’t entirely new, as on-demand workouts were allowed last year as well. But this year the workouts are found in the new Workouts UI under Collections>Zwift Academy Tri 2022.
Note: the 3 required bike and 3 required run workouts can be completed as group events or as on-demand (individual) workouts. But the finish line rides and runs are only available as group events.
Multi-Lingual Workouts
All workouts (and Finish Line events) will be available in English, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
Graduation Requirements
To complete Zwift Academy Tri 2022, participants must complete a total of 8 workouts:
3 Zwift Academy Tri run workouts (group workouts or individual, your choice)
3 Zwift Academy Tri bike workouts (group workouts or individual, your choice)
1 Finish Line Run event
1 Finish Line Ride event
All requirements need to be completed between October 24 and November 21 at 8:59 am UTC (1:59 am PT).
Athletes aspiring to the Zwift Academy Tri Team have additional requirements – see below (and Zwift’s terms and conditions) for details.
Bike Workout Details
#1: Low Cadence Intervals (60 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Oct 24-30
Endurance is a critical component of long-distance triathlon. Many professional triathletes include low cadence intervals as a vital component of their training regimen, and for a good reason. Research has shown that training at a lower cadence produces more significant power benefits than training at a higher tempo. This session aims to build strength without overly taxing your heart rate, which means that this workout is excellent for getting you comfortable with being uncomfortable.
#2: Full-Distance Build (55 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Oct 31-Nov 6
Designed to improve aerobic threshold and mimic a long-distance triathlon effort, this workout induces extra fatigue, so make sure you’re well-fueled and ready. Featuring higher intensity pushes before settling back into full-distance pace, you’ll become more proficient at using lactate as fuel during lower-intensity efforts.
#3: FTP Gains (60 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Nov 7-13
This session focuses on helping build comfort at and around your current functional threshold power (FTP). You’ll ride at periods of high intensity (110% FTP) with recovery at a moderate intensity (78% FTP) to boost your FTP effectively. You’ll also learn to use lactate as fuel, helping you ride faster for extended periods.
Finish Line Ride | 5-minute Power Test (55 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Nov 7-21. Not available as an on-demand workout.
By determining your 5-minute power under fatigue, this session is excellent for assessing your V02 max power—making prolonged exercises more manageable over time. Grab an extra water bottle for this one. It’s about to heat up!
Rubberbanding will be turned on for the Finish Line Ride. The ride itself is straightforward and consists of a warmup, a 25-minute effort to create some fatigue, then a 5-minute free ride effort – this will be the actual test. Zwifters will be banded together for the entirety of the workout, your average power during the 5-minute portion is what matters the most. During the 5-minute free ride effort, we are also going to have your average power displayed with plenty of messaging to indicate its purpose as well as goal.
The Finish Line Ride event is your chance to utilize all of your Zwift Academy training. We recommend prepping for your Finish Line Ride like a race, giving yourself at least 48-72 hours of recovery before you start.
Finish Line Rides are available ONLY as group events. You cannot select them from the Workout Collections.
Run Workout Details
Each run workout has a long and short option.
#1: Strength and Resiliency (45 minutes/30 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Oct 24-30
Running uphill has many benefits to triathlon improvement, including improved leg-muscle strength at a faster stride rate. This session works to boost your aerobic threshold by improving your running economy.
#2: Tempo (45 minutes/25 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Oct 31-Nov 6
Tempo running is a great way to fine-tune your running economy. It’s also great practice for maintaining proper form at high speeds when fatigue sets in. This interval session will help increase your overall pace, making faster running feel easier over time. Starting at 6 minutes, the intervals will descend from 4 minutes to 2 minutes and finish with 1 minute at a harder effort. Your pace will increase from 85% to 96% of your current threshold pace.
#3: Over Under Intervals (45 minutes/30 minutes)
Available as a group workout hourly Nov Nov 7-13
This session will be done at a high intensity, somewhere around 7 or 8 out of 10 in terms of perceived effort. Make sure your legs are rested and ready to go before this session! Starting with 2 x 6-minute intervals at 2 minutes below your current threshold pace, this workout will teach you what it feels like to switch gears. Get ready for the next 2 x 6-minute intervals at 2 minutes above your threshold, then another 2 x 6-minute intervals below your current threshold. Plus, playing around with speed intervals helps boost your overall threshold pace.
Finish Line Run | 15 or 30-minute Test
Available as a group workout hourly Nov 7-21. Not available as an on-demand workout.
