A new Kickstarter project has been making the rounds in Zwift groups lately – the Shift Smart Trainer. Here’s how creator Steven Booysen describes it:
“A smart device for your Peloton, unlocking the world of Zwift with automatic resistance changes. No modifications, no cables, no fuss.”
Cyclists and spin enthusiasts alike know that Peloton is a big deal in the world of spinning. with over 3 million paying subscribers, 1 million+ Peloton Bikes sold, 1,800 employees, and a market value of ~$30 billion. And while the Peloton Bike costs a pretty penny, it doesn’t connect directly to Zwift. The Shift Smart Trainer aims to change that. Here’s the intro video:
How Does It Work?
The Shift sends and receives Bluetooth signals and easily mounts onto your Peloton Bike (or the new Bike+), automatically controlling the big red resistance knob. Zwift sees Shift as a smart trainer, so it sends incline data to Shift, which then increases your resistance to match the incline.
Since Shift knows which resistance setting you’re on, it can use calibration data and known Peloton Bike power curves to transmit estimated power numbers back to Zwift. Viola! A “smart trainer” unlike any smart trainer you’ve seen before!
It also supports Erg mode.
A separate cadence sensor is required, mounted easily enough on your shoe or crank arm.
What About Shifting/Gearing?
The Shift doesn’t just turn up the resistance to simulate hills – it has an integrated touch screen so you can easily tap to virtually “shift” your bike, changing resistance as if you’re changing gears.
Accuracy
Shift’s documentation says, “To ensure you have a consistent experience across Peloton and Zwift we have built our digital power curve (see above) to mimic Peloton’s power curve. We expect a power accuracy of ~10%, which is identical to the accuracy disclosed by Peloton.”
10% accuracy isn’t very impressive against top-rated smart trainers boasting 1-2% accuracy. But 10% is the same accuracy Peloton delivers on its own platform, so perhaps Peloton users won’t be too fussed about it. (Picky riders could always invest in a set of power pedals to get super-accurate power while enjoying the automatic resistance changes of the Shift.)
Pricing
Early supporters of the Kickstarter campaign can get Shift for £160 (~$213). Standard price is £200 ($267).
Final Thoughts
Zwift CEO Eric Min has said in interviews that they don’t view Peloton as competition, because their products and target audiences are very different. And while that’s somewhat true, it’s also true that there is plenty of overlap between the two company’s offerings. The Shift is born from that overlap.
Many Zwifters already own Peloton Bikes – in fact, a fair number of cycling families have both a Zwift and Peloton setup. By the looks of it, Shift could provide the most engaging Zwift experience available yet for Peloton Bike users. But is that something Peloton owners are interested in? Or is this a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist?
With only $13,100 pledged toward the $256,337 “all or nothing” goal (deadline Jan 17, 2021) it may just be that there aren’t enough Peloton Bike owners interested in Zwifting to get this project off the ground. We’ll know soon enough.
Shift’s final working prototypes are completed – now it’s up to the Kickstarter crowd to get it into production
Your Thoughts
Does the Shift Smart Trainer appeal to you? What are your thoughts? Share below!
And that’s a wrap for the inaugural eSports World Championship: Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, a South African professional cyclist who races for UCI team CCC Liv on the road, secured the World Champion title – on her 35th birthday!
A known supporter of e-racing after winning the Queen’s Stage in the virtual Tour de France earlier this year, the newly-crowned world champ told CyclingNews in her post-race interview: “I wasn’t a fan of virtual training before the lockdown, but lockdown really converted me. To win the virtual world champion jersey – I’m super proud. I know that virtual cycling, and esports, is something quite new but I think it will become a big thing. I’m proud to be the first-ever esports world champion. Of course, there will be some that say it’s not the same and it’s not as impressive, but in time more and more will convert, and they will enjoy it. I think the younger generation is really behind esport, so there’s plenty more to come in the esports world, and I’m very proud to be part of that movement.”
