Home Blog Page 25

Prospect Park, Times Square, Power Segments: Zwift Releases New York Map Expansion

Eric Schlange
-
119
Prospect Park, Times Square, Power Segments: Zwift Releases New York Map Expansion

Prospect Park, Times Square, Power Segments: Zwift Releases New York Map Expansion

Today, Zwift released the much-anticipated New York map expansion. With ~30km of new roads, this is Zwift’s largest expansion ever of an existing map, more than doubling New York’s existing ~20km.

Zwift has kept the “future NYC” theme, reimagining how New York City may exist 100 years in the future. But they’ve also included many references to present-day NYC, so native New Yorkers should feel right at home. Read on for a tour of the Big Apple’s new tarmac and surrounding sights…

A Tour of the New Roads

Zwift’s expansion adds ~30km of new roads south of the existing Central Park area. Most of the new surface roads are located in the same places as their real-life counterparts, including 6th Avenue exiting Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza, and Prospect Park.

The subways and Times Square, on the other hand, take plenty of liberties in their layouts. While they are roughly located in the same place as their present-day counterparts, their layouts don’t match what exists today.

Below you’ll find a “clean” version of Zwift’s updated New York map, and a marked-up version showing each of the new sections:

Subway 1

The first of three subway sections as you travel north to south, this subway feels most like a traditional New York station. Its distinctive visual feature is a plethora of advertising billboards, which include cheeky throwbacks to other Zwift maps and features. You’ll see a sign advertising “Fuego Fizz” soda as well as “Fuego Flat”, a Robopacer (dating?) ad, and more.

You’ll also see the first bits of graffiti, including a “jmX” tag you’ll find elsewhere in this expansion. (It’s a nod to Jon Mayfield, original creator of what would become Zwift, who named his software “jmX Trainer Coach”.)

This subway, like the other two, includes Power Segments in both directions. Traveling south, you’ll hit a 5-second Power Segment, while north contains a 20-second segment. These sections of road are one-way, meaning you cannot u-turn.

To exit this and the other two subways, you’ll ride up a steep ramp. Good news, though: there’s a bit of an “escalator” built into the ramp to help you to the top! Here’s what it looks like:

Escalator photo taken from the third subway, in Brooklyn

Times Square

The Times Square section is a 3.5km glass road circuit with a leaderboard that awards an orange jersey to the current fastest man and woman on course, in both directions. There are also new start pens located on this circuit.

Times Square Circuit Strava Segment >
Times Square Circuit Reverse Strava Segment >

While the idea of more glass roads in New York may strike fear in the heart of non-climbers like myself, in talking to Tony Yruegas, Zwift’s Game Art Director, he explained that they pulled a bit of a visual trick in this section by sinking the ground-level roads so the glass roads could appear elevated without much climbing being needed to reach them. “Overmuscled” cyclists everywhere salute you, Tony and team!

While this section doesn’t have many distinctive visual features beyond the glass roads, Tony tells me it will be the site of future celebrations (parades, confetti, etc.), including a possible NY-style Ball Drop on New Year’s.

Subway 2 (City Hall Station)

Continuing south, we descend into the second subway section, which is a throwback to New York’s City Hall station. This station opened in 1904, but has been closed since 1945, although you can still tour it today. It features distinctive brick archways, which Zwift has replicated in game:

This section includes 10-second Power Segments in both directions:

Manhattan Bridge

Traveling north to south, the first bridge you’ll encounter is the Manhattan Bridge. For non-NYC natives, the Manhattan Bridge is easily distinguished from the Brooklyn Bridge by its ironwork towers and grey steel girders. (The Brooklyn Bridge, in contrast, has stone/concrete towers and horizontal iron beams which block the skyline views.) The Manhattan Bridge also includes a huge stone archway at the entrance to the Manhattan side:

Looking for your best skyline view from a bridge? It’s found on Manhattan Bridge, heading toward Manhattan.

Manhattan Bridge has 250-meter sprint segments in both directions. Both sprints are slightly uphill, since the bridge arches a bit:

A large stone arch marks the bridge’s exit on the Manhattan side, while a corkscrew road is the exit on the Brooklyn side.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge includes a KOM section (Brooklyn Bridge KOM, 2km, 1.7%) which runs in only one direction, from the Manhattan side to the center of the bridge. It’s an interesting KOM, too, because it actually begins with a descent! (So don’t let that 1.7% number fool you, as this is really more like 1.5km at 3.6%.)

