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Zwift and 2020: CEO Eric Min Outlines New Thinking

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I first met Eric Min in the autumn of 2014. The company had a handful, literally, of employees and was about to launch in a limited, invite-only beta. Zwift was a little more than a gleam in Eric’s eye, but a long way from the game-changing product it was to become.

I’d arranged to meet Eric for lunch and a background chat for articles I was planning to write as part of my work as a freelance cycling journalist. My train was late and I fetched up, incredibly embarrassingly, almost 45 minutes late.

Eric was understanding and gracious. He was also accessible… a characteristic he has maintained throughout his tenure as CEO. So when Zwift announced its latest $450m fund-raise I put in a request via Zwift’s PR department, for an interview for the Zwiftcast with the specific brief of covering some of the more challenging topics raised by some of the more strident voices in the community.

At first, the answer was a polite “No.” Zwift wanted to move on from the Series C funding – a move that elevated the once hobby project of creator Jon Mayfield to a fully-fledged tech unicorn, a billion-dollar company – and get on with the things that really mattered to customers.

Then, a change of heart. My guess is that when my questions hit Eric’s inbox, he recognised that providing context and perspective to the community in a tumultuous year was important. I think there was also a recognition that this was a landmark moment and a good time to talk directly to the community about what 2020 has done for, and to, Zwift.

You can hear the full interview in Episode 90 of the Zwiftcast, which is available now. But here are some of the headlines.

Around the middle of March, as the world changed, a tidal wave hit Zwift. Eric says: ”We had hundreds of thousands of people coming to the platform and joining in numbers that we’d never seen before. The traffic was insane.” “The priority was about making sure the new customers were having the best experience. Support went through the roof.”

Not only did the flood of new subscribers provide practical challenges, principally in keeping the platform stable, it also, said Eric, caused a change of plans, and a change of focus. The new focus was to be on ease of use of the platform… a theme Eric returns to throughout the interview. “A big theme of this capital raise is about making Zwift easier and more accessible to people – the platform, the game experience, the content, and the hardware that goes with it.”

“The end to end experience has to be much easier for us to attract the broader audience who can’t be fussed with all the different pieces you need to get on Zwift.”

Eric Min

The change of plans saw long-planned new features dropped, with the headline-grabbing announcement in the Zwift Forums that the new User Interface would now no longer launch and was to be comprehensively re-thought. There was further re-thinking after THAT survey… the one that caused so many ructions in the community.

“One of the things that came out was the idea that this was not a good time to roll out rowing.” Eric explained that the message from the survey was clear: Rowing was not important enough to the broad mass of Zwifters to justify the resources the company would need to launch it successfully. Rowing is coming to Zwift – and Eric is confident it will be a big success – but it’s not coming yet.

The raising of new funding has also caused some to wonder whether Zwift is now on course to become “fattened up” either for a sale on the public markets or to a wealthy private buyer, and that might mean price rises. Eric is very clear on this… you can hear his full, detailed position in the interview. But Zwifters are not going to be digging any deeper into their wallets, at least in the short term.

There are a number of other nuggets and nuances in the interview that Zwifters will find interesting. Has 2020 changed things at Zwift, like it’s changed so much else? Assuredly, it has.

The Women’s Road Zwift Academy 2020

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Every year, a little whiff of excitement goes through the women’s cycling community at the announcement of Zwift Academy. What started in 2016 as an experiment to provide a new channel for identifying pro racers outside the more traditional funnels has become much more than that. Zwift Academy has developed into a true community event that is driving growth and engagement in women’s cycling overall. Today, Zwift Academy is available for men’s and women’s road cycling, triathlon, and running.

What is Zwift Academy?

Zwift Academy is an 8-week training and racing program. The overall winner of the program takes away a slot on the pro women’s team Canyon//SRAM. In order to graduate, participants have to complete a series of eight workouts testing a variety of power numbers and four group rides (social rides, segment rides, or races) during this period of time.

Why do the Academy?

Many women, regardless of their level of competitiveness or skill, take part in the Academy – and return each year. While we may all enjoy riding and training on Zwift, the question arises: Why do they put themselves through challenging – and at times gruesome – intervals? 

