Will tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day Ride be Zwift’s biggest ever?
As I write this, tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day Ride (hosted by Zwift CEO Eric Min, with special guest Mathieu van der Poel) has 5,406 riders signed up.
The ride is scheduled for 4pm UTC/11am EST/8am PST, and you can sign up here.
I haven’t seen this many riders on a single ride in quite a while, and was curious how this compared to past events. So I reached out to Zwift and asked for the 5 largest events ever held on Zwift. Here’s that list:
Participants
Event Name
Event Date/Time
10584
TDZ Stage 1: Group Ride
2021-01-04 17:00:00
9489
TdZ Stage 1: Flat is Fast
2022-01-10 17:00:00
8204
TDZ Stage 1: Group Ride
2021-01-05 18:00:00
7044
Stage 1 | Ride | Tour de Zwift 2024
2024-01-03 17:00:00
6864
Team INEOS Group Ride
2020-04-12 14:00:00
A few things worth noting about this list:
It’s based on actual ride participants, which differs from a signup count or a finisher count.
Two of the events were in January 2021, the busiest month in Zwift’s history due to the COVID-driven subscriber influx. In fact, the highest Peak Zwift number ever would be set just two weeks later: 49,114 concurrent riders on January 19, 2021!
The first 4 events all happened in early January, which is always each year’s “peak Zwift” time.
All the events happened within a 4-hour time window (14:00-18:00 UTC), which makes sense, because this is a time when riders in Europe/UK and the Americas can often ride. In fact, if you remove the last event, the first four all happened within an hour of each other (17:00-18:00 UTC)!
The INEOS Group Ride is the outlier here, since it happened in April instead of January, and at a slightly earlier time of day than the others. This particular event was actually one of three INEOS Group Rides that day, and if you combined all of those events, my guess is they hosted well north of 10,000 riders. Why were these rides so popular?
Team INEOS’ Egan Bernal had won the Tour de France in 2019
COVID lockdowns were in effect all over the world
The event was well-advertised across cycling media
How Big Will It Get?
Last year’s Thanksgiving Day ride had 3,562 participants, but no headline guest. This year’s ride features MvdP, a generational phenom who, among other achievements, is the only rider in history to be the Men’s World Champion in three disciplines (Cyclocross, Road, and Gravel). So it’s no surprise that we’re already at (checks signups list) 5,436 signups, 24 hours before the event.
With signup counts often doubling in the last 24 hours before an event, will tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day celebration be the biggest group ride ever on Zwift?
We’ll know soon enough. I’ll be there, along with lots of friends and big names in the world of Zwift. (So far, the signup list includes 58 riders I follow… but the Companion app only lets me see the first 20 names on that list. When events get this big, it becomes clear that Zwift’s UI isn’t tailored for 5,000-rider events!)
Join Us!
The ride is 60 minutes long and held on the new Spinfinity route in New York. This route begins and ends on the new Times Square Circuit, taking riders down to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Since the route is only 19.3km long and quite flat, we’ll complete close to 2 laps in an hour.
Rollers on Zwift? Why? There are a few older articles here on Zwift Insider, along with some videos on YouTube, but I wanted to chronicle my thoughts and experiences on the subject.
TLDR:
Pros:
Much more like riding outdoors than a fixed trainer
Encourages smooth pedaling and higher cadence
Your “seated sprint” will get worked on
Very easy to switch bikes
No coasting or stopping means you burn more kj/hour
Cons:
Reaching maximum out-of-the-saddle sprint power is almost impossible
Cost is higher than most smart trainers
Requires a power meter to avoid rolling resistance losses
Need to pay attention, typing and handlebar-mounted tablets are not practical
Takes up more space
Getting Started
I never enjoyed riding fixed trainers. The unnatural feel of a bike that didn’t rock when you stood up annoyed me. Learning to ride rollers was a rite of passage for beginning bike racers back in the 80s, so of course I got a set.
The problem with ordinary rollers is that they have almost no resistance. You pretty much have to be riding a big gear at a high cadence to get much over 300 watts. Which is fine for us mortals to do threshold and sub-threshold training, but not anything beyond.
Fast forward to 2021. I saw an ad for Inside Ride rollers. If you’ve never seen them, these are like regular rollers, except the entire roller assembly is mounted on a carriage, sitting on a couple of small idlers that look like skateboard wheels. The top assembly can move back and forth a few inches/cm, and is mounted with springs so it is self-centering. They also have an electric resistance unit like a regular smart trainer, along with a pair of smaller supplementary rollers to keep you from driving right off if the resistance is too high.