Subway 3 (Brooklyn)

Almost to Prospect Park! After crossing the East River via the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridges, you’ll descend into the third and final subway section. This is the only one located on the Brooklyn side.

This subway is the “greenest” of the three, with more open skylights and windows to let the sun shine on the trees and plants in the station. This is also the most graffiti-heavy of the three stations, especially as you exit out the Prospect Park side.

The Brooklyn subway includes two Power Segments. Traveling southeast toward Prospect Park you’ll hit a 20-second Power Segment, while northwest includes a 5-second segment.

Prospect Park

Exiting the subway, you’ll travel south down Flatbush Avenue (which is actually a climb), arriving at a ring road that takes you around Grand Army Plaza to the entrance of Prospect Park.

Grand Army Plaza
The Bandstand
The Peristyle Sprint

This park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux 8 years after they collaborated to design Central Park. Zwift’s layout matches the IRL park roads, including a 5.5km loop and a central road (aptly named Center Drive) that offers a shortcut to the other side.

Prospect Park includes 2 sprint banners and one KOM:

As you make your way around the circuit counterclockwise, you’ll notice various sites: the lap banner, which comes just after the new Prospect Park start pens. The Bandshell, which has received significant upgrades in Zwift’s reimagining. The Peristyle, which hosts the banner for a sprint that runs in both directions. And the Prospect Park Zoo, here much more visible than the real-life zoo, which is hidden behind a high gate!

Lots of dogs, with their humans
Lap banner
KOM banner

There are lots of nods to real-life Prospect Park layouts and features, too. The Peristyle Sprint is where the original sprint finish of Prospect Park’s IRL bike races was located. You’ll see lots of people chasing their dogs in the northwest portion, because dogs can be walked off-leash before 7am IRL. And you’ll pass Prospect Park Lake and the ballfields, whose real versions I saw when riding through the park with Jon Mayfield a few weeks ago.

Detailed List of New Routes

Here’s a complete list of the new routes Zwift released today, including short descriptions from me:

  • Avon Flyer (5.1km, 30m)*: named for Greg Avon, level 100 Zwifter and Prospect Park race organizer, this simple loop takes in the southern half of Prospect Park.
  • Double Parked (42.2km, 330m): begin with an almost complete lap of Prospect Park, then head all the way up to do a lap of Central Park before coming back down to finish that Prospect Park lap.
  • Double Span Spin (12.6km, 120m): a CCW circuit of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.
  • Fuhgeddaboudit (79km, 838m): the new longest route in NYC, this doozy covers all the roads on the map, including some in both directions!
  • Green to Screen (28.4km, 207m): perhaps the best route for seeing most of NYC’s new roads within an hourlong ride, as it covers nearly every bit of new tarmac from Times Square south.
  • Issendorf Express (7.3km, 53m): named for Charlie Issendorf (NYC racer, Prospect Park race organizer, and former head of events at Zwift), this route is a figure 8 of Prospect Park and Center Drive.
  • Prospect Park Loop (5.5km, 37m)*: a good place to chase the orange jersey, this is a simple CCW loop of the Prospect Park circuit.
  • Spinfinity (19.3km, 155m): start and finish in Times Square, with a jaunt down to ride across the two bridges.
  • Spinfinity Ultra (35km, 291m): almost like two laps of Spinfinity, except you cross the bridges in a different direction on the second lap.
  • Stay Puft Pursuit (31.2km, 416m) event-only until November 3: starting in Times Square and traveling south to turn around at the bridges, this is the only route in the expansion that takes on the NY KOM in Central Park, both ways.
  • The Double Borough (17.9km, 147m) event-only until November 3: starts in Central Park and travels directly south, turning around by way of the Manhattan Bridge after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.
  • The Greenway (36.8km, 292m): ride the northern half of Prospect Park, then up to the two bridges. Then do it again, hitting the bridges in the other direction this time.
  • Toefield Tornado (10.3km, 53m)*: named for legendary Prospect Park race organizer Al Toefield, this route matches Issendorf Express, apart from three cheeky loops of Grand Army Plaza thrown in near the end.
  • Watts the Limit (31km, 219m): an out-and-back course that begins in Central Park and travels south to loop around Grand Army Plaza and return by the same roads.

