Zwift has just rolled out a new Euro-centric monthly fondo series in partnership with pro team Alpecin Cycling. The “Alpecin Cycling Series” includes a big prize drawing and a chance to try to hold the wheel of cycling superstar Mathieu Van der Poel. It all kicks off this Sunday, June 28!
Is this a Race?
Officially, no. But many riders will treat these as races. Ride your ride. Find a group traveling at your pace and enjoy the challenge!
Schedule
There is one fondo each month for June, July, and August:
Each month’s event is set up the same way. The category you select determines which route you will ride.
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′)
Prize Drawing*
There is a giveaway associated with this fondo series, but it’s only for Zwifters in particular countries. The official rules state “The Promotion is open to individuals who reside in the countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium or the Netherlands and are 18 years of age or older as of date of entry…”
The grand prize is a Wahoo KICKR bike and Headwind fan. In addition, Zwift is giving away 10 Alpecin-Fenix sets (jersey + bib short) and 50 Alpecin Caffeine shampoo product sets.
We reached out to Zwift HQ for clarification on these drawings and confirmed that only Zwifters in the countries listed above are eligible to win these prizes. This is due to Alpecin’s market and product availability.
Kristin Armstrong talks with 14-year-old future star cyclist Maize Wimbush about the passion of wearing the red, white, and blue and representing your country. Maize opens up about her dream of being the first female African American to make the Olympic Team in cycling before receiving advice from 3x Olympic Champ Kristin Armstrong.
A unique 3-stage charity event has been announced for this Sunday, June 28th. The “Raid Local” rides will be hosted by sporting legends in support of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT). Here are the details…
About Raid Local
The Raid Local event was born as a result of CPT’s scheduled ‘Raid Alpine’ cycle challenge – its biggest ever – being postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. With significant loss of income due to this postponement, CPT needs our support more than ever to continue its vital work of supporting those who are working to find a cure for Parkinson’s.
Raid Local includes two cycling challenges – you choose what works best for you. Ride local roads covering 137km distance and 3700m of vertical ascent, or do it on Zwift! Read more about Raid Local on CPT’s site >
Ride Leaders and Participants
Rugby World Cup winner and CPT Patron Mike Tindall MBE is leading the IRL event, taking on the grueling hills of Gloucestershire. His team of sporting legends will be leading the virtual Raid, and Zwift riders are invited to join them in support of CPT. Mike’s team includes:
Olympic and World Champion cyclist Sir Chris Hoy (leading stage 1)
Ex English Rugby International Austin Healey (leading stage 2)
Ex Welsh Rugby International Shane Williams MBE (leading stage 3)
Rugby World Cup winner Iain Balshaw MBE (sweeper across all 3 stages)
British Olympic skeleton racing champion Amy Williams MBE
English professional golfer Lee Westwood OBE
TV and radio broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher
Stage Details
Stage 1: Ride leader Chris Hoy (8am BST/3am EDT/12am PDT)
Route: Innsbruck Achterbahn (1 lap) 47.38 km (29.4 miles) long, 973m (3,192‘) elevation gain
Route: London Surrey Hills (1 lap) 44.1 km (27.4 miles) long, 1029m (3,376‘) elevation gain
Stage 3: Ride leader Shane Williams (3pm BST/10am EDT/7am PDT)
Route: Watopia Quatch Quest (1 lap) 45.9 km (28.5 miles) long, 1683m (5,522‘) elevation gain
Is This a Race?
It’s not a race… until it is! These events aren’t formatted like your typical Zwift group ride or race.
Celebrity lead riders will target a 2-2.5 w/kg pace for the first hour of each stage. Riders are encouraged to ride as a group during that time, and at their own pace for the remainder of the stage. Challenge Chris Hoy, Amy Williams, or Lee Westwood to a sprint or climb and see how you do!
Zwifters are welcome to ride one, two, or all three stages.
