Zwift Insider Founder Eric Schlange Featured on VeloNews Podcast
This week I had the pleasure of sitting down virtually with Ben Delaney of VeloNews for an interview on all things Zwift. Ben races with the Stages team, competing against my DIRT Roosters squad in the weekly Zwift Racing League (Division B3 of the EMEA W zone). We chatted just an hour after our ZRL race (in which Ben performed very well, grabbing lots of intermediate points and finishing in 3rd).
The fourth points race of Zwift Racing League 2021/22 Season 1 happens Tuesday, October 26th (Monday the 25th for Premier Division racers). This week is another one for the sprinters, but they won’t have an easy time of it if the punchy climbers ride smart.
The race takes place on Watopia’s Two Bridges Loop route, which has never been raced before in ZRL. There’s only one intermediate, and it’s a short sprint with a downhill lead-in. The question is: who will get to that sprint first on the later laps?
Let’s dig into the course, including tips for bike choice, strategic options, and the crucial pinch point where riders will get dropped each and every lap.
One lap of this route is 7.1km (4.4 miles) long, with 73m (240′) of climbing. A/B categories will race six full laps (42.6km plus a short lead-in from the pens), making it a decently long effort. On the other side, C/D will only be racing 3 laps (21.3km). We’re not sure why C/D are doing such a short race, but it should make for some all-out efforts!
The race begins in downtown Watopia, riding in the reverse direction which takes us through the start/finish banner and up the short rise to The Esses. We’ll twist our way through these curves, hit the last short kicker, then descend to the Watopia Sprint Reverse.
This is a short sprint (~10 seconds) with a downhill lead-in so speeds will be high and the aero powerup especially advantageous.
Strategically, this is a crucial part of the race since the sprint is awarding FAL points to the first 10 across the line on each lap, as well as FTS points to the 10 fastest through the segment for the overall race. This is the only intermediate on course, so make your choices wisely!
After the sprint we go through the cobbles of the Italian Village, then climb a few rollers past the waterfall. Most riders won’t be pushing the pace here, but sprinters who get away off the front on the intermediate may want to do so if attempting a long breakaway, perhaps on the final lap.
Soon enough we’ll arrive at the most crucial pinch point of the race course: a short climb up the start of Watopia’s KOM Reverse. The climb is ~700 meters long, averaging 4% gradient but pitching up to 11% at its steepest as it bends through the giant statues.
This short climb is what makes this an attritional race because the w/kg workhorses will be putting in big digs to string out the pack and drop the pure wattage sprinters. If they’re successful in breaking up the pack, the front group will be able to grab those crucial FAL points and be better-positioned across the finish line.
Once you turn left atop the short climb it’s a shallow descent on the connecting road, then a steeper, supertuckable descent down the backside of the KOM. Speeds will stay high at the bottom of the descent proper as the road is still tilted slightly downhill. Then the road flattens out for the final ~350 meters to the start/finish line.
Riders will be awarded powerups through each segment banner, meaning we’ll get 2 powerup chances per lap for a total of 12 powerups for A/B and 6 for C/D. Three powerups will be randomly given out at each banner:
Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats, descents, finishes), and to get your best time on sprint segments. Especially handy when no draft is available, such as during attacks. But still quite useful when drafting.
Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing by 50% for 30 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) Very handy to increase recovery on the flats, or boost your sprint speed when chasing FTS points through a sprinting pack.
Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 15 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. This will be handy on the pinch point of each lap, or on the kicker before the descent to the sprint.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
Cervelo + DT Swiss Disc
With a fast, flat finish and so many intermediate points waiting behind a fast, flat sprint, going with your most aero setup possible is probably the wisest choice here. That’s the Cervelo S5 2020 + DT Swiss Disc if you’re at level 42+. If you’re not there, see our handy “Fastest Frames and Wheels By Zwift Level” page.
If you want to give yourself just a bit of an edge on the crucial climb, or if you don’t have access to a disc wheelset, go with the Tron bike as it’s the fastest ride you’ve got access to.
Zwift’s vibrant race community continues to up its game when it comes to course knowledge and recon videos. Here are our two favorite recon videos this week:
Sherpa Dave
Si Bradeley
Strategic Options
This week’s race is one of the longest of the season for A/B categories, and we’ll be seeing riders dropped on each and every lap. Here are a few predictions of strategies we’ll see deployed:
Climbers attacking climbs: the only chance climbers will have to win this race will be if they drop the sprinters on the key climb section. Look for climbers/puncheurs to put in big digs on every lap.