The price was pretty steep, over $1000 USD. But I went for it. And I am so glad I did.
These rollers are amazing. For starters, they are so much easier to ride than regular rollers. Just hop on and go. You do not have to pedal perfectly smoothly. Standing up is a piece of cake, as is riding no hands, taking off your jacket, any of it. If you can do it outdoors, then you’ll have no problems doing it on these.
Of course, it’s still more stable the faster the wheels are turning. And like all rollers, if you start to wobble, the solution is to pedal faster. That is the one single tip I’d give anyone riding rollers for the first time. The last thing you want to do is slow down or stop pedaling. Once you condition yourself to spin faster, not slower, balancing is no problem. This is where the Trainer Difficulty setting in Zwift is a blessing. Without it, riding these rollers would not be practical on some of the hillier courses. I have mine set at 20% vs the default 50%. This way, even on the steeper courses, I can keep the wheels turning fast enough to keep the bike stable.
Getting on and off can be a challenge because the wheels of your bike are up on the rollers, somewhat above the floor. Most riders put their rollers next to a wall for support, and I’m no exception. I went a step further and recessed mine into a wooden subfloor platform in my basement. But you could get by with a stool, or ideally, an aerobic step platform set next to the rollers.
The Race Experience
So what is it really like to race Zwift on rollers? First, I’ll be honest – it’s the only way I’ve ever ridden Zwift. I have never tried a modern smart trainer at all, let alone one of the newer ones with all the bells and whistles such as a rocker plate and fork elevator. I can see some definite advantages to direct-drive, which I’ll touch on below. But I really hope that racing is never restricted to specific trainer models, as I’m not giving up my rollers.
Rollers inherently have some resistance from the two tires rolling on them. There is also the air resistance of spoked wheels spinning. And the belt that connects the front and rear rollers adds a bit as well. For these reasons, connecting the rollers to Zwift as your power source is going to shortchange you quite a bit compared to someone with a power meter or a direct-drive trainer. The solution is, of course, to use a pedal/crank/spider-based power meter as your power source.
The Inside Ride rollers are nominally rated at 800w maximum. Mine are from 2021, and I believe the resistance unit is made by Elite. Outdoors, I’m still capable of hitting 1000w for a few seconds, and >800w for the duration of a sprint. Contrary to what you might see in the IR promo video, sprinting with the same torque and vigor I might have outside is too sketchy for me to pull off on the rollers at the end of a Zwift race when I’m already in oxygen debt.
Is this a major deal-breaker for Zwift racing? Not for me. In the 50 races I have done on Zwift, I stayed in the saddle and wound up my “sprint” from a little further out than one would do outside on the road.
I’m willing to give up the ability to sprint at over 11w/kg in order to do my training on rollers, as I feel the trade-off is worth it for me. But if you are a powerful pure sprinter who likes to really thrash out of the saddle, these rollers are probably not for you.
Accessories
I am fortunate to have space in my basement for a dedicated riding/exercise studio. I set up three large fans connected to power strips with remote control, so that I can turn them on and off without leaving the saddle. I use a large computer monitor on a desk a few feet in front of me, as a handlebar-mounted tablet would (I suspect) make riding no hands difficult. I have a wireless mouse within reach on a shelf next to me, along with a cheap tablet to run the Companion app and to control my music. I also use Zwift controllers.
These things all make the rollers experience that much better. I do not use a keyboard and don’t chat during Zwift, as on rollers, you do need to pay attention in order to avoid riding off the edge and falling over.
What About You?
I would love to hear about anyone else’s experience with rollers on Zwift, Inside Ride or not. Thanks for reading, Ride On!
Watopia is available every day while the other maps rotate as “Guest Worlds” according to the calendar below. This gives Zwifters access to three worlds (Watopia + two guest worlds) at any given time.
Zwift’s Climb Portal gives Zwifters access to a growing library of famous real-life climbs in a gamified environment where roads are colored based on gradient. Learn more about the Climb Portal >
While the library of climbs continues to grow, only up to three climbs are accessible on any given day. The climb of the month (in green below) is available in France, while a second climb rotates every few days and is only available in Watopia. Both of these climbs can be selected at the bottom left of your Zwift homescreen (scroll down).
There is also a third place where another climb is featured: in the Climb of the Week box on the homescreen. Learn more >
Learn more about a climb by clicking it in the schedule below.