Kit Unlock
Complete any of the three stages of the Raid to unlock the Rapha Classic Flyweight 2019 jersey.
Donations Welcome
CPT is asking all who join to make a donation of £20, or more if you are able, to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust on JustGiving.
It’s me again, back once more to fill the void left by a lack of real-life professional racing by telling the tales of a somewhat unfit, heavy, and slow nobody trying to make it in the blunt end of Cat D events. Huge thanks to all the people who have read so far, and for all the positive encouragement and constructive advice provided. If nothing else, Zwift has a great community of users. Ride On!
End of the Beginning
So 6 weeks ago I signed up to a 6-week FTP Builder program in hopes of getting my w/kg closer to 2.5 (the top end of the D category) so I could challenge D podiums, sans sandbaggers.
There have been many times during the last few weeks where I regretted signing up to such a lengthy program.
A lot can happen in 6 weeks, and it certainly did. For starters, the weather was amazing! The UK had its sunniest month on record in May, and I was kind of gutted I was indoors not outdoors.
Now the plan (and the coronavirus lockdowns) is finished, the weather has turned back to winter, and I’m stuck inside once more. Maybe I should start another plan to coax the summer back? I could toughen up and ride in the rain, but then what would Zwift be for?
I also had to skip some interesting events, challenges, and rides with friends as they just didn’t fit with the plan I was doing. But it’s done now, and after nearly 28 hours, 550km and 14000 calories I’m free to ride how I want to. With my new weight and fitness, I’m ready for races and sunshine if and when it returns.
Here’s how the second half of my program progressed and what the outcome of the new ramp test was. Will I be ready for races, or still drafting the joggers?
My stats from the 6 week program, I could have cycled to Edinburgh which I currently have plane tickets to get to.
Badges and Trophies
I had feedback after my previous post that I wasn’t following the plan properly as I was adding extra sessions. I couldn’t agree more! In the first few weeks, the plan was very relaxed. But the fatigue was growing as the days went on, and I was almost certainly impeding the correct training zone development at least somewhat. I knew as the plan progressed it would be harder to stray and I therefore stuck to the plan much more closely after week 3.
The problem is, I’m using Zwift to get fitter because I enjoy it. Yes, being quicker will help me enjoy it even more, but if I take it too seriously I worry it may actually lose motivation and it will be counterproductive. So there were a few occasions where I added a little bit more, and I don’t feel at all bad about it either.
The main extra effort was in the last week. I’m currently hammering climbing routes for the elusive Tron bike, but also to grab the Strava badges related to climbing in June – very challenging for the heavier rider. There was one Strava challenge I really wanted to add to my trophy cabinet, a climb up the Alpe from Strava Japan Club. #BordersAreImaginary
My previous trip up the Alpe had taken 2 hours and 25 minutes, so I knew I wouldn’t get to the top in my typical 75-minute workout using the Road to the Sky route. Based on my previous rides, my 75-minute workouts were getting me around 600m up the Alpe before they finished and I freewheeled back down. To make it easier, I paused my work out before I started and coasted down the hill through the Jungle to the base of the Alpe. This saved me around 15 minutes of riding and took no effort. Once the road turned up I unpaused the workout and enjoyed the low watt 10min warmup which took me most of the way to the first corner.
The workout was intense, with intervals in the green and yellow training zones. Although I was happy to be quickly ticking off the corners one by one, it’s particularly depressing when you’re hammering away in the yellow zone and someone glides past you in their blue or even grey zones. This happened a few times and I think it should be banned, or there should be Mario Kart powerups so I can boop them back down the hill!
This would level the playing field a little.
