Zwift has rolled out a new cycling mission for the month of May, and it all revolves around CeramicSpeed’s ultra-efficient oversized pulley wheel (OSPW) system. The most exciting part of this mission, for many Zwifters, is the fact that the virtual OSPW now available in game makes our bikes faster! But only for the month of May. Read on for details…
Signing Up
Signup is easy – click “Let’s Do This” in the CeramicSpeed Mission box at the top-left of the Zwift startup screen. Agree to the terms, then start riding!
OSPW Is Live
Once you’ve signed up for the mission, your bike will automatically be equipped with the OSPW system. You’ll keep the OSPW system for the month of May. Why does this matter? Because it makes you faster! (Read on for details!)
Finishing the Mission
Mission progress
To finish the mission, you have to ride a certain distance on three different types of bike by the end of May. Here are the distances:
40 km // 25 mi on a Mountain bike: the Jungle Circuit is the best place to ride a MTB
80 km // 50mi on a Time Trial bike: Tempus Fugit is the best TT route on Zwift, but of course you can ride a TT frame anywhere!
120 km // 75mi on a Road bike
All riding in Zwift counts toward this mission: free rides, events, workouts, etc.
The mission box will show your progress each time you sign onto Zwift.
Unlocks
Completing the mission will unlock the CeramicSpeed kit, and qualify you for one entry into the prize drawing.
CeramicSpeed kit
Prize Drawing
One man and one woman will be drawn from the list of Zwifters who completed this mission. These two winners will receive a CeramicSpeed OSPW System. Approximate retail value $499USD each.
How Fast Is It?
According to one CeramicSpeed product page, “The overall power savings of the OSPW System for Shimano 9100/9150 /8000 reach 30%-60%, or more in some cases, over a stock setup.” Elsewhere they say “With all other factors equal, a sportive rider equipped with CeramicSpeed OSPW System will ride their 100km event 24 seconds faster than a standard setup.” (This is based on a tested watt savings of 2.4 watts compared to a stock Dura-Ace 9000 system.)
Zwift has tweaked their algorithms so riders with the in-game OSPW get a speed boost as well. How much of a boost? It’s actually close to CeramicSpeed’s 24 seconds over 100 km figure. We tested it:
Flat test (34.6 km, 2 laps of Tempus Fugit): OSPW rider’s time was 11 seconds faster over ~50 minutes.
Our test rider would travel 150 meters further in an hour on flat ground using the OSPW (all other things being equal).
This was at 300 watts with a 75kg, 183cm rider on the most aerodynamic draftable bike setup currently available: a Specialized S-Works Venge with Zipp 858/Super9 wheels.
Climb test (up Alpe du Zwift): the OSPW rider’s time was 23 seconds faster over ~48 minutes.
Our test rider would travel 120 meters further in an hour up the Alpe using the OSPW (all other things being equal).
This was at 300 watts with a 75kg, 183cm rider on the fastest climbing setup currently available: a Specialized Tarmac Pro with Meilenstein Lightweight wheels.
Because the OSPW saves watts, the speed percentage improvement on climbs is greater than flats. And those are significant time gaps when compared with the improvements we see from upgrading our virtual frames and wheelsets.
Racers: you’ll want to be sure to sign up for this mission so you aren’t at a disadvantage compared to riders who are using the OSPW system during the month of May!
What about the Tron Bike?
To answer the question before it’s asked: the Tron bike doesn’t have a rear derailleur in game, but you’ll get the speed advantage of the OSPW anyway while using the Tron bike and participating in the CeramicSpeed mission.
With more big events than ever in our virtual cycling paradise, it’s easy to miss some really cool rides! Here are 5 events this weekend that you won’t want to miss.
Special thanks to Jesper at ZwiftHacks with his Events app which provides powerful event filtering tools so we can narrow the weekend list from 400+ events to just a handful.
Ride with Mike in Support of World Bicycle Relief
Join EF Pro Cycling’s Mike Woods for a spin on the World Bicycle Relief (WBR) Buffalo Bike. We are aiming to contribute 100 Buffalo Bikes to World Bicycle Relief. Let’s show the strength of this diverse and international community by chipping in for an awesome cause. Every $147USD donated is one bike provided to a healthcare worker. All amounts are welcomed.
This popular long group ride is hosted by ZESP, the largest Spanish Zwift community. This week’s ride is 72 miles long, and you have 4 different pace categories to pick from, so you can find one that fits your ride goals!
Endure for a Cure is a 12-hour ‘real world’ ride organized by Children’s Cancer Institute. This year due to COVID-19 the ride was re-scheduled from Friday 1st May 2020 to 16th October 2020. TEAM SAS decided to have a ‘virtual’ Endure for a Cure ride on Zwift so all their members and friends worldwide can join in on the action!
The aim of this ride is to raise $50,000 with the challenge of as many laps of ’Tempus Fugit’ on Zwift in 12 hours. The ride is being led by multiple Ultra World Marathon Champion and SAS Ride Leader Chris ‘HOPPO’ Hopkinson. Chris told us, “I am leading and the silent assassin Dennis Menchov, ex-Giro and Vuelta Champion is riding for SAS.”
Join the Herd Racing League for different sort of Zwift race: a race up the Road to Sky route in a staggered starting battle to the top of Alpe du Zwift!
Each category will start ten minutes after the next, so Category A Racers will start 40 minutes after Category E. Who will get to the top first?
Canyon ZCC Piece of Cake Ride with Claudia (Ladies Only)
Ladies: join Canyon ZCC’s Claudia Behring for a 1.5-2 w/kg ride for 60 minutes. Claudia is a top racer and excellent ride host! Join her to share lots of positive vibes, make new Zwift friends, get Zwift tips from the experienced Zwifters, share baking ideas, and, most importantly, to have fun!
