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Dear Zwift: I Need More Carrots!

Eric Schlange
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14
Dear Zwift: I Need More Carrots!

Dear Zwift: I Need More Carrots!

I like to set goals. Then I like to crush them.

Does this resonate with anyone else? I know I’m not alone in this–that little shot of dopamine received every time we achieve something is a powerful thing.

Cycling is a wonderful sport for goal-setters because a variety of metrics are easily tracked. When I came back to cycling after an 18-year hiatus I quickly discovered Strava, and it changed everything. Now I could have what I already loved about cycling (fitness, friends, exploration) while tracking my progress against myself and other riders.

Likewise, my first season on Zwift was full of goals and achievements. I quick leveled up with my 150-mile weeks, finishing off the California, Italy, and Everest challenges. I didn’t unlock the Tron bike for a year, but by then I had unlocked just about everything: all the achievement badges, challenges, and levels in the game.

As of today there are two cycling badges I haven’t yet received:

  • On Fire (Complete 25 Laps of the Volcano Circuit)
  • Masochist (Climb Alpe du Zwift 25 times)

I had forgotten they even existed until I went looking as I researched this post. These were added without much fanfare after I had completed all the other badges, so I never gave them much thought. But now I’m figuring out how to get them done, too!

Current Carrots

Let’s talk for a moment about the carrots Zwift has already placed in the game. If you’ve been around Zwift for a while it’s easy to forget all the little badges and other achievements from your first season or two, but they are worth mentioning because there’s a lot that’s right about them.

Here’s a list of the various carrots Zwift currently dangles in front of us:

  • XP: perhaps the most fundamental of carrots, XP still drives me to put in a few more pedal strokes and get that last little distance XP hit before I end my ride. Learn how XP works >
  • Levels: driven by XP, that progress bar atop your screen is a good longer-term motivator. I’m at 46, and I rather dread the day I hit level 50 and it stops moving.
  • Badges: a variety of achievements for everything from riding 10 miles to ascending the Alpe 25 times (click Menu>Badges to see yours)
  • Missions: these temporary challenges typically last 2-4 weeks, with only one (and sometimes none) available at any given time. Example: the 10,000 Calorie Mission was available in January 2018.
  • Challenges: Tour of Italy, Climb Mt. Everest, and Ride California (click Menu in game to choose one)
  • Alpe du Zwift spinner: I’ve been to the top 6 times in the past week, and landed on the helmet every. single. time. I want those Meilensteins!
  • Random Drawings: lots of events (like the ASSOS Speed Club series) enter you into a random drawing for real-world stuff if you finish.
  • Kit unlocks for events: some virtual Zwift kits are unlocked by participating in just one event, while other unlocks require completion of multiple stages.
  • In-Game Goals: Zwifters can set distance and time goals for their week and/or month via the Companion app.
  • Zwift Academy: the annual Zwift academy events bring riders together to work out and compete. Finishing the Academy earns you an icon next to your name, as well as a virtual kit and (sometimes) other goodies. Of course, top riders get to move onto the semi-finals, etc.
  • Virtual Store: this is coming soon, but will certainly provide added incentive to accumulate virtual currency to buy bikes, wheels, etc in game. I can’t wait!

All of these carrots help motivate new Zwifters to use the platform in a variety of ways, and that’s smart.

Even as a veteran Zwifter I’m still motivated by some of these carrots today, including the virtual kit unlocks for events. It’s a bit silly, really: multi-stage tours are fun for me even though I’ll probably never wear the kits I get for completing them. I imagine the kit is framed and mounted in my imaginary man cave, finding its place among various other achievements only I care about.

More Carrot Ideas

Ideas for additional carrots have been talked about in Zwift forums for quite a while. Here’s my list of favorite ideas, most of which are not original to me:

  • Challenges: I like the California, Italy, and Everest Challenges. It’s motivating to see your progress towards the goal at the end of every ride, and I like that you can be working towards these long-term challenges while doing other missions or achievements in game. The only bummer is that there aren’t more challenges! I’d like to see many more available, such as:
    • LeTour: ride the distance of the first Tour de France (2,428 km/1,509 miles) and unlock an old-school steel single speed La Française with toe clips–the bike Maurice Garin used to win the first TdF. You could do challenges for the Vuelta and Giro as well.
    • RAAM: complete the Race Across America distance (approximately 3,000 miles). Unlock a touring bike complete with panniers.
  • Missions: The temporary nature of missions is what makes them special: if you don’t finish them in time, you miss out! I’d like to see a new mission every month. Why not? There’s always something a partner wants to advertise, a prize people could win in a random drawing, a fitting challenge for that particular time of year. You could even have multiple challenges each month, but only let people pick one at a time.
  • Achievement Badges: lots of options here, from the mundane to the straight-up crazy.
    • KOM King: take 5 KOMs (on a course that’s actually open, no world hacking you big cheater!) Additional unlocks for 10, 25, etc.
    • Speedy Sprinter: take 5 sprint jerseys (on a course that’s actually open) Additional unlocks for 10, 25, etc.
    • Racehorse: complete 50, 100, 200, etc races
    • Workout Warrior: complete 50, 100, 200, etc group workouts
    • Levelheaded Leader: unlock some special piece of clothing by leading at least 10 group rides. Award additional pieces of kit for leading 50, 100, 200 group rides.
    • 25 Trips To the Radio Tower: this is my most-hated stretch of road in game, so any incentive to tackle it is good for me.
    • Around the World (riding 40,074 km/24,901 miles): obviously this would take a while, but why not set it up?
    • 1 Ride, 1 Pizza (burn a large pizza’s worth of calories in one ride): at 300 calories per slice and 12 slices in a large that 3600 calories
    • World Traveler: unlock this achievement by completing a century in every Zwift map. Lose the badge when a new map is released! Perhaps have two levels of achievement: metric and imperial.
    • Prestige System: decorate jerseys with numbers or something that gives the rider more prestige. Maybe just for riders over level 50?
    • Lemming: complete 10 group rides where you stayed within 15 seconds of the ride leader throughout the ride. Use this to train the “zinners” who like to go off the front of every group ride (you know who you are!)
    • Explorer: get a badge for completing every route (including reverse!) in a world. Different badge for each world, and when a new route is released… you lose the badge. Zwift would need to tell you the badge is lost, though, so you know you need to ride the new route.
    • Superfan: follow 500 other Zwifters
    • ZwiftFamous: get 500 followers
    • Good Student: finish one of the training plans
  • Kit Unlocks: give us more events that unlock limited-edition kits, and make it easier for us to find these events with search filters. It’s nearly impossible to do right now! Here’s the thing with kit unlocks, though: they have to be visible. Make it a distinctive jersey or hat.
  • More Body Accessories: let us unlock jewelry, tattoos, crazy hairstyles… you get the picture.
  • Levels: why not have more levels? I don’t personally care about this much today, but once I’m at level 50 for a week I know I’ll be wishing for 51.
  • Real stuff: this year’s Tour de Zwift did this for the first time I can remember. After I completed the tour I received an email invite to purchase a TdZ prize box with special water bottles, stickers, etc. I like this idea. Perhaps Zwift could have some exclusive merch available only for certain levels?

Carrot Concerns

I’m sure HQ has talked about additional carrots numerous times. Some of the concerns I can imagine them having as they discuss new carrots would be:

  • Legal Liability: you don’t want to get sued for offering a badge that encourages people to do something dangerous. (This is why Strava doesn’t alert you when your downhill KOMs are stolen.)
  • Too Many Achievements: you don’t want so many different achievements that it gets confusing for new Zwifters, or you’re hitting so many achievements that the unlocks are distracting or no longer feel special.
  • Developer/Artist Time: obviously, creating these carrots takes time, and time is money. Zwift has to balance this with other priorities.

With those concerns in mind, I still think it’s time for some new carrots.

What About You?

Do carrots encourage you to push harder? What do you think of my carrot ideas, and what would you add to my list?

SRAM Women’s Tour Announced

Eric Schlange
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0
SRAM Women’s Tour Announced

SRAM Women’s Tour Announced

Zwift has announced the SRAM Women’s Tour, a 3-stage event where women around the world will come together to find their limits and ride past them. There’s something for everyone—a flat, fast stage, a rolling loop, and a QOM stage for the mountain goats. 

Prizes

Complete the 3 stages and you’ll be entered to win one of two exciting Grand Prizes from SRAM. The lucky winners will each be awarded an all-new RED eTap AXS™ groupset!

Official Rules

Ride Schedule

Each stage will have multiple times and dates for maximum availability. Stage one begins tomorrow (February 25th) and the last event is March 7th.