A Pro Contract on the Horizon

Naturally, one major driver for completing the Zwift Academy is the coveted spot on a UCI World Tour team. For young US racer Charlotte Backus, who is an elite racer both on the road and on Zwift, “getting the gold (Finals) this time round” is the main goal. While this competitive cyclist has her eyes set on the pro contract, she also feels strongly about the community Zwift Academy creates and strengthens each year. “Zwift Academy is so special for getting more people on bikes and creating a great community. I love the social aspect of everyone inspiring each other to push to their limits.”

Fun & Friendly Competition in Times of Adversity

Multisport athlete Sue Lin Holt is a first-time participant in 2020. Zwift has kept her sane and on the bike during the COVID-19 pandemic and when air quality issues made it too dangerous to ride outside. “I am participating to improve fitness, be part of an awesome community of female cyclists, enjoy some friendly competition, and above all, have fun.”

Canadian cyclist Jenna Dutton has always been fairly athletic, playing hockey, weight lifting, and hiking. She found cycling later in life and now rides bikes almost every day for transportation or recreation purposes. Zwift came to her as a way to cycle through the harsh Canadian winters. “2020 will now be my 4th time participating in Zwift Academy. I’ve learned that I’m always stronger than I think and it helps to have the community support to see others pushing themselves also.” 

Empowering Community & Challenging Competition

Women often face a lack of competition and community in their IRL environments. Zwift Academy offers a way for women to test their limits, push their boundaries, and race large and global fields based on their skill level. It also offers a peek into structured training for newbies – served with invaluable advice from both the experienced coaches as well as the active community in Zwift and beyond on social media.

If you haven’t signed up for the Academy yet, you can still register. The women’s road Zwift Academy runs through November 25.

Video: Display W/KG in the Zwift Companion App

Have you ever wished you could see your watts per kilogram more easily as you’re riding?

With the Zwift Companion app and this tip from Shane Miller, you can. It turns out that just a simple action will switch the Companion app’s power display between watts and w/kg. Check out this video to find out how!

Swift Zwift Tip: Display W/KG in the Zwift Companion App

Now you don’t have to strain to see your w/kg below your name in the rider list! It’s easily visible right on your mobile device with Zwift Companion. And once you change the setting, it will stay that way until you change it back.

We can see this being useful when you want to stay on pace in a group ride or hold the same w/kg as someone else on a climb.

Speed Tests: Canyon Aeroad 2021 vs Other Top Performers in Zwift

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UPDATE (Oct 23, 2020): Zwift added a bit of weight to the Aeroad 2021, so it’s no longer the top climber in game. Still a great all-arounder, but the data below isn’t quite accurate anymore. Best to look at the updated top performer scatter plots for current numbers.

We’ve already talked about how Zwift’s newly-released Canyon Aeroad 2021 frame is exceptionally fast. But how exactly does it line up against the top setups in game?

Test results from the new Aeroad have been added to our frame performance charts, and the results show just what a standout frame this is. Here’s a selection of those charts, so you can see just how this new frame stacks up.

Top Performers Scatter Plot

In this chart, we endeavored to compare the much-loved Tron bike to the fastest frames+wheelsets.

Plot points are colored based on bike frame:

  • Yellow = Zwift Concept Z1 (Tron)
  • Red = Specialized Venge S-Works: the most aero frame in game (798,800 Drops, level 33)
  • Green = Specialized Tarmac SL7: a balanced all-arounder (674,500 Drops, level 5)
  • Blue = Specialized Tarmac Pro: formerly the best climber in game (408,300 Drops, level 11)
  • Black = Canyon Aeroad 2021: the new best climber and all-arounder (532,500 Drops, level 23)

Wheelsets used, in order of aero performance:

  • Zipp 858/Super9 (1,508,800 Drops, level 45)
  • Zipp 858 (312,400 Drops, level 37)
  • ENVE 7.8 (205,900 Drops, level 39)
  • Zipp 808 (177,600, level 13)
  • DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62 (184,600 Drops, level 6)
  • ENVE 3.4 (191,700 Drops, level 4)
  • Lightweight Meilensteins (unlocked via Alpe du Zwift spinner)

Here’s what the original chart looked like, before the Aeroad 2021 was released (mouse over the plot points to see what they represent):

And here’s the new chart, with the Aeroad 2021 in black and corrected data for the Tarmac Pro:

Impressive, right? What this chart clearly shows is that the new Aeroad’s mix of light weight and super aero performance allows it to meet or beat the best in-game setups at almost every point of the performance curve.