Got other events that stand out this weekend? Share below in the comments! And if you participate in any of these events, let us know how your ride went.
This post includes details on all TfA stages, scheduling, pro racing, and more.
Stage Details
This is a 5-stage event. As with past tours, each stage can be completed in a variety of ways. There are group rides and runs with both long and short distance formats, and women-only group rides. Those with a competitive streak will be able to take part in bike races during each stage, choosing from two different length options.
About Categories
Categories (A, B, C, and D) are used in different ways for different events in the TfA series:
Group Rides and Runs: categories are used to organize these events into different distance groups, not different levels of fitness. So choose the category that matches the length you want, find a group going at your pace, and enjoy yourself! Additionally, for Group Rides, the C group is for women only.
Race Rides: categories are used to organize the events into both distance and ability groups. A and B categories are the longer distance, C and D are shorter distance. A and C are for riders in the 3.2-5 w/kg range, B and D are for riders below that range.
Stage 1: May 4-7
Group Ride (Category A): Tempus Fugit, 2 Laps
Group Ride (Category B): Watopia's Waistband, 1 Lap
Group Ride (Category C, Women Only): Seaside Sprint, 4 Laps
Race Ride (Category A & B): Tempus Fugit, 2 Laps
Race Ride (Category C & D): Watopia's Waistband, 1 Lap
Group Ride (Category C, Women Only): Greater London Loop, 1 Lap
Race Ride (Category A & B): Everything Bagel, 1 Lap
Race Ride (Category C & D) Road to Ruins, 1 Lap
Group Run (Category A): Classique, 6.9 miles
The London course's "Classique" route takes you on some of the most famous London streets including Strand, The Mall, Constitution Hill, and Birdcage Walk. You ride by Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
It is a precise replica of the Prudential RideLondon Classique route, which is described as "beginning on The Mall in St James’s Park, going up Constitution Hill, turning at the top to come down and on to Birdcage Walk, then passing Big Ben and turning left on to Whitehall and right on to the Strand before turning again to come back up the Strand, through Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch and back on to The Mall."
Start Points and Lead-Ins
When choosing this route to free ride you will begin near the start of the Classique sprint. If you are riding this for an event, you will begin in the London start pens which means a lead-in of approximately 3.9km/2.4 miles before you begin your first Classique lap.
The Strava segments below begin and end at the start/finish banner located on The Mall, not the main start/finish banner where the game starts your ride.
For the tour’s final stage, routes were selected by some of the top ride leading teams on Zwift. Keith Hill After Party was selected by Team 3R, Watopia Pretzel was selected by AHDR, Sand and Sequoias was selected by PACK, and Surrey Hills was selected by ZZRC.
Group Ride (Category A): Keith Hill After Party, 1 Lap
Group Ride (Category B): Watopia Pretzel, 1 Lap
Group Ride (Category C): Sand and Sequoias, 1 Lap
Group Ride (Category D): Surrey Hills, 1 Lap
Race Ride (Category A & B): Keith Hill After Party, 1 Lap
Race Ride (Category C & D): Sand and Sequoias, 1 Lap
Group Run (Category A): Muir and the Mountain, 7.5 miles
Group Run (Category B): Downtown Dolphin, 3.7 miles
This is a clockwise lap of the Crit City course, which means you go up the bricks on the prime sprint section, and the finish includes a bit of a rollercoaster downhill into a right-hand hairpin.
Kicking off the Tour for All is a pro race series involving an unprecedented (on Zwift, at least) number of world tour pro teams. Races will be streamed on Eurosport and GCN! Get all the details here >
Tour for All Kit Unlock
Riders and runners will be equipped with the new TfA kit in all events. Zwift has not yet released the details for unlocking the kit permanently.
Supporting the Cause
Tour for All (TfA) is being held to raise funds for the COVID-19 Crisis Fund at MSF. Zwift is kicking things off with a massive $125,000 donation, and once 250,000 TfA rides or runs have been completed, they will donate another $125,000 – one dollar for every participant!
A Zwift x MSF donation page will be taken live before the tour kicks off, allowing Zwifters to make further donations if they desire.
About MSF
MSF is an international medical humanitarian organization delivering care to those most in need. Its team of over 43,000 doctors, nurses, and others assist people caught in crises around the world. MSF’s independent, neutral and impartial funding allows the organization access to patients in conflicts where others cannot go. It serves no agenda other than delivering quality medical care.
MSF teams are responding to COVID-19 on multiple fronts – caring for patients, offering health education and mental health support, and providing training for vital infection control measures in health facilities around the world.
As MSF scales up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a key priority is to keep its more than 400 medical programs running for the tens of thousands of patients and extremely vulnerable communities they help support. This pandemic threatens the lives of people around the world, and presents even greater risks in countries with weak or fragile health systems.
Zwift’s massive Tour for All fundraiser series kits off on Monday with an unprecedented series of pro races. Just announced, the “Tour for All Professional Race Series” will feature top world tour men’s and women’s teams battling it out in 5 stages over 5 days, May 4-8.
So Many Firsts
The Tour for All Professional Race Series is bringing a lot of firsts to Zwift’s platform:
First time we’ve seen so many top pro teams competing together on Zwift (see list below)
First time we’ve had a pro race series on back to back days
First time the pro race stages have been this challenging (see stage details below)
First time Eurosport and GCN have been the exclusive broadcast partners
Where to Watch
GCN and Eurosport are the exclusive broadcast partners for this series. That means each stage will be screened live on all Eurosport platforms and streamed globally on the GCN app – with highlights across the GCN show and social media channels.