See series event schedule >

Kit Unlock

There’s also some virtual kit up for the taking. Complete any 1 stage and you’ll unlock the SRAM jersey.

Is this a Race?

No. It’s a ride-your-own-pace event. Yes, some riders will be going fast, but there is no winner of the SRAM Women’s Tour. Do your best and challenge yourself to finish the 3 stages. You’ll find motivation and a boost of confidence from everyone riding with you!

Gore X Chasing Cancellara Series Announced

Eric Schlange
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0
Gore X Chasing Cancellara Series Announced

Gore X Chasing Cancellara Series Announced

Want to pick the brain of the guy who’s racked up 86 UCI professional victories? Who’s won four Individual Time Trial Championships and Paris-Roubaix three times? Just roll up to the Zwift starting line and ask away. He’s happy to answer questions.

Fabian Cancellara is heading to Zwift. He won’t be around long. Three group workouts. A fourth and final ride — the Chasing Cancellara race. And then he’s gone!

Ride Schedule

Every Tuesday between February 26th and March 19th at 6:30 pm GMT.

Kit Unlock

Complete any one of the four group rides and claim the stylish black GORE® Wear in-game kit.

Is this a Race?

Yes and no. Out of the four total rides, the first three are Cancellara-led group workouts. The fourth ride, however, is a Chasing Cancellara race similar to his outdoor events. The only difference is where the action happens.

See series event schedule >

ASSOS Speed Club Series Announced Feb 25-Mar 2

Eric Schlange
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0
ASSOS Speed Club Series Announced Feb 25-Mar 2

ASSOS Speed Club Series Announced Feb 25-Mar 2

Zwift is hosting a series of events with prizes to celebrate the release of the new ASSOS S9 generation of bib shorts and the launch of the ASSOS Speed Club.

About Speed Club

The ASSOS Speed Club is a global collective of riders and racers who share a passion for cycling and are committed to securing its future. Learn more about Speed Club and check out their events.

Kit Unlock

Complete any of the Assos Speed Club Series events to unlock the all-new S9 Equipe RS Bibs and Speed Club kit.

There will be two warm-up group rides followed by a race. See schedule of events >

Additional Prizes

Complete one of the three Assos Speed Club Series events Feb. 25th to Mar 2nd to be entered into a prize drawing. For every ride you complete, you earn one entry into that drawing.

Three winners per event will be drawn at random to win a pair of ASSOS men’s S9 Equipe RS Bib Shorts or women’s S7 Laalalai Bib Shorts. Selected winners have the option to choose either a pair of the men’s S9 Equipe RS Bib Shorts or women’s S7 Laalalai Bib Shorts.

Official Rules

Zwift Rated “Most Innovative Company” by FastCompany

Eric Schlange
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0
Zwift Rated “Most Innovative Company” by FastCompany

Zwift Rated “Most Innovative Company” by FastCompany

Earlier this week it was announced that Zwift was 5th most innovative company in the Sports sector by FastCompany. See their rating here >

They were given this award “For gamifying training for runners and cyclists with a social twist.”

Interestingly, Peloton was rated #1 in the Wellness category. As any Zwifter knows, the general population often confuses Zwift with Peloton. But this award nicely highlights the difference between the two companies. As I explain to friends, “Peloton is for people who do spin class, Zwift is for cyclists.” One is more focused on at-home “fitness/wellness” while the other is more focused on “sport.”

There is certainly some overlap between the two, but a world of difference between them as well.

Congrats on the award, Zwift. It is much deserved!

Read FastCompany’s profile of Zwift >

Opinion: Fixing the Cofidis / KISS Super League Situation

Eric Schlange
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0
Opinion: Fixing the Cofidis / KISS Super League Situation

Opinion: Fixing the Cofidis / KISS Super League Situation


If you’ve been following the Men’s KISS Super League (KSL) pro races, you’ve seen Team Cofidis’ race efforts become a bit of a joke in the Zwift racing community.

How did we get here, how can Cofidis fix it, and what does this mean for Zwift racing moving forward?

The Backstory

It all began in KSL round 2. This is when all four of Cofidis’ riders “sat up” and rode the stage at around 3 w/kg, finishing in last by a good margin.

There were immediate cries from the Zwift community to boot Cofidis from the series… and those cries haven’t stopped.

There are four UCI Pro Continental teams in this series, and in theory those teams should be the strongest in the league since Pro Conti ranks above Conti. (There are ten Conti teams in the series as well, plus the two Zwift community teams.)

