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How the Race was Lost: Hero to Zero

Eric Schlange
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18
How the Race was Lost: Hero to Zero

Last week at the last minute I decided to jump into midday race – the KISS at Race EU PM. I had missed my normal morning ride due to some scheduling snafus, and this particular race appealed to me because it was on a route I had never ridden before! (Sure, I had done a route recce for the route detail page I created a few weeks prior – but I had never actually ridden Paris’ Lutece Express myself.)

I did lead a Sprintapalooza ride going in the opposite direction, on the Champs-Élysées route – but riding a route in one direction does not fully prepare you to race it in the other. Today’s race would prove that point. But I’m getting ahead of myself!

The Warmup

I climbed on the bike about 30 minutes before the race, having chewed two pieces of caffeine gum and slapped some PR lotion on the legs. The warmup was uneventful as I raised my heart rate in a controlled fashion over a 25-minute effort out in Fuego Flats.

Satisfied that the legs and cardio system were ready, I clicked to join the race. Allez allez!

The Start

Our B pack contained 61 riders, and I had already taken a glance at ZwiftPower to see who the strongest were. There were a handful with a better ZP ranking than myself, so I tried to remember their names. The best-ranked rider had an easy name to remember – Poochiemoomoos! I’d keep an eye out for him…

The Lutece Express route is a hard push right out of the gate because you exit the start pens and immediately turn left onto the “Montée des Champs-Élysées” – the circuit’s toughest section. This little hill is only 1.1 kilometers long and climbs around 29 meters (meaning it averages around 3%). But it’s the most decisive part of the 6.6km circuit, as riders attack here every time!

It took us around 2-1/2 minutes to start the race, climb Montée, and settle in. In that time I averaged 349 watts: the cost of making the front group. Things settled down as we made our way around the Arc de Triomphe and descended toward the finish line to begin our first full lap.

We had 5 laps to go in this race, for a total distance of 37.4km (23.3 miles), and by the time we’d begun the first lap our starting pack had been whittled down to ~20 riders.

The Middle

We soon fell into a solid but sustainable rhythm – sort of an over-under workout with extended recovery between each hard interval. Each lap took around 9 minutes, and 2 of those minutes we were over threshold, climbing Montée des Champs-Élysées. Then we’d drop below threshold for the rest of the circuit.

Over-unders on Lutece Express

The rhythm was helped by an abundance of powerups, since we rode through two banners each lap. Unfortunately, I kept getting burritos, which are pretty useless unless you’re attempting a breakaway. (Worth noting: the burrito got updated just a few hours after my race thanks to Zwift’s latest update. Now it’s quite a *giggle* offensive weapon, disabling the draft effect for all riders within 2.5m!)

Poochiemoomoos put in a solid attack on the climb a couple laps in, but nobody went with him and he was reeled in during our “recovery” stretch easily enough.

Funny “Zwift meets IRL” story: one rider messaged the group on lap 4 and said something like “Eric in da house. Never forget you pulling me Winters RR!” It was Martin Michael, a guy who joined me when I attempted a breakaway from our group during the Winters Road Race a few years back. We stayed away, but unfortunately I had jumped thinking the finish line was just around the next bend, when it was actually a couple miles away. Oops. It worked out alright in the end, but it worked out better for Martin!

Chatting with Martin

The Finish

Going into the final climb on the final lap, I fully expected Poochiemoomoos would attack. So I stayed near the front and kept a wary eye on him and others. But no one made a big move, so our pack of 17 riders eased off a bit as we made our way around the Arc and down the cobbles to the finish.

I was hoping for an aero powerup through the sprint banner (I had used my feather on the climb), but got the blasted burrito yet again. So I decided I would attempt a long attack, using my burrito to (hopefully) gap the pack so I could stay away.

Judging where to begin a long attack is no easy thing, especially on an unfamiliar route. If you wait too long, everyone else will be keyed up and ready to sprint as well, and you’ll just be their lead-out man. If you go too early, you’ll blow up and get passed by all the riders you were trying to beat.

Sitting a few bike lengths back from the front of the pack, I waited until it felt like the right time to go. With around 700 meters to the line I hit the gas, accelerating through the pack and using their draft to slingshot me into open air as I activated my burrito powerup.

For a few seconds it appeared I was free from the pack, but then I saw Poochiemoomoos on my tail:

As my legs and lungs began to hit the wall I looked in vain for the finish line: why was it still so far away? My power was dropping…

The long downslope of my final sprint’s power numbers

And then it happened – Poochiemoomoos passed me with an aero powerup flashing above his head.