The Start: Fast and Furious
The 50 km race on the Watopia Figure 8 Reverse course started out in Zwift-typical fashion. The fast and furious race start split the field quickly, and some of women’s cycling’s biggest names, including Dutch stars Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten, got shelled within the first ten miles.
Some experienced Zwifters like Ella Harris (NZL) fell victim to the intense pace as well, and German Tanja Erath was the only one of three competing Zwift Academy winners who made the break. Erath, who had just come back after an injury that sidelined her for much of her 2020 season, noted: “I felt pretty strong going into the race, but I also knew the course profile did not suit my power profile all too well.” Joining Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank for the upcoming season, she had plenty of future teammates in the powerful pack of around 30 riders – Lauren Stevens, Kristen Faulkner, and Sarah Gigante.
Front of the race
The group also included many community favorites like Lou Bates and Laura Matsen Ko, and stayed together for most of the race.
An Animated Finish
Deserving kudos for their excellent teamwork, the American riders animated the race with frequent attacks, but none had fans holding their breath like Christie Tracy’s move just 1.5km out from the finish. Attacking right before the start of the final climb, the e-racer for team Saris + The Pro’s Closet visibly caught the field by surprise.
Moolman-Pasio was the quickest to respond and launched her winning move supported by a featherweight powerup with an excruciating 900m to go. Australian prodigy Sarah Gigante, who races on the road for Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank, went straight to the chase and was the only racer able to contend the win.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio leading in the final climb with Gigante just behind
The two women took it straight to line, and Moolman-Pasio secured the win with just half a bike length.
A winner for the Zwift Community, Cecilia Hansen of Sweden finished third to round out the podium. Hansen regularly competes on Zwift for Team Heino, and is a Top 10 ranked racer on the platform.
Reflecting on her most high-profile Zwift race to date Natalia Franco, a young Colombian who competes in road racing for Team Twenty20, says: “It was an amazing experience to be able to ride with the best in the world on Zwift and IRL. I was the only Latin American and that made me feel proud of all the work I have put in this year. It was not the result I wanted since I struggled with altitude and the explosive punchy climbs and fast flats, but I walk away happy with the satisfaction I gave my best to represent my country.” Franco finished 41st, leaving behind pros like Kristin Wild (Netherlands) and Lisa Brennauer (Germany). She might well face those big names in the real world soon, as she was selected as one of just five finalists for the 2020 Zwift Academy.
Fully-focused Franco, mid-race
A consistent feedback of professional and community racers alike was the dedication that the national federations took to build and defend their teams for the eSports World Championship. American racers Christie Tracy mentioned: “I am really thankful that USA Cycling (USAC) took e-racing so seriously so quickly. It seemed like Team USA was extremely well prepared in comparison, and we had four racers finish in the Top 10 – that’s quite impressive and speaks for our teamwork and direction from USAC through the race. I hope for upcoming events, national federations across the globe will allow and encourage their esports talent to compete alongside their established road racing rosters.”
Christie Tracy from her indoor command center
Similar to many viewers, the racers also saw room for improvement on the race coverage: “I think it would have been cool if the livestream had shown other parts of the race such as the beginning or groups outside of the top 10. We worked as hard as the lead group but we were not shown once even though we had big names such as Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten in our group. Moving through the field and showing different angles of the race would have been more interesting for spectators looking for their favorite riders.”
Naturally, this event and the leadup to it have been exciting to anyone who has ever participated in virtual racing. For the women among us however, it’s beyond just an innovative way of competing: It means an equal kind of racing, which is so rare in cycling. We are looking forward to more!
The first-ever UCI Cycling Esports World Championships happened yesterday on Zwift. Here’s our summary of the men’s race, with the women’s writeup coming next!
The Start
The start of the race wasn’t on the live broadcast, so most viewers joined the racers 23km into the 50km route. But there was early action in those initial kilometers! Ryan Larson (Team USA) said “The first quarter of the race was all out while Belgium pushed the pace, which split the group on the first reverse KOM.”