* While all 14 routes listed have achievement badges and accompanying bonus XP for riders, only those marked with * have an achievement badge for runners.

How To Experience the New Routes Today

Want to ride the NY expansion today? Here’s how…

Group Rides and Races

The first events held on these new routes today will be Zwift Unlocked stage 4, which features The Greenway as its long ride, Spinfinity as the short ride and race, and Prospect Park Loop as the run.

But starting today, Club events and Meetups can be scheduled on any of the routes listed above, using the Companion app. So you’ll start seeing events popping up on the expansion roads this week, including Zwift Insider’s 100km Pizza Burner and Tiny Races!

Free Rides and Workouts

New York is one of the guest calendars through the end of Zwift Unlocked (November 17), so from your home screen you can just click “Routes”, select New York, then choose the route you want to ride. Easy!

Prospect Park entrance, with Grandy Army Plaza in the background

New Feature: Power Segments

“Power Segments” are a new feature rolling out in this expansion, only available on these fresh New York roads. (Zwift has told me that, if feedback is positive, Power Segments will make their way to other roads throughout the game.)

The big idea behind power segments is to compete (against yourself and/or others) based on power instead of time. Whereas all the game’s sprint, KOM, and lap leaderboards are based on who finished a certain segment the fastest, Power Segments are sorted by who had the highest average power across the segment.

Each segment is a particular length of time: 5, 10, or 20 seconds. For best results, have you power high when you cross the start line, then hold the highest power you can all the way to the finish.

Leaderboards are sorted by pure wattage (not w/kg), and the game shows your personal leaderboard before showing how you rank against others, since this is (mostly) a feature where you’re competing against yourself.

There is also a leader’s jersey, just like with timed segments! Here’s what it looks like:

Upcoming Routes Releases

Zwift says, “Over the coming months, an additional five routes will be unlocked, allowing Zwifters to explore more.” I don’t have any further details on these new routes at this time.

I’ll wrap up with a gallery of images Zwift sent over, since these are the only shots available that show multiple riders, giving us a better feel for what things will look like when it all goes live:

The one image still missing? The Statue of Liberty. Or should I say… the Scottie of Liberty. Yup. They did it!

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Zwift Extends Partnership with Tour de France Femmes Through 2029

Eric Schlange
-
3
Zwift Extends Partnership with Tour de France Femmes Through 2029

Zwift Extends Partnership with Tour de France Femmes Through 2029

This week, as the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2026 route was presented, Zwift announced a 3-year extension of their TdFFaZ presenting partnership with Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.). Read yesterday’s press release below…

Zwift, the global online fitness platform for cyclists, is today proud to announce the extension of its sponsorship of  Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, continuing as Presenting Partner until at least 2029. The deal marks a continuation of a long-term partnership with A.S.O. that saw the introduction of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to the UCI calendar in 2022.

“This is much more than a sponsorship for Zwift, it’s a part of our identity, underpinned by our mission to make more people, more active, more often.” Says Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder of Zwift. “Growing women’s participation in cycling is a critical mission. We truly believe that to be successful, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is essential. The first four years of this partnership have been incredible. The excitement is tangible and the impact is clear. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve over the next four years and beyond.”

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was born from a shared vision between Zwift and A.S.O. to elevate women’s cycling to the global stage it deserves. The partnership began with the Virtual Tour de France in 2020, launched during the pandemic with equal fields for both men and women, to keep racing alive and connect fans around the world. The success of this event cemented the co-determination to bring back a Tour de France for women. That vision became reality with the launch of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a milestone moment that continues to inspire, engage, and grow the sport globally.

“The Tour de France has always been the most famous race in cycling and it has been fantastic to have it added to the calendar for the women’s peloton,” says Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto rider and 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner. “Winning the iconic yellow jersey has been the highlight of my career and it is so exciting that the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will continue to be the biggest race on the calendar and show off the excitement of women’s cycling to people around the world.”