I persevered and when I ran out of workout I was at around 750m climbed, or 300m from the top. My head was telling me to get off the bike, by my heart reminded me that the Strava Japan Club had challenged me to complete this climb and this was my best opportunity. (Admittedly, they had not challenged me directly, I found it on a Strava hack site, but I had accepted none the less.) It took me another 30 minutes to reach the top, a total of 1:55 on the Alpe itself. 30 minutes faster than my previous ascent! For my troubles, I got a second helmet from the prize wheel which I immediately listed on eBay, then managed to shower quicker than Digital Bryan could freewheel back down the hill.
Glitch in the Matrix
Yet more badges were earned a few rides later, this time Zwift ones. When I say earned though, my efforts were merely a result of owning an old second hand turbo, which glitched to give me a very brief power output of exactly 2000w. This brief surge was enough to unlock all the power badges above 800w in the process. Very annoying as I’ll have to earn them all properly now before I can sleep guilt free, especially as WADA are still on my case about the weight doping in my recent Crit City loss. If the 2000w badge actually provided a Delorian I’d go back in time to stop it happening, but if one of Eric’s Minions reads this, please take them away!
Glitch in the Matrix
No, it’s not deja vu, I get a lot of these. I love Zwift, it’s great, but there are times when I feel like it’s still beta software. If it’s not because of compatibility and connectivity issues with hardware, or quirky route issues where I go the wrong way, it’s the fact that so much of what I’m paying Zwift for occurs on third party websites.
Using Zwift costs the equivalent of buying a new console game every 4 months. It’s not cheap, especially when you need plenty of expensive hardware to make it work. I also now have a subscription for Strava which displays many of the stats that I would prefer Zwift to give me directly (I could feel myself getting fitter as I pressed the subscribe button). Then there is ZwiftPower who do a better job of managing race results for free than Zwift do with their paid subscription. That would be like paying to watch an NBA game on ESPN, but having to check what the score is on some random fan’s Twitter page. I know there are plenty of other sites out there which, in my opinion, do the jobs that Zwift or Strava should be providing, especially for the premium rates we are paying. VeloViewer is another example, or if Strava tracked our calories like Myfitnesspal it could calculate all our meals and macros (or wine, pizza, and chocolate) automatically too. Instead, I have a growing number of random apps and websites all meshed together to provide something resembling a finished product, I think I need an app to manage my apps if anyone wants to make one. It also makes sense to me for Zwift, with their majority winter income, and Strava, with their majority summer income, to merge into a new subscription service. It’s like the ice cream stalls that sell hotdogs in the winter.
Enough of the rant and on with the glitch. This particular one was the most infuriating I’ve had so far as it occurred right at the end of my FTP test. I started the test full of confidence and excited to see an improvement on my previous 217 watts, and I know you are all equally excited to find out how much fitter some random novice you’ve never met can get in 6 weeks. I have to admit though, I’d kind of had a falling out with my legs on the last day of the workout program, and I’m not sure they had forgiven me after just 1 day off the bike. I was pedaling ok through most of the test, but could certainly feel some background ache in my quads, and my hamstrings were quite sore from a gardening session the day before too, although this didn’t seem to be troubling my cycling at all. I hoped that as the test progressed and I warmed up a little they would loosen up, but alas, it was not to be. I’m sure they would have cost me a few watts when the results came in.
Sadly though, we will never know. Just as the test ramped up to 300+ watts, the resistance on my trusty second hand Bushido kept dropping away. I had already lost the ability to hold a steady cadence at this point, so was mashing the pedals a little, but still had some left to give, then suddenly there were 3 very brief moments over a 5 second period where the power cut allowing my legs to spin a little more freely. I kept going through the first 2 instances before deciding that I may end up giving myself an artificially higher FTP. Not wanting to fatigue myself for no reason, yet quite angry it had sabotaged my efforts, I stopped early, and despondently cooled down while googling for trainer upgrades I can’t afford right now. I have to admit this also left me somewhat disillusioned and lost with the cycling process as a whole, similar to how I felt when I’ve had other tech issues in the past.