While that push certainly hurt, it wasn’t enough to to force a big break. Lionel Vujasin (Belgium) said, “…with the Belgian team we tried at some points to make it hard but it wasn’t enough to make a selection.”
In many hilly Zwift races you will see the field cut in half within the first few minutes, then reduced by another 50% halfway through the race. But this race had a startlingly low rate of attrition, with ~50 riders still in the front pack from the initial starting list of 64 by the time we hit 23km.
Modified Draft, or Pros Being Pros?
The low attrition rate is a testament to the high level of athleticism and preparation by the riders. And this shouldn’t be surprising – these were the best Zwift racers in the world, in theory!
The low attrition rate may also be partially due to what some racers believe were modified draft mechanics for the event. Ollie Jones (New Zealand) said, “I remember when it went from single draft to double draft and today felt like the same again. Where the bunch would usually string out and snap, it was strung out out and pulling back just as fast. I think this was a massive advantage to the road riders since it removed a lot of the more technical aspects of the bunch dynamic.”
“It was the same for vTDF… and that pro qualification race that finished up Alpe du Zwift. They will never say which draft they use or if it’s different, but us experienced racers can feel it. It’s not single or double draft – it’s something else. It just feels like there’s an elastic band around the blob… but today there was 3 of them.”
When I asked other racers about the modified draft, they said it definitely felt easier hanging with the pack of the flat sections of the course – but they weren’t sure if this was because the experienced peloton was saving their legs for the key attack points, or because the draft mechanics had been changed.
Canada Attacks
Jordan Cheyne (Canada) and his team had already put in a hard push up the reverse KOM with 13-14km to go, but it had the same effect as Belgium’s first attack on this climb, stringing out the pack without forcing a selection.
Then with just 4km to go Cheyne as well as Canada’s Lionel Sanders and Charles-Etienne Chrétien jumped away from the sizeable group on the ramp into the Esses. They managed a gap of a few seconds through the Esses, but weren’t able to work together to stay away, getting caught before the downtown start/finish banner. It would all come down to the final all-out slugfest up Watopia’s Hilly KOM!
Cheyne off the front in the Esses
The Finish
The first 49km were simply a crucible which racers had to endure in order to arrive at the final challenge – a ~60 second effort up Watopia’s Hilly KOM. Two-thirds of the starters made it to this final point, but only one could come out on top.
Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts was first into the climb, joining many other riders in activating a feather powerup for the steepest section of the climb. Lionel Sanders took the early lead momentarily as well, but there were still 60 seconds of all-out effort to go.
Germany’s Jonas Rapp and Jason Osborne moved to the front before the climb’s halfway mark, putting in a massive 9-10w/kg attack to gap the pack. Rapp led through the halfway turn, then Osborne slingshotted around Rapp, hitting 12+ w/kg and distancing every other rider as he activated a perfectly-timed aero powerup just before the road leveled out.
Osborne just seconds from the line
Osborne crossed the line well ahead of 2nd place Anders Foldager (Denmark) and Nicklas Pedersen (Denmark).
I knew my form was quite good and I had prepared well. I have a good one minute power, which can be important on that course. My main focus was to keep calm, swim with the pack and conserve all the energy for the last 80 seconds.
Jason Osborne, Germany
Quotes from Top Finishers
I had a good feeling and believed in the victory from start to finish. I got a little too far ahead as the field stalled over the top. So I had to hold back a bit before opening a long sprint from behind in the group. Nicklas Pedersen and I each timed our sprint perfectly, unfortunately there was only one who got us in advance. It was a great experience and to be No. 2 for the Elite World Championship as first-year U23 is something I can be proud of.