Sprinters chasing intermediates: sprinters will be going all-in for those intermediate sprint points, especially that crucial FTS on the first lap when the pack is largest.
Sprinters grouping up: some sprinters will get dropped, but their race isn’t over. They may still be able to grab FTS points if they’re riding with a fast enough group and have an aero powerup. Attempting a solo sprint probably won’t win you any points, but grouping up may do the trick!
Long finish: the final go at the key climb will see some riders who don’t fancy their chances in a pack sprint pushing hard to drop others in their group so they can solo to glory. Be ready for a long final effort on the final ~2.4km of the race, and hold onto a useful powerup if you can!
Watch the Premier Division Race
Zwift’s top racers will take on 6 laps of Two Bridges Loop on Monday at 11am PST.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on Week 5’s big race? Share below!
Simon, Shane, and Nathan discuss the big new idea from Zwift… This Season on Zwift offers Zwifters a taster of what’s coming up in the coming weeks and months. This is a big change of direction from HQ, which has previously kept future plans close to its chest.
The Zwiftcasters discuss the upcoming new features and analyse the implications of what’s a big decision for Zwift in how it relates to its community.
Game creator Jon Mayfield has given a rare interview to a Cycling Tips podcast and as always, when Jon talks, it’s worth listening. Simon, Shane, and Nathan pick over Jon’s thoughts on his new role at the company and his thoughts on innovation in indoor cycling.
The Zwiftcasters discuss possible new moves from putative rivals this winter before moving on to discuss Zwift’s burgeoning relations with the UCI and ASO and how those manifest as the big new sponsorship of, and revival of, the women’s Tour de France plus the staging of the official e-World Champs to be run on Zwift next February.
A ride for charity, a race up a mountain, and two long group rides. It’s your usual weekend of fun on Zwift!
Dempsey Challenge 2021: Patrick Dempsey Group Ride
The headline event of the weekend is the Dempsey Challenge ride – see Zwift Insider’s post detailing the event. The Dempsey Challenge is an annual run, walk and cycle fundraiser for the Dempsey Center, which makes life better for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
The target for the Zwift community is to collectively ride/run 50,000 miles (80,000km) over the event weekend. If we achieve this, we will unlock a $50,000 donation to the charity.
There is one main event here which is the chance to ride with Patrick himself. Additional Dempsey Challenge rides and runs happen throughout the weekend (see full list here). Complete any of these events to unlock the Dempsey Challenge kit.
Saturday, October 23 @8pm CEST/7pm BST/2pm EDT/11am PDT First event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2350941
WKG Crampeur
Ven Top. The only climb I fear on Zwift. It’s just so long, and as a result I have only raced it once before to completion and that was in the Tour de France rides last year. That is until last weekend when I took part in the Zwift Team Greece Climbing TT race, where the climb certainly wasn’t as bad as the previous year.
So I fancy another go, and this race already has a strong turnout of riders, so it’s going to be exciting. I wonder if anyone will break the hour for the climb? My attempt last week left me 39 seconds short and unable to walk the next day!
Any event that comes with a warning needs to be mentioned, at least once! This caught my eye for 2 reasons: firstly, 200km in the event name and secondly, when I clicked into the event, its opening sentence was: “WARNING: This Ride is a Smashfest!”
I haven’t seen too many rides with a “Warning” attached. Not surprisingly, only 10 people had signed up at the time of writing, but hopefully a few more will join up if they read this.
Something I noticed was that in the event title it said 200km but when you look at the details in the Companion app, the event distance says 199km. I never thought of it until now, but I wonder if Zwift has a limit on how far a group ride can go, and maybe that limit is set to 199km? If anyone knows, please be sure to comment below.
Sunday, October 24 @ 6am CEST/5am BST/12am EDT/9pm Saturday PDT Event details and signup at zwift.com/events/view/2358271
LEQP Provence Badge Hunter Series
I have not mentioned our friends in the LEQP Provence Badge Hunter Series in a few months, so one is long overdue. It’s reassuring to know that they are still out there every Sunday, helping people collect those route badges.
These are excellent group rides and this weekend they are tackling the Watopia Pretzel, distance 73km. I actually got this badge with them on this route last year. It’s a well-paced and inclusive group ride and no one is left behind.