Frame Performance Scatter Plot

This chart shows all the frames in game, except the very slowest. You can see the Aeroad 2021 (the orange dot at the bottom-left) is a definite outlier.

Frame Percentile Rankings, Stacked

This is one of our favorite charts, as it helps us see clearly how frames stack up in terms of overall performance. Look at how the Canyon Aeroad 2021 blows away the field! No other aero bike comes close to the Aeroad’s top-notch climbing performance, and other climbing bikes aren’t nearly as slippery as the Aeroad.

Conclusions

We predict we’ll be seeing a lot of Aeroad 2021 frames in Zwift races soon. It’s a cool-looking frame with color changing abilities, it’s available at just level 23, and it doesn’t cost much (532,500 Drops). But most of all, its performance is unmatched, since it turns in ~50 minute flat within just 2 seconds of the very best frames in game while outclimbing everyone.

Many Zwifters find they struggle most when the road tilts up in a race. Riding the Aeroad 2021 means you’ll have a very lightweight bike while climbing, giving you a bit of an advantage at the most challenging spots in your race. And you’ll get this without sacrificing much of anything on high-speed descents and flats.

To be honest, we were surprised when the recently-released Specialized Tarmac SL7 turned in such lackluster times in our tests. The Canyon Aeroad 2021 performs the way we thought the Tarmac SL7 would. Why did Zwift set things up this way? You would need to ask them!

Page Updates

The new Aeroad is so fast, we had to update several of our “top performer” pages! Here’s a list of posts which now include the Canyon Aeroad 2021:

Your Thoughts

What do you think about the new Aeroad’s standout performance? Have you added it to your garage yet? Comment below!

The Tarmac Pro On Zwift is Slower than We Thought (and We Don’t Know Why)

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UPDATE 10/23/2020: Zwift made the Canyon Aeroad 2021 a bit heavier, which means the Tarmac Pro returns to its spot as the top climber on Zwift (although it shares that spot with the Cannondale EVO thanks to the changes described below.)


We’ve been looking at a lot of speed test data this week, thanks to the release of the new Canyon Aeroad 2021 frame on Zwift. And things got even busier when one astute Zwifter (“anderfo”) commented that certain test results seemed a bit off on one chart. This made us go back and look at the data and re-run some tests to confirm timings.

And we’ve discovered something strange.

The Specialized Tarmac Pro, which tested as the fastest climber up Alpe du Zwift back in March 2019, seems to have somehow put on a little weight between then and August of 2020. 140 grams, to be precise.

We blame 2020. It’s been a hard year for everyone. Even virtual bike frames.

Thanks to the friendly community hackers at Zwift Hype, we have access to in-game frame weights. And that’s how we know that the Tarmac Pro used to be set at 3.85kg, and is now 3.99kg. (We’re just not sure when or why that change happened… and Zwift HQ isn’t telling us.)

New Top Rankings

Regardless of the reason or timing of the change, what we do know is the Tarmac Pro frame is no longer the best climber – although it’s still a strong contender. This has meant a lot of changes in our speed test charts and rankings. Here are pages which have been revised:

We’ll follow up soon with a post detailing the exceptional performance of the new Canyon Aeroad 2021 frame, which is now the fastest climber while being slippery enough to rank #4 on our list of most aero frames in Zwift.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Zwift Academy RoadShow, Episode 1

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Here’s the first episode of a brand-new weekly show to keep you up to date with all things Zwift Academy Road. Rebecca Charlton is our hostess, and she begins by chatting with ZHQ’s Kate Veronneau about the history and goals of Zwift Academy Road.

Then we get to meet this year’s coaches, followed by a chat with Matt Stephens and Leah Thorvilson about what it takes to win that pro contract!

Find the Zwift Academy Roadshow archives at zwift.com/video/za-roadshow

Zwift Events Not To Miss This Weekend

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This is our first weekend with Zwift Academy 2020, so lots of Zwifters will be taking part in those group workouts and social rides. We’ve got a few other special events as well, so read below for details!

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

Zwift Academy Workout #1

Ready to take on the first workout of Zwift Academy 2020? This one’s a doozy, with several intervals totalling 15 minutes above your FTP, followed by an 8-minute all out effort. Pacing is crucial. Good luck!