This is the final event for the 2022 Zwift Academy Tri program. The goal? Run as far as you can for either 15 or 30 minutes. (The Finish Line Run offers two distances: short and long. If you’re hoping to qualify for the ZA Tri Team, you’ll need to complete the long option.)
The Finish Line Run event is your chance to utilize all of your Zwift Academy training. We recommend prepping for your Finish Line Run like a race, giving yourself at least 48-72 hours of recovery before you start.
Finish Line Rides are available ONLY as group events. You cannot select them from the Workout Collections.
Set Your Paces!
To ensure the best results from your structured training, you’ll want to start your ZA Tri running workouts with accurate pace settings. If you don’t know the run paces you’re capable of, take the Zwift 5k Test. Make sure you are rested before completing the test for best results!
The same goes for the cycling workouts – make sure you have an accurate FTP setting before starting the workouts. Never done an FTP test before? Read How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift.
Key Dates/Schedule
ZA Tri in-game registration opens Oct 10 (closes Nov 19)
ZA Tri begins Oct 24 and ends Nov 20
Graduation Deadline: All required workouts must be completed by Nov 21 @8:59am UTC (1:59am PT)
ZA Tri Team applications accepted from 100-200 selected participants Nov 21, 2022-Dec 20, 2022
Participants will unlock new kit as they progress through the program:
Ride:
ZA Tri Cycling Socks
ZA Tri Cycling Kit
Run:
ZA Tri Run Hat
ZA Tri Run Kit
Program completion: ZA Tri Running Shoes
Zwift Academy Tri Team Selection
Many ZA Tri participants will be aiming for one of six spots on this year’s ZA Tri Team whose goal is to qualify for and compete in the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Kona.
To be eligible for team selection, athletes must:
Graduate the Zwift Academy Tri program
Complete the Finish Line Ride and the longer, 30-minute Finish Line Run, plus all longer run workouts
For bike events, athletes must use a smart trainer (or heart rate monitor and cadence sensor)
For run events, athletes must use a cadence sensor, heart rate monitor, and complete the Long Run workouts
Must be an amateur athlete
What else will Zwift use to determine who makes the 6-member Zwift Academy Tri team? See the full terms and conditions, which include a detailed “Selection Process/Team Participation” section. Specifically, it states:
… performance potential, previous race results, ability and willingness to meet the Team training schedule, ability and willingness to participate in scheduled Team training events and camps, ability and willingness to race at the 2023 Ironman World Championship, including any necessary qualifying races and triathlon related presence and activity on social media as well as within the triathlon community.
Coach
This year’s ZA Tri coach is Dr. Dan Plews, a world-class coach and athlete with a PhD in exercise physiology.
He’s worked with 25 World Champs and Olympians in triathlon, rowing, and sailing. Long course triathlon is his passion, having coached athletes to numerous 70.3 and long course wins as well as several sub 8-hour performances. On top of all that, Dan holds the Kona course record—8 hours and 24 minutes—for the fastest ever age-grouper.
Tiny Race Series – Sniper DQ, October 15 Route Details, and Last Week’s Results
Make no mistake: Tiny Races are tough! The races are short, the fields are strong, and the effort level is high. As Tiny Races have grown in popularity, we’ve seen an increase in the number of riders “sniping” races: racing just one or two events, hoping to grab some easy ZwiftPower ranking points.
No More Sniping
This weekend I’ve knocked together some code in order to try something new: if you don’t finish all four Tiny Races in the timezone you race, you’ll be disqualified from ZwiftPower results for whatever races you did finish. That’s right: no more points sniping!
My guess is this will cause a decrease in signup numbers, but an increase in race fairness and quality. That’s a trade I’m willing to make!
Last Week’s Results
I raced the zone 2 B’s last week, and Zwift Academy winner and current EF Education-TIBCO-SVB pro rider Tanja Erath was in the field, smashing all four races. She took the win for the ladies, while Nathan Guerra’s better half Gabriela took the A win in zone 1 for the ladies. Super fun!
We’ve got four fresh routes this week, all in Watopia, all beginning from the downtown start pens. But each route heads in a different direction, and they’ll get harder (read: more climby) with each race!
Here are photos so you can see the precise location of the custom finish line for race 1:
Approaching the Bigger Loop finishBigger Loop finish line
Race 1: Bigger Loop (6.75 km, ending at rock underpass heading into the Ghost Town)
Starting off with our flattest route, you’ll climb to the desert from downtown Watopia, pick up your ghost powerup at the rock arch, then sprint for the custom finish line beneath the huge rocks as you enter the Ghost Town.