Men’s and women’s racing will be screened each day between 1400 and 1600 BST (1500 and 1700 CEST/900-1100 EDT).
Race Format
There are multiple competitions in this series – “races within the race.” Teams and the top 25 riders will gain points across the week alongside a daily individual race winner. There will also be intermediate points on each stage and bonus points for the Top 10 on the Queen Stage (Stage 5).
Stage Schedule
In contrast to recent Pro-Am race series, the Tour For All Professional Race Series features some very challenging routes, on back to back days! Stages range in distance from approximately 45km-75km and approximately 300m-1700m in elevation with race times estimated between 75-120 minutes.
The following pro teams have been announced for this series:
Men: Alpecin-Fenix, Bahrain-McLaren, CCC Team, Groupama FDJ, Israel Start-Up Nation, NTT Pro Cycling Team, Rally Cycling, Team Cofidis, Mitchelton-SCOTT, EF Education First Pro Cycling
Women: Boels Dolmans, Canyon//SRAM Racing, CCC-Liv, Drops, FDJ Nouvelle – Aquitaine Futuroscope, Team Twenty20, Tibco, Rally Cycling, Valcar-Travel & Service
Zwift added two new frames at the end of March (the Parlee RZ7 and Pinarello Dogma F12). And their latest update adds two more: the Factor One and Ridley Noah Fast 2019. All of these frames are rated 3 stars for weight and aero – the same ratings given to those frames which made it onto our “fastest frames” list.
So how fast are these new frames, really? There’s only one way to find out: by testing!
We ran each frame through our standard tests: two laps of the flat Tempus Fugit route, giving us ~50 minutes of flat. And one time up Alpe du Zwift, giving us ~50 minutes of pretty steady climbing. All tests are run using our “standard” setup: Zwift 32mm carbon wheels, a 75 kg rider, at 300 watts steady.
Ridley Noah Fast
Factor One
Pinarello Dogma F12
Parlee RZ7
Flat Performance
Here are the raw performance numbers on our flat tests, as well as a percentile ranking showing how the frame lines up with all other “standard” frames available on Zwift. (A “standard” frame is a normal road racing frame – not a TT, MTB, or cross/gravel frame.) A lower number of seconds is better, a higher percentile is better.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Pinarello Dogma F12 is a solid choice in terms of all-around performance. Looking at our combined percentile ranking chart, we can see the F12 is ranked 6th overall when we combine the climbing and flat performance performance rankings of all frames.
It’s quite fast in terms of aero performance, too: If we were to expand our “fastest frames” list to include just one more frame, this would be it, at the bottom of the list. So this is a solid choice if you’re looking for a good aero bike that climbs decently well.
Conclusion
None of these frames made it into our “short lists” for fastest aero frames and fastest climbing frames, but if you’re a beginning Zwifter or someone with a taste for Italian who is looking for a solid all-around performer, there are some good options in Zwift’s latest additions.
To see how the performance of these frames compares to other bikes in Zwift, check out our Frame Ranking Charts.
After a months-long drought, it finally happened – I won a Zwift race! Here’s the cool part: even before the win, this was one of the best race experiences I’ve had on Zwift. As soon as I discovered the Bullseye Points Race and signed up for it, I had a feeling it was going to be special, for at least three reasons:
It was my first race on a route I “created” in Zwift: the Seaside Sprint route. Originally created as a Rebel Route, Zwift turned it into an event-only route a few months ago.
It was a points race, and I’ve never done one of those on Zwift.
I lead a weekly “Sprintapalooza” ride which rotates between various sprint-friendly routes. We’ve ridden this exact course several times, sprinting each lap just like we’d be doing in this race. I was well-prepared!
About the Race Format
The Bullseye Points Race was started by The Herd’s James Bailey last summer. James told me, “I love running races that are a little bit different to the norm.”
The race begins with a lead-in, followed by 6 laps of Seaside Sprint for a total length of 40.6 km (25.2 miles). This is a points race: at the end of each lap, riders are awarded points for their order across the line. 1st place gets 50 points, 2nd place gets 49 points, all the way down to 50th place getting 1 point. The final lap is worth double points.
Powerups are awarded at both banners on the circuit, giving riders ample opportunity to get a useful powerup for each lap’s sprint. Points are calculated post-race by ZwiftPower.
Warmup
After signing up for the event, I hopped onto Zwift a bit early. The day before had been an easy one – a sunny Z1/2 outdoor ride. So I knew my sunburned legs would be fairly rested, and I wanted to get some decent miles in today.
I chewed three pieces of caffeine gum about an hour before the event. I’ve been working on dialing in my caffeine dose for Zwift races, and it seems that a little more caffeine taken a little earlier than usual is probably more effective. Of course, I also applied some PR lotion to the legs. Then it was off to Tempus Fugit for ~15 miles of warmup.
The Start
This was the easiest race start I’ve had in a long time. Most races which begin on the Watopia pier in the “reverse” direction (which takes you immediately up a shallow climb and onto The Esses) start pretty hard and fast. But our group of 63 B’s was quite tame – which was smart! I averaged 323 watts for the first 2 minutes to stay with the front pack.
We went through the sprint banner before the Italian Villas (which is the lap banner for this route, and thus the finish line for the race) and our first lap began.
A couple riders were pushing hard on the front, and eventually jumped off, never to be seen again. They were clearly sandbaggers/flyers, and our group wisely didn’t chase, so their efforts didn’t affect us. Smart group!
As we hit The Esses on the first lap, I began to calculate my strategy for the first sprint. Holding a draft boost powerup, I knew that my best sprint time would come from sprinting in the draft. But unlike Sprintapalooza, this event isn’t about your best sprint time – it’s about who is first over the line! I had to shift my mindset. I decided I would try to stay near the front of the pack and follow the wheels of anyone who jumped a little early on the descent into the sprint, then if I came around them during the actual sprint – that would be a good thing.