As a cancer survivor, I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than riding for a good cause directly connected to cancer. Thus it gives me great pleasure to tell my fellow Zwifters about the annual Dempsey Challenge happening this weekend on Zwift!
On October 23-24, Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey is bringing the annual Dempsey Challenge to Zwift for the second year. The Dempsey Challenge is an annual run, walk and cycle fundraiser for the Dempsey Center, which makes life better for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis. There will be two days of rides and runs on Zwift aimed at raising awareness and funds to support those managing the impact of cancer.
50,000 Miles = $50,000
The goal is for the Zwift community to collectively ride/run 50,000 miles (80,000km) over the event weekend. If we achieve this, we will unlock a $50,000 donation from Zwift to the Dempsey Center.
Given that Zwift has a rich history of collaborating with good causes and are extremely generous with their donations (highlighted previously in my Zwift’s Diversity and Inclusion Evolution article), it’s pretty much a given that they will donate the funds. But including the Zwift community turns it into a fun team effort!
However, the main event and the chance to ride with Patrick himself is on Saturday 23rd October at 8pm CEST/7pm BST/2pm EDT/11am PDT. This is a 60-minute ride without a stated pace on Watopia’s Volcano Flat route. You can sign up here.
There are already over 600 people signed up, so it’s going to be a big event. With this many people, maybe Patrick should think about hosting a second ride!
The previous Dempsey Challenge raised over $1.2 million. The money raised was used to make life better for people managing the impacts of cancer. This year the target is set at $1.5 million. But hey, this is Zwift, where our daily goal is to break targets and set new highs, so let’s help Patrick and is his team achieve this!
Kit Unlock
Complete any of this weekend’s Dempsey Challenge events to unlock the Dempsey Challenge Kit!
About the Dempsey Center
The Dempsey Center is an organization committed to making life better for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Founded in 2008 with the intention of giving back to the community, it improves the quality of life of those impacted by providing a personalized, holistic, and integrated approach to cancer prevention, education, and support.
What they do is simple, “The Dempsey Center makes life better for people managing the impact of cancer with locations in Lewiston, South Portland, and now our third virtual location, Dempsey Connects. Services are provided at no cost.”
It is important to understand that the Dempsey Center services support healing and symptom management, but it is not a cancer treatment facility. They provide services that can help you manage the emotional, mental, and physical impact of cancer. Learn more about services here, or browse programs here.
How the Race Was Lost: When the Elastic Snaps – ZRL Week 4 (Casse-Pattes)
This week’s Zwift Racing League event was, for me, the toughest of the season so far. Held on France’s Casse-Pattes route, the ironically-named Petit KOM proved decisive, and although my team put up a good fight, we didn’t come out on top this time around.
Here’s how it all unfolded from my point of view, racing with the DIRT Roosters squad racing in Division B3 of the EMEA W zone.
The Warmup
My typical pre-race ritual was executed as usual. Beet juice (liquid dirt) a couple of hours before the race, then three pieces of caffeine gum (100mg of go-go juice per piece!) an hour before, and PR lotion on the legs before kitting up.
Then it was time to kit up and awaken the legs and heart by spinning with the C. Cadence groupies. 30 minutes or so with a few sprints to get the heart rate up and I was ready to go.
I went with the the Tron bike for this race, as I knew the Petit KOM would be my big challenge, so I wanted a bike that climbed better than a super-aero disc setup.
The Start: Feeling Good
Everyone knew the first minute or so would be nuts, as we had the combination of the always-fast Zwift race start and a sprint intermediate just up the road. For my part, I figured this is where most of the FTS times would be set (free legs, big pack) but I was also a bit nervous about the pack stringing out and me getting gapped off the back.
So I stayed near the front of the group. In fact, we had 4 Roosters right at the front of the pack heading into the sprint, so I went hard, chasing both FAL and FTS. I was 5th over the line, but didn’t even rank in the FTS. In hindsight, I clearly played it all wrong! I should have started mid-pack, then sprinted through. This probably would have earned me a higher ranking both in FAL and FTS.
Roosters massed at the front
After the sprint things settled in nicely, which was nice after averaging 503W over the first 70 seconds. A pile of riders got dropped i that hard start, whittling the peloton down from 75 to around 45.