Then another. And another. And another… where were all these aero helmets coming from?

I limped across the line, the next rider almost 2 minutes back. I had gone from the front of our lead pack to the very back. 1st to 17th. Hero to zero! And Poochiemoomoos, who had been favored to win, got baited into chasing my ill-fated move. He finished just ahead of me, and I bet he learned his lesson: don’t trust Schlange’s judgment!

See my activity on Zwift.com >
See my activity on Strava >
See race results on ZwiftPower.com >

Watch my recording of the race:

Takeaways

First takeaway: know the route. You’d think I would have learned my lesson with Martin Michael in the Winters Road Race, but here I am still misjudging long attacks. If possible, get on the route and free ride it before you race it. Figure out where to begin the final sprint based on landmarks and/or distance remaining. Find all the uphills and figure out how hard you can hit them and still have legs to hold on.

Second takeaway: 1 and 5-minute power are so crucial for strong Zwift race results, as Rick Wenger explained in his recent “How to Become a Zwift Top 20 Category B Racer” article. That’s especially true on this route. I averaged 378 watts over the final 4 minutes (from the start of the climb to the finish line). If you want to turn in a good result you’ve got to be able to hold high wattage in the final 3-4 minutes of the race, plus sprint hard for the last 15-20 seconds.

Despite my result, I really enjoyed racing Lutece Express. The over-under route style suits me as a racer, plus it’s a really great workout. I’ll be racing here more… and I won’t misjudge the finish line next time. Hopefully.

Your Thoughts

Have you ever gone long and fallen short? Share your tale below! Also, let me know what you think of Lutece Express as a race route.

Wheel and Frame Performance Scatter Plots for Zwifters

Eric Schlange
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90
Wheel and Frame Performance Scatter Plots for Zwifters

Important: this post contains performance data which was invalidated in Zwift’s mid-March 2025 update. Learn about those changes and get updated performance data >

Our performance test charts for wheels and frames have become a popular tool for Zwift racers, and today we’re releasing another way to view the data: scatter plots.

This style of chart lets you quickly see which wheels and frames are top performers on climbs, flats, or both. Just mouse over a plot point to find out which wheelset or frame it represents.

If you’re looking for the best performers, you want items that are lower on the chart (indicating a faster climb time) and further left (indicating a faster flat test time). This means we have a top performer “inner curve” running from the top-left to the bottom-right of each chart. We’ve enlarged the plot points for these frames and wheels so they’re easy to pick out.

These enlarged points are the fastest wheelsets and frames available, but they are top performers in different ways: those lower on the chart are better climbers and less aero, while those nearer the top are more aero, but slower climbers.

Wheel Performance Scatter Plot

There are four definite “performance bands” visible here, running diagonally from upper-left to lower-right. You have the top performers (the enlarged points, plus those nearby), a group close to those top performers, a middle group, and the slow wheels.

Frame Performance Scatter Plot

This chart doesn’t break into easy visual performance bands, but there are three noticeable vertical groupings of frames with the exact same flat performance time (at 3093, 3094, and 3095 seconds). These three groups comprise 22 different frames from the total universe of 50. Our guess is most of these grouped frames share the same CdA value in Zwift, but slightly varying weights.

To keep the chart user-friendly, the two slowest climbers have not been included. Here are their timings:

  • Zwift Buffalo (3106, 3065.5)
  • Zwift Safety (3097, 3006.5)

TT Frame Performance Scatter Plot

There are a few clear leaders here, with the ideal choice varying based on terrain.

About the Performance Tests

  • Flat tests run on 2 laps of Tempus Fugit at 300 watts steady with an isolated 75kg rider 183cm tall, using basic Zwift 32mm Carbon wheels.
  • Climb tests run on Alpe du Zwift using 300 watts steady with an isolated 75kg rider 183cm tall, using basic Zwift 32mm Carbon wheels.

Where the Tron?

This is a question we always get when we publish performance charts for wheels and frames. Unfortunately, the Tron bike comes as a unit – the frame and wheels cannot be separated for testing purposes. We could include it on the charts above, but it wouldn’t be very useful, since the charts above aren’t displaying top-performing wheel and frame combinations. Rather, they display top-performing wheels on one chart, and top-performing frames on the other.