Yesterday, Zwift enabled an adjustment/fix for drafting which will be particularly noticeable on descents. Here’s what was posted on their forum:
We’ve made an adjustment/fix to the drafting effect that’s now enabled for game version 1.102 and newer. Here’s how you can check what version you’re using.
Up until now our drafting algorithm didn’t properly use road incline/decline percentage in the equations and this change will fix the issue. The steeper the climb or descent, the more the change will be noticeable.
The end result is:
You’ll be able to stay with riders just ahead on steep climbs with slightly less effort than before.
Staying in the draft behind a rider while going downhill will be much easier than before – you should be able to draft supertucked riders easily now.
Pack speeds on the downhills will be slightly higher than before in general, on the order of 10-15% on steeper descents.
Drafting on flat roads is unchanged, and speeds while riding solo are also unaffected.
For group rides and races making it to the top of a climb with the group is more important than before because of the points above
What Was Fixed?
Zwift says, “Up until now our drafting algorithm didn’t properly use road incline/decline percentage in the equations and this change will fix the issue.” So what was actually broken (and fixed)?
It’s an interesting little bug that is easy to understand. In Zwift, as in real life, every rider casts a draft “shadow” behind them as they cut through the wind. If you’re in another rider’s draft shadow, you’re hitting less air resistance, making it easier to move forward. Cycling 101.
But Zwift’s algorithm was calculating perfectly horizontal draft shadows regardless of road pitch. This works fine on flattish roads, but as the gradients get steeper, horizontal draft shadows will impact riders behind less and less! Zwift confirmed with me that the draft shadows now now extend parallel to the slope of the draft-giving rider.
How Does It Feel?
In my tests, the results of Zwift’s draft update are exactly as described above. It’s particularly noticeable on descents, where the draft is simply stronger than it used to be. Riders used to have to put out some power to hold the wheel of a supertucking rider, but you can now sit on that wheel at 0W, because the draft off that supertucking rider is stronger.
So while supertuck is still a fast and easy way to descend steeper hills, its utility as a weapon of attack has been blunted.
One important result of this change is that it’s now easier for lightweight riders to hold a good pack position on descents, as they sit in the stronger draft.
Coming Soon: More Tests
It’s time for me to run fresh tests and update this post, which showed how much power it took to sit on another rider’s wheel while they were descending in the supertuck or at certain wattage, in race events or group rides.
Questions or Comments?
Go do a test ride or two, then report back your thoughts on the updated draft for climbing and descending. Chime in on the Zwift forum topic, or comment below!
Pedaling, Clicking, and the Search for a Better Way: Stream Deck as a Zwift Accessory
If there’s anything my time on Zwift has taught me, it’s that trying to pedal while juggling a keyboard and mouse is awkward. A while back, I picked up a Stream Deck hoping for a better way to interact with Zwift, and I haven’t looked back since.
For the unfamiliar, the Elgato Stream Deck is a customizable set of programmable macro buttons that comes in several sizes. Since adding it to my setup, my keyboard and mouse have been collecting dust. It’s been a game-changer for convenience, immersion, and overall enjoyment.
What’s Wrong With the Usual Setup
As a frequent racer, group rider, and occasional ride leader, there’s always a lot happening during a ride. For what the Companion App does, it does well, but it doesn’t do much. Keyboard shortcuts help a bit but are still limited. And using a mouse or trackball? Forget it. Unless you’re willing to stop pedaling, you’re not clicking anything.
That just covers Zwift. If you’re also managing music, voice chat, or other apps, you can quickly find yourself off the back.
For me, the Stream Deck solved all of these problems. It gives me control of Zwift and every other app I need from one interface, all at the push of a button… or several. Between its built-in functionality and the add-ons available through the Elgato Marketplace, the possibilities are practically endless.
Making Zwift Control Effortless
Before diving into the cool functionality I’ve uncovered, I want to give a quick shout-out to a few developers whose tools have been key to my setup:
While I’ve done some fun customization with my deck, it’s people like this who have the real skills and are providing genuine benefits to the Zwift community.
With that out of the way, here are the controls I’ve found most useful:
Ride Controls – Directional arrows, select, back, Ride On (including a continuous “Ride On bomb”), powerup, U-turn, skip workout block, and a camera toggle for TTT events.
Communications – Push-to-talk for Discord (no more heavy breathing into the mic), Spotify controls, and in-game chat using voice input.
Ride Leader Controls – Announcements at the start of a ride, a random dad-joke generator, and route info pulled dynamically from the Sauce API.
Sauce Controls – Lap button, toggle windows on/off, and change profiles.