Central to Zwift’s mission to grow women’s cycling is the Watch The Femmes campaign. Over four years, the call to action has evolved into a movement, inviting everyone who supports women’s cycling, from media and industry partners to brands and fans, to unite around a shared goal: growing the sport and ensuring women’s cycling receives the visibility and recognition it needs to continue thriving. The impact of this united effort is clear in the rising visibility and audience engagement around women’s cycling. There is no race on the women’s calendar that has helped bring more attention to the sport. 2025 brought an average audience of 2.7 million viewers per stage, in France alone, with the coverage accounting for a 31.6% audience share. The final stage with Pauline Ferrand-Prevot storming to victory brought a peak audience of 7.7 million. Since the introduction of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2022, Zwift has also seen an increase in the number of women joining the platform. Currently, 23% of new subscribers are women – a notable increase since the first edition of the race in 2022, where women accounted for 18% of new subscribers.

“The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift continues to break records and exceed even our own expectations,” says Marion Rousse, Director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. “It’s a pleasure to work alongside a partner that helps amplify the race and women’s professional cycling in the way that Zwift does. We’ve achieved a lot already and I’m excited that we can continue this journey together.”

For more information on the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, head to www.letourfemmes.fr/en

More information on Zwift’s Watch The Femmes, head to https://www.zwift.com/watchthefemmes 

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 25-26

Eric Schlange
-
1
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of October 25-26

This weekend’s notable events are headlined by Zwift’s Fondo Series, but we’ve also got a popular community race series kicking off, a unique women’s team chase event, a massive charity ride, and more. See details below!

Note: European clocks change on Sunday, so some of the times for Sunday events below may shift by an hour depending on where you’re located!

🤝 zFondo Series on Medio Fondo

✅ Bonus XP 　✅ Popular 　✅ Endurance Challenge 　✅ Jersey Unlock

This is the second weekend of Zwift’s popular monthly Fondo Series, and we’re already seeing lots of riders signing up for these long “fun races.”

Read all about the Zwift Fondo Series >

We’ll be on the Medio Fondo route (73km, 1005m).

Multiple timeslots this weekend
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/zfondos

🤝BMTR Cares Rides 500 KM – Pedaling for a Purpose!

Top-down view of three cyclists in matching black BMTR jerseys riding on a road, with the BMTR logo featuring a bear on the left side of the image.

✅ Good Cause 　✅ Endurance Challenge

On the heels of last week‘s 24-hour charity ride, BMTR is holding their annual Breast Cancer Awareness 500km event! There are four events set up which you can choose from if you aren’t able to ride the full 500km, or join all four and stick around afterward to finish the full 500km.

In all four events, the yellow beacon will ride at a C category pace, averaging 2.4-2.8 w/kg. However, BMTR encourages riders to form groups that work for your pace.

This event benefits Metavivor, whose mission to offer hope for those with metastatic breast cancer. Donate here >

First ride is Saturday, October 25 at 6:10am UTC/2:10am ET/Friday 11:10pm PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/bmtrcares

🥇LEVEL Racing – Ladies Chase Race – Muckle Yin

✅ Ladies Only 　✅ Popular 　✅ Unique Event

This interesting women-only event is a chase race… with a twist! This is truly a team chase race designed to encourage all riders in each category to work together to the end, because the final time for each rider is taken from the 4th rider in your category who crosses the line. (So your solo breakaway off the front isn’t going to help… you’ve got to work together!)

The race is on Scotland’s The Muckle Yin (23.7km, 282m) and groups are based on Zwift Racing Score.

Saturday, October 25 @ 3pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5110250

🥇 HERD Winter Racing Series Begins

Four cyclists in matching blue and green outfits ride in formation on a green gradient background, with the words THE HERD in bold white text on the left side.

✅ Popular Series 　✅ Mass Start 　✅ Long-Running Event

The popular HERD Winter Racing Series kicks off this weekend! This is a 20-week series of weekend mass-start races. The series has a mix of flat, rolling, short climb, and even some long climb courses, so there’s something for everyone. It also visits all Zwift worlds.

A GC on ZwiftPower tracks series results, with your best 16 finishes counting (so you can miss a race or four if needed). This week’s race is on France’s Gentil 8 (25.8km, 258m).