The Tron would simply appear as a top-performing outlier on both charts, but that wouldn’t give you a full picture of Tron performance, since we know that combining a top-performing frame+wheelset will give you a setup which is competitive or even faster than the Tron bike. To graph the Tron in a useful way, the other graph points would need to consist of top-performing wheel+frame combinations.

So we’ve done just that. Check out our popular Tron vs Top Performers Scatter Plot!

Questions or Comments?

We’ll be adding these charts to our main chart pages soon. Got questions or comments? Share below!

All About Zwift’s DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62 Wheelset

Eric Schlange
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35
All About Zwift’s DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62 Wheelset

Last week’s Zwift update included a new wheelset: the first DT Swiss hoops in game! Called the “DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62”, these virtual wheels are based on the newly-released DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62 DB. DT Swiss describes these IRL wheels as “all-round aero”, and that summarizes their in-game performance quite nicely.

These new hoops cost 184,600 Drops and require level 6. Here’s how Zwift’s Drop Shop describes the wheelset:

“Built around the iconic 240 hubset with its ratchet system for rapid engagement and DT Swiss’s own aero comp spokes and hidden nipples, the ARC 1100 62 is a mid-depth wheelset that offers a windtunnel-proven aero advantage at a weight that won’t slow you down when heading uphill. The ARC 62 is a do-everything wheelset that features the latest in-house technology from this historical and history-making company.”

Stargazing

There are only two wheelsets in Zwift which have a 4-star aero rating coupled with a 3-star weight rating: these new hoops from DT Swiss, and the Zipp 454’s. Presumably, both sets would deliver strong performance at high speeds while climbing well.

But experienced Zwifters know that the star ratings don’t provide a precise view of wheel performance. So we’ve run our standard flat and climbing tests to learn precisely how the DT Swiss ARC 62’s stack up against the other wheelsets in our garage. Here are the results!

Flat (Aero) Performance

These wheels turn in solid performance on flat and rolling courses, but they just aren’t quite slippery enough to make our list of Zwift’s most aero wheelsets. Overall they are ranked in the 75th percentile on our wheel charts, meaning they performed better in our flat test than 75% of the available wheelsets.

On our ~50-minute flat test, the DT Swiss ARC 62’s are 18 seconds behind the very fastest wheels available (Zipp 858/Super9), and 8 seconds behind the Zipp 808’s which are commonly used by Zwift racers.

Climb (Lightweight) Performance

These wheels perform surprisingly well in our climbing tests. “Surprisingly” because they are deep-dish carbon wheels (62mm deep), and those don’t traditionally perform well on climbs outdoors due to their increased weight.

The DT Swiss ARC 62’s, though, perform well enough to tie for 4th place in our ~50-minute Alpe climb test. And that’s just 1 second behind tying for 3rd place! Given their strong performance in our flat tests, we’ve ranked them as the third best overall climbing wheelset.

Conclusions

The new DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62 wheelset on Zwift in an excellent performer if you’re looking for a wheel that climbs well without slowing you down too much on the flats. In fact, in our stacked percentile rankings, this wheelset comes in at the top, just edging out the Zipp 454s which are only available at a much higher level!

Don’t read too much into this wheelset being ranked above the 454’s – the two wheelsets are basically tied in terms of overall performance, with the DT Swiss climbing the Alpe 1 second faster, and the Zipps finishing our flat route 1 second faster. With GPS rounding errors of 1 second being commonplace, it’s safe to say both wheelsets perform in nearly identical fashion. They have the same star ratings, after all, so this makes good sense.

In fact, any of the wheelsets listed above will turn is solid all-around performance on flats and climbs. It’s just a question of where you want the advantage – want some help on the flats? Go with the 858’s. Want help on the climbs? Consider the ENVE 3.4’s. Want a balance? The DT Swiss or Zipp 454’s are a good choice.

Your Thoughts

Will you be rolling these new hoops on Zwift? Why or why not? Share below!

Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.

Wahoo Announces the Most Accurate and Comfortable KICKR Yet

Eric Schlange
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30
Wahoo Announces the Most Accurate and Comfortable KICKR Yet

Wahoo’s KICKR is the most popular direct-drive smart trainer on the planet, and for good reason: its road feel is second to none, the build is bombproof, and Wahoo stands behind their products with top-notch support. (Then again, I’m a bit biased: I’ve logged over ~22,000 Zwift miles on a KICKR trainer!)