Multiple dates and times. See times slots here: men’s events / women’s events

Zwift Academy Group Ride

Looking for a short, easy-paced social ride? Why not try one of the volunteer-led Zwift Academy group rides? This weekend we’re riding on France’s R.G.V. route… rides are only 45 minutes long, with two categories so you can pick your pace.

Multiple dates and times. See times slots here: men’s events / women’s events

JDRF My Ride 100

JDRF, Team Type 1, and Zwift have once again arranged a virtual replacement to one of the big IRL Riding for a Cure charity rides. It happens this Saturday over multiple distances (20-100 miles) on Watopia’s Waistband and YOU are invited!

Whether you ride Saturday to support JDRF and Team Type 1, or you’re riding AND fundraising for this amazing cause; whether you’re in it for the fun, or you’re a T1D trying out cycling for the first time, they would love to see you at this event! Read all about Team Type 1 and JDRF in this Zwift Insider post >

Saturday 3pm BST/10am EDT/7am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/1051555

FIETS Weekend Warriors – Special Guest Ride

Now that the bug preventing Zwifters from getting the Four Horseman route badge is fixed, why not take on a group ride and earn the badge? The FIETS Weekend Warriors series takes on big routes. Double draft. And special guest riders, but you have to show up to find out who!

Two events this weekend:
Saturday 8am BST/3am EDT/12am PDT
Sunday 8am BST/3am EDT/12am PDT

Medio Fondo with Matando o Corpo Race

The popular Matando c Corpo Race series is back, and stronger than ever, powered by Spanish Team PETA-Z! Take on Watopia’s Medio Fondo route this Saturday.

Saturday 8:15am BST/3:15am EDT/12:15am PDT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/1096044

Your Thoughts

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

A 50/50 split – Tips for WTRL TTT #77 – Sand and Sequoias

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Since March I have become obsessed with the weekly Team Time Trial… so I asked Eric if i could share my obsession with you all, in weekly doses.

Each week on a Friday I will give you a profile of the upcoming WTRL TTT route, guidance on bike choice and some target times if you want to aim for the Premiere League (top-10 in each coffee class get to be in a special race televised on YouTube). 

If you can’t ride, or even if you can ride, but want more action – don’t forget to tune in to the live TV show on Zwift Community Live’s YouTube Channel at 6:15 (UK time). 

Volcano Flat Reverse (#76) Recap

Before we look at next week let’s review this week’s performance on Volcano Flat Reverse. My goal is to predict the time a team needs to make PL next week. The trick for me is to get as close to 11th spot (top 11 teams per coffee class get an automatic invite to next week’s Platinum League) without going over. This week was doubly challenging since the route had never been ridden in a TTT before. 

Here’s how I did… it’s a mixed bag!

Class11th position this weekMy predictionMy team’s position
Vienna55:5455:209th
Espresso48:5848:004th
Frappe51:4851:005th
Latte55:2654:303rd
Mocha1:03:031:00:304th

Well… I can feel good about all my virtual teams making it to PL… but I was pretty aggressive. Perhaps you guys are slowing down… where are those watts? 

How did I do today in Latte? It was an epic battle – my club has 2 Latte teams, and our arch-enemy the Cheetahs started 30 seconds behind us. They are typically stronger (but not as well disciplined I have to say) so it was a game of keep-away we were always going to struggle with. My valiant Hyenas were amazing… yes we were caught on the final lap – but our enemies over-cooked and after a couple of kilometers the Hyenas jettisoned the dead weight (me) and retook the lead position finishing 12 seconds ahead (net loss 18 seconds). I finished in 1:00:23, a couple of minutes behind.

Thursday 8th October – Sand and Sequoias

We are staying in Watopia again this week with two laps of Sand and Sequoias. This route is a regular on TTT – I have ridden it twice (once with CICC, once with R&K). In fact this was the route of my first TTT. Prior to that it has been raced four times – #51, 39, 26, and 19.

Two laps at 20km plus a lead in make this a 43km ride – add in a KOM and what we have here is one of the longest TTTs. Even top-flight teams will be in the saddle for an hour, and the rest of us should expect well over an hour. 