Going off of the results on ZwiftPower (which exclude riders who were disqualified and those not signed up for ZwiftPower), I got first place on the first lap. (In the actual race, I was in a pack of three that were within a wheel of each other over the line.)
On the second lap, I got first place again. Thanks for the aero powerup, Zwift gods! This was going well.
The Middle
Our group of 63 was reduced to 20 before we finished the third lap. I popped my feather powerup on the climb before the drop into the sprint, and finished second behind Luke Chronister, a rider who was finishing near the front of each lap. He was definitely a contender, although that didn’t change my approach to each lap’s sprint.
Sprinting against Chronister and others
I must confess, while there were certain names I kept seeing near the front, I didn’t have the mental fortitude to mark particular riders. My goal was simply to finish as close to the front on each sprint as possible. Without a live view of the points totals, this was really all I could do! In between sprints I did my best to hold my position mid-pack – out of the wind, but close enough to the front to avoid being caught behind leg-sapping gaps.
As is typical with circuit races, a lap pattern emerged. Immediately after the sprint, there would be a breakup of the front group, with ~5 riders (the strongest sprinters) getting a slight gap on the other ~15. Then as we crossed the Italian Villa cobbles, the groups would come back together, and some nutcase would hammer hard at the front as we descended the twisty dirt road to the Volcano land bridge. The pace would ease up over the land bridge, then ratchet up again as we hit the ramp into the Volcano and the steps up to the Volcano banner. We’d be strung out as we crossed that banner, then we’d come back together before crossing the glass bridge back to The Esses.
Crossing the land bridge to the Volcano
The pace wasn’t crazy, but you had to be careful not to get caught out when the group surged. These little surges slowly whittled the group down, dropping 1-2 riders from our front group each lap.
Lap 4’s sprint wasn’t pretty. ZwiftPower puts me at 4th place, but in-game it was more like 15th, as I recall. It was another sprint without a powerup, and I got swamped mid-sprint by the pack.
I took first in the Lap 5 sprint, with Chronister just .033s behind me. That was a close one!
The Finish
The final lap began tamely enough, but when we hit the ramps up to the Volcano banner the group surged hard. We were strung out, with a strong group of 4 up the road and my group of 5 chasing.
The front group breaking up in the final miles
Knowing I was in contention for the podium, I gave it all I had, pushing ~350 watts for about 90 seconds. Between my efforts and a couple of other riders in our group, we managed to reel in the group ahead, coming together in a pack of 10 riders for the final rollercoaster ride through The Esses.
I was hoping for an aero helmet powerup for the finish, but the Volcano banner gave me the draft boost instead. So be it. We hit the final ramp up before the descent into the final sprint, and riders began to hammer. Powerups were flying everywhere, and we caught a group of ~10 C’s at the same time, adding to the chaos! It was a pell-mell dash to the line, and somewhere in that mix I activated my draft boost powerup, shifted, stood up, and hammered to the finish. I crossed the line in 6th place according to Zwift’s results, but of course the final points results were what really mattered.
Race results weren’t immediately available, because they require the race organizer to do some manual work on ZwiftPower after the race ends. I crossed my fingers and headed for the shower, knowing I had finished near the top in most of the sprints, but unsure if other riders had done better.
Within 30 minutes of the race ending, race organizer James finalized the results and sent me a message on Facebook: “Congrats on the B win.” Hurray! I came away with 344 points from a maximum of 350 available… enough for 1st place.
Thanks for a Thankless Task
I chatted with James a bit to learn about the process of finalizing the results. It would have been a bummer to wait for hours to see final results, but he had them finalized faster than you see in outdoor races. He’s a perfect example of how Zwift’s community race organizers put in hard work every day to make these events a fun experience for everyone.
James actually organizes 5 different weekly race series for The Herd Racing League. Impressive. Thank you, James – and thanks to all the event organizers on Zwift.
Takeaways
My biggest takeaway from this race was that it was super-fun, and I’ll be back for more.
Secondly, it’s interesting to look at my peak sprint power as the race progressed:
Sprint 1: 847 watts
Sprint 2: 834 watts
Sprint 3: 740 watts
Sprint 4: 733 watts
Sprint 5: 728 watts
Sprint 6: 631 watts
Definitely fatiguing steadily, which means this race was really good training! My strength is sprinting, but doing so repeatedly, with race-level wattage in between, was a new challenge.
Points Races: My New Favorite?
This event was a blast, and I’ll definitely be doing it more often. It’s a much more interesting race format than the typical “sit in until the final sprint” flat scratch race. After just one race, it’s clear to me that a whole different set of strategies are involved, with smart powerup usage being key and long attacks mid-race paying off, even if they don’t stick.
My head is already spinning with ideas for how these events could be taken to the next level. What if we could see the points totals in real-time next to each rider’s name? What about team competition? What if the race included the ghost and burrito powerups, making those sprints even more strategic?
For another perspective on how these races unfold, watch veteran racer Casey Schumm do the A race on his Twitch stream below (the event begins about 19 minutes in). He and three other riders break away for the first four laps, and one of the riders in that breakaway group ends up winning overall:
Your Thoughts
Have you tried any Zwift points races, and if so, which ones? Got any tips? Share your comments below!
The latest Zwift update is now available, with new bikes, workouts, sandbagger controls, and experimental event modes! There’s a lot to love here. Let’s dig into the details…
“The Noah Fast Disc is Ridley’s top-level aero model and was built from scratch with every feature reimagined and redesigned. This powerhouse has no rival in cutting through wind thanks to component integrations, where every part fits together perfectly.”