Today Wahoo launched the fifth generation KICKR which includes three key upgrades from the previous KICKR ’18 model:

  1. Power accuracy improved to +/-1% (previously +/-2%)
  2. A proprietary auto-calibration process (no spin down required!)
  3. AXIS feet allow the trainer to tilt up to 5 degrees side-to-side for a more realistic motion

Buy now at wahoofitness.com >

Accuracy and Auto-Calibration

Wahoo’s press release for the new KICKR states that it “refines power accuracy to +/-1% from +/-2% by using a proprietary auto-calibration process.” So it doesn’t appear that any power sensing hardware has changed – rather, Wahoo has integrated an auto-calibration which improves the overall power accuracy. Fair enough. Zwifters don’t care how it’s done – we just want accurate power! And having it without the need to manually calibrate is even better.

The KICKR’s #1 competition is the Tacx Neo 2T, which has always demanded a higher price tag because it claims +/-1% power accuracy without needing calibration. With this update, Wahoo’s KICKR now offers the same industry-leading accuracy and calibration-free experience at a price tag that is $200USD below the Neo.

AXIS Feet

Many Zwifters praise the Neo’s ability to allow for a bit of rocking from side to side, and the new KICKR addresses this as well with its new AXIS feet. Wahoo says:

These feet allow a bike installed onto the trainer to smoothly tilt up to 5 degrees from side-to-side with each pedal stroke in a controlled, realistic motion.

Three stiffness options let you tune movement to your unique riding style, and the AXIS feet can be purchased as an aftermarket replacement for older KICKR models.

As a big fan of rocker plates, I support more movement! I’ve got a review KICKR arriving in ~10 days, which will replace my KICKR 18 on several weeks of Zwift sessions so I can put the new feet through their paces.

A Wired Option?

Wahoo isn’t mentioning it in their marketing, but the new KICKR includes a direct connect wired option – an RJ11 port (aka, telephone jack port). There are no devices or apps which work with that port… yet. But this looks to be the first move toward a wired setup which Zwifters have been requesting for years!

Zwift would need to implement the software changes, while Wahoo would need to release the wire dongle which converts from the RJ11 port to a network plug, so you can plug your KICKR directly into your ethernet. Will it happen? I’d say chances are good, but it may take a while.

Iterating to Win

Here’s a quick walk down memory lane to look at what each new KICKR model brought us:

  • KICKR V1 (2012): the first “open” direct-drive smart trainer, capable of working with multiple software platforms
  • KICKR V2 (2016): quieter than V1, more responsive
  • KICKR V3 (2017): KICKR Climb compatible (usually), more thru-axle compatibility
  • KICKR V4 (2018): even quieter than V3, integrated cadence, up to three simultaneous Bluetooth connections
  • KICKR V5: (2020): power accuracy improved, auto-calibration, AXIS feet, RJ11 wired connection port

This latest KICKR is far from a major revamp – but why should it be? The KICKR name is proven, profitable, and trusted worldwide. It makes sense for Wahoo to continue iterating on this already-refined platform, finding ways to match or surpass the competition so they can maintain their position as industry leader.

And that’s only good news for us consumers. If the new KICKR lives up to its accuracy claims, it will force Tacx to reduce its Neo pricing, or improve the product significantly!

Where To Buy

The new KICKR is available today at wahoofitness.com for the same price as previous generations: $1199USD. (Pro tip: make your purchase through this link and you’ll help support the Zwift Insider site!)

I’ll update this post with links to additional distributors once I’ve confirmed they are shipping the new KICKR.

Review Coming Soon

I’ll publish an initial review after using the V5 KICKR for a few weeks. Stay tuned! Until then, DC Rainmaker’s review has just been published.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Zwift Companion 3.17 Released: Late Join, Race Results, and Paris+France for Meetups

Eric Schlange
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25
Zwift Companion 3.17 Released: Late Join, Race Results, and Paris+France for Meetups

Zwift has just released the latest version of their Companion app on both Android and iOS. Version 3.17 includes three important Meetup updates, giving every Zwifter even more power to create useful and fun Meetups with their friends.

While it may take several hours to roll out worldwide, most major regions already have access to the update. Let’s dig in!

Paris+France Available

Today is the first day of France and Paris as guest maps in the monthly schedule – and it’s also the first day we’ve seen Paris or France available for scheduling Meetups! These two new maps will always be available for Meetups moving forward. Allez allez!