I’ve hammered my trainer in some high wattage uphill sprints since then and while it’s not replicated this issue or any other glitches, it hasn’t restored my confidence it won’t reoccur in my next test, race or group ride.
Previous FTP test
Glitched FTP test
There is some hope though! Based on the less than fresh legs and the early finish to the test, I’d expected a really poor result to show up, but was delighted that I’d in fact scored 216, just 1 watt down on my previous best. I won’t update what this means for my w/kg as it’s inaccurate and marginal at best, but the positive I can add to this update is that I’ve finally returned to 102kg, dropping 7kg during the 6-week program.
I have to confess, Digital Bryan is no quicker yet. When I discovered my post-honeymoon fat increases I wasn’t able to bring myself to change my in-game weight, so this weight loss simply means I’m no longer lying about it. Better yet, every kilogram I lose after this will result in a faster DigiBry and I’m also off the self-imposed WADA most wanted list so I can race again, even if this actually means I sign up to a race and pedal around on my own after everyone slides over the horizon together.
Make Fun Fast Again
Now that I’m done with the program, it’s time to look for some races and group rides to put the fun back in my exercise. In a week or so I will try the FTP test again in hopes it’s glitch free so I can see some progress. But first I’m going to take a day or so to rest and recover as my legs and I are clearly not fully on talking terms yet.
Then I plan to scour the Zwift Hacks event listings (another free site doing a better job than the app I pay for) looking for some group rides and races I can join. I really want to add some social to my cycling so I’m looking for a team to join too, a GMT friendly one with chatty and supportive group rides, workouts, and progression if I ever get faster. Also, a slick looking kit would be nice. Team suggestions welcome!
Could we be about to get a series of new roads to ride? Simon, Shane and Nathan assess the impact on Zwifters of the (as yet officially unconfirmed) news that Zwift is to stage a virtual version of Le Tour de France, complete with the IRL planned start and finish stages in Nice and Paris.
Perhaps more excitingly, there is speculation that the talk of a “marquee climb” may be a new TdF climb, rather than the existing recreation of L’Alpe D’Huez.
If so – and it’s still an “if”, which one might it be? Simon boils down the likely choices and the Zwiftcasters decide which one of those candidate climbs it might be.
Taco Cat has made a name for himself with his occasionally bizarre, and very frequent, posts in the Zwift forums online. Simon tracks down Taco Cat to his lair to find out more about his owner, Craig Hulce.
Despite an uninvited guest in the form of a large and very noisy jackhammer directly outside Zwiftcast Central, the podcasters push on to discuss the recent Race for Heroes and how successful and entertaining the charity event was. Could this be a pointer towards the chase format figuring more strongly in Zwift racing?
Zwift CEO Eric Min has been named as the 30th most influential person in cycling. Did Cycling News’ Power List get this right? The Zwiftcasters discuss.
Pride Month has seen a whole series of events across the platform spreading the inclusivity message and Zwift has backed the initiative with a substantial donation to Athlete Ally, an advocacy group. Simon talks to the organisation’s executive director Hudson Taylor.
Finally, the Zwiftcasters wrap up the episode with a tech round-up, including a plea to Strava to sort out the “long straight line” quirk which would, for example, make linking rides in Paris and Nice not possible on Zwift.
In bike racing, ideal doesn’t happen very often. You can do the ideal training, build your best fitness, then make a bad call and waste the form on race day. Other days you can race your bike perfectly, get all the tactics and pacing right but not have the legs you had hoped for.
And even when your head and your mind are right, bad luck can strike at any moment with crashes (computer or bicycle), illness, and injury always lurking in the background as unfortunate possibilities.
Sometimes though, just once in a while, it all comes together for an ideal race weekend. I got to have one of those in last weekend’s virtual Joe Martin Stage Race (JMSR).
Preparation
The race began with its most decisive stage, the grueling 8km Bologna TT course featuring a 2km, 10% wall to the finish line. We all knew the race would be shaped by this effort just as it is by the Devil’s Den uphill TT in the real life Joe Martin.