We are currently testing these frames for speed performance on flat/hilly routes as well as climbs. Test results will be published as soon as we’ve got them!
New Workouts
Zwift has added 24 new under 60-minute workouts. These workouts were all created by coach Shayne Gaffney, a super-knowledgeable fellow who has contributed articles in the past here on Zwift Insider. 16 new workouts for runners, 8 for cyclists. Some of the run workouts include 30-minute variations.
These workouts add a great deal of variety to the existing “Under an hour” category, giving us access to a new bunch of quality workouts! Learn all the details of these new workouts on Zwift’s blog post.
Boost Mode
This new FutureWorks event type will allow you to choose a boost type before the event. Think of it like a battery which you charge yourself. Here are the three boost types, with details (to the best of our knowledge) about how they currently work:
Efficient: 50 watt boost for up to 90 seconds. Charging subtracts 50 watts from your current wattage. Choosing this boost type adds 5 kg to your weight for the duration of the event.
Balanced: 200 watt boost for up to 17 seconds. Charging subtracts 100 watts from your current wattage. Choosing this boost type adds 7.5 kg to your weight for the duration of the event.
Power Burst: 500 watt boost for up to 5 seconds. Charging subtracts 150 watts from your current wattage. Choosing this boost type adds 10 kg to your weight for the duration of the event.
Sounds like a fun way to make races more strategic and animated! You’re able to put out some extra watts when the group isn’t pushing hard, then somehow “activate” those watts for a boost in the final sprint.
We aren’t entirely sure how this will work, but it will be fun to test it out.
New Missions and Programs for May
The Tour for All (May 4th-30th): Join the Tour For All and come together with the Zwift Community to support Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in their response to COVID-19. Learn more here >
CeramicSpeed Cycling Mission (May 1st-31st): Unlock the CeramicSpeed cycling kit and a chance to win a CeramicSpeed OSPW derailleur by riding the target distance on OSPW enhanced Road, MTB and Tri/TT bikes. (More info coming soon)
Goodr I.P.A. Running Mission (May 1st-31st): This mission challenges Zwifters to run 3 different workout types: one interval workout session, one pace group run, and one “altitude” or hill workout session to complete the mission. Completing all three workouts unlocks some sweet Goodr shades and a contest entry to win the real thing. (More info coming soon)
Bib Numbers
Zwift has “Added support for unique bib numbers for riders and runners in specific events.” We saw bib numbers in the recent INEOS race up the Alpe. Will they be useful in races, perhaps helping us to more easily identify certain riders or runners?
More Changes
Wes’ notes also include the additional items in this update. Here they are, with some notes from us:
Added a new experimental event mode that lets you experience the sights and sounds of Zwift in its most pure form. This event mode will be exclusively tested within FutureWorks Club Jarvis events: super curious what this entails.Will it be more detailed imagery? Crazy surround sound? We’ll find out!
Fixed a bug related to events that could cause some lone riders to achieve ludicrous speeds: this was a fun bug to witness. A little sad to see it go.
Improvements to Apple TV pairing
Upgrades to the anti-sandbagging logic used for some races: the iOS update notes say these upgrades include removing sandbaggers from race results. Hurray! Continued refinement of this vital feature is super important to the future of Zwift racing. Want to see how it functions now? Hop into a ZHQ Beta Race on Crit City!
Added the GeForce GTX 1650 GPUs to the ULTRA graphics profile group: Zwift has some hard-coded logic to detect GPUs and set graphics quality. For whatever reason, these higher-end GeForce cards weren’t allowing ultra-level graphics. But now they are! (And all the PC users rejoiced.)
Fixed an issue where Meetup riders would not receive a powerup when passing through a sprint, KOM or lap arch
Indoor cycling is a thing. A really big thing. So it’s no surprise that top cycling brands have begun to release indoor-specific clothing.
Indoor vs Outdoor Kit: Is there a difference?
You may say it’s a marketing gimmick. And for some brands, you may be right. But other brands are taking it seriously, and you can feel the difference when you’re sweating your way through a Zwift race, or entering that dreaded fourth hour on your Uber Pretzel effort. Any ol’ kit will do for a laid-back 30-60 minute Zwift session. But when you’re looking for maximum cooling and comfort, you’ll have to look beyond yesteryear’s worn-out bib shorts.
When it comes to kit, there are two big differences between indoor and outdoor riding – three, if you want to press the issue:
You simply don’t have as much air flow indoors as out. Even with a strong fan game, you’ll be sweatier inside. To avoid overheating and reducing your performance, the kit you wear needs to wick sweat from the skin while allowing air to ventilate both the skin (evaporating sweat) and the clothing (to keep it as dry as possible).
You don’t move around in the saddle as much indoors, and you’re not riding over rough surfaces. So the chamois doesn’t need to absorb vibration – it just needs to provide a bit of anti-friction comfort, and hopefully stay as dry as possible. A thick, sweaty chamois doesn’t help anyone indoors.
When riding indoors, covering up is less of a concern. Tops are optional for many, many Zwifters.
Over the past several months, I’ve been testing the indoor kits offered by three top cycling brands: Castelli, Rapha, and Le Col. Through many races, group rides, and long solo sessions, I’ve become intimately acquainted with the pros and cons of each kit. And now, humble reader, I’m sharing this Insider info with you.
First, let’s introduce the kits…
Castelli
Castelli’s indoor line has been around longer than Rapha or Le Col x Wahoo’s, and it’s also the simplest line: just two items. The Insider line is only available in men’s.