Essentially the route is out from the pens on the Fuego Flats desert then back via the Titans Grove sequoia forest. The last few weeks have lulled you all into a false sense of security… steady climbs, flat routes… all just a good time to practice team formation. This is where that practice will pay off. We do have an extended flat, sure – but we have rolling bumps, a challenging KOM, and more rolling bumps… the sequoias part of this course is definitely tricky for a team trial. 

From the desert pens we head straight for the sprint then through the start/finish gate. Through the desert for 10km (including the lead-in) before heading up the hill and into Titans Grove. From here it’s a sequence of rollers before heading up the KOM – 2.6km at a pretty steady 3%, then more rollers. It flattens out as you hit the desert again for the remaining 3.5km to the start/finish banner – then do it again. 

What to ride?

Bike recommendation on this route is tricky… for the Fuego Flats aero is king… but for Titans Grove the rollers give an edge to something more balanced. I will be on my Tron bike this week, leaving the Venge in the garage.

But – there’s a new game in own – at level 23 you can now get yourself a beautiful new Aeroad, shipped directly from Canyon in Germany to your Drop Shop. Eric has a full article with testing and such – but the breaking news is the Aeroad is significantly better than the Tarmac SL7 on all roads, and on a mixed/hilly route it’s pretty darned close to the S-Works Venge. So for this route, with its mix of flat and hills, my recommendation is to get the Aeroad if you’re at level 23+… I’m just not sure which wheels to use.

The new Canyon Aeroad 2021
  • Level 5 Specialized SL7 with Roval CLX64 or ENVE SES3.4
  • Level 6 Ditch the Roval/ENVE and get the DT Swiss ARC 1100
  • Level 23 – Ditch the SL7 and get the Canyon Aeroad… keep the DTSwiss hoops
  • Level 33 S-Works Venge… keep the DTSwiss
  • Level 40 S-Works Venge with Zipp 858
  • Level 45 get those 858/Super 9 wheels and pair them with the S-Works Venge

In this case though, if you have a Tron, use it… it beats every other bike on this route hands down. I cannot stress highly enough that if you are racing you need to be working on Tron. It’ll take a while, but just set the Everest Challenge and forget about it for nine months… like having a baby. 

I’d love to hear from you about what you ride and why. Share it in the comments below?

Route Recon Rides

The last couple of weeks I have struggled to find good recce rides – but Sand and Sequoias is everywhere! – check for yourself on the event listing on zwifthacks.com. 

  • Saturday
    • For those in the antipodes, Europe and the UK there’s a great 3R race
    • A little later, once the Americans wake up, Team Vegan have a race as well
  • Sunday

Race Breakdown 

As you can see from the route map courtesy of VeloViewer, the route is divided into two parts – flat in the desert, hilly in Titans Grove. There is an official Zwift race recon – but i didn’t think this one translated well to a TTT.

Start through the end of the Flats

It’s 10k from the pens to the start of the rise into the sequoias. There are a couple of tiny rises but you won’t notice them as you speed through.  

Col du Saddle Springs

Some wag on Strava coined this term for a segment and I couldn’t resist using it. After 10km flat this is the first real rise – a perfect opportunity for your lighter, stronger climbers to jump ahead and create a split! Rein in those riders and keep everyone together. This first little hill is just 2% for 900m up to the turn into Titans Grove.

More up than down – the approach to the KOM

Rounding the bend from the Col you head into Titans Grove – a very pretty section, although you won’t have the energy for sightseeing. Before the KOM itself are a jagged series of bumps heading upwards before the descent that marks the approach to the KOM itself. This segment feels just like The Esses to me – plenty of opportunity to gain momentum and increase the team’s speed, but also a risk of splitting up.

Titan’s Grove KOM

On the face of it, this is a 2.5km drag at 2%, winding up and around the mountain with three beautiful switchbacks. But the top and bottom are kinda flat… so the middle is steeper. Think of this as a 1km at 4%. That’s enough height and distance to create a split – particularly on the second time around.

I have raced this on two TTTs and in both we lost someone on this segment. Depending on your race strategy that might be fine on the second time through of course.

More down than up… after the KOM and back to the desert

Once you go through the KOM the grade heads downwards. There’s a 4% downhill for a 1.4 km where you will pick up speed, then a series of rollers. With tired legs after the KOM (particularly on lap 2) this will put strain on the team. Keep an eye out for splits in the group.