Usually, I am pretty good at uphill time trials, especially coming in fresh on the first stage of a race. I won the San Dimas TT in 2018 and way back in 2014 I had a breakout result with 2nd in the JMSR TT. This gave me some confidence going into the virtual version and I prepared like I was going to win.
I used Zwift Insider speed test data and Best Bike Split to put together my pacing plan and rode the course as often as I could in the week leading up to the race. I even perfected the art of the Zwift bike change so I could switch to a light road bike for the finishing climb – until the race organizer made the change to a mass start TT bike only event!
With my research, I knew that I would have to hold back an almost painful amount in the first half of the race since all the time was to be made on the finishing climb. I did a maximum effort test the Monday of the race and realized I needed to hold back even more than I thought when I blew to pieces before the end. This learning process paid off in a big way on race day.
Stage One
The pack shot off the line as everyone established their TT pace and jostled for position in the absence of any drafting. I was immediately back in 70th place on the road and I could see the contenders forging clear off the front on the broadcast. Fighting off pangs of panic, I stuck to my sub-threshold pace on the flats.
By the time the road started to tilt upwards with 3km to go I was still back in 50th or so but my legs felt full of power. I hit the climb proper and started my maximum 5-6 minute effort. I started picking off riders and progressing rapidly even in the slow-motion action on the 12-16% grades. With 1km to go, I was 5th but finally able to see the leaders ahead and I stayed on my pace.
As the gradient eased on the final ramps I emptied the tank and I was closing fast on Dan Fleeman of the mighty Saris-The Pros Closet team for 2nd. I never saw my avatar pass his since my eyes were closed under the strain in the final 200m but it happened. I looked up and saw I had finished 2nd overall, just 3 seconds back from winner Mikey Mottram of the Vitus team and 1 second ahead of Fleeman. I couldn’t have done it any better, so it felt almost as good as a win.
A well-paced Bologna TT
Watch Stage One:
Stage Two
The second stage, a 4-lap effort on the Sand and Sequoias loop, was a blur. I woke up restless at 4:30 am and felt fuzzy in the race despite many caffeinated Clif Blocks consumed (thanks for the shipment Clif!).
About halfway through, I heard that the overnight leader Mottram never started the stage due to tech issues and I was now yellow on the road. Our team had our own similar misfortune, losing powerhouse Adam Roberge to a connection problem. So it was just 19-year-old Lucas and me holding down the fort for the rest of the race and preserving my single second lead.
The pace was on!
We came through just fine and Lucas pulled off a stellar top-25 ride despite helping me along the way.
Watch Stage Two:
Stage Three
This is where ideal could have become disaster in the blink of an eye. One bad tactical decision, tired legs, or a moment of inattention could have cost me my lead on the punchy Richmond course.
The Saris-TPC team brought the pain from start to finish, trying to dislodge me with an impressive concerted effort. First, they capitalized on the frenzied first lap up the Richmond climbs. After the field split they drove the pace to make sure none of my teammates made it back to the select front group of 30. In the following laps, especially the final one they used their multiple riders in the top 10 on GC to attack and try to force me to chase alone. I could usually recognize the attacks quickly though, latch on and neutralize the damage. We were all together as the group screamed downhill towards the three climbs to the finish.
Covering another attack on Libby Hill on tage 3
Covering Attacks on Stage 3
From there it was just three all-out efforts for me. Fleeman launched a searing attack in the final kilometer and momentarily opened up the 1-second gap he needed. I wavered slightly but then looked up to the finish line 500m ahead and decided to give it everything from long range. I broke free to battle for 7th on the stage in a very tired sprint and I knew it was enough. I yelled into our team Discord channel and the relief was real.
I finally did it. I finally won one for the team even if it happened in the living room and not surrounded by a cheering crowd.