Insider Bibshort: a lightweight, low-padding bibshort made with breathability and moisture-wicking in mind. Retail price $139.99US
Insider Jersey: a super-lightweight jersey, just modest enough for group training sessions while allowing for maximum airflow. Retail price $119.99US
Rapha
Rapha announced its indoor line in early December 2019, consisting of existing Rapha Core shorts plus three new products: a shirt, cap, and towel. The shorts are available in men’s and women’s, while the other items are unisex.
Core Cargo Shorts: shorts (not bibs), with side pockets to hold your phone, nutrition, or other indoor necessities. Retail price $130USD
Rapha’s Indoor Training page now lists additional items, including women’s Core shorts, base layers, and flyweight jerseys.
Le Col x Wahoo
The newest kit on the block, Le Col and Wahoo announced their collaborative indoor offering in March 2020. The original line consisted of a jersey, bibshorts, and cap. Available in men’s and women’s, in two color schemes.
Le Col x Wahoo Cap: complete the look with a traditional cycling cap. Retail price $26USD
The Le Col x Wahoo shop now includes sleeveless jerseys, long sleeve warmup jersey for men and women.
My Testing
My testing protocol for these kits was nothing advanced or scientific: I simply wore them as much as possible, mostly for Zwift sessions, but also for some outdoor rides. With 6-8 rides per week totaling 8-10 hours of weekly ride time, these kits got plenty of play.
By my calculations, each kit got at least 20 hours of ride time, complete with plenty of sweat and laundry cycles. The Le Col x Wahoo kit got the least use, because it was released so late in the season. But I made sure I wore it every chance I got, so it got a fair shake.
My Results
After putting each brand through the weeks-long Zwift Insider patented “sweaty pain cave stress test”, I’ve come to the conclusion that each brand’s indoor line has unique strengths which may make it the best choice for you. So I’ll summarize my experience with each line below, leaving the ultimate buying decision (of course) up to you.
Comfort Leader: Castelli
Confession: I’ve been a fan of Castelli’s chamois fit since my very first Castelli kit years ago. Of course, fit is a very personal thing – but in my experience, Castelli is one brand that gets recommended quite regularly when people ask which kits fit best. (The other brand I see most recommended is Assos – and I really like the way they fit as well. But they don’t have an indoor kit, sadly.)
Of the three kits reviewed here, Castelli’s Insider felt the most comfortable. Heck, I specifically picked it to wear on last Saturday’s “Monica Does 25 Laps of the Volcano Circuit” ride, because I knew it wouldn’t let me down! Their “Kiss Air2” chamois is the same used in Castelli’s (now discontinued?) “Inferno” line – it’s not as thick as their other pads, which I love. We don’t need thick pads for indoor riding! There are no vibrations to dampen here. They just soak up sweat.
Nothing better than new kit day!Gotta love the branding.Castelli’s Kiss Air2 chamois padNot gonna lie: I miss that mustache.
In terms of staying cool and dry, this kit does the job. I don’t typically wear a jersey when Zwifting, but if I did, it would be a jersey like the Castelli Insider. Super lightweight – just enough material that it qualifies as a shirt, while letting a lot of air through. The bib shorts have mesh leg cuffs that let air in, and the material which makes up most of the short is very lightweight, wicking moisture away from my skin so my fan’s breeze can evaporate it away.
My one complaint with this kit is that the shorts are so lightweight, I popped a few of the stitches pulling them on over legs that had been made extra-sticky by pre-race PR Lotion. This is probably an edge case, mind you. And it makes sense that super lightweight apparel would be a bit more fragile than its more standard-weight counterpart.
Instead of creating a fancy and expensive new kit, Rapha went the other direction. They created a few simple indoors-specific items, then rebranded some of their existing kit as indoor-friendly. The result? A simplified, bare-bones approach to indoor kit.
Cool little towel labelThe towel, installed as directedBlueberry Crisp Clif bar. The best!Fully outfitted
Their Core cargo shorts are $130USD, and in fact their plain “Core” shorts (no cargo pocket) are just $100. So they’re the most affordable shorts in our test. Rapha’s shirt, which is really just a simple sleeveless mesh T, is much cheaper than the competition’s jerseys.
But it’s not really fair to compare pricing here, since Rapha’s shorts aren’t bib shorts, and the shirt isn’t a real jersey. One would expect them to be priced lower.
If you’re the type of rider who likes a simple indoor setup (no table nearby, for example) Rapha’s cargo shorts may be just the ticket. The pockets works well for holding just about anything – my Clif bars, AppleTV remote, phone. There were two downsides to these shorts, though. First: they are shorts. I don’t like shorts. I literally hadn’t worn “non-bib” cycling shorts for 4+ years, until I got Rapha’s kit and decided to run it through its paces. (Some folks love shorts – and if that’s you, Rapha’s may be just the ticket.) My other complaint is that they aren’t as moisture-wicking and well-ventilated as the competition’s shorts.
Rapha’s Cargo shorts don’t feel like they were made for warm temperatures or indoor riding – and that’s probably because they weren’t.
I’m not Rapha’s target market for the cap – I’m bald. That means one of my main sources of cooling is the open top of my head, and I definitely won’t be covering it on tough indoor sessions! But for the “haired” among us who may wear sweatbands indoors, the cap is a stylish option.
Le Col makes some beautiful kit, and the result of their collaboration with Wahoo is no exception. They wisely chose to create two distinct “looks” for their indoor line… the basic “Ride Real” look (mostly black with white lettering and Wahoo blue color blocks) and the “Collective Edition” with its much wilder colors. I got the Collective Edition.