Next up: the Pavé Sprint. This intermediate was awarding FAL points only, so I just wanted to mind my position in the pack, starting from a few riders back then (hopefully) surging through to cross the line first with the help of my Van powerup. I ended up jumping off the front earlier than planned (I put my head down and went too hard) but it earned me 2nd place, with teammate Clem taking 1st.
Clemand I off the front on the Pavé Sprint
A quick rest and it was time for the Aqueduc KOM. For this segment I just wanted to maintain a good position in the pack so I wouldn’t get dropped. I had no aspirations of earning points here, since I was trying to take it easy so I had legs for the Petit KOM just up the road.
I had an anvil powerup in my pocket, which I deployed as we began descending from the Aqueduc. This worked well, except in the part where it didn’t! There are two spots that turn slightly uphill on this descent, and having extra weight was not helpful. But overall, the anvil did help me descend a bit quicker.
The peloton regrouped – only around 26 riders left – and we hit the lower slopes of the decisive Petit KOM.
Petit KOM
I’d been dreading this climb, knowing there were several strong climbers in our race who I just can’t quite hang with on climbs that are long and/or steep enough. The Petit KOM is both long and steep enough. But I resolved to give it all I had to stay with the front, hoping against hope that I’d be able to contest some sprint points for the second lap.
At the start of the climb we had three roosters in the pack: Clem, Ally, and myself. Then the zigzags began, and Ally and Clem drifted off the back.
Not good. Not good at all!
I suddenly felt a surge of mental pressure. I’d been thinking newly-recruited Clem would be our strong man, making it over the climb easily. I was the third or fourth guy on our team in terms of making it over the Petit KOM in the front pack… or so I thought. But here I was, the only one hanging with the front.
And I was barely hanging. As the zigging and zagging continued, I began to drift off the back. I put in a really big dig to come back, but I was absolutely on the limit as ten stronger riders upped the tempo and strung it out even further. I glanced up and saw my heart rate reading 195 (my HR max is 189). Was that just a glitch? Let’s hope so…
Where the elastic snapped. I wouldn’t see that front group of 11 again.
I came over the top in 14th, got an anvil, and used it on the descent, regrouping with a few riders ahead and behind to form a chase group of 7 pursuing the front pack of 11. I was disappointed in being dropped – but not surprised.
Sitting In
Most of lap 2 was just me taking it as easy as possible. We were catching the larger group up the road, and the riders behind weren’t catching us. With 11 riders ahead we had no hope of FAL points, and I certainly wasn’t grabbing FTS points after that Petit KOM effort.
So I set my mind of recovering as much as possible while hanging with my chase group, then sprinting strong at the end for maximum finishing points. I knew WTRL gave the same finishing points to 11-15th place, I all I had to do was finish 4th in my pack. But I didn’t want to leave it to chance, either.
Thanks a lot, C Ryan ;P
Nothing too remarkable happened as we spun our way around France. From time to time riders in our group would put in a dig and go off the front, but most of us just sat in and watched them get pulled back.
The second Petit KOM was tamer than the first. I averaged 20W less this time around, but it was still a hard effort thanks to the two TBR riders keeping the pace high.
I got a van powerup at the final banner. Perfect! Time to recover for the final sprint.
The Finish
Our pack of seven was still intact heading into the finish. C.Ryan (TBR) was there with me – we seem to be very similar riders. And Hogseth (Vikings) – another rider I often find myself next to -was just up the road, having been dropped from the front group.
I sat in with our group. Nobody attacked long, but just before the start of the final sprint the only Viking in our group (Nergard) went off the front, so I followed on his wheel and activated my van powerup, sitting in for a few more seconds before slingshotting to the front and going all-in to the line.
I crossed the line ahead of the rest of my chase group, giving me 12th place.
Without a single rider in the front pack of 11, we knew the Roosters weren’t taking 1st this week. The Vikings looked like they had it, with three riders finishing in the top 11.
We knew we had some strong intermediate sprint showings, and 4 riders in the top 27. We hoped that would be enough for second place, which would put is in an overall tie with our rivals, the Vikings.
Somehow, we pulled it off – second place.
This was a rough week for the Roosters, before the race even began. Thomas, our strongest rider, was out with Covid. Team captain Antoine, typically a strong climber, had been off the bike for a week and half on vacation, and was feeling under the weather.
Overall, second place was a result we were pleased with.