7 timeslots each weekend
See upcoming events at zwift.com/events/tag/herdhwr

🤝MGCC Bagel

✅ Endurance Challenge 　

This popular group ride from Morning Glory Cycling Club returns this weekend after a summer break. The club describes this as “not an easy ride, but a friendly don’t get dropped type of ride.” A Discord channel for voice chat is available, which always helps pass the time on longer group rides.

Pacing notes: warm up ~2.0 for 7 minutes. The rest of the ride will be at around 2.3-2.5w/kg, and the hills will be max at 3.2w/kg. There’s also a finishing sprint!

This week’s event is held on Watopia’s Big Foot Hills (69.9km, 714m).

Saturday, October 25 @ 10:50am UTC/6:50am ET/3:50am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/5156745

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!

Zwift Teases New York Map Expansion via Companion App

Eric Schlange
-
32
Zwift Teases New York Map Expansion via Companion App

Zwift Teases New York Map Expansion via Companion App

Yesterday, Zwift added a set of new New York City routes to the Companion app’s route browser. The new routes are marked as “event only” and include route length, total elevation, and a list of included leaderboard segments. The routes also include maps showing the new roads… here are a few examples:

New Routes

Here’s a complete list of the routes that showed up in Companion yesterday. (Click a route for details, which are pretty sparse right now. We’ll be filling in these route pages next week after we’re able to ride the routes, take cool photos, launch Strava segments, etc.)

New Sprint, KOM, and Other Segments

Since the Companion app lists which leaderboard segments are included in each route, we can figure out the names of new segments being added to the NYC map. (Again, click for details, which are currently sparse and will be filled in next week.)

There are also new lap segments for “Prospect Park Lap” and “Times Square Circuit” which will probably award orange jerseys like other in-game lap segments.

This expansion includes a new feature called “Power Segments” which are time-based (5 seconds, 20 seconds, etc) instead of distance-based like current sprint and KOM segments throughout the game. The leaderboards, in turn, rank results based on power output, not finishing time. I don’t see any mention of Power Segments in Companion, but it seems sensible that we would eventually be able to browse our power KOMs on these segments.

Cyclists ride through a neon-lit tunnel in a virtual cycling game. On-screen stats show speed, distance, climb, elapsed time, current power output, and records, with vibrant purple lighting and outdoor scenery visible.

When can we ride the new roads?

Some of the routes (The Greenway, Spinfinity, and Prospect Park Loop Run) added to Companion yesterday will be released on Monday, October 27, as they are the routes used in next week’s stage 4 of Zwift Unlocked.

Additional NYC routes will be featured for the final Unlocked stage the following week: Stay Puft Pursuit, The Double Borough, and Times Square Circuit Run.

It’s unclear when the other routes on the list will be available for free rides, club events, Meetups, etc. I’m guessing some or all of them will be available for free riding beginning this Monday, but we won’t know for sure until then.

Your Thoughts

This is the first time Zwift has “teased” an expansion via the Companion app. Are you looking forward to new roads next week? Share your thoughts below…

Pondering the Possibilities: Points Racing on Zwift

Eric Schlange
-
22
Pondering the Possibilities: Points Racing on Zwift

Pondering the Possibilities: Points Racing on Zwift

Today, we’ll focus on a race format that is already used on Zwift and also seen regularly in outdoor competition. Let’s dive in!

Points Race Basics

In very generic terms, points races are events where riders earn points based on their ranked performance against other riders. Instead of the winner being determined by who crosses the finish line first (a classic scratch race) or who survives the longest (an elimination race), you win by amassing more points than everyone else.

This opens up a world of possibilities for race organizers and racers:

  • Organizers can designate which “segments” they’d like riders to compete on, decide what sort of competition is being held (typically first across the line and/or fastest through segment), and decide how to allocate points to the finishers.
  • Racers must then strategize how to maximize points based on the race’s setup, their individual abilities, and competing riders.

The Now and Not Yet

Unlike some of the race concepts I’ve written about in this series, such as elimination and relay races, points races are already happening on Zwift. In fact, they are arguably some of the most popular races on the platform, showing up in Zwift Racing League, the Tiny Races, and other community-organized leagues!

