This year at Eurobike, the indoor cycling industry saw two notable product launches: Garmin’s Tacx Alpine and Elite’s Rivo. In this week’s featured videos, learn all about the latest indoor cycling tech.
Also included in this week’s top videos are videos about racing an IRL time trial, a review of the Tacx Alpine gradient simulator, a Zwifter’s first race, and thoughts on staying motivated as a solo triathlete.
New Elite Rivo Smart Trainer at Eurobike: Hands-on Details!
Ray, aka, DCRainmaker, takes a look at Elite’s new budget direct drive smart trainer, the Rivo, at Eurobike 2025.
I trained on Zwift… then raced a real time trial.
After doing almost all his training on Zwift, Ollie, aka Not Tadej Pogacar, races a real-life time trial. Has his Zwift training prepared him well?
Garmin TACX Alpine Review // Is The Best Indoor Cycling Experience Worth It?
DesFit takes a look at the recently announced Tacx Alpine incline accessory. Is it better than Wahoo’s KICKR Climb?
My First Zwift Race | Journey back into Cycling
As Andy Ivey continues his journey back into cycling, he decides to tackle his first-ever Zwift race. Can he keep up with the group?
How I Stay Motivated When I Train Alone
Training with a group is often one of the best ways to hold yourself accountable and stay consistent with training; however, as someone who trains mostly solo, Simon Shi shares how he stays motivated and committed.
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How did you get into cycling? About 20 years ago, while living in Los Angeles, my sister spontaneously signed us up for a 3–4-hour bike ride that wound through art galleries, music venues, and local eateries. Later, during my time in upstate New York for medical school, I joined a weekend cycling club. We rode through the scenic beauty of the Niagara Falls region, often on long, meandering routes. Back then, I rode a low-tech classic steel bike—no cadence sensors, power meters, speedometers, or GPS. Biking was always just one part of my overall fitness routine. I balanced it with swimming, weight training, running, and yoga.
But about three years ago, something shifted. My local gym hosted a month-long cycling competition—both indoor and outdoor—with the goal of riding the most miles during the Tour de France. Post-COVID, my training had felt stagnant, and this was the spark I needed. Being naturally competitive, I went all-in, riding twice daily, before and after work. I ended up winning the competition, and in the process, rediscovered my passion for biking. That’s when cycling became my primary sport. I joined Zwift last year, and honestly, it’s been a game-changer. Now, I easily rack up 8-10 hours a week of structured training—rain, snow, or shine.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I only started racing this year, but I’m a quick learner!
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes! I ride for Coalition, both on the mixed team and the women’s team.
What do you love most about racing? Racing is not just about the competition—it’s about seeing how much I can improve. You push yourself harder when you’re surrounded by others fighting for that finish line. There’s also a wonderful camaraderie among teammates, and let’s not forget the post-race endorphin rush.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I really enjoy Team Time Trials (TTTs). They’re like an hour-long over/under workout—constant shifts between effort levels while working together. I also like scratch races, especially mid-duration ladder formats. These require strategy, sharp team coordination, and knowing your own capabilities. Before a race, I always recon the course, analyze my power metrics, and study my opponents. I’ll sketch out possible attack points, estimate the power I need to hold, and even use a bit of AI modeling to build my plan. Of course, races rarely go as planned, but preparation builds confidence—and better pacing.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? Right now, I’m loving the Women’s Mini Races || p/b FemmeCycle Collab. They’re short scratch races, and I like slipping one into the middle of a Zone 2 day. Keeps things fresh.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? In one recent Zwift race, I was 10 seconds behind the lead group with a few kilometers to go. I stayed focused, pushed hard, and managed to bridge the gap just in time to sprint past at the line. It’s still my favorite reminder to never give up—you’re never really out of it until the race is over.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Anything I want! Usually something carb- and protein-rich. After endurance efforts, your muscles are like sponges, ready to soak up nutrients. It’s all about replenishing glycogen stores and repairing muscle fibers. I’ve been known to hit up a restaurant and order two entrees—often plates of pasta. People might be surprised to see a petite woman devouring that much food, but hey, I get hungry!
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? First: just have fun! Draft as much as you can, and don’t put pressure on yourself to win. Afterward, look at your performance and those who finished a few spots ahead. Did they average lower watts/kg but out-strategize you? There’s so much to learn and always room to grow. Also, don’t underestimate pre-race prep. Carbohydrates and hydration are key. I usually drink a caffeine-free pre workout—look for ones with glucose, maltodextrin, or dextrose for sustained energy without the stimulant crash. Caffeine-free keeps my heart rate from spiking unnecessarily. And electrolytes are essential, not only because you’re sweating, but because balanced sodium, potassium, and magnesium levels optimize muscle contractions and recovery.
Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? I’m really looking forward to the next season of Zwift Racing League.
Where can people follow your racing adventures? Follow me on Strava to keep up with all my training and races!
One commenter astutely noted that the chart didn’t include Zwift’s Climb Portal, and that was indeed correct. While the Climb Portals are rideable in Zwift, they aren’t quite the same “roads” as you find elsewhere in the game (they don’t include surrounding scenery, and what’s the road surface, anyway?) Including them in the road construction timeline didn’t feel right.
In fairness to Zwift, though, lots of rideable roads have been added via the Climb Portal since mid-2023. So here’s a follow-up post charting Climb Portal growth over time.
Zwift Climb Portal Growth: Total Length and Count
A few notes:
Zwift’s rate of Climb Portal growth has remained relatively steady since its launch, with approximately 200km of new Climb Portal roads being released each year. This is nearly 4x the rate of new “standard” roads released in Zwift’s biggest release years.
If the Climb Portal roads were added to our chart from the earlier post, Zwift’s rate of construction from mid-2023 to present would be dramatically increased over previous years. In fact, here’s what it would look like (a bit messy, but you get the point):
Zwift Road Construction Timeline (Including Climb Portal)
Making the Library More Attractive
Zwift created the unique look and feel of the Climb Portal so they could easily add iconic climbs to the game without investing their art team’s time in replicating real-world surrounding scenery. Based on the 4x expansion rate noted above, it’s clear that the Climb Portal’s setup does indeed allow for quicker development and release of new “roads.”
But there’s a lot Zwift could do to make these new roads more attractive to riders. They recently adjusted the powerup probabilities, removing a key incentive for some Zwifters. I’d love to see Zwift implement some of the ideas from My Big List of Climb Portal Feature Requests, including letting us choose which portal we’d like to climb, giving us achievement badges for portals, and even having leaderboards in the Companion app.
Your Thoughts
Are you impressed by Zwift’s rate of Climb Portal growth? Does it take the edge off of their slowing expansion in regards to “real” roads outside of the Climb Portal? And what would you rather have: more Climb Portals, or more features to make Climb Portals more attractive?
The 7-stage SISU Tour kicks off on Saturday with a scratch race on 1 lap of Bon Voyage (31.4km 155m), and these races have more signups than any other on Zwift’s public calendar.
Chasing Yellow kicks off on Saturday with a rolling opener on Sand and Sequoias (42.5km, 352m). Run by the innovative ECRO platform, this race encourages teamwork.
Look, I’ll be honest – I mostly picked this event because I’ve just finished my own 100km ride (the Thursday Pizza Burner) and I’d love some cheesecake.
But this is also a unique sort of ride, and one worth mentioning. This event offers two different pace categories (2.7-3.2 and 3.5-4.5). Both groups ride the Eastern Eight route for 100km, but the faster group starts several minutes after the slower group, making it a sort of chase race/group ride.
Looking for a group ride on a route you haven’t ridden yet? This popular event is held on the NYC KOM After Party route and is 60 minutes long. While the stated pace is only 1.2-1.7 W/kg, it’s a banded ride, so you can go as hard (or easy) as you’d like, and you’ll stay with the group.
Note: If you want to finish the route, you’ll probably need to keep riding once the 60 minutes are up, since this route is 37 km long with 480 m of climbing.
The friendly Bikealicious crew is leading a banded group ride on the Richmond Loop Around route. At 42.7km with 556m of climbing this is not a short route. But with the ride being banded, everyone can ride at whatever effort they’d like, and the group will stay together. Ride on!
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
The recent few months have seen a flurry of Zwift updates. In this week’s top video, get a rundown of the latest changes to Zwift.
We’ve also chosen videos about life after winning Zwift Academy, racing in the ECRO Chasing Racing series, progress after a year of cycling, and the benefits of heat training.
Tariq from Smart Bike Trainers shares everything you need to know about the latest Zwift updates, including the addition of the splits feature and Zwift Cog support on Tacx trainers.
Emily Dixon: Life as a Pro after Winning Zwift Academy
Emily Dixon shares an inside look at what life looks like as a professional cyclist after winning Zwift Academy in 2024.
Josh Harris provides commentary on his recent race in the ECRO Chasing Suisse series.
FTP After 1 Year of Cycling | Lost 17.7kg of Weight
After a year of training, Daniel Cycles China tackles an FTP test and shares his progress.