System Controls – Launch Zwift (one button starts all apps and logs in), shut down PC, reload apps, and access my audio mixer so I can play music during team events without drowning out voice chat.
Below are a few screenshots of how I have my primary pages configured. It’s not perfect, a bit of a mess of subfolders, but with time and muscle memory, I’ve made it work. For something that works well right out of the box, the Zwift Stream Deck profile (linked above) is an excellent starting point that will get you 95% of the way there.
My primary Stream Deck pages:
I’m sure there’s still plenty of potential I haven’t unlocked yet. The Sauce API is easy to work with and opens up tons of possibilities. With a few simple scripts, it’s possible to pull in and use ride data creatively, something I’d like to spend more time exploring.
As great as it is, there are still a few things the Stream Deck can’t quite handle. Pressing buttons within the Zwift interface is… well, a bit meh. There aren’t hotkeys for common actions like joining events or ending a ride, which I’ve tried to work around with macros, with limited success. I’ve mostly resigned to navigating the UI manually.
There’s also no steering, shifting, or braking like the Zwift Click or Play controllers offer. While the deck wouldn’t be ideal for those functions, it would definitely be a neat alternative.
Why I Can’t Ride Without It Now
After more than a year of using it full-time as my only way to control Zwift, I don’t think there’s any going back. Once I fine-tuned my layout and built the exact functions I needed, the experience just clicked. Now everything feels natural… smooth, consistent, and ready for any kind of ride.
The biggest difference is how it lets me stay focused on the ride instead of fumbling for the right key. It doesn’t necessarily make me faster, but it does make Zwift feel more immersive, like I’ve found a hidden upgrade most people overlook. At this point, it’s as essential to my setup as my trainer or fan.
Going Beyond the Basics
Even after all this time, I’m still finding new ways the Stream Deck could evolve with Zwift. I haven’t yet tried PedalGames, an add-on that ties gameplay elements to ride data, but there’s a lot of potential there. Being able to trigger in-game actions or mini-game events directly from the Stream Deck could make for a fun and interactive experience. It’s on my list to explore when I have some tinkering time.
That said, the Stream Deck isn’t exactly cheap. Between the hardware cost, time investment, and a bit of technical know-how, it’s not for everyone. If you’re curious but hesitant to spend the money, there are a few alternatives worth considering:
Stream Deck Mobile– Elgato’s app version gives you nearly all the same functionality on your phone or tablet. It’s freemium, and the free tier is great for testing.
Touch Portal or Deckboard – Software alternatives for phones or tablets that offer similar customization, often for free or a small one-time cost.
Alternative hardware decks – Off-brand macro pads can offer much of the same functionality. They’re a bit more DIY but great if you want physical buttons on a budget.
No matter which route you take, the key is finding something that reduces friction between you and the ride. There are plenty of approaches depending on your setup, budget, and how much you like to experiment.
Final Thoughts from the Pain Cave
Looking back, this little project has become one of my favorite tweaks to my Zwift setup. What started as curiosity has turned into something I now use every single ride without even thinking about it. The Stream Deck might not make me faster, but it makes every session smoother, more immersive, and more fun.
It’s not a perfect solution, and it’s definitely not the cheapest, but for anyone who enjoys tinkering, automating, or just personalizing their indoor setup, it’s hard to beat. The best part is that it grows with you: whether you’re just using it to launch Zwift or diving deep into APIs and scripting, there’s always something new to try.
Anything that helps you spend less time fiddling with menus and more time riding is a win. And for me, that’s exactly what this setup delivers.
What About You?
Do you use Stream Deck with Zwift? What are your favorite features? Got questions? Comment below!
Zwift Camp: Build is now underway. This is a 5-stage route-based workout series, with each stage lasting one week and focusing on developing power over a specific time interval.
My plan is to do each of the five workouts before their weeks begin, so I can write a post unpacking the workout and delivering some tips along the way. This post covers Stage 3’s workout on Watopia’s new Hot Laps route. Let’s roll!
Once again, I pulled the 7-Eleven bike out for this session…
Stage 3 Walkthrough: Chase Your Rival
The third stage of Zwift Camp: Build is focused on “Three 5-minute efforts” according to the event description. But it’s probably not laid out how you’d expect!