Despite being one of the four UCI Pro Conti teams in the competition, Cofidis’ riders have been consistently performing poorly every race. At first glance, this doesn’t make sense: shouldn’t these riders be the strongest?

To be fair, it’s worth mentioning that so far three of the four Pro Conti teams are doing quite poorly. A glance at the current rankings shows these three teams are in the bottom five of the league:

  • Israel Cycling Academy: 12th place overall (the team has skipped one race, only had one rider in two other races)
  • Cofidis: 13th place overall
  • Novo Nordisk: 15th overall (the team has skipped two races)

Super League rules state that a team’s eight best results will be used for overall points, so teams which have entirely skipped a race may still be able to gain ground in the second half of the series.

Here are the results for Team Cofidis to date, including watts per kilo for their race efforts. I’ve bolded those results where riders were obviously not putting in a race effort:

  • Round 1:
    • Damien Touze, 5.5 w/kg, 13th (the only Cofidis rider to finish in the top 50% thus far)
    • Marco Mathis, 4.6 w/kg, 26th
    • Anthony Perez 4.6 w/kg, 33rd
  • Round 2:
    • Filippo Fortin, 3.0 w/kg, 42nd
    • Anthony Perez, 3.0 w/kg, 43rd
    • Cyril Lemoine, 2.9 w/kg, 44th
    • Dimitri Claeys, 2.8 w/kg, 45th (last place)
  • Round 3:
    • Anthony Perez, 4.8 w/kg, 30th
    • Damien Touze, 4.2 w/kg, 37th
    • Victor Lafay, 4.5 w/kg, 43rd
  • Round 4:
    • Dimitri Claeys, 4.8 w/kg, 31st
    • Filippo Fortin, 2.9 w/kg, 52nd
    • Marco Mathis, 3.4 w/kg, 53rd
  • Round 5:
    • Victor Lafay, 4.1 w/kg, 39th
    • Filippo Fortin, 3.8 w/kg, 40th
    • Nicolas Edet, 3.4 w/kg, 44th
    • Anthony Perez, 2.8 w/kg, 46th (last place)

In total Cofidis riders have managed seventeen stage completions. But at least nine of those weren’t race efforts.

What’s Going On?

Various theories have been offered up to explain Cofidis’ behavior to date. Here they are, with my comments:

  • Too weak to win: maybe Cofidis’ riders just aren’t strong enough. This is the least plausible theory, since these riders are paid professionals riding for a UCI Pro Continental team which makes regular Tour de France appearances. In fact, three of the riders who have raced KSL for Cofidis were on last year’s TdF squad (Anthony Perez, Dimitri Claeys, Nicolas Edet)!
  • Too busy racing outdoors: this certainly is part of the issue. Pro riders have a full training and racing schedule (here is Cofidis‘). At the same time, KSL races are only 35-50 minutes in length, so riders should be able to fit them into their training regimen as short, hard efforts. In fact, my guess is Zwift pitched this race series to pro teams with the caveat that the races would be short and not greatly impact riders’ training.
  • Think Zwift is a joke: we all know cyclists who think Zwift is silly, and racing on Zwift is even sillier. Is that what Cofidis riders think? It’s entirely possible.

What’s Actually Going On?

I reached out to Cofidis’ management and riders via social media, and here’s what I learned: it’s not a simple answer, and the more you dig into it the more you may sympathize with Cofidis.

First, it’s a new experience for all of their riders. Florent Poleyn, Director of Communications, said:

It’s the first time on Zwift for all of our riders, and as you know well, it’s a very unique effort, not the same as road cycling.

Obviously the experience issue impacts results. But riders could easily read up on Zwift racing tips, and a lack of experience doesn’t have to equal a lack of effort. So I’m not going to give much weight to this reason.

Second: priorities. This is the big one. Florent said:

The season has already started and our riders have a specific training program to be ready for the first big races.

Since the beginning of the Zwift KISS Super League, only a few of our riders participate: Anthony Perez, Nicolas Edet, Victor Lafay, Fortin, Claeys, and Damien Touzé. Riders have the choice to participate and each Wednesday, riders have to add the ZKSL to their training. The morning, they train 2-3 hours and at 8pm, they participate to ZKSL.

So yes, you’re right, they are tired and so, they can’t be as competitive as other riders. So far, their main goal is to perform during races so it’s hard to perform also in ZKSL.