Takeaways
Hindsight is 20/20. Clearly I should have approached the first Marina Sprint differently in order to grab FTS points. Heck, I could have chosen a full-aero setup (Cervelo + Disc) and still made it to the end in the same place, but with faster sprint times.
In the end it was a hard-fought battle, and the Vikings rightly came out on top with their strong climbing performance. And although I finished first in my team, I was only third in terms of points earned. And that’s a good thing, because we wouldn’t have slipped into second place otherwise.
Well done to all. See you next week!
Your Thoughts
Did you race ZRL this week? How did it go for you and your team? Share below!
Take a Look at Zwift’s Planned Clubs Feature Expansion
In a recent media event, Zwift shared their roadmap for releasing key updates including the new Neokyo map and a redesigned homescreen. But the third bit of news may prove to be the most game-changing of all: Clubs.
Why It Matters
Zwift’s virtual worlds are beautiful and fun, and the workouts and training plans are a great way to build fitness. But what makes Zwift unique is that it brings the global cycling world together. There’s simply no other place where you can log on and hop into an event with hundreds of riders worldwide, at all hours of the day.
But there was no event calendar on Zwift when the game launched in 2014. In fact, events were something the community created and organized for many months before Zwift finally came on board with an in-game calendar in late 2016.
I say all that to say this: events empower Zwift’s social DNA, and a huge portion of the platform’s best events are managed by devoted community members. Zwift knows they benefit greatly by allowing the community to organize events, even if the tools aren’t terribly friendly at this point.
In the past year, 952,951 Meetups have been created, with 3.2 million joins (so around 3 members per Meetup). On top of that, around 50,000 Community events have taken place.
Imagine what would happen if Zwifters were truly empowered to create events and invite their friends/followers!
A Long Time Coming
Let’s get this out of the way early: Zwift’s Clubs feature has been in FutureWorks (beta) for much too long.
While I’m happy to finally see progress being made with Clubs, it feels like Zwift missed a huge opportunity. Had Clubs been useable when the first wave of Covid lockdowns hit, existing Zwift event organizers would have been able to manage their events themselves, and all of those IRL clubs scrambling to find a home for their members would have landed on Zwift and happily created engaging activities.
Instead, loyal event organizers were frustrated by having to deal with Zwift’s overburdened event support staff. And many of those IRL clubs new to the platform were frustrated by the limitations of MeetUps, leaving them hoping for a return to outdoor riding ASAP.
But enough of me whining about what’s already happened. Let’s look to the future of Clubs!
How It Works: Creating a Club
To create a club, you must be a level 20+ rider or level 10+ runner. Creating a club is easy via the Companion app – just plug in:
Club name
Country and Language (this will let Zwift suggest your club to Zwifters with similar settings)
Who can join your club (Anyone can join, Ask to join, Invitation only)
Club sport (ride, run, or both)
Then you select some branding elements – a club icon, colors, background image, and event image. (All Club settings can be modified after your club is created.) Then click “Create My Club” and you’re done!
How It Works: Inviting Members
You can invite any member you’d like by searching Zwift’s member list then clicking a link to invite the member.
It’s not clear how members will find a club apart from the club’s owner inviting them. Presumably, certain club members can invite other members – perhaps anyone can invite anyone? Club “discovery” tools are slated for a future release – this will allow us to search/browse clubs.
How It Works: Creating An Event
The event creation portion of the Clubs tool is super-important, since events are the heart of what Clubs do. Creating an event via Companion is easy – Zwift has even created event “templates” like “Coffee Rides” and “Hilly Routes” where you can click and quickly create a particular type of event.
Or you can create a custom event, starting by selecting the route.
Then you define basic event parameters: the title, date/time, description, and event groups (categories). You can even name ride leaders and sweepers.
Creating an event
Event templates
Entering event details
Managing event groups
Selecting event route
Selecting event leader
Each event group (A, B, C, D, and E) has its own defined pacing (which you cannot change), as well as route and duration.
Various other settings can also be changed:
Late join
Show results screen
Who can join? (Club members only, or Anyone)
Events will automatically be set so attendees only see event participants in whatever world they’re riding or running.
How It Works: Joining an Event
Joining a Club event works a lot like any other event in Companion. It’s unclear whether events from your Club will be shown in the main events feed in Companion, or if you’ll need to visit your Club’s page in Companion to see those events. Regardless, once you find the event, you simply click to join, like any other Zwift event.