Watch Stage Three:
As much as my success in the virtual Tour of Gila was huge for my confidence coming back from injury, this win means even more. I’ve struggled at times to close the deal in stage races and step up to the plate when my competitors throw their best stuff at me. I wanted that to be different this year and this time it was.
I hope to take that momentum forward both on the road and online and have a few more ideal weekends in my career.
Join Matt Lieto for his conversation with 3x Ironman 70.3 champion Rach McBride! They talk through their plan for future Ironman races and how to be a good ally for members of the LGBTQI+ community in sport.
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.
Say hello to Ashleigh Moolman Pasio! The South African pro cyclist was the first-ever World Tour Pro winner of a Zwift Classic—you might remember her crushing the third round at Trofeo Bologna. She and PowerUp host Matt Rowe catch up in Episode 53, chatting about life in lockdown as well as racing and training on Zwift. Plus, Matt, Kev, and Greg offer advice on how to factor split days into your training.
It’s summer in the Nothern Hemisphere, but Zwift isn’t slowing down! We’ve still got hundreds of daily events on the calendar, from weekly regulars to special one-offs. Here are 6 events this weekend you may want to check out.
Special thanks to Jesper at ZwiftHacks with his Events app which provides powerful event filtering tools that help us create this list each week.
Scott Celebration Group Ride
This event kicks of Scott Week, a celebration of all things cycling. Join a pile of pro athletes as well as hundreds of fellow Zwifters for a ride on London’s challening Triple Loops route! Three categories to choose from, with category A being the fastest and longest ride. Treat it like a casual group ride, or race with those who want to race. It’s all good!
The Seaside Solstice 5k is the next installment of the Zwift Race Series, and it’s coming in hot this weekend! Get a taste of summer as we chase the sun through Watopia 5k Loop. Complete the race to unlock the Summer Kit and matching Ciele Cap!
This is charity ride is in support of BMX Elite Athlete Kai Sakakibara who crashed heavily in February 2020 sustaining a traumatic brain injury (read about his rehab progress here). The charity ride will be led by Kai’s sister, Saya Sakakibara. It will be 77 mins in length to reflect Kai’s permanent race number #77.
Many of Kai’s friends from the BMX, MTB, and road cycling disciplines along with other athletes including professional skiers will be participating. All Zwifters are invited as well!
Watch the world’s top Zwift teams go at it in the first-ever Virtual Joe Martin Stage Race! Learn more here.
It begins today (Friday) with an ITT event, then we have a race on Saturday and Sunday as well (see below). Watch the live-streamed races on Zwift Community Live’s YouTube channel – race videos are embedded below as well.
Cycling Ireland Innsbruck Classic
Cycling Ireland‘s Saturday race series has been very popular since it launched, and this Saturday’s event looks to be continuing that trend with hundreds already signed up. Two laps of Innsbruck’s challenging 2018 UCI Worlds Short Lap – do you have what it takes? As the Irish like to say, it’ll be a whale of time!
The Norseman 2020 Training Series has begun, and this weekend sees our first group rides and runs! There are multiple group ride times on Saturday, and multiple runs on Sunday. These aren’t races, but group events. Some will treat them as a race, but you do whatever you’d like!
Zwift’s Bologna “Time Trial Lap” course is a fascinating study for bike racers due to its layout. A 1-lap race here is split neatly in terms of time with a flat first half and a steep climb for the second half.
But some races cover multiple laps. Additionally, some events here are time trials (no drafting) and some are road races with drafting.
So what’s the best bike frame and wheelset for your Bologna race? After numerous tests, what I’ve found is that the answer is quite straightforward for TT races, but much more “multifactorial” for road races. I’ve broken up the bike recommendations below by race type for this reason.
Note: the conclusions in this post are based on hundreds of test laps completed in controlled conditions. The raw data can be found in this living Google spreadsheet.