Rider Damien Touzé echoed what Florent said. His comments to me were a bit garbled (machine-translated from French) so I will paraphrase: he explained that Zwift races are very demanding physically, and Cofidis riders have never been fully recovered from the prior weekend’s UCI races. He said the motivation is not there, even when they’re in the race group.

So Cofidis is letting riders decide if they want to race KSL, and riders are clearly expected to prioritize their UCI races over KSL efforts. While this may not make for good KSL results, is it right or fair for us to expect anything more? Perhaps.

But at the same time, we shouldn’t be surprised that three of the four Pro Conti teams in KSL are in the bottom five in the rankings. These teams, perhaps even more than the ten Conti teams in KSL, are under pressure to produce strong outdoor UCI race results. KSL results are a much lower priority.

How to Fix It

This situation needs to be fixed. It’s not good for Cofidis, and it’s not good for Zwift. Cofidis’ efforts to date are soiling their name in the Zwift community, and our community is not a small one (one report said KSL’s first stage had 40,000 viewers). How many Zwifters will laugh in derision the next time they see Cofidis in an outdoor race? They certainly aren’t making new fans through their involvement with KSL thus far. So what’s the solution?

Pulling out of KSL entirely won’t help things for Cofidis–although it is better than entering the races and not putting in real efforts, which just make matters worse.

There’s only one way to really fix this: go out and win (or at least compete strongly) in the remaining KSL races. Do some research, ride in some practice races to get the hang of Zwift, and then head into KSL nights as fresh as possible. You may need to alter your training program a bit, but isn’t it worth it for the PR win?

Go all in. Share your race efforts on social media like Madison Genesis, Israel Cycling Academy, and others have been doing. Win back the hearts of Zwifters everywhere!

What Does This Mean for Zwift Racing?

ZwiftHQ and anyone else organizing pro races on Zwift must learn a lesson from this silliness. Professional teams joining these serious racing leagues should agree to contractual “good faith” language requiring their riders to put forth their best efforts. Barring this, time cuts could always be put in place to eliminate riders who aren’t putting in real efforts.

But we have to remember that experienced Zwift racers (like myself, and perhaps you as well) are a year or two ahead of Cofidis when it comes to Zwift racing. We are comfortable with it, we see its potential, we may even (*gasp*) take it seriously. That’s not the case with many (most?) cyclists. Not yet.

Zwift smartly advertised KSL as a “demonstration sport” for this very reason: it’s not ready for prime time. The world of bike racing isn’t quite ready for Zwift, and Zwift isn’t quite ready for serious bike racing.

The two worlds are coming together, but it will take time. And until that happens, I suspect we’ll see a lot of riders off the back like Cofidis. Participating, but not fully engaged.

Give them time… they’ll come around.

This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

Thomas Eichentopf
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This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

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Women’s KISS Super League – Round 1

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Here’s the official Zwift broadcast of the first race of the women’s pro series. It was an exciting race!

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Remote Fan Hack – Perfect for Zwift races

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Just yesterday I forgot again to turn on the fan before I jumped on the bike and entered Zwift. This neat trick actually is as simple as genius. Finally, I see sense in smart home concepts! Shop for Smart Plugs on Amazon >

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Mancave Maintenance, CycleOps Hammer Noise Remedy

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If your CycleOps is making noises, you might be able to fix it easily. The DIRT Zwift Team guides you through some simple maintenance of the Hammer trainer. A small change in the trainer’s internals and all sound issues are gone for good.

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The Problem with Zwift Workouts and Training Plans

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How good exactly are Zwift training plans for real? Dylan Johnson, working for Carmichael Training Systems, is maybe not fully impartial… still, I take a lot from his remarks and now understand training plan logic much better. Very helpful if you want to know which Zwift training sessions are actually useful.

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Are Zwift Workouts and Training Plans Worth It?

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Chris Pritchard’s training plan experiment definitely rocks the timing, considering the other video on training plan quality we feature in this week. Chris never trained with a plan and has picked a Zwift training plan. This is just the first episode of various plans that he wants to review. Take it as a small sample study to validate what really is the value of Zwift’s training plans.

How Rider Height Affects Speed in Zwift

Eric Schlange
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16
How Rider Height Affects Speed in Zwift

UPDATE: you can find much more detailed and current data about how height affects your Zwift speed on this post.

You already know your weight setting in Zwift affects your speed–especially up hills!