Crucially, event invites aren’t super-restricted with the new Clubs tool. Whereas Meetups only let you invite people who follow you in Zwift, Clubs will let you invite anyone to your event, using a simple sharing link just like any other Zwift event.
Summing It Up
Zwift’s new Clubs tools will make it easy for Zwifters to spin up a new club, invite their friends to join, then host events for club members or open to all of Zwift.
The BIG change here, what’s never been possible before on Zwift, is that anyone can create a full-featured Zwift event and share a link to join it. That’s a big deal.
Timeline
Zwift says the new Clubs features will roll out in a limited fashion before year-end, with a full rollout in early 2022.
Next Developments
Zwift hasn’t committed to a timeline for what comes after the new version of Clubs is launched, but they’ve committed to two top-line items:
Discovering Clubs: tools to make it easy to find clubs we’re interested in
Club Workouts: letting event organizers select workouts for events
This update doesn’t deliver much that Zwifters can immediately enjoy in game, although there are various bug fixes, a fresh and BIG bug introduced, and certainly some new assets behind the scenes. Here are the details…
New Bike Frames
This update includes two new frames:
Liv Langma SL Advanced Disc: 745,500 Drops, 3 stars for aero, 3 stars for weight
Moots Vamoots: 852,000 Drops, 2 stars for aero, 2 stars for weight
Neither frame looks to be a top performer based on star ratings, but we’ll test them using our standard protocol and publish the results ASAP.
Bug Fixes and Misc Improvements
Here’s Zwift’s list of fixes and improvements included in this update:
Fixed an issue which would sometimes cause long straight lines to appear on the map during route selection.
Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause a crash when returning to the home screen after ending an activity on PC and Mac.
Fixed an issue which caused Zwifters to be unable to use their phone as a steering device on Repack Ridge.
Fixed an issue which caused dialogue to go missing on the first ride tutorial.
Fixed an issue where gravity would play favorites with some lucky Zwifters, giving them the power of flight. Since Zwift is not a flight simulator (yet?!), we had to put a stop to that.
Fixed an issue which caused a delay in the Pace Partners appearing in the home screen.
Fixed an issue where pedal assist would not activate when joining a Pace Partner in certain situations.
Fixed an issue which allowed Zwifters to do a quick u-turn on a route and get the achievement for the reverse version of their current route.
Fixed an issue where Bluetooth devices could not be detected for Zwifters running MacOS Monterey.
The bug in Zwift’s implementation of the Dura-Ace 9200 groupset in last month’s update caused the Specialized Tarmac SL7, Pinarello Dogma F, and Canyon Aeroad 2021 frames to climb a bit slower because they’re a bit heavier. This issue has not been resolved with today’s update.
In fact, it’s been made worse – because both of this month’s new frames (Liv Langma SL Advanced Disc and Moots Vamoots) use the new Dura-Ace 9200 groupset.
Questions or Comments?
If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!
Zwift’s design team has been hard at work creating an updated UI, and at a recent media event they shared details of the redesigned homescreen. Here’s a peek at what Zwift will be releasing in the coming months…
Design Goals
The homescreen redesign has been a long time coming, but the influx of new users (thanks, Covid) coupled with a company-wide refocus on core experience has helped Zwift prioritize key deliverables for this redesign, namely:
Make content (especially social events) more accessible: instead of events residing in a small corner of the screen, make them front and center. This will reduce the time it takes to find and start an activity, as well as surfacing more social activities for Zwifters to try.
Easier to use: the improved layouts are more intuitive and powerful with consistent navigation elements at the top, better filtering tools, and more. The new layouts will also play nicely with controllers used across various platforms (looking at you, Apple TV!)
Activities Screen
The initial homescreen view brings up a list of upcoming events, as well as several “Just Ride” options for anyone who doesn’t want to join a group event.
I’m not sure how the “My Activities” and “Just Ride” options are selected for display, but Zwift definitely has the opportunity here to surface content in an intelligent way that really appeals to a particular Zwifter. For example:
“My Activities” should show any event or meetup you’re currently signed up for (of course)
“My Actitivities” could also show weekly events you’ve taken part in before, making it easy for Zwifters to build a habit and get to know others by consistently riding together.