The stage is built around the new Hot Laps route in Watopia, which takes riders on 4 full laps of the Volcano Circuit, followed by a finish up the Jarvis KOM:
Follow the instructions on screen and you’ll use the first lap as a warmup and a bit of recon, learning where that little kicker is at, where you can recover a bit on descents, etc. The instructions have you begin your effort in earnest at the start of the second lap, and there are really two stated goals here:
Put in a hard, steady effort on laps 2, 3, and 4 while also
Negative splitting your lap times (that is, going faster each lap)
So you don’t want to start off with a maximal effort on lap 2, because you won’t be able to beat that effort the next lap!
My legs were tired from a metric century the day before, so I just targeted power numbers I knew I could hold:
Lap 2: 250W
Lap 3: 260W
Lap 4: 270W
I also kept an eye on my previous effort HoloReplay, making sure I beat him each lap.
You might think it would be hard to manage your power well enough to precisely hit power targets, but thanks to the average power number on the Splits HUD, I found it pretty easy. I was bang on my target for laps 2 and 3, then pushed extra hard on lap 4 just because I could, coming in a few watts above my 270W target.
What power targets should you shoot for? You won’t be able to hold true VO2 max power for three continuous laps, but if your legs are fresh, you should be able to push at or just above your FTP for all three laps. Something like this should be doable with fresh legs:
Lap 2: 100% of FTP
Lap 3: 103% of FTP
Lap 4: 106% of FTP
Or you could skip trying to hit a power target, and simply try to stay away from your previous effort HoloReplay every lap. Put in a hard but not maximal effort on lap 2, then just make sure you beat your HoloReplay on laps 3 and 4!
After finishing the fourth lap, the route takes you into Jarvis for a finishing effort up the Jarvis KOM. This short climb will take most riders 3.5-5 minutes to complete, so it’s actually a proper traditional VO2 max interval in terms of its length and the 5 minutes of recovery you get just before it begins. My advice? Just empty the tank. It’s the end of the workout, so put in a maximal effort up that KOM segment and see what you can do!
Overall, I found this the most fun Zwift Camp: Build stage yet. The challenge of pacing myself so I was both working hard but also negative splitting the laps kept me engaged, even if my tired legs didn’t let me ride anywhere near VO2 max targets. And while the HoloReplay bug persists (see below), my previous effort ghosts proved very motivating!
Drafting Note
Your previous effort ghost is an exact replay of your avatar from the previous lap, which means if you drafted on the previous lap, that ghost is moving at the speeds you attained while drafting.
This could make things difficult when you try to beat your ghost on the next lap, and you aren’t drafting.
It worked out fine for me in my on-demand workout, even though I was on a road bike, as I never drafted for a meaningful length of time. But basically, you’ll want to be either drafting most of the time, or not drafting most of the time. One simple way to make sure you don’t draft: ride a TT bike! It looks like they’re allowed in the events, and of course you can always use a TT bike in an on-demand ride.
What Is This Workout?
After Stage 1’s short neuromuscular sprint efforts, and Stage 2’s longer anaerobic sprints, you might expect stage 3 to focus on VO2 max power. And it does… sort of. Since the three laps are back-to-back-to-back, you won’t get the rest/recovery needed to execute traditional VO2 max intervals. Instead, you can work at pacing yourself at or just above FTP, finishing with a maximal effort on lap 4, then recovering a bit before doing one more hard VO2 max interval up the Jarvis KOM.
It’s not a traditional VO2 max workout, but it’s engaging and fun work. Plus, pacing the three Volcano Circuit laps for negative splits is good practice for Stage 4’s effort up The Grade. (Turning in your best effort on that climb really comes down to pacing it well, and starting a bit below your power target while finishing a bit above it is the best way to make that happen.)
Watch My Video
More On VO2 Max Power
VO2 max measures the maximal amount of oxygen your body can consume. It is a key measure of aerobic capacity and thus a key determinant of performance potential (read much more inthis TrainerRoad post). A few interesting things about VO2 max:
Genetics play a significant role in VO2 capacity, but untrained athletes can often improve by as much as 25%.
You might think that lung volume is what drives VO2 max, but in fact it’s largely determined by four factors: cardiac output (how much blood the heart can move), the oxygen-carrying capacity of that blood, the circulatory system itself, and muscular efficiency.
Strong anaerobic performance is particularly useful in “spiky” cycling disciplines like cyclocross, crits, and MTB racing
While world-class male cyclists have a VO2 max in the 75-90ml/kg/min range (recent studies are saying Tadej Pogačar may have the highest VO2 max of any winner in TdF history at 96ml/kg/min), mere mortals (good amateurs) are closer to 65-80ml/kg/min.