Heat Training Will Make You Faster. Here’s How to Do It The Right Way
Now that we are into some of the hottest months of the year, Dylan Johnson highlights some of the benefits that heat training can provide, along with tips and tricks for maximizing your heat training.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
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Zwift has posted a new set of “fast, friendly, and totally unserious” races, dubbed the “Friday Night Fun Races.” These popped up on the calendar unannounced, and are unique in a few different ways, so we wanted to get the word out…
Boost Powerup and Other Surprises
Everyone starts with a boost powerup, with “extras available throughout the race,” according to Zwift. Trigger it for a short, sharp speed boost. Sometimes the powerup gives you one boost, while other times it gives you two.
There are other surprises in store as well, and it sounds like each week will have its own twist. (We’re hearing rumors of dino suits and big wheels being tested, but who knows what Zwift will actually settle on.)
Categorization
You’ll be categorized by your existing Racing Score for fair competition. But in an interesting twist – I think this is a first on Zwift – race results won’t impact your score. Zwift says they’re doing this to keep pressure low and fun high.
Race Times
Races are scheduled at five different timeslots each Friday:
9:30am UTC/5:30am ET/2:30am PT
4:30pm UTC/12:30pm ET/9:30am PT
5:30pm UTC/1:30pm ET/10:30am PT
6:30pm UTC/2:30pm ET/11:30am PT
10:30pm UTC/6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT
1:30am UTC/9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT
Upcoming Races
The first three weeks of races are now on the calendar:
Team TMR p/b Passage is a Zwift team based in Japan and the US, led by Rie Tamuro and managed by her husband Kota. While the team includes both men and women, they are currently focusing on supporting and uplifting the Japanese women’s Zwift community through new events, including the Japan Women’s Racing Series which was just announced for July. Read on for details…
Series Basics
Open to women worldwide, the series is designed to be inclusive and beginner-friendly, while still offering a competitive format. Riders will be divided into categories (A/B/C) based on their Zwift Racing Score to ensure fair racing.
Dates: last four Tuesdays in July – July 8, 15, 22, 29
TMR stands for Team TaMuRo – yes, the name comes from the team’s leader, Rie Tamuro! The team started with a playful spirit: “Go all in on fun, and before you know it, you’re strong.”
(July’s race series also commemorates the 600th livestream on Rie’s YouTube channel – an impressive feat!)
It’s a family-run community, with Rie as the leader and her husband, Kota, as the manager. From competitive racing to social rides, Team TMR is all about creating a space where everyone belongs – no matter their experience level.
Recently, we entered into a sponsorship agreement with Passage, a U.S.-based company developing immersive 3D event spaces. Under their new name Team TMR p/b Passage, they aim to deliver next-level livestreams where viewers can explore and interact inside custom-built virtual race venues, making the racing experience more immersive and participatory than ever!
Zwift Releases Fitness Trends Charts on Companion App
Today, Zwift rolled out a much-requested enhancement to its Companion-based Fitness Tracker. Dubbed “Fitness Trends”, it allows us to track our historic fitness via simple charts in the Companion app:
Start by tapping “Fitness Trends” at the top of your Companion app homescreen. (This is only visible if you’re “offline” with Zwift and not in the live view mode that is automatically enabled when connected to your active Zwift session.)
Fitness Trends is launching with three charts:
Training Goals: your weekly efforts, inside and out, color-coded by power zone, including a checkmark for the weeks where you hit your goal.
Training Score: a historic graph of your Training Score, which is the weighted average of daily Stress Points over the past 42 days.
Training Status: a historic chart of your training status, showing how your Training Score has traveled in and out of the four status zones: Detraining, Fresh, Productive, and Overreaching.
Tapping anywhere on these charts lets you see precise values for a given date.
Each chart includes a configuration dropdown or two:
Note: while the charts’ time windows can be expanded up to 1 year, due to Garmin and Wahoo API restrictions Zwift only imported 90 days of past activities when Fitness Tracking launched back in early April 2025. That means data on these charts prior to January 2025 won’t be terribly accurate/useful.
Scroll to the bottom of the Fitness Trends screen and you’ll find a Week Streak summary:
Importing Your Outdoor Rides
If you also ride outside, Zwift’s Fitness Tracking will only be accurate if you get those outdoor rides imported into Zwift along with your Zwift activities.
This post explains how to import activities from Garmin and Wahoo. In that post, I also explain why I recommend setting an accurate FTP and using a power meter outdoors.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Zwift’s new Fitness Trends? And more importantly, do you have that coveted 84-week streak showing you haven’t missed a week since Streaks launched? Comment below!