After the rollers it flattens out as you speed back into the desert, through the sprint and on to the Start/Finish banner.

Target times

There splits here are at 10, 20 and 30 kilometers.

  • Split 1 (10km) – Just before the Col du Saddle Springs
  • Split 2 (20km) – As you reconnect to the Desert from Titans Grove
  • Split 3 (22km) – Passing the futuristic building in Saddle Springs (it’s the LAX control tower)

How have you done in the last few attempts on this course?

ClassSplit 2 (14km)9th April / #519th July / #64
Vienna1:19:42 (9 teams)1:11:121:04:14
Espresso1:05:33 (10 teams)57:0455:38
Frappe1:01:1559:4258:55
Latte1:05:541:04:511:04:03
Mocha1:17:08 (9 teams)1:22:451:11:06

Ok… so here’s how I see it. Autumn is coming and the number of teams is picking up. I think you’re all going to do a little better than in July:

ClassSplit 1 (10km)Split 2 (20km)Split 3 (30km)Finish
Vienna15:0030:1045:301:04:00
Espresso13:0026:0039:0055:00
Frappe13:3027:3041:0058:30
Latte14:2030:1544:301:03:50
Mocha16:0033:3049:301:11:00

Wrapup

This race is all about decision-making. You will be flat out on the flat, and the hills will strain the team… people will get dropped. The question is do you wait for them, or do you drop them?

Zwift Academy Road 2020 Begins: Learn About Workouts, Group Rides, and Races

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Zwift Academy Road for men and women launched today, October 1st. Here are the details on what it takes to graduate from this year’s academy, plus more information on the workouts, group rides, and races involved.

Graduation Requirements

The following requirements must be met by November 25th in order to complete Zwift Academy Road:

  • Complete all eight Workouts (individually or with a group)
  • Complete four other events, which can be any combination of Zwift Academy group Rides, Segment Group Rides, or Races
    • Competing for the pro contract? You must complete two Segment Group Rides and both races for your four additional events.

Workouts

Structured workouts form the heart of Zwift Academy, with each workout accomplishing very specific training/testing goals and lasting approximately 1 hour.

You must complete all 8 Zwift Academy 2020 workouts in order to complete the program.

These workouts can be completed individually by selecting the workout within Zwift. They can also be completed by participating in a group workout event. Lastly, if you want to do the workout with a few choice friends, you can organize a Meetup and have everyone select the same workout (more on that here).

Zwift and the Academy coaches have created helpful homepages for each of the 8 workouts. Each page includes a written description, video intro from the coach, and a place to sign up for a group workout:

  1. Aerobic Power (men’s link, women’s link)
  2. Sprint Profile (men’s link, women’s link)
  3. VO2 Capacity (men’s link, women’s link)
  4. Anaerobic Resilience (men’s link, women’s link)
  5. Primed FTP (men’s link, women’s link)
  6. Alternative Sprints (men’s link, women’s link)
  7. VO2 Development (men’s link, women’s link)
  8. Anaerobic Depletion (men’s link, women’s link)

Group Rides

Group rides are the most social events on the Zwift Academy calendar. There are two categories to choose from: men’s group rides are at (A) 2.2-2.7 w/kg and (B) 1.7-2.2 w/kg, while women’s group rides are at (A) 1.7-2.2 w/kg and (B) 1.2-1.7 w/kg. Choose the pace that suits you best, then enjoy riding with others.

The rides are led by volunteers from the Zwift community, and last 45 minutes. Groups are separated by gender, and everyone wears the Zwift Academy kit for the duration of the ride. The ride fence is used to keep riders together, and late join is allowed.

Group rides will be scheduled on the following routes and dates:

Segment Group Rides

Segment group rides are a new event type debuting at Zwift Academy 2020. They aren’t available to ride just yet, though: it appears these will be on the calendar from Oct 22-Nov 25.

The idea behind segment rides is to go all-out on particular segments during a live group ride in order to test your power over different lengths of time. The ride descriptions explain how it works and where the segments are on course. Presumably, we’ll see some on-screen prompts as well! Click below for details:

If you’re competing for the pro contract, you must complete two segment group rides as part of your Zwift Academy experience.

Races

Races will run from Oct 22-Nov 25, just like the segment rides. These are non-categorized events, although the Richmond race uses categories to let Zwifters choose between longer and shorter versions.