And you probably also know that the bike frame and wheels you select will affect your speed.

But did you know your height setting also affects your speed? Zwift uses your height in its equations to calculate CdA, which is a measurement of how much resistance your body gives to the air as you ride. Just like outdoors where aero is everything, Zwift calculates taller riders as offering more wind resistance.

We’ve done a lot of automated test laps with various height/weight/equipment setups, and confirmed this: all other things being equal, the taller you are the slower you’ll go.

The test laps we’ve done in the 225-watt power range work out to ~30 seconds longer on a full Richmond lap for each 15cm (approximately 6″) of height added. Or to put it another way: a 5′ tall rider will be ~2 minutes faster than a 6′ tall rider for every hour of riding on a fairly flat course.

Another way to look at this is every 15cm removed from a rider’s height is like adding 5-10 watts of power in terms of speed increase. We can figure this out by looking at average Strava speeds at different heights, and plugging those numbers into BikeCalculator.com to look at power differences.

These numbers fluctuate depending on the wattage range you’re looking at, and what type of route we are riding–long, slow climbs won’t be as affected by height as much as a flats or downhill.

But it is worth noting that Zwift, in attempting to emulate real-world physics, does take your height into account (even if your avatar doesn’t get any shorter or taller).

Racing on Zwift – Challenges and Opportunities for Broadcasters

Eric Schlange
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2
Racing on Zwift – Challenges and Opportunities for Broadcasters

Racing on Zwift – Challenges and Opportunities for Broadcasters

This is part two of a three-part series exploring Zwift racing’s challenges and opportunities. Part one focused on spectating, and many of the topics in that post would fit into this post as well. (I didn’t include them though, for brevity’s sake, so be sure to read part one for a fuller picture.)

Today we will focus on broadcasting Zwift races. What’s working, what isn’t, and how do we fix it?

Challenge: Who Pays for This?

With virtual bike racing in its infancy, finding any sort of funding/sponsors for streams will be difficult. And while streams may not need loads of money to operate, paying the commentators for their time and equipment is a must if this is going to be sustainable.

Streamers will have to make a case with hard numbers if they want to see dollars. How many eyeballs can virtual race streams attract? Zwift’s first round of their recent KISS Super League series say 40,000 viewers within the first few days… that’s a start!

Opportunity: Low Cost of Entry

Even though virtual race streaming is in its early days, indoor bike brands would be smart to jump on board and sponsor race streams if the price is right. And the price should be right, given the comparatively low cost of entry for streaming Zwift races.

The cost of putting together a Zwift race broadcast is infinitesimally small compared to broadcasting an outdoor race. Meatspace races require helicopters, radio planes, motos, a commentary box, and the technology to link it all. A basic Zwift race broadcast could be handled by a single producer and commentator if the proper tools were in place. Add another commentator to bring it up to typical UCI race commentary standards and you’ve got an entertaining race broadcast for a small fraction of what is paid for outdoor races.

Challenge: A Lack of Tools

Today’s Zwift broadcasts are just a shadow of what they could be. With no dedicated broadcast client, commentators must use the same game interface that Zwifters use when they ride. While this works decently well, problems arise:

  • Internet drops on a racer’s side may cause the camera to suddenly switch to another rider on course
  • Screen HUD elements, optimized for individual rider viewing, don’t display the information spectators want to see
  • Camera angles are not always ideal
  • Slow motion replays, essential for close finishes, require external “hacks”

Opportunity: Lots of Rider Metrics

Zwift puts bio-metrics at our fingertips that outdoor race spectators can only dream of. In a virtual race we can see a riders’ speed, power, current heart rate, and even dig into their real-time metrics like best 5-minute power if we’re creative enough and know our way around ZwiftPower.com. Velon has been experimenting with some of this data in their outdoor Hammer Series, but after two seasons of development it’s nowhere near what we already have on Zwift. While it may not be presented perfectly in Zwift broadcasts, we already have more information on racer’s efforts than we ever get outside.

We need just a better way to display all this data. Ideally, Zwift would create some sort of “broadcast client” version of the game optimized for broadcasters and showing information like:

  • Time gaps between race packs
  • Live video of actual riders
  • An indication of which pack we’re currently looking at
  • Distance left in the race

Much more could be shown, such as additional screens of useful power metrics. The sky’s the limit here.

Challenge: Getting the Word Out

There is no central place to go if you want to watch a Zwift race, no place to find a schedule of upcoming events, no massive archive of past race streams.