Anders Foldager, Denmark
It was an amazing experience to do the first ever esports cycling World Championships. The Danish federation did a great job choosing three dedicated Zwifters supported by WorldTour rider Michael Valgren. We did the race together in Copenhagen with the opportunity to analyze the course and discuss tactics. We did the race perfect with Muff and Valgren closing breakaways. Foldager and I saved the legs, as much as possible, for the final KOM and both did a perfect sprint, but only enough to become second and third. We had some dropouts during the race and Foldager had a terrible dropout with 400 meter to the finish and went back in the group. He managed to do an incredible sprint and take second place. We were dreaming about the rainbow jersey, but we are really happy with the second and third place in our first World Championships. Congratulations Jason Osborne!
Nicklas Pedersen, Denmark
I felt really good on the last climb. I may have been a couple of wheels too far back at 500m to go because I missed the moment Osborne went. I had decided to ride the draft for longer than I was planning pre race since it felt so high today. I opened up my sprint at the 200m mark but had a full trainer blow out – it still won’t turn on, so my last 50m or so was all on momentum. Happy to have a 4th place at a UCI World Championship event but also rueing what might have been.
Ollie Jones, New Zealand
With 800 meters to go I was 5th wheel which is where I wanted to be and I pushed to catch the draft of the two Germans in the front. With 200 meters to go I was all in and it was good enough to land be in the top 10. It was an awesome race and my USA teammates did amazing.
Ryan Larson, USA
I was well placed at 500m but I couldn’t have my usual 2nd kick to make a difference in the last 200m…
Lionel Vujasin
Mechanicals
Not unlike an outdoor race, several riders suffered mechanicals of various sorts which took them out of contention.
Ollie Jones thought he had completely fried his Tacx NEO 2T in the final sprint (see his quote above), but reported later that he thinks it overheated, as it eventually turned on and was functional after cooling down for a bit. He sent over this post-race pic with the offending NEO…
Samuel Brännlund (Sweden) shared that some sort of connection issue with the Internet and/or Zwift popped up and got him dropped, and Cory Williams (USA) was dropped several kilometers from the finish with what appeared to be a power dropout.
Final Results
Osborne’s rowing team shot
Looking at the final results (below), this race clearly answered the question of who would perform better – experienced Zwift riders, or top WorldTour pros?
Every rider in the top 10 is an experienced Zwifter, and 7 of the top 10 are very experienced top Zwift racers. Yes, nearly all ride for pro teams outdoors – but none of them ride on WorldTour teams.
The biggest surprise in the top 10 is the race winner, actually. Congrats to Jason Osborne for surprising is all by taking the win nobody expected, and doing it in commanding fashion… with amazing hair.
Osborne only shows 9 races in ZwiftPower, but he’s a level 37 Zwifter, so he’s put in plenty of time on the platform. Like many strong racers on Zwift he comes from a rowing background, having won medals in a number of competitions in the World Rowing Cup and European Championships.
Countries will certainly be taking notes on how this first Esports Worlds transpired. The UCI left it up to each country to determine how they would pick their team, and it’s evident that some countries took this more seriously than others.
Great Britain was famously lambasted in Zwift forums for ignoring top Zwift community racers and instead going with established outdoor pros for their team. Was that the best choice, in hindsight? Certainly not. Their best result was 28th place, which is far from impressive given the kind of Zwift racing talent we see coming from Great Britain.
But it’s early days. Everyone involved (including Zwift) has much to learn and improve upon for future events. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Holden Comeau (USA) shared some thoughts which wrap up this post fittingly:
“What an amazing experience that was to be a part of such a historic race. As a community, I hope we can all look back on this moment as a real turning point for our sport. So many passionate people have invested so much over the past few years in laying down the foundation of what cycling esports is bound to become. For me, today’s race was a monumental success and a tribute to all that hard work. Our sport has a world champion now. We have a growing professional athlete population. A booming business infrastructure. A passionate fan base. I can’t imagine anything will slow down in 2021 and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
Zwift has just announced its second Tour of New York, happening December 18-20. The first ToNY was held in late October 2018 to celebrate the launch of the New York City map, and it was 5 stages long. This year’s ToNY is only three stages long, but each stage offers multiple length options.