This will be a wild finish! Everything will kick off when we hurt the Dirty Sorpressa which snakes up to the Italian Villas. But wait – you’ve got some cobbled road following the Sorpressa, plus the JWB Sprint! Where do you use your powerup? Where do you attack?
Basically a perfect loop for a Tiny Race, this is going to be made even more fun with the inclusion of the anvil powerup. Remember, the anvil now only makes you heavier on descents, so it’s safe to use at any time!
Powerup: Anvil x2
Race 4: Downtown Titans(6.804km, ending atop Titans Grove KOM Reverse)
Saving the best (biggest) climb for last, we’ll start in downtown but work our way up to Titans Grove, riding the uphill rollercoaster through the redwood tree and waving hello to Jarvis before attacking the Titans Grove KOM Reverse.
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, just be patient.)
Riders will earn points based on finish position in each of the 4 Tiny Races. The category winner of each week’s series is the rider with the most points across their timezone’s 4 races. Here are the links for each timezone’s results on ZwiftPower:
Tiny Race rules are simple. Final results live on ZwiftPower, and:
Heart rate monitors are required
You must finish all 4 Tiny Races in your timezone, otherwise you will be disqualified from whatever Tiny Races you did finish. No points sniping!
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 out their legs together and have some fun chatting about how it all went down. Find them at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces.
On this week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos, watch three riders begin their Zwift Academy journey, including one that GCN wants to turn into a hill climb champion. You can also catch some Zwift racing and answers to frequently asked questions about Zwift’s new Zwift Hub trainer.
Zwift Academy Baseline Ride || well that was fun…
Alex Reader completes his Baseline Ride for Zwift Academy. Watch him tackle each test segment and hear his thoughts about the experience.
Indoor Cycling or Playing Games?
“Black British Cyclist Kendizle” dives into Zwift Academy Workout #1 – after a little hiccup at the start!
Can We Turn A MAMIL Into A Hill Climb Champion?
Global Cycling Network (GCN) is using Zwift Academy to help Cillian Kelly prepare for the Irish National Hill Climb Championships. See the start of his journey here!
ZWIFT RACING TO INCREASE INTENSITY | Sprint to the finish!
Fall has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and that means a lot of riders will be spending more time indoors. That includes Maarten Overweg, who joined a race on Sand and Sequoias and brought his outdoor strength inside.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Have you had a stream sniper? Does anyone in Zwift or is Nathan being paranoid? And just what is a stream sniper? Tune in to find out.
The team chats Zwift holographic PR partners and why Anna has called hers Jem. Special guest Arielle Verhaaren, elite racer for team Aeonian, talks about her journey to Zwift from elite BMX and mountain bike racing. They discuss which discipline crosses over the best to Zwift: is it track, road, cross, gravel, BMX, or even rowing?
Jersey of the week is the new retro kit unlock, garage pick is the Chapter 2 TOA race bike and fashion in the field is the amazing new Lederhosen kit from the Pretzelfest challenge series now on.
The Wrap is all about showcasing the awesome Zwift community, from upcoming events to must-have tech to community guests to the all-important avatar fashion segment. The live nature of the show means that hosts Nathan Guerra and Anna Russell can interact directly with those watching, gaining valuable insights and opinions across a wide range of topics.
UPDATE: the test results below are now outdated, due to Zwift modifying their Pack Dynamics. See the latest version of these tests for accurate data.
Our original TTT speed test post from 2020 gave team time trial riders some very welcome guidance about how to most efficiently ride their races. Then in 2021 Zwift rolled out “Pack Dynamics 3.0” and we ran a second test to see what, if anything, had changed in regards to TTT dynamics. (We found speeds hadn’t really changed, it was just harder to hold an efficient single-file formation due to a lack of sticky draft.)
Zwifters have been wondering how riding a TTT with a TT frame differs from riding it with a road frame. Is it just faster, or is the draft savings different? We decided to find out.
Test Goals
This set of follow-up tests set out to answer two questions:
Is the power savings in TTT formations on a TT frame different than it is on a road bike?
Are the different formations (churning or hybrid) more or less efficient on TT frames than they are on road bikes?
Test Parameters and Methodology
All of the test riders were set to 183cm height, 75kg weight, and rode Zwift TT frames with ZIPP 808 wheels.