If you’re competing for the pro contract, you must complete both races as part of your Zwift Academy experience.

Looking for More?

For details on all things Academy, check out the men’s and women’s Zwift Academy homepages over on zwift.com.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Nopinz Announces New “SubZero” Indoor Cycling Kit

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UK-based cycle racewear brand Nopinz has just announced their latest product: the SubZero Turbo range. And it’s not just a fancy name!

Described as “the world’s first indoor cycling kit designed to actively cool the body’s core temperature”, the SubZero range includes sewn-in pockets for holding replaceable frozen gel packs to help keep your core temperature down.

Temperature management is a big concern for indoor riders, particularly when engaging in high-intensity efforts. In our “How much fan do you need when riding indoors?” article, we explained how every watt of pedal power also creates ~3 watts of heat. Our body’s cooling systems get rid of this extra heat mainly through perspiration (evaporative cooling), but the solution from Nopinz adds conductive cooling to the mix.

In conduction, energy is transferred through physical contact with another object (your couch warms up when you sit on it, or your skin gets cold when you hold an ice cube). The gel packs in the SubZero line are placed in FreezePockets (a patent-pending design) over key temperature regulation points (lower back, upper back, and wrists) where they absorb some of your body’s heat, which should reduce the cooling load on your circulation system.

Outdoor riders will recognize that this is simply a more well-designed and cleaner version of the proven “ice bag down the jersey” hack which racers have been using on hot days for many years.

Many serious Zwift racers are investing in dedicated spaces with powerful fans and even air conditioning or dehumidifiers. Not everyone has this luxury, though, and Nopinz says their new SubZero range “provides a marginal gain and performance advantage that is accessible to all.”

Nopinz founder Blake Pond, getting at it!

Nopinz founder Blake Pond, a former elite-level road and TT racer and now a keen A+ Zwift racer, poured many years of indoor training experience into the SubZero line. He says, “I knew there must be a more effective way than relying purely on cooling fans, so I decided to try putting ice packs into my kit to help me stay cool and boost my performance especially when racing in Zwift. The concept worked so well that it had to be part of our new indoor kit range and SubZero was born.”

We’re testing the SubZero line here in the Zwift Insider Pain Lab, and early results are positive, even though it’s difficult to quantify the marginal gains outside of a true lab setting. Nopinz is working on getting into some labs for tests, but it has been difficult due to COVID restrictions and closures. They do, say, though, that “Initial signs among our own athletes have been very promising! This doesn’t come as a surprise as many studies show that keeping your body temperature down allows you to perform at your best for longer, so we feel we’ve provided an additional solution to an existing problem for many athletes.”

Nopinz has partnered with World Tactical Racing Leagues (WTRL) and one of the leading teams (R3R Nopinz) will wear the SubZero line during the upcoming World Championships held on the Zwift in early November.

Product Line Details

The SubZero range includes:

  • SubZero shorts: indoor-optimized bib shorts with FreezePockets between shoulder blades and on the lower back. Chamois pad is optimized for indoor riding with improved moisture management compared to those in standard bibs. Men’s and women’s versions available. (£139.99, two sets of gel packs included)
  • SubZero sweatbands: a brilliantly simple dual-purpose accessory. The FreezePocket is located on the inner wrist to help to provide a cooling effect where the skin is thinnest. In addition, the bands have a highly absorbent toweling upper to absorb sweat and keep you fresher and more comfortable during intense sessions. The FreezePockets are designed to fit energy gels, so once your body has defrosted them (usually within 20-30 mins), you can get that all-important boost for the end of the session or race. (£29.99, two reusable gel packs included)
  • SubZero suit: specifically designed for e-racing where live streaming requires a top to be worn, the SubZero suit has similar qualities as the SubZero shorts, but with an ultra-lightweight, breathable top for modesty. Men’s and women’s versions available. (£189.99, two sets of gel pack included)
  • Superlight Eco-Jersey: if you like to wear a jersey for indoor sessions, this ultra-light top is perfect. It’s also ideal for extremely hot outdoor rides. Men’s and women’s versions available. (£79.99)

Learn more at nopinz.com/product-category/subzero-turbo-range/

Questions or comments?

We’ll be posting our review of the SubZero range once we’ve got more Zwift races completed in the kits. Got questions or comments? Share below!