Based on early signup numbers, ToNY 2020 will be a busy event! Of course, official Zwift tours are always popular, with several hundred riders participating in each ride.
Fresh Kit
If you don’t already have the ToNY kit from 2018, finish any stage of this year’s tour to unlock it for keeps.
Is It a Race?
Some (most?) riders will treat each event like a race, and a “Tour of New York” league has been set up on ZwiftPower to track results. But you can ride them however you’d like.
Zwift Workout Editor (zwiftworkout.com) is a new web app that allows you to create Zwift workouts in a quick and easy way. It’s also the first visual workout editor for running workouts on Zwift!
The completely free and open source project was developed in React by Zwifter Carlo Schiesaro. It has all the key features of Zwift’s in-game workout editor, but is arguably easier to use and more powerful due to its run workout editor and extra features like workout sharing. Plus, the web app is easily accessible from any browser.
Runners, Rejoice!
Zwift does not currently allow runners to create custom workouts in game, but it’s easy with Zwift Workout Editor!
Runners can finally forget complicated Excel files for creating custom workouts, and cyclists can enjoy editing their workouts without running the game.
Using the App
Just go to zwiftworkout.com and click “Open Editor”. You will be presented with the workout editor inspired by the in-game Zwift workout editor. From the top right of the screen you can choose if you want to edit a cycling workout or a running workout.
Running workouts have 2 different duration types: time bases or distance based. By switching the 2 modes you can see the timeline changing from time to distance.
From the bottom bar you can add your FTP and body weight to get more statistics while editing your workout. Runners can add their paces (1 mile, 5K, 10K, HM, M) to estimate duration (or distance).
To create a workout just click on the segments in the bottom bar. You can add warm-up, steady-state, intervals, free rides, text messages, and cool down.
Additional Features
You can also import existing workout files (ZWO), edit them, and download or share them with friends or training partners.
The app does not require authentication to work but you can sign up to save your workouts online and share the link to your workout.
More Sharing Options
To share a workout without creating an account, simply download the workout file (ZWO) and send it to others via email or another service. This post explains how your friends can add your ZWO file to their Zwift workouts list. Want to do a custom workout together? Here’s a simple hack for organizing group workouts via Meetups.
Need Help?
If you need help on uploading your workout Zwift or using the editor there is a How To section from the home page.
About the Creator
My name is Carlo Schiesaro. I’m a passionate cyclist and software engineer. I live and work in London (UK) and during the 2020 lockdown I mainly trained indoors. Zwift was a great support to my mental health and fitness during these difficult times. I wanted to create something to give back to the amazing cycling and running community on the platform.
One of cinema’s most iconic moments comes from the film ‘Forest Gump’, when Tom Hanks’ character Forrest Gump casually states, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
That saying applies to the Zwift Companion app, as when you open it up and scroll through the day’s events, there are usually a few treats on offer.
This weekend’s little sweetie was the “Nations Challenge” run by WTRL. It was something quite different to the normal races offered on Zwift, so I signed up as the chance to represent my country in a sporting activity doesn’t come around often for a novice like myself. Clearly many felt the same, as 523 other riders had eagerly signed up!
About the Nations Challenge
The Nation’s Challenge was a country-based race where riders from the same country would race around Watopia on a custom 50km length of the Figure 8 Reverse route, decked out in their country’s jersey. The route was the same course that the UCI Cycling Esports World Championship would be contested on, giving us a taste of the pro life.
The premise was that people from the same country would work together and team up and race the course with the top 10 percent and bottom 10 percent being discounted and the average time for the country calculated from the remaining 80 percent. So teamwork seemed essential if you wanted to win this challenge, as it was simply one giant country team time trial.