Tests were done in an isolated event on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit route because it’s the flattest on Zwift, and it has a timed section (Fuego Flats Reverse, 4.4 miles long) which could be used to precisely measure the speeds of each test formation.
The ever-helpful James Bailey at Zwift HQ flipped the switch on our event so our TT bikes would be able to draft each other.
All of the tests were done with four riders.
Tests and Results
Test 1: the Churn
For our first test, we put all riders at the same 300W power setting. This resulted in a churning group of riders where one rider would surge from being in the draft near the back to being in the wind at the front, then dropping back to do it all over again. This “washing machine effect” is what you see at the front of many Zwift races.
All riders @ 300W
Segment time 9:53
Speed: 42.9 kph
Test 2: Single File @300W
The second test had the lead rider holding 300W, with the other three riders in single file behind, holding the minimum wattage possible to stay in formation. This is what you would see in an outdoor team time trial:
The “minimum wattages” stated for riders 2-4 on this test and other tests below should be considered approximations, as it is impossible to figure out the precise wattage required to hold formation due to Zwift’s dynamic physics engine and very small undulations in terrain, even on Fuego Flats.
Riders received power savings of 17%, 25%, and 29% – the same power savings seen in our road bike TTT tests. As expected, the further back you are, the bigger the draft effect.
In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 247W.
Test 2’s segment time was 16 seconds slower than Test 1’s, despite riders holding no higher than 300W in both tests. This may seem odd at first, but it’s a result of the “churn”. Riders are speeding up while in the draft, then shooting ahead into the wind, only to be slowed and have another rider shoot past them. This little speed boost accounts for a significant time difference, as we see here.
It’s worth noting here that we did a solo rider test at 300W steady, because we were curious if there was any advantage to the front rider if there were riders behind. There is not. Our solo rider turned in the same time as this 4-rider group.
Test 3: Single File @350W
This test is similar to Test 2, except we bumped up the front rider’s wattage to 350W to make sure the group would be faster than the churning pack in Test 1.
Riders received power savings of 16%, 23%, and 30% (2nd, 3rd, and 4th rider respectively). Almost identical to the power savings seen in our road bike TTT tests.
In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 290W. This is the crux of why TTT formation is so important: that even with Zwift’s “speed churning” from test 1, the four riders in this test significantly beat test 1’s time by riding efficiently in single file formation at a lower average wattage.
Test 4: Single File @400W
This test was very similar to Tests 2 and 3, we just bumped the front rider up to 400W.
Riders received power savings of 18%, 27%, and 30% (2nd, 3rd, and 4th rider respectively). Almost identical to the power savings seen in our road bike TTT tests.
In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front at these wattages, each rider would average 325W.
Test 5: Hybrid
For our final test we wanted to look at a strategy that many TTT teams use, wherein there is one designated rider in front, and the riders behind simply churn in the front rider’s draft. This reduces the hassle of trying to maintain single-file positioning while receiving some of the benefits. But how does it impact efficiency?
Rider 1 @ 400W, Riders 2, 3, and 4 at @319W steady
Segment time: 9:06
Speed: 46.6 kph
Notes:
In a TTT situation with all riders taking equal pulls on the front, each rider would average 339W. So not as efficient as single-file riding (average wattage is 14W higher than the single file test). But a much easier formation to hold!
Conclusions
Let’s answer the two questions we stated at the top of the page:
Is the power savings in TTT formations on a TT frame different than it is on a road bike?
It is not. Given that there’s a slight margin of error here, we’re confident there is no detectable power savings (or cost) in TTT formations on road bikes vs TT bikes. You’ll just go faster on a TT frame, but your power to chase a rider holding, say, 400W in front will be the same as it was on a road bike.
Are the different formations (churning or hybrid) more or less efficient on TT frames than they are on road bikes?
We don’t think so. Again, the numbers in our TT tests were very close to those in our road tests.
Single File or Hybrid Formation?
Clearly “The Churn” is not a good TTT formation. So what’s better – the single file formation, or the “hybrid” approach?
While the test results above confirm that single file is still the most efficient TTT formation on Zwift (as it is IRL), it’s much more difficult to hold a single file formation compared to the hybrid approach, especially on technical courses with lots of gradient changes and sharp turns.
So the “best” formation for your TTT squad will be the formation they’re able to hold. If you can pull off single file, do it! But if not, go hybrid. Either way, smash it!