But the current state of points racing on Zwift is best described as shoehorned into the platform. Nothing in the HUD or course design elements indicates that a particular section is a points segment, or how those points work. And instead of being natively supported and displayed in game, points are tabulated and displayed on third-party websites like ZwiftPower or WTRL.racing. You don’t see points in real time on Zwift’s HUD as you race. You only see them after the entire race is over, and then only if you know where to look.

This, of course, hampers riders’ ability to race strategically. Without native points support, it’s hard to know when to push and when to conserve, to know how well you’re doing, and to identify who your real competitors are.

Points Racing Possibilities on Zwift

What would it look like to upgrade the current Zwift Points Racing experience? From the riders’ point of view, upgrades fall broadly into two categories:

  1. Real-Time HUD: the first and most obvious experience upgrade would be a HUD that shows race points in an intuitive, useful, and immediate way as each unique race unfolds.
  2. Custom Segments: the second, less obvious experience upgrade would happen when race organizers have the ability to designate custom start and end points for points segments. Can you imagine the variety of courses and strategies that would unfold as a result? I don’t think anyone can! And that’s the fun of it.

With a real-time HUD in place and custom segments at organizers’ fingertips, points race possibilities become endless. Of course, you could do “standard” points races like we see in ZRL today, where riders compete for FAL (first across the line) and FTS (fastest through segment) on sprint and KOM segments. The real-time HUD would just take those races to the next level, especially if team functionality is also supported. You could also level up simple events like the Tiny Races, assuming Zwift builds a structure so multiple events can be scored.

But beyond upgrading existing races, the ability to designate custom points segments on any route would lead to a wide variety of new race experiences. Maybe it’s a new timed climb where no in-game KOM has ever existed, or a downhill sprint where we’ve never seen an arch before. Maybe it’s an extra-long segment that allows more strategic riding to unfold compared to the typical “sprint the segment” approach.

Perhaps some segments are FAL, while others are FTS. And perhaps the points awarded vary in such a way as to cause riders to truly think strategically about the best approach on the given course.

As you can see, the possibilities are virtually endless.

Fun For All

How can points racing on Zwift be made more fun for everyone? This is an important question to answer when it comes to any ride format in Zwift, because Zwift needs to remain an inclusive platform where everyone can find motivation and fun, regardless of fitness level.

There are two aspects of points racing which support Zwift’s inclusive ethos: segment variety and strategic complexity.

With a variety of segments possible in points races, organizers can ensure their event (or series of events) is a balanced competition that attracts all types of riders. Mixing up flat/downhill segments with climbs would make the race attractive to lighter riders with strong w/kg as well as heavier riders with strong pure watts. Longer and shorter segments could also be used to appeal to riders with strong short-term power as well as those whose strength lies in the longer efforts.

Organizers could make their points races as strategically complex as they’d like. A higher level of strategic complexity may prove extra attractive to “thinking racers” who can use their mental acuity to get a leg up on the competition.

Why Points Races?

Upgrading the Points Race experience on Zwift is important for several reasons:

  • A fresh approach: given the right tools, creative organizers could create a variety of points racing experiences never before seen on Zwift
  • Improving popular existing races: as mentioned above, some of the biggest races on the platform today are points races. Making improvements to support points races natively would level up these events.
  • Uniquely indoor: while points racing already happens outdoors, indoor training platforms can improve on that experience with intuitive HUDs and in-game elements, so riders are better informed and thus able to race more strategically.
  • The competition is already doing it: both MyWhoosh and TrainingPeaks Virtual already support points racing natively, as shown from these livestream grabs:

Required Game Changes

What would Zwift need to implement in order to make points races work well as a native race format? With the disclaimer that I’m not a game developer or platform engineer, here are a few things I can think of:

Must Haves

  • Points HUD: races would have to display a real-time points tracker in the HUD.
  • Segment Visibility: it must be crystal-clear which segments in the race are being contested for points. Right now, this sort of information is (at best) buried in the event description text.
  • Results Screens: the standard race results screens in game, Companion, and at Zwift.com would need to be modified to rank results by points and display those points clearly.
  • Segment Designator: even if Zwift doesn’t let organizers define custom points segments, they’ll need to let them define which segments on a given course are assigned which points and based on which results (FTS and/or FAL).