“Just Ride” could suggest routes on today’s scheduled worlds where the rider hasn’t yet earned the route badge
If a rider consistently chooses a particular free ride route, show that as a “Just Ride” option to make it easy
Upcoming Events
The new homescreen’s events browser is receiving a big upgrade, giving Zwifters the ability to browse events in game with similar tools as the Companion app. That includes filtering events by type, group, and more. Clicking on an event brings up a full detail view where you can read the description and select a group to sign up.
Browsing events
Event detail view
Note: all of the screenshots supplied by Zwift indicate “Design work in progress”, so these layouts have not yet been finalized. That said, I would like to see some indication of which route an event is being held on so we know what we’re signing up to ride!
Routes Browser
The updated routes browser is accessible from an icon at the top-left. Some of the information available here is already available in the current routes browser, but it’s getting a helpful redesign plus the addition of:
A difficulty ranking (1-5 scale)
A time estimate in minutes (based on data showing 85% of Zwifters can complete it in X minutes)
The amount of XP you’ll earn if it’s your first time completing the route
More sorting options including Duration, Name, Effort, Distance, Elevation, and Route Completion
Browsing routes
Route details
What I Like About It
There’s a lot to love in Zwift’s planned homescreen redesign. Here are five things that stick out to me:
Focus on events: every avatar in Zwift has a real person behind it, and events are where we can best connect with others and benefit from the encouragement and comraderie which ensues. In-game interaction is Zwift’s special sauce, and this redesign puts events front and center, where they should have been all along.
Garage + Drop Shop access: we can easily access our Garage (and the Drop Shop) from an icon at the top-right. This is a common request from Zwifters who (for example) want to switch their bike frame/wheels before starting their ride.
Event details: far to many Zwifters join events from the current homescreen and thus never see the event duration or full description. This redesign makes that information obvious.
Route details: giving routes a difficulty rating as well as a time estimate should prove very helpful, especially to newer riders who can’t look at distance+elevation and decide if that route is suitable on a given day.
Looking good: to my eyes, the new design is cleaner, more modern, and more intuitive than the current homescreen. It will be a welcome upgrade that will drive the redesign of the rest of the game’s UI.
Not a Full UI Redesign
It’s important to note that this is a homescreen redesign, not a full redesign of the entire Zwift game UI. Other screens such as the Drop Shop/Garage, Pairing Screen, and in-game main menu will not be redesigned in this initial rollout. But certainly, the new homescreen is a key first step that will inspire and drive further UI improvements down the road.
Release Date
Zwift says a phased rollout is planned to begin in December 2021 and finish in early 2022.
Zwift launched its Makuri Islands worlds in May of 2021, giving Zwifters access to a lush, rural map called “Yumezi”. Zwifters have been enjoying Yumezi’s mix of dirt and paved roads, unique architecture, and lush natural elements. But we’ve also been asking for more!
This week Zwift shared teaser details of the next expansion planned for the platform. Named “Neokyo”, this is a very urban addition to the Makuri Islands map.
The Neokyo map will connect to Yumezi, so riders can ride on both maps in one session, just like we might ride Watopia’s Fuego Flats and Mayan Jungle in one workout. We can safely assume pre-planned routes will include both maps, while some will be based only in Neokyo just as existing routes are based only in Yumezi.
According to Zwift’s Art Directory Tony Yruegas, the amount of new roads in Neokyo roughly matches the roads available in Yumezi (~30km). So this expansion will bring the Makuri Islands up to around 60km of roads.
Neokyo (neo + Tokyo, get it?) exists in what Zwift calls “permanight” – that is, it’s always dark. This is being done to show off the city’s incredible moving lights and reflections. The streets have a “wet look” which reflects some of the lights, making this map a feast for the eyes.
It’s always party time in Neokyo!
The roads of Neokyo look to be fairly flat and fast, but we’ll be able to find out for ourselves soon enough. Zwift will be hosting upcoming badge hunting tours of the new map once it launches.
Zwift has already said that their plan is for Makuri Islands to become Zwift’s second “hub-world” (the first being Watopia). So we anticipate many more expansions as time goes on, including one that takes us to the big snow-capped “Mt. Fuji” we can see from Yumezi’s roads.
Launch Date
Zwift says Neokyo is arriving in November. With recent major updates landing around the 15-20th of each month, our best guess on an arrival date is November 17th. If Zwift releases more teasers before then, we’ll be sure to let you know.