New kit day!Breathable jersey meshLaser-cut air holesThe whole ensemble
In terms of comfort, this kit is a close second to Castelli’s. The chamois is a bit thicker than Castelli’s, but not as thick as Rapha’s. The laser-cut holes in the thighs are definitely a distinctive feature, and I felt they offered nearly the same level of cooling as Castelli’s ultra-light fabric while feeling a bit more robust.
The jersey is super lightweight, similar in wicking and airflow to Castelli’s.
The cap… well, it’s just a cap. No special mesh or sweat band. It’s just there to complete the look.
Overall, this is a stylish and comfortable indoor kit which would also wear nicely outside for hot-weather riding. It’s the most expensive of the bunch, but it also has the most high-quality look and feel.
It wasn’t until my late 30’s that I realized how passionate I was about building communities. It’s something I’ve naturally done since my teens, yet I didn’t think there was anything special about this until others pointed it out.
Community is a big part of why I love cycling – the camaraderie of a group exploring new roads. The rush of pushing hard in a chain gang as the tarmac hums past. Perhaps that’s why I was immediately drawn to Zwift – because the centrality of its community was immediately clear from the moment I first signed on.
One thing I try to do here at Zwift Insider is pay attention to big events. Perhaps it’s the “community organizer” in me, but it’s fascinating to observe how certain events launch with limited success, while others explode in popularity.
A recently-launched event that has caught my eye is the Newbury Velo TT. The organizing team includes Glen Knight (the leading mastermind behind the KISS series that helped evolve Zwift racing in many ways) and Rachael Elliot (a super-strong racer with a Zwift story like no other). Since I know them both personally, I decided to reach out and learn what they’ve done to create such a successful event.
There are lessons here for anyone trying to create a successful Zwift event. There are lessons here for anyone looking to organize a community. And there are also lessons here for Zwift HQ! So let’s dive in.
A Brief History of the Newbury Velo TT
Glen Knight, Rachael Elliot, and others started the IRL Newbury Velo team in November 2019. Glen says, “We had a vision to build relationships with other cycling clubs to try and change the way cycling clubs operate. We were different. And this was recognised very quickly. Within 6 weeks we had over 100 paid members of our new club. And now, 5 months old and we have 160. Making us one of the biggest clubs in the region.”
Finding an IRL 10-mile TT under normal circumstances is easy in the area where Glen lives, but when the coronavirus epidemic forced race cancellations, the Newbury Velo team decided to run the TT races on Zwift. Glen says, “On 25th March we had our first Wednesday night TT. We promoted this event to local and regional cycling clubs. Within the time trialing groups and the forums. Deliberately targeting British time trialists. We had 126 riders. But the key was the banter in the forums, in the clubs. And the race report after the event. We promoted this differently and deliberately away from traditional Zwift events/groups.”
Due to the success of the Wednesday events, Newbury Velo decided to add a Saturday TT, with the first being over Easter weekend (April 12). They promoted the event to local clubs and associations and in their second event (April 19) hit the max of 500 riders allowed by Zwift in any one “category” for a TT event. Glen was surprised when they hit that cap – he didn’t know such a limit even existed!
For April 26th they requested two categories so the max would increase to 1000 riders – and that event filled up as well. Glen reached out to Zwift in the days before the event to have more categories added, but was unable to get a response, so some interested riders weren’t able to take part.
And that brings us to this week. At this point, Zwift’s events team has set up the weekend TT with just two categories – so it’s still capped at 1000 riders. Glen and his team are hoping Zwift will update the event and expand it before Saturday rolls around.
Lessons for Organizers
If you’re looking to launch an event on Zwift, or wanting to increase turnout for your existing event(s), there are a few lessons to learn from Newbury Velo’s phenomenally successful approach:
Find a niche… with broad appeal: your ride should be distinct from other events, but appealing to a large number of riders. Ask yourself: what makes it special? What hole does it fill in the Zwift calendar? Newbury Velo’s TT is an event style that isn’t seen often on Zwift’s calendar, and the races are short enough that people can easily fit them into their ride plans.
Stand out from the crowd: Newbury Velo puts in the extra effort to police their race results, write up race reports, create beautiful graphics displaying winners, and more. This personal touch makes Newbury Velo’s TT events stand out from Zwift HQ’s TT events, which are the most commonly-seen TT races on the calendar. Race organizers especially should take note here: this effort shows riders you care, and is a key part of getting them to return.
Do your own (guerilla) marketing: as Glen explained above, most of their marketing has been personal outreach via their IRL network of British cycling clubs. If you want more signups, don’t just wait for people to see your event on the Companion app – share it with your network! Get creative. Nobody is making money here, so you probably won’t do any paid outreach – but there’s a lot you can do for free.
Provide support: if your event is pulling in new Zwifters, they’ll have questions. Glen and his team have helped numerous new Zwifters sign up for ZwiftPower, get their equipment working, etc. The more you support participants, the better their experience in your event will be, the more loyal their attendance will be, and the more they’ll share your event with others.
Non-Zwifter Evangelism
Not only is the Newbury Velo Weekend TT hugely popular – it’s attracting a high percentage of non-Zwifters. According to Glen, “We know this because of the high number of people we’ve helped get signed up to ZwiftPower and the advice we’ve given around equipment, etc.”
There’s a valuable lesson here for Zwift HQ: community organizers can and will attract new users to the platform. They’ll even do much of the customer support work, if those community organizers are given real ownership of the events they host on your platform.
The Power of Passion
The story of Newbury Velo’s rapid success with these TT events perfectly illustrates what can be accomplished by a small band of passionate volunteers on a platform like Zwift. Event organizers are able to reach out to their personal networks in a way Zwift cannot. They can channel their passion into creating an event that stands out from the crowd. And crucially, they’re able to attract new Zwifters in a way Zwift cannot!