Possible Extras

  • Team Builder UI: I’ve called this out in some other race format posts, but if points races are going to be contested by teams, ideally Zwift would build the menus and functionality to create teams so points can be tabulated on a team-by-team basis during and after a race.
  • Cross-Event Tracking: many points races are actually a series of events. Being able to view series points in the HUD, and not just points from the current event, would enhance competition and lead to more creative race series.
  • Custom Segment Creator: if Zwift wants to let organizers get truly creative and define their own points segments on course, they’ll need to create the tools to do so. A simple point-and-click web-based interface similar to ZwiftMap.com is exactly what race organizers like myself would love to see!

Your Thoughts

What did you think – should the points race experience be upgraded on Zwift? Did I miss any great ideas above? Share your thoughts below!

Tiny Race Series – October 25 Routes – Danny’s Crit Week

Eric Schlange
-
0
Tiny Race Series – October 25 Routes – Danny’s Crit Week

Tiny Race Series – October 25 Routes – Danny’s Crit Week

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

Zwift Fondo This Weekend

Eric Schlange
-
22
Zwift Fondo This Weekend

Zwift Fondo This Weekend

Zwift’s big fondo events are a popular tradition where thousands of riders push themselves to finish long weekend rides. This season’s second set of fondo events happens this weekend, and finishers unlock the vintage February 2022 Fondo kit along with an XP bonus. Read on for details!

See Upcoming Zwift Fondos and Sign Up

Route Details

This month’s fondo is on Watopia’s Medio Fondo route, which takes riders up the Hilly KOM Reverse and Volcano KOM and finishes on the Epic KOM. In between, you’ll ride the Jungle Circuit Reverse and various roads around Watopia proper.

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

XP Bonus + Kit Unlock

Instead of releasing another set of fondo kits this season, Zwift is awarding different legacy Zwift Fondo kits each month. October’s legacy kit was originally used for the ZFondo series in February 2022:

Additionally, this year Zwift is giving a 1000 XP bonus the first time you complete each month’s fondo event.

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!

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)

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift Stories, First Races, and Zwift Setups

Oli Chi
-
3
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Zwift Stories, First Races, and Zwift Setups

For some, Zwift is just a tool for training during the long winter months. But for others, it’s a lot more than that! Watch one rider share how Zwift has propelled his wellness and fitness journey.

We’re also featuring videos about first Zwift races, getting started on Zwift, setups of pro triathletes, and racing in Zwift Unlocked.

How Zwift Changed My Life: 236 to 180 lbs Transformation

In this video by John at Casual Creations, he discusses how Zwift has changed the course of his life.

My First Zwift Race Was Pure Pain

Liam Shaw is on a mission to move up the racing score categories on Zwift. Hear from him as he talks through his experience as a category E Zwift racer.

How to Prepare for Your First Zwift Ride!

New to Zwift? Chad Rides shares a step-by-step guide to getting you going.

Home Training Setup Tour – What It Takes to Train Like a Pro Triathlete

Looking to upgrade your home training setup? Professional triathlete Megan Mcdonald shares tips and tricks for enhancing your indoor setup.

Fastest Pen in Zwift Unlocked – Can I Hang On? | Stage 2 | Electric Break (Makuri Islands)

Watch as Manuel Essl tackles one of the fastest heats of Stage 2 of Zwift Unlocked. Can he hold on until the finish?

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

Zwift Update Version 1.100 (153811) Released

Eric Schlange
-
34
Zwift Update Version 1.100 (153811) Released

Zwift version 1.100 begins its phased rollout today. Some Zwifters were wondering if v100 was going to include something big and cool, and it does. Well, sort of. There are new NYC roads (which you can’t ride quite yet) but also a serendipitous Streak count and 13 event-only routes that are now free rideable! Read on for details…

New New York Roads Incoming

This latest Zwift update includes what should be the final version of Zwift’s New York map expansion, which we wrote about in TSOZ Closer Look: New York Expansion and Power Segments. This includes 31km of new pavement, which is a big expansion by Zwift standards!