Race Results

Selecting the new “Race Results” option under “Customize Your Meetup” will display a results screen at the end of your Meetup, and in your activity summary in Companion.

Many IRL clubs have been using Meetups to organize virtual rides for their members, but until today’s update, there was no way to get actual race results for that ride.

Two notes:

  • If you enable Race Results for your Meetup, Late Join (see below) is automatically disabled… since you can’t join a race after it begins!
  • Unlike official race events, Meetups with Race Results do not (yet) show your real-time ranking in the rider list. Hopefully, that can be added soon.
  • There are no start pens for Meetups – riders just start on the side of the road, near each other. So even if you enable race results, riders won’t start from the same line. (It appears that the sooner you join the meetup, the further up you get to start.) Unless the Meetup has hundreds of participants, riders should all start close enough that an ad-hoc race will work just fine.
  • Distance-based Meetups have a virtual finish line (blue hologram). Time-based Meetups do not have a finish line, so they may not be your best choice for a Meetup race. (On the other hand, the idea of a time-based race is intriguing…)
  • Virtual finish line
  • Meetup race results screen

Late Join

All Meetups now automatically support late join! (*And there was much rejoicing!*)

This has been a popular request from Zwifters because let’s face it: cyclists are really bad at showing up on time. Late Join for Meetups works like Late Join for events – you can join a Meetup up to 30 minutes after it begins, as long as it’s still in progress.

There is no visible “Late Join” option when creating your Meetup, because it is always enabled. The only time it’s not enabled is when you choose to show Race Results (see above).

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Canyon ZCC Announces Launch of Development Youth Team

Eric Schlange
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1
Canyon ZCC Announces Launch of Development Youth Team

Back in January 2019, Canyon became the first major bike brand to sponsor a Zwift racing team. Since that day their men’s and women’s teams have seen a good amount of success in high profile community and Zwift-organized race events.

This week, Canyon announced the launch of a third group within their eSports team: a youth development squad!

This is another first in Zwift racing – it may be the first development Zwift team ever, in fact. It’s certainly the first youth team backed by a major bike brand.

The squad will consist of approximately 20 riders, ages 16-23, with a representative mix of male and female riders. They will be mentored by existing team riders like Alex West, Claudia Behring, Lionel Sanders, Kristin Falck, Lionel Vujasin, and Ione Johnson. This aspect of the setup is hugely beneficial, according to team manager Rhys Howell: “When you join our team, you’re joining a family that supports one another; team culture is something we really cherish. Our riders can provide invaluable advice in the same way we have supported Canyon’s other professional road teams like Alpecin-Fenix.”

Aiden Sinclair (16, Australia)

Aiden Sinclair (16, Australia) has already been training with Canyon ZCC, helping them fine-tune things for the launch of the development squad. Here’s what he has to say about his experience so far:

For me, it has already been a great opportunity to connect with and learn from Ollie Jones and Alex West who I’ve raced with a lot within the SRAM Send it series and KOA leagues. On top of that, the team invited me to race at the highest level in a Zwift-sanctioned Pro-Am – this was a fantastic opportunity to test myself against the best in the business. I cannot wait for the full squad to be announced and to work with my new teammates from around the world.

Apply Now

Interested in joining the Canyon dev squad? We recommend reading their press release, then filling out their online application. Good luck!

All About Zwift’s Specialized Tarmac SL7 Frame

Eric Schlange
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25
All About Zwift’s Specialized Tarmac SL7 Frame

New bike day is always a good day, and yesterday’s Zwift update included a new bike frame: the Specialized Tarmac SL7! This bike has been making big waves in the “real world” bike industry since reviews began rolling out recently, trumpeting it as the “one bike to rule them all.” In fact, Specialized is discontinuing development of its aero Venge line, since the new Tarmac is nearly as fast as the Venge while climbing better.

Just how fast is the IRL Tarmac SL7? Specialized says it shaves 45 seconds off the previous Tarmac SL6’s time over 40k. (Still 9 seconds slower than the Venge, though.) And the new Tarmac is lighter than the Venge, so it should climb faster. There’s a good reason why many cyclists are lusting after the new Tarmac!

But all those real-world numbers don’t necessarily correlate to performance in Zwift. Instead, Zwift performance has everything to do with how Zwift’s programmers set the frame up in terms of CdA and weight. So everyone is asking: how fast is the Tarmac SL7 in Zwift?