Carnage at the Start
Now, those who have raced in a bunch or undertaken a well organised group ride know the power of the bunch. So, in my naivety with 524 riders, I expected our British Team to cruise around the course and quite literally win the event. As I sat spinning my legs waiting to start, the thought of riding in this “mega blob” was appealing. Unfortunately, it would quickly become apparent that not everyone was on my wavelength.
Immediately from the start it was carnage, with the usual Zwift 400-watt start we are all accustomed to. I couldn’t help but feel that the ‘team’ concept may have been lost on a few and back down the field there was unorganised chaos as people rode at their own speed, trying to find a suitable group.
Within moments I was in 250th position, which meant that the front group had already put some distance into my group and was already up the road, long before most people had literally got off the start. The first message I saw was “We need a DS” – absolutely. We certainly did need a Director Sportif to organise this chaos!
It was at this point the value of the “Beacon” would have prevailed and an experienced Group Leader, to help guide the masses.
Teaming Up
Recognising the need to “blob up” I joined the message chatter as a few other riders realised the importance of teamwork. One rider was Russell, a classy rider from Race3r, who I had ridden with previously in a Team Time Trial, and we began organising our group, which was now in 290th position.
Russell was slightly behind in around 320th but he managed to pull his group into mine. This larger group soon found its rhythm and we began “hoovering up” smaller packs as we began making headway. The strength of the group began to prevail.
What I learned was that trying to manage a group is a challenge. The group could sustain around 3.2 watts per kilo, however when we tried to push the pace, we occasionally and unintentionally caused small splits and had to slow down, or in some cases, drop back to fill the gap. With this in mind, the first major challenge was the KOM, which Russell led the group up far better than I did. Unintentionally, I slipped into my climbing rhythm and was off up the climb without realising – that will be all those Zwift Hill Climb races I have been involved with.
Over the ensuing rollers I dropped to the back of the group to help try and pace those who were less confident on the climbs, whilst Russell kept it steady at the front.
Tempo and Tactics
In between talking tactics of the group, we discussed which nation may potentially win the event overall. We concluded that having a group of 500 riders was simply too big and unmanageable and perhaps the victor may come from a nation with a smaller team. We opted for Japan. (Incidentally, for the first round of races our guess turned out to be correct, with Japan’s 188 riders in first followed by Sweden in 2nd with 111 riders.)
As the race pressed on, riding 50km on the Watopia Reverse Figure 8 became confusing and I lost all sense of where I was as my focus was solely about trying to maintain the group. We were growing in size with each kilometre as our massive group was able to make significant gains on the smaller groups and individual riders on every descent.
Keeping a steady tempo, the kilometres ticked by and we led the now large group up the final KOM. I finished in 1 hour 18 minutes 36 seconds, in 248th position. 11 minutes, 40 seconds behind the leaders. I like to think that my domestique duties helped some riders finish quicker than they might have otherwise, and for me, it made a nice change to be riding cooperatively.
Preliminary Results
Team Great Britain placed 3rd overall after 1 event, with an average of 3.23 watts per kilo. This was on par with our group with an overall time of 1:17:18, 1 minute and 3 seconds behind early leaders, Japan.
Final Results
It transpires that Team GB didn’t do too well in the second race, dropping from 3rd to finish in 6th place 2 minutes and 35 seconds behind Sweden’s winning time of 1:14:58. Belgium and Japan finishing second and third respectively.
Congratulations to WRTL for another entertaining event!
Your Comments
Did you ride in this weekend’s Nations Challenge? What did you think of the event? What are your thoughts on reasons why some countries did better than others? Share below!
Official Zwift fondo events are always a blast, with thousands of riders taking part. Like an outdoor fondo, they feature challenging routes with varying length options. Riders can race the event, or just push to do their best and finish a challenging effort.
The second fondo of Zwift’s 5-month northern hemisphere 20/21 series has just been posted for this weekend!
Zwift Fondo events have three categories (A, B, and C) which are open to all riders. These categories don’t refer to rider strength or speed–they refer to route length.