Time Trials
If your race is a multi-lap time trial, your choice is easy: go with the most aero setup available. In our tests, any climbing gains made by a lighter frame or wheelset were more than offset by slower speeds on flats and descents.
This includes wheels, where the DT Swiss ARC 62 Dicut Disc is a bit slower than non-disc wheels on the climb, but much faster on the flats, improving your overall time more than any other wheelset.
Pro tip: your best overall time is more dependent on pacing than bike choice! Our tests have shown that a smart over/under pacing strategy will shave 25-40 seconds off a steady wattage effort. Read “How to Pace Your Best Zwift Bologna TT Race” for details.
Road Races
Bike selection for a road race (drafting enabled) in Bologna is far more nuanced than a time trial. Here are four key factors in Bologna bike choice which, when combined, should form a solid strategy for any rider.
#1: Hold the Wheel!
Simply put: if you lose the group draft, you’ve lost the race. So before you fixate on the climb at the end of the route, make sure you’re doing everything you can to stay with the front of the race to the base of the climb. Because if you lose the group draft, chances are they will gap you substantially enough that you’ll never see them again! This is even more true on multi-lap races.
#2: How Many Laps?
Closely related to the focus on drafting is the question of lap count. This is a key factor which doesn’t really apply to any other Zwift course apart from Bologna because most Zwift routes are either long one-way routes which are never multi-lapped (think Quatch Quest), or shorter routes which can be looped repeatedly (think Watopia Hilly Route).
One lap of Bologna includes the initial flat and the finishing climb. But two laps of Bologna means the initial flat, the climb, then a descent of the climb, and a return via the flat to the start line. Then you ride the flat and climb once more, finishing at the top!
This means on a two-lap Bologna event you’ll spend a much larger percentage of your time on flat ground or descending compared to a one-lap event. Because of this, having an aero setup makes even more difference in longer Bologna TT events. Put another way, a less-aero lightweight “climber” setup will cost you more on a 2-lap event than it would on a 1-lap event.
#3: Rider, Know Thyself
The better you know your strengths and weaknesses as a rider, the smarter your bike choices can be. Here’s the crucial question which can only be answered after participating in Zwift road races: where do you typically struggle? Do you find it difficult to hold the wheel in a pack on flat ground, but relatively easier to stay with the pack on the climbs? Or perhaps you’re more like me, and sitting in on flat ground is the easy part! (It’s when the road tilts upward that I struggle and get dropped.)
Answer this question and you’ll be well on your way to making a brilliant bike choice for the Bologna TT route. The smartest choice strikes a balance between shoring up your weaknesses and enhancing your strengths. And it does it all with a focus on staying in the group draft, especially on the crucial first flat section. Because if you lose the draft, you’ve lost the race!
Examples:
Heavier riders will typically perform better on the flat than the climb. They should select a more lightweight setup, but one that is still decently aerodynamic. Keeping the setup fairly aero will help them stay in the draft on the flat, or even push the pace/attack if they’d like. Then the lighter weight will help them get up the climb a bit faster than they would with a heavier, fully aero setup.
Lighter riders will typically perform better on the climb than the flat. They should select a more aerodynamic setup, which will help them stay with the pack draft on the flat. Staying in the draft is vital, since you want to start the climb still in touch with the front group. Once the climb begins, the lighter rider is in their element, able to push the pace or attack if they’d like.
#4: Trading Seconds
One way I explain equipment selection in Zwift is with the concept of trading seconds. This concept is most at home on a route like Bologna TT, where you have a flat and climb which take roughly the same time to cover. In this situation, you can use our frame and wheel ranking charts to figure out what sort of trade-off you’re making with your equipment choices, at least in a 1-lap event.
Example #1: in our tests, the Zipp 858/Super9 wheels turn in a flat time of 3033 seconds, and a climb of 2980 seconds. Compare those times to the Zipp 858 wheels, which were 3039 seconds on the flat and 2968 on the climb. The 858’s are 6 seconds slower on the flat, but 12 seconds faster on the climb. That’s a good trade, especially if you’re a heavier rider who struggles on the climbs!