Notably, the frame is available now in the Drop Shop for level 5 Zwifters and above, priced at only 674,500. At such a low level requirement and price, one would think this Tarmac SL7 wouldn’t be quite as fast as frames costing more or requiring a higher level. And you’d be right.

Here’s how the new Specialized Tarmac SL7 performs in Zwift.

Flat (Aero) Performance

The Tarmac SL7 is ranked in the 61st percentile against other Zwift road frames, meaning it’s more aero than 61% of the frames in game. What does that actually mean in terms of seconds? Well, it works out to being 12 seconds slower than the fastest bikes over a ~50-minute flat test course.

See our ranking charts for details >

Climb (Lightweight) Performance

This is where the Tarmac SL7 shines – which makes good sense. The best climber in game is the Specialized Tarmac Pro, and while the new Tarmac SL7 doesn’t unseat the Tarmac Pro, it is ranked #4 on our list of top climbers.

In terms of actual timings, the Tarmac SL7 is 8 seconds slower up the Alpe than the Tarmac Pro. See our ranking charts for details >

Conclusion

The Specialized Tarmac SL7 is a solid all-arounder, basically matching the performance of the recently-added Cannondale Supersix EVO. The Tarmac SL7 matches the Supersix EVO’s Alpe time while being 1 second faster over 50 minutes in our flat tests. (It’s worth noting that times can vary by 1s thanks to GPS rounding, so this really is a negligible difference.)

Like we said for the Supersix EVO, if you’re looking for a “do it all” bike instead of worrying about changing between aero and lightweight rigs, the Tarmac SL7 is a great choice. And at a level requirement of just 5, the Tarmac SL7 is much more attainable for new Zwifters than the Supersix EVO, which has a level requirement of 36.

Overall, we see the Tarmac SL7 becoming a popular choice in Zwift, especially for newer Zwifters. We’ve now highlighted it in our Zwift Shopping Guide since it’s the first high-performance frame Zwifters can buy.

Your Thoughts

Share your questions and comments below!

Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.

Zwift Update Version 1.0.54377 Released

Eric Schlange
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128
Zwift Update Version 1.0.54377 Released

The latest Zwift update is now available on all platforms. It’s a solid update, including some major new features! Here are the details…

Not sure if your Zwift install is up-to-date? Here’s how to check >

FutureWorks Steering Expanded to All Roads

Zwift launched steering on Repack Ridge powered by our phones and the Companion app back in October 2019. Today they’ve taken steering to all Zwift roads, which is huge news! This means we can select our own line in corners, and maneuver our way through the pack to choose which wheel we want to sit on. Check out this short sample from Zwift:

Here’s the unexpected thing: the new version of steering doesn’t use the Companion app. Instead, you will need to purchase the Elite Sterzo Smart steering block, available now from Zwift.

Why not Companion? Because the feedback from the community after the offroad steering test was that steering would “drift”, making the experience less than ideal for many users. The Sterzo doesn’t drift, since it’s not accelerometer-based. It also solves the tricky problem of setting up a front wheel turntable.

We’ll do some follow-up posts on FutureWorks Steering for sure, since it’s literally a game-changer! But here are the highlights:

  • Sterzo Smart pricing: $109.99 USD (US), $129.99 CAD (Canada), €84.99 EUR (EU), £69.99 GBP (UK). Buy it at Zwift.com >
  • “Lateral collisions” are disabled if you’re in steering mode. This means you can’t just ride through riders side-to-side… you have to go around them. We’re looking forward to testing this!
  • The Sterzo is paired through a new “Accessories” widget on the pairing screen. It only works with Zwit via Bluetooth at this time, although the Sterzo includes ANT+. If you’ve got it paired, then steering is enabled. Easy peasy.
  • Steering will be disabled for all events by default, since it gives racers an unfair advantage. But event organizers will be able to choose to enable steering.
  • Steering will be enabled on additional hardware (read: smartbikes) in the coming months, but there’s no strict timetable. Zwift says “Many smart bikes include steering buttons. For those of you with Smart Bikes, those capabilities are planned for support at a later date.”

Read more about FutureWorks Steering on Zwift’s blog post >

Meetup Enhancements (Almost Here)

Zwift’s press release includes this tantalizing line:

Additionally, the latest update also brings improvements to Meetups, including late join and race results.

Hurray! Late join and race results are two of the most-requested Meetup improvements from the community, so it’s great to see these being rolled out.