For December the routes are (click for details):
A: Gran Fondo - 97.2km (60.4 miles), 1148m (3766′)
B: Medio Fondo - 72.6km (45.1 miles), 981m (3219′)
C: Bambino Fondo - 52.1km (32.4 miles), 553m (1814′)
On a related note, we would really like to see Zwift expand the fondo routes to something that hasn’t been used for all past fondos. Maybe it’s time for an Uber Pretzel fondo option? Or better yet, a brand-new fondo route that includes the newer roads not covered in the three fondo routes? Perhaps the KOMonster…
(Even the promo image used for the fondos shows riders in an area of Watopia that has never been used for a fondo event.)
Kit Unlocks
This is a 5-month series, and each month’s fondo has its own unique kit unlock. These kits are exclusive, meaning they will never be available anywhere else in game. A true badge of honor! Here’s a shot of December’s kit:
Upcoming Dates
This monthly series runs through March. Here are the upcoming fondo dates:
December 13
January 3
February 7
March 7
Is this a Race?
Yes. But a fondo is a “fun race”, meaning it’s more about the personal challenge of finishing a tough course and doing your best. For some riders, the goal is simply to finish the ride. If that’s you, there’s good news: with so many Zwifters taking part in these events, you’ll always have company regardless of your abilities!
That said, thousands of riders turn out for these popular events, and the front of each category is always filled with superfit riders going all out. If you’re feeling strong and looking for an extended race challenge, find a fondo.
Note: efondo events don’t give out ZwiftPower ranking points, so in that sense, this event is not a race.
Our favorite videos this week include Zwifters giving World Champs advice to a World Tour pro, attempting to earn the 100 kph badge, and comparing two hill climbs with five years of training in between. Also, watch for tips on climbing Alpe du Zwift faster and racing the lower categories.
ZWIFT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP talks with ED LAVERACK
Belgian pro cyclist Victor Campenaerts (NTT pro cycling) is racing the UCI Esports World Championships this week and wanted some advice. So he went to top Zwifter (and former Continental pro himself) Ed Laverack for advice. The two chat with Victor’s buddy Jeff about beginner’s tips, the differences between the way pros and non-pro Zwifters race, and their race predictions.
Tips for everyone to CLIMB Alpe Du Zwift FASTER // Detailed Insight
Speaking of Ed Laverack, here he is on his own YouTube channel earlier this year, analyzing his fastest climb up Alpe du Zwift. He then gives some advice that anyone can use – even if the mountain climb takes you twice as long!
Attempting the 100km per hour CHALLENGE in ZWIFT | On my rest day
It’s the bane of descent-loving cyclists everywhere – in order to go down a mountain, you have to climb up it first. Mark Lewis realizes this is true on Zwift, too, as he prepares to hit 100 kilometers per hour on the Watopia radio tower climb. (Of course, if you have a friend waiting at the top for you, you can just join them!)
What 5 Years of Training Looks like on Zwift Original KOM
Zac Herrod has spent 5 years riding Zwift. He went back to compare an all-out effort on Watopia’s KOM climb in 2015 with a Zwift Academy Segment Ride on the same hill in 2020.
Tips for how to race the lower Categories on Zwift
Here’s some race tips and analysis focusing on lower categories and beginners. Isaac Young walks us through an event that combines categories at the start, showing how to race from lower down the field.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
It’s that time of year: Zwift Academy Tri! In this episode, ZA mentor extraordinaire Sarah True and coach of the stars, Dan Plews, talk about this year’s Tri Academy with Matt. Lots of good banter as usual with this crew.
There’s also some solid information about the program Dan designed, and he even shares training advice. Give it a listen to learn more about Dan, the training, and the potential benefits of completing the program!
About the Podcast:
The Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast is hosted by former pro triathletes Matt Lieto and Jordan Rapp, lending their in-depth knowledge of the multisport to the Zwift Tri audience.