This needs to change.

As long as races are hard to find, viewer interest will appear artificially low.

Opportunity: Stream Free, Link Up Companion

Streaming can happen through a variety of services, but most commonly happens on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer. The beautiful thing is, broadcasters can stream on any or all of these services, free. The services provide steady, optimized platforms for mobile and desktop viewing, leaving the broadcasters to focus on creating quality content.

But how do you publicize your streaming? The Companion app seems the logical place to make this work. Let race organizers put stream URLs into event descriptions, and have the Companion app show links to live races.

Challenge: Knowing the Riders

Zwift race broadcasting is like a box of chocolate: you never know who you’re gonna get.

Unlike pro outdoor races, Zwift races can have just about anyone show up. Broadcasters can’t have a quick sheet of key facts for each rider figured out beforehand, and this becomes obvious when you listen to some Zwift race broadcasts. “Rider X is off the front attacking now… who is Rider X? Does anyone in chat know this guy?”

Some of this could be fixed with a better broadcast client–one that (perhaps) easily links to a rider’s race history and power metrics. But there’s more that could be done to help broadcasters better know their racers…

Opportunity: Exclusive Races

We’re already seeing this with KISS Super League, where not just anybody can race. This lets broadcasters get to know a short list of riders, which improves their commentary immensely.

While Zwift is all about being inclusive (and rightly so), there is room for some exclusive races which are limited in field size and require pre-qualification. We’ve already seen some of this, and we’ll need to see even more if we want broadcasters to be able to consistently help viewers connect to racers.

CONCLUSION

Zwift racing is still in its infancy, and Zwift race broadcasting is even younger still. This is obvious when you watch most race streams, which are typically not much more than a voice on top of someone clicking around inside the Zwift software.

But there is big potential here, if Zwift can give broadcasters improved client tools and broadcasters can put in the work to make the experience one that truly connects viewers to racers. It’s going to happen… it’s already happening to some extent. Watching this season’s KISS Super League stages we can clearly see Zwift working to improve the broadcast each and every stage, and if that focus continues we may see some top-notch broadcasting by the end of 2019.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities Zwift racing holds for broadcasters today. Share below!

Women’s Zwift Academy Dream Team Announced

Eric Schlange
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Women’s Zwift Academy Dream Team Announced

Women’s Zwift Academy Dream Team Announced

Zwift has announced the roster for the women’s Zwift Academy Dream Team, and it’s a strong bunch of riders!

Made up entirely of Zwift Academy semi-finalists, finalists, and winners, this team will certainly have what it takes to square off against the pros as they compete in the KISS Super League pro series which begins tomorrow.

Leah Thorvilson, winner of the first ever Zwift Academy (2016), will be acting as team DS (and also racing with the team).

Here’s a bit more about each rider (click to see their ZwiftPower profile):

  • Harriet Dodd (UK): 2018 Zwift Academy semi-finalist, CVR World Cup Paris finalist
  • Ione Johnson (New Zealand): 2018 Zwift Academy finalist, CVR World Cup Paris finalist
  • Helen McKay (UK): 2018 Zwift Academy semi-finalist, Helen looks to have a strong sprint.
  • Nathalie Eklund (Sweden): 2018 Zwift Academy semi-finalist and Canyon ZCC team member, Nathalie’s sprint numbers look strong.
  • Laura Van Regenmortel (Netherlands): 2018 Zwift Academy semi-finalist and Canyon ZCC team member with good sprint watts.
  • Mary Wilkinson (UK): 2018 Zwift Academy finalist, UK National Hill Climb Silver medallist 2017 & 2018, and the most experienced Zwift racer on the team. Based on ZwiftPower data, Mary has the highest FTP (and sprint power) on the team. She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with.
  • Catherine Colyn (South Africa): 2018 Zwift Academy semi-finalist, South Africa U23 Road Race champion 2018, raced with Maaslandster international team in the Netherlands last season.
  • Leah Thorvilson (USA): 2016 Zwift Academy winner, Leah’s power numbers are good both in sprints and long efforts.

We’ve heard tomorrow’s race (on Watopia Flat) will feature the following riders: Ione Johnson , Helen McKay, Nathalie Eklund and Laura Van Regenmortel.

The Dream Team gets their own in-game kit, as well as outdoors kits that match! Here’s Leah showing her’s off on a recent ride:

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