Important timing note: these new features won’t be available until the Companion app is updated, which we’re hearing should be early next week. France and Paris will also be available for Meetups once the update is rolled out.

New Bike Day: Specialized Tarmac SL7

We knew this bike was arriving soon, after reporting on the upcoming 7 Days of Tarmac SL7. Specialized says of the IRL bike that it’s the “one bike to rule them all” – both lightweight and super aero. So aero, in fact, that they’re discontinuing the Venge line.

How will it perform in game? We’re testing it right now to find out… stay tuned!

(There are also some new wheels available in the Drop Shop: DT Swiss ARC 62’s. We’re testing these as well!)

Ride Leader Fence Update

The fence has returned! It was removed back in March due to bugs, and has now returned with one key difference: it no longer boots flyers from the ride.

Instead, if you go past the fence you get a really annoying notification on screen that should encourage you to slow down and return to the ride.

From what we hear, the fence should soon be enabled on group rides that used the fence in the past. It may take Zwift a few days to get the fence re-enabled on all rides, but that’s the plan.

FutureWorks Pace Partners

“Pace Partners” are pacer bots which Zwifters can join from the drop-in screen. When you click to join a bot it will be just like joining a friend who is already riding – you will be taken to where that bot is on-course, and you can ride with them as long as you’d like. Our guess is each bot will always have a group of riders around it in a sort of ongoing group ride.

There are four bots who will be available 20 hours per day (they will be turned off for maintenance from 8:30-10:30 and 20:30-22:30 Pacific time each day). Each bot rides at a set wattage on a particular Watopia route:

  • “D. Diesel” (1-2.4 w/kg)”: Casual-paced group ride with a few gentle hills
  • “C. Cadence” (2.5-3.1 w/kg): Moderately-paced group ride with occasional hills
  • “B. Brevet” (3.2-3.9 w/kg): Expert-paced group ride with frequent climbs.
  • “A. Anquetil” (4+ w/kg): Elite-paced ride on a challenging route. Many tough climbs!

This is just the “minimum viable product” (MVP) version of Pace Partners. There are lots of possibilities for this feature to expand in the future, including having bots modulate their power in smart ways (increasing on climbs, decreasing on descents), giving riders rewards for staying near the bot, running pacers, etc. But Zwift wants to test out the feature first to see if people find it useful.

As with all FutureWorks features, Zwift releases them so the community can test and provide feedback via in-game surveys and the FutureWorks forum.

PowerUp Changes

Zwift has added a new powerup and changed the behavior of two existing powerups:

  • Anvil (New): an event-only powerup which adds a % to your weight. Your avatar will visually “hulk up” while it’s in use, and it lasts for 30 seconds. Good for descents, as we know heavier riders descend faster.
  • Feather: this has been changed to lighten your weight by a %, instead of a set weight (formerly 9.5 kg). This makes it more useful and fair for heavier riders.
  • Burrito: now disables the draft for all riders within a 2.5-meter radius, making it a much more powerful tool for racers. The old burrito wasn’t useful when riding in the pack, since removing just your draft effect didn’t affect riders around you at all. The new burrito will make everyone work harder… at least for 10 seconds!

Other Updates

Update notes included these additional changes as well:

  • Time gaps between riders in the riders nearby list has been improved and should now be significantly more accurate across different terrain types. This is a good change – we’ll have to test it further! Read our post on how Zwift calculated time gaps previously >
  • New riders will default to long white socks and a helmet.
  • All Zwifters (adults and children) now share the same height and weight restrictions in-game and in ZC. (Users attempting to change these values on the web via my.zwift.com will still encounter restrictions and this will be addressed in a future release.)
  • Numerous fixes for overgrown trees and boulders which have made their way onto the roadways as well as floating objects.
  • Localization fixes where some translations would not properly fit within the boundaries of the UI.
  • Fixed an issue with some Japanese characters not appearing correctly in chat messages.
  • Fixed the issue with the Hide Chat setting not being applied while in an event.
  • Fixed a bug where users in a No HUD event would not receive a powerup.
  • Added 4K UHD support for those using an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M video card.

See/discuss release notes on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

Share your thoughts below!

Zwift Events Not To Miss This Weekend

Eric Schlange
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Zwift Events Not To Miss This Weekend

Here are our picks for this weekend, published a bit earlier so our Aussie friends can get the scoop before their weekend begins. This week’s selections run the gamut from absolute beginner rides to super-long efforts suited for experienced riders. You do you!