Eric Min understands this – he’s said in interviews that Zwift doesn’t need to be the event organizer, but instead they need to be theplatformthat organizers use. He’s also said that Zwift really needs to get out of their own way when it comes to letting the community manage their own events. This is certainly the case with Newbury Velo’s events, which Glen (an IT expert) says he would love to manage, if Zwift would give him that ability.
Feature Requests
When I asked Glen what he would request of Zwift in order to make his job as event organizer easier, he knew exactly what he’d ask for first: “Zwift could control the calendar and create event entries and then giving organisers the ability to make changes to that scheduled slot. So they still control the time/date the event is scheduled for but they don’t have the hassle and the workload of making the little changes to things like descriptions, course, lap numbers, categories etc. I understand this may be coming to some extent with Club functionality.”
Indeed, I’ve heard Zwift is hard at work trying to release some “event editing” tools to ride organizers, to offload some of the work the overtaxed events team has taken on as Zwift numbers soared in recent months. These tools won’t come a minute too soon for event organizers, and it will be sweet relief to Zwift’s events team as well!
(The situation today is far from ideal: I’ve had many club leaders, Zwift team heads, and event organizers reach out to me for tips on getting their events onto Zwift’s calendar, or getting their events modified. I can only imagine the number of requests flooding into the events team’s support ticket system.)
Big Names vs Big Communities
With so many event requests coming in, Zwift is being forced to perform a balancing act. I think it’s fair to say this has led to some frustration on all sides.
One team manager (who asked to remain anonymous) shared with me that he has been trying to get just one official event onto Zwift’s calendar for his fast-growing Zwift club, which now has 2100 members. (They’ve been holding regular club Meetups, but those are severely limited when it comes to attracting hundreds of riders.)
He can’t seem to get a response from Zwift, but at the same time, his country’s governing body was able to quickly get events created. As he sees it, “They are just a COVID blow in and will leave Zwift just as quickly as they joined.”
There are two sides to every story, of course. One can’t blame Zwift for wanting to play nice with the cycling governing bodies. But Zwift, by its own admission, needs to do a better job of empowering the community to organize their own events. Doing so helps people find a place on Zwift. It keeps veteran community organizers happy. And it brings more users to Zwift. There’s no downside – it’s a win-win-win situation.
The Way Forward
It’s only fair to acknowledge that coronavirus has placed everyone on the back foot, Zwift included. I don’t believe for a second that Zwift doesn’t value what community event organizers bring to the table. At the same time, organizers are understandably frustrated by the continued lack of tools available to help them successfully host events.
The way forward, it seems, is for Zwift to fast-track the development of some basic event management tools. The good news is, this is being done! These tools need to work for public events, but also allow organizers to create private events for their clubs. Hopefully Zwift will be able to deliver these tools in a matter of the next week or two, instead of a delayed launch months out.
Event organizers are a smart lot, and quite adaptable when it comes to tools. They would happily take a rudimentary interface and a few bugs in place of having their events negatively impacted because Zwift’s events team isn’t able to make needed changes in a timely manner.
Your Thoughts
What makes a community-driven event successful, in yours eyes? And what can Zwift do to better empower the community’s event organizers? Share your thoughts below!
With many of us riding and running only indoors due to coronavirus-related restrictions, the topic of Zwift’s “Working from Home” (formerly “Unemployed”) achievement badge is popping up regularly. This is the badge awarded when you (as Zwift says), “Ride a lap 14 days in a row”.
Lots of questions surround this badge, including:
How far do you have to go in order for Zwift to count your activity for the day?
Can you get the achievement by running?
When is the time cutoff each day?
How many XP do I get for the achievement?
Here are some answers – a few of which aren’t definitive. We invite your comments below if you can provide more definitive information than we’ve got here!
Note: this info also applies to the “Habitual” (3 days in a row) and “Addicted” (7 days in a row) badges.
How Far?
While Zwift’s official line from the forums (and this support post) is 10km, testing shows the limit to be 5km in a single activity. Zwifter Dave Higgins recently received the Working from Home badge, and posted his ride log as proof that 5km in a day will get you the badge:
Ride “A Lap”?
The badge says “Ride a lap 14 days in a row” but clearly that text needs to be updated. No lap of anything is required – it appears to be strictly distance-based. Also, “riding” isn’t required at all… which brings us to:
Does Running Count?
Yes. The limit for runners appears to be 5km in a single activity, just like cyclists. (It’s possibly even lower, but we know it’s not higher than 5km.)
Time Cutoff
According to Zwift support, the 24-hour window in which you must do each day’s activity is based on your local time. So if you ride at 6 am one day, then 10 pm the next day – those should count as two activities on consecutive days. (See Dave’s ride above on Sunday March 29th at 9:26 am and the next ride 33 hours later on Monday at 18:45 as proof.)
It’s the start time that matters, not your end time. So if you start your ride at 23:55, it still counts as riding on the day you began the ride.
We haven’t tested this, but our guess is if your activity shows up on a particular day in the guest world calendar (see orange sections around days) then it will be applied to that day for the purposes of the Working from Home achievement badge.
XP Bonus
The XP awarded for these achievements is minimal: 50 XP.
When Do I Get the Badge?
Here’s one that confuses a lot of Zwifters! You get the badgeat the start of your first activity after the one which achieved the goal.
So on your 14th day’s first activity, you won’t get the Working from Home badge. But if you save that activity, then start another one, the badge should pop right up. A bit silly and confusing, but there you have it!
Questions or Comments
We hope this answers a lot of your questions about these badges. Got more questions or comments? Post below! (Note: we aren’t Zwift support. If you think you should have gotten the badge, but haven’t, reaching out to us via comments or email isn’t going to fix anything.)