We’ve seen an early release of the new roads, and while we can’t share details of all the new routes just yet (that comes on Monday, October 27) we can share the basics (length and elevation) of the new routes which will be used for Zwift Unlocked:

Stage 4, October 27-November 3

  • Long Ride – The Greenway (1 lap: 36.8km, 292m)
  • Short Ride and Race – Spinfinity (1 lap: 19.5km, 155m)
  • Run – Prospect Park Loop Run (1 lap: 5.5km, 37m)

Stage 5, November 3-10

  • Long Ride – Stay Puft Pursuit (1 lap: 31.4km, 409m)
  • Short Ride and Race – The Double Borough (1 lap: 17.9km, 144m)
  • Run – Times Square Circuit Run (2 laps: 7.2km, 40m)

Watch this space for route details next week!

Week Streak #100

In a (frankly amazing) bit of serendipitous synchronicity, some Zwifters will be extending their Week Streak to 100 this week, as Zwift hits version 1.100.

The vast majority of riders who have kept their streak going since Week Streaks were released will hit 100 next week. But a small number of riders received the game update supporting Streaks a few days before the rest, leading to this odd situation.

Routes Available for Free Riding

The following 10 routes, originally released as event-only, are now available for free riding/running:

These run-only routes are also now available:

If you haven’t earned these route badges yet, the unearned badges are now visible on your Achievements page.

Want to organize events on these routes? They aren’t available in Companion quite yet for that purpose, but ZHQ says, “They will be available for club rides later this week, after the release is available to 100% of Zwifters. Should be by Friday given no unexpected issues.”

Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

  • We’ve improved the route preview shown below the mini-map when Zwifters ride off-route: The route preview now shows the next 3 km / 1.86 mi of roadway so you have a better idea of what’s ahead of you, and if you turn at an intersection, the route preview will update accordingly. The name of the next intersection is also now displayed, along with the distance to it.
  • Improved device connection reliability when using Zwift Companion as a bridge.
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent JetBlack Smart Turn Block devices from being discovered in the Pairing screen.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause WiFi-connected fitness devices to be visible in the Pairing screen after being powered off.
  • Fixed an issue that could cause the device signal strength indicator to not be visible in the Pairing screen.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Challenges row in the Home Screen to require two button presses to navigate horizontally.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when starting a workout when using devices with less than 2 GB RAM.
  • iOS: Fixed a crash that could potentially occur when navigating to the iOS home screen while Zwift is active.

Discuss this update in Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

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

“FTP Check” Challenge Launched

Eric Schlange
-
21
“FTP Check” Challenge Launched

“FTP Check” Challenge Launched

Today, Zwift launched a new “FTP Check” mini-challenge, with the goal of encouraging Zwifters to test their FTP in a uniquely Zwifty way so training metrics are accurate as we head into indoor season.

Challenge Requirements

The Challenge has two parts, which are meant to be completed in the same session:

  1. Ride the Ultimate Warmup
  2. Complete the Oh Hill No route, going full gas on The Grade KOM as an FTP test.

About “The Grade”

While Zwift now looks at all activities and will alert you to an FTP increase if it detects on, The Grade KOM is particularly designed as an FTP test. When you finish the KOM segment, the game looks at your average power on the segment, as well as your segment time, then computes an FTP estimate, displaying it on the sign as you ride through the KOM arch:

Read my review of riding “The Grade” FTP test >

If you’ve never ridden The Grade before, it’s helpful to have an estimate of how long it will take so you can pace yourself accordingly. Here are segment times from our bot tests with a 75kg, 183cm rider on the Tron bike at various power levels:

  • 150W (2 W/kg): 27:46
  • 225W (3 W/kg): 18:47
  • 300W (4 W/kg): 14:22
  • 375W (5 W/kg): 11:44
  • 450W (6 W/kg): 10:04

Challenge Rewards

Your reward for completing both parts of the challenge is 500 bonus XP, so you can level up faster.

Read more about Zwift levels and unlocks >

Joining the Challenge

To join the Challenge, just click its card on the home screen. If you return to the home screen after doing this, you’ll see the card now shows your progress. If it’s showing your progress (0/2, 1/2, 2/2) you know you’re signed up!

Not signed up
Signed up!

Deadline

This challenge is live from October 20-December 31. (We recommend finishing before the final day, though, as the Challenges sometimes end at an unexpected time on the last day.)

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

1...242526...524Page 25 of 524