Chasing Yellow Grand Tour Mirrors the Tour de France Stage by Stage
Four years ago, a simple idea made a big splash in the world of Zwift racing: what if Zwifters could experience their own version of the Tour de France, with stage-by-stage racing that mirrors what the pros tackle in real life? That idea became Chasing Yellow, and on July 5, ECRO’s flagship Grand Tour returns for its fourth edition.
As previously announced on Zwift Insider, the E-Cycling Race Organization (ECRO) is working to transform virtual cycling with its comprehensive racing platform. And the heart of this ecosystem is Chasing Yellow: the 21-stage Grand Tour that started it all.
Racing Alongside the Pros
The concept behind Chasing Yellow is straightforward: when the pros face flat stages built for sprinters, Chasing Yellow participants get their own sprint opportunities. When the peloton tackles mountain stages, virtual riders experience their own climbing battles on challenging terrain.
Each of the 21 stages offers a mini-version of what the professional peloton faces that same day. This creates an opportunity to experience cycling’s greatest event from the inside, with stages that mirror the terrain and tactical challenges of each Tour de France day.
2025 Schedule
Chasing Yellow 2025 follows the same three-week schedule as the Tour de France, running from July 5 to 27. The 21-stage route offers diverse challenges, from flat sprinter stages to brutal mountain finishes.
Week 1: The Opening Salvos
Sat Jul 05 | Stage 1: Sand and Sequoias (42.5k / 352m) – Rolling opener
Sun Jul 06 | Stage 2: Astoria Line 8 (46.0k / 560m) – Early climbing test
Thu Jul 24 | Stage 18: Climber’s Gambit (27.9k / 670m) – Short but steep
Fri Jul 25 | Stage 19: ZG25 Queen (32.6k / 559m) – Final mountain test
Sat Jul 26 | Stage 20: Roule Ma Poule (49.1k / 313m) – Penultimate opportunity
Sun Jul 27 | Stage 21: Champs-Élysées (36.1k / 198m) – Traditional finale
Full race times and registration details are available at www.ecro.app.
More Than Individual Glory
While the Tour de France crowns individual winners, Chasing Yellow embraces cycling’s team nature through ECRO’s team competition structure. Teams of up to 12 riders work together across categories, making strategic decisions that span the entire three-week competition.
The team dynamics add tactical layers that don’t exist in traditional Zwift racing. Teams decide when to send climbers up the road on mountain stages or control the race for sprinters in flat stages. These decisions play out across 21 stages, creating storylines that develop over three weeks.
Global Participation, Professional Structure
Chasing Yellow brings together riders from around the world through multiple race events for each stage. The competition uses ECRO’s five-category structure based on zwiftracing.app vELO ratings, ensuring riders compete against others of similar ability while contributing to their teams’ overall success.
This creates multiple competitions within each stage, from elite Category A battles to developing riders pursuing their first Grand Tour stage win in Category E.
Beyond the Racing
Chasing Yellow exists within ECRO’s ecosystem of team contracts, rider transfers, and virtual economics. Teams invest in riders throughout the season, and success in Chasing Yellow impacts rider values and team standings. A breakthrough performance can transform a rider’s virtual career, while team success enhances reputation and recruitment opportunities.
The three weeks of racing also bring the ECRO community together in the platform’s active Discord channel. July becomes a lively month of competition as riders debate tactics, celebrate stage wins, and offer support and encouragement throughout the demanding tour. The camaraderie and banter that develop over 21 stages often become as memorable as the racing itself.
Fourth Year Running
The 2025 edition of Chasing Yellow brings together established teams and emerging squads, promising competitive racing. With ECRO’s platform now supporting a full season calendar, teams arrive at the Grand Tour with established form and championship aspirations.
How to Join
Riders looking to participate in Chasing Yellow must obtain an ECRO Rider License ($7.99 for the 2025 season) and meet platform requirements, including Zwift Power registration and the use of a heart rate monitor. Teams require a Team License ($12.99 for the 2025 season) to compete in the full competition.
While anyone can join ECRO events on Zwift, licensed participants compete in the official standings and experience the complete Grand Tour competition.
Four years after its debut, Chasing Yellow has evolved from an ambitious experiment into what is arguably virtual cycling’s premier Grand Tour. For riders seeking more than isolated race experiences and teams wanting strategic depth, Chasing Yellow offers a three-week racing experience you simply won’t find elsewhere.
Chasing Yellow is part of the ECRO World Tour 2025, featuring 75 races including three Grand Tours throughout the season. Learn more about ECRO and register for the 2025 season at www.ecro.app