VO2 Max Training Tips
Traditional VO2 max training has you executing repeating intervals that are 2-6 minutes long, each 106-120% of your FTP, with very easy rest intervals in between roughly the same length as the VO2 max interval.
But there are other ways to do VO2 max work. Zwift has a “VO2 Max” folder in its workout directory, with 37 workouts to choose from at the time of this post:
Some of these workouts feature the more traditional, longer VO2 max intervals, while others have you doing high numbers of much shorter intervals (20-30 seconds). The important thing is accumulating time working at VO2 max levels.
You might also try Zwift Insider’s popular Saturday Tiny Races. This is a set of 4 short races completed in under an hour, making it basically a VO2 max workout disguised as a race.
Lastly, hill repeats are a classic outdoor VO2 max workout. Find a climb you can finish in 3-6 minutes, then hit it hard. Turn around at the top, taking your time coming down so you can recover nicely, then do it again. Aim for at least 4 repeats.
Suggestion Box
The third workout of Zwift Camp: Build was my favorite yet, even if my legs weren’t very fresh. Still, there were some things Zwift could change to improve the experience. Here are my suggestions:
Clean Up Lap Splits: Unlike stages 1 and 2, the Splits HUD was really useful for this workout. But there are two tweaks that would make it better: making sure splits finish right at the lap arch (the first few fire early, the last fires late), and keeping the Splits HUD up even after you finish the final volcano lap.
Fix HoloReplays: I set up my HoloReplay settings as suggested, to only show a single ghost from my previous effort. But it still showed two ghosts every time, from two different efforts, even though both were labeled “Previous.” Fix it, Zwift!
Improve the event description: I already mentioned this for earlier stages, but once again, a simple line or two in the event description would clarify what people are signing up for. The current description for this workout (“Target Effort: Three 5-minute efforts”) really isn’t accurate at all. It’s misleading at best.
As the days get shorter and colder, more and more riders are filling the roads of Zwift. As you ramp up your indoor training, gain tips and tricks from this week’s top videos to make your Zwift experience the best it can be.
We’re also highlighting a fun Zwift racing challenge, a tour of the Brompton bike factory, and a long-term review of the Zwift Ride.
8 Game-changing Zwift Indoor Cycling Tips
Lake District Cyclist shares 8 tips for having a more enjoyable experience riding indoors with Zwift.
If I Started Zwifting Today, This Is What I Would Do
If you’re looking to learn more about Zwift, this video is for you. Adam from Road to A shares 26 tips to help you become a better Zwifter.
I Raced Zwift A Category Until I Won
Watch as Jeff from Norcal Cycling races on Zwift over and over until he wins. How many tries will it take him to snag an A-category win?
Zwift x Brompton
In light of the Virtual Brompton World Championships, Thomas Martinez tours the Brompton factory with Zwift and rides a Brompton on the Wahoo KICKR.
What The Zwift Ride Is ACTUALLY Like
After riding the Zwift Ride for thousands of miles, Beijing Bonk shares a review.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Eric Min Thanksgiving Day Ride 2025 Announced with Mathieu van der Poel
Zwift CEO and Co-Founder Eric Min has traditionally led a T-Day ride on Thanksgiving morning, inviting Zwifters to put in some early bike miles before spending time eating turkey and pumpkin pie with family and friends.
This ride is always popular, with thousands showing up. And often, Eric has a big-name guest on the ride as well! (Past guests have included Anna van der Breggen, Justin Williams, and Chloé Dygert.) This year’s special guest: Mathieu van der Poel!
See below for ride details…
Route and Schedule Details
Event start time is 4pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT on Thursday, November 27. This is an open-paced ride, so you can ride hard or easy. With lots of riders joining in, you’ll always have someone to ride with!
The ride is 60 minutes long and held on the new Spinfinity route in New York.
If this ride is too late in the day for you and/or you’re looking for a longer ride, check out BMTR’s traditional Thanksgiving 100, which begins at 1pm UTC/8am ET/5am PT. Riders will be on the Watopia’s Waistband for 100km, and there are three pace groups: D at 1.6-2 W/kg, C at 2.2-2.6 W/kg, and B at 2.8-3.2 W/kg.
Starting just 5 minutes after BMTR’s ride, my Thursday Pizza Burner 100km kicks off at 1:05pm UTC/8:05am ET/5:05am PT on Tick Tock in Watopia. Ride with me at ~2.5 W/kg, or join the zinners up the road! (My plan is to finish this ride, then head to Mr. Min’s ride to make it a 100-mile morning.)