Example #2: the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels turned in a flat time of 3072 seconds, and a climb of 2955 seconds. Compared to the Zipp 858’s, the Meilensteins are 33 seconds slower on the flat, and 13 seconds faster on the climb. Not nearly as strong of a trade-off as example #1, but still possibly worth it if you’re strong on the flats and weak on the climbs.
Example #2: the ENVE 8.9 wheels turned in a flat time of 3041 seconds, and a climb of 2974 seconds. Compared to the Zipp 858’s, the ENVEs are 2 seconds slower on the flats and 6 seconds slower on the climb. Since they’re slower on both tests, we have no reason to choose them over the 858’s.
The seconds that we’re trading are really a proxy for effort. So when you choose a wheelset that adds time to your flat section, but removes it from your climb, that means you’ll need to put in more effort on the flats, but less on the climb.
Road Race Recommendations
I’ve broken the final recommendations up by rider type. It’s a gross generalization, of course, but if you struggle on the climbs, look at the “Heavier Riders” selections. If you struggle on the flats, look at the “Lighter Riders” selections. For each rider type, I’ve listed two selection options: play to your strengths or and help your weakness.
“Play to your strengths” will make it easier to sit in on the section you’re most comfortable with (eg, flats for heavier riders), but offers less help at your weak points. “Help your weaknesses” will give you the biggest boost in your weak spot (eg, flats for climbers), but you’ll have to work a bit harder on the course portions that suit you best.
Heavier Riders
Play to your strengths: Felt AR with Zipp 858 wheelsHelp your weakness: Specialized Tarmac Pro with Lightweight Meilenstein wheels
Play to your strengths: go with the most aero frame you can get, plus wheels that are aero but on the lighter side. The Specialized Venge S-Works, Cervelo S5, or Felt AR are all solid frame choices, as is the Tron. (See our fastest frames list for more recommendations.) For wheels, go with the Zipp 858 or 454s which are both a bit lighter than the disc wheels, while still quite aero. If you don’t have either of these Zipp wheelsets, a disc wheelset is your next best option, even if it looks goofy on a road bike.
Help your weakness: go with the lightest frame and wheels. The Specialized Tarmac Pro is the best climber in game. Used with the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels, your flat time would be ~8 seconds longer, but your climb will be ~5 seconds shorter. A decent trade if you find it easy to hang with the pack on the flats!
Lighter Riders
Play to your strengths: Specialized Tarmac Pro with Lightweight Meilenstein wheelsHelp your weakness: Zwift Concept 1 (Tron) bike
Play to your strengths: go with the lightest frame and wheels. The Specialized Tarmac Pro is the best climber in game. Used with the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels, your flat time would be ~8 seconds longer, but your climb will be ~5 seconds shorter. Only use this setup if you think you can hang with the pack on the flats. If you’re able to do that, this setup will deliver you with a great chance to attack on the climb!
Help your weakness: go with a decently aero frame and wheels that are aero but on the lighter side. The Specialized Venge S-Works, Cervelo S5, or Felt AR are all solid frame choices, as is the Tron. (See our fastest frames list for more recommendations.) For wheels, go with the Zipp 858 or 454s which are both a bit lighter than the disc wheels, while still quite aero. If you don’t have either of these Zipp wheelsets, a disc wheelset is your next best option, even if it looks goofy on a road bike.
Questions or Comments?
I welcome your comments below!
Changelog
September 23, 2022: added CADEX Tri frame as TT recommendation
June 19, 2020: added Tarmac Pro frame as a recommendation after running another speed test and realizing the first test’s climb time wasn’t correct. The Tarmac Pro climbs 1s faster than the most aero frames in our 75kg, 300 watts steady tests. So it’s a good choice if you’re looking for the very lightest rig.