Special thanks to Jesper at ZwiftHacks with his Events app which provides powerful event filtering tools that help us create this list each week.

Your First Group Ride: Seattle Baby Steps 1.0-1.3 w/kg

Nervous about jumping into your first group ride? Unsure if you can hold the pace of most Zwift group rides? Seattle Baby Steps is one of the lowest-paced rides on Zwift at 1.0-1.3 w/kg, and it’s specifically intended for riders who are newer, younger, older, and recovering from injuries.

This week’s ride is on the new France R.G.V. route, so you can unlock that badge as well if you haven’t done so yet!

Sunday 4:15pm BST/11:15am EDT/8:15am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/995470

STPC Gravel Grinder

Gravel is all the rage in the cycling world – why not take on some virtual dirt with the Saris + The Pro’s Closet squad in a longish weekend race? This race uses Zwift’s gravel bike line-up and routes featuring gravel roads. This weekend’s race is on the Big Foot Hills route.

Sunday 12:30pm BST/7:30am EDT/4:30am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/995429

Work Together In a Chase Race

We’re a big fan of the chase race format with its combination of teamwork and solo effort. In a chase or “handicap” race, category groups are released from slowest to fastest, with time gaps set so all categories come together near the end of the race. You work together to stay away from chasers and catch groups ahead, but if you get caught by a chase group, it’s every rider for themselves as you try to grab onto those wheels!

Here are two fun Chase Races happening this weekend which we haven’t featured before:

TBR Pancake Chase Race: Four groups – D(onuts), C(repes), B(agels) and PancAkes.
Saturday 7pm BST/2pm EDT/11am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/993963

The Alpe Dash by Herd Racing League: a chase race up Alpe du Zwift!
Three different event times this weekend. See all three events at zwifthacks.com/app/events/?key=5f2c267283483

Go for a Long Ride

Weekends are traditionally for long rides, and the same is true on Zwift. Here are two big rides planned for the weekend, but keep in mind there are others as well! Here’s a ZwiftHacks link showing all upcoming events over 100km in length >

Ascenders Team Brevet 200 Challenge: three distance categories available
Saturday 7am BST/2am EDT/Friday 11pm PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/993845

The Vegan Cyclist 100+1 Miles: three distance categories available
Saturday 6pm BST/1pm EDT/10am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/996623

Age Group Racing

Tired of losing to young whippersnappers in sprint finishes? Want to compete based on age groups instead of w/kg categories? Age group racing is a thing on Zwift, although it can be a bit tough to track down the events. Here are two happening this weekend!

Fearless AGES Women’s Race: age group racing, just for ladies!
Saturday 7:30pm BST/2:30pm EDT/11:30am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/993966

ZHR Masters Weekender: for men or ladies
Sunday 3pm BST/10am EDT/7am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/995455

Your Thoughts

Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments!

Saris + The Pro’s Closet Launches Women’s Team

Eric Schlange
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Saris + The Pro’s Closet Launches Women’s Team

The men’s team known as Saris + The Pro’s Closet (formerly Team Indoor Specialist) has had much success racing together on Zwift. And now Saris + The Pro’s Closet has launched a women’s team of elite racers!

The women’s team kicked off their virtual season with a strong 2nd place result in the Team Time Trial at the Virtual Tour of the Gila and 3rd place in the all-women’s Tour de Boudicca. They are currently the #2-ranked women’s team on ZwiftPower.

Roster

Parity

Gender parity is an important topic in sport, and certainly much-discussed in cycling. Zwift riders in particular seem to receive more parity than riders in other cycling disciplines, due in no small part to Zwift’s efforts at gender parity from the beginning.

“It’s exciting to see eSports leading the way with parity in cycling,” said Jenn Real, 2019 Zwift USA National Championships silver medalist and Saris + The Pro’s Closet team manager. “As we see equal coverage and access for women’s teams in the virtual world, it’s becoming apparent that eSports can positively impact racing in the real world.”

In particular, Zwift’s live stream coverage of big races has been a huge marketing boon to women’s teams. Some have discovered just this season that Zwift racing brings them more coverage than they’ve ever had before!

This fact isn’t lost on team sponsors. “The value placed on equal opportunity and coverage for women’s racing in eSports was a major motivation behind introducing our first virtual race team,’ said Matt Heitmann, Chief Marketing Officer at The Pro’s Closet.

Your Thoughts

Share below!

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