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Rocker Plate Review: SBR ROCKR Pro

Eric Schlange
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24
Rocker Plate Review: SBR ROCKR Pro

Rocker Plate Review: SBR ROCKR Pro

Let me begin by saying: I’m a big fan of rocker plates. At least when they’re built and set up correctly. In fact, I’m constantly surprised there aren’t many more rocker plate users on Zwift today. My assumption is the low number of rocker plate lovers results from a combination of factors:

  • High Cost: obtaining a rocker plate typically costs $400-$600US, although Saris’ MP1 runs $1200US and you can build your own for ~$100US.
  • Negative Reviews: rocker plates have received some mixed reviews, most notably from GPLama. People seem to love them or hate them.
  • Availability: until Saris announced the MP1 a couple months ago, rocker plate makers were smaller outfits with limited marketing and distribution.
  • Perceived as Unnecessary: with so many cyclists doing “just fine” without rocker plates for so many years, there is the perception that a rocker plate is an unnecessary addition to the pain cave.
  • Unable to Demo: you don’t see rocker plates in your local bike shop, so anyone ordering them is doing it without testing one first. That’s always a tougher sell.

The American-made SBR ROCKR Pro rocker plate aims to answer the challenges to rocker plate adoption. And I’m going to do my part here by delivering a positive review on the test unit I’ve been riding for several weeks.

My History With Rocker Plates

I purchased my first rocker plate in August 2016. It was a CoPlate, made by a Zwifter named Co Boone in the Netherlands. As far as I know, this was the only commercially-available rocker plate on the market at the time.

After setting up the unit beneath my new Neo trainer I become an immediate fan. I love to climb out of the saddle for short bursts, and my rare outdoor race wins have happened from standing sprints. The CoPlate allowed me to do these things in a way that felt quite natural to me. It didn’t replicate outdoor motion perfectly, but it was 90% there, and that’s a big upgrade from a rigid setup.

In addition to letting me ride out of the saddle naturally, the rocker plate gave me a small amount of movement while riding in a seated position, which made everything more comfortable. I could also tell it was much less stressful on my bike’s frame, as the plate suspension took the load instead of my frame twisting whenever I started hammering.

Monica (my wife) loved the CoPlate as well, and immediately noticed a reduction in back and neck pain thanks to the increased movement it allowed. Her chiropractor was impressed.

Soon enough I purchased a KICKR and second rocker plate for myself. Our rocker plates and trainers have been next to each other in the pain cave ever since. I’ve put over 15,000 miles on mine!

Then I got a Wahoo KICKR Climb, and realized it didn’t work well at all with a rocker plate that only rocks the rear of your bike. Everything was way too wobbly. So I began looking for a “full length” rocker plate solution, and that’s how I found the SBR ROCKR Pro.

I tracked down Chip Self (Zwifter and SBR ROCKR creator) on Facebook, we chatted a bit, and soon enough a new SBR ROCKR had arrived from Chesterfield, MO. It was time to put it through its paces! Here’s my full review.

Setting It Up

My ROCKR arrived in a nicely-labeled box, neatly packaged and full assembled. I was pleasantly surprised by the weight–being a full-length unit, I assumed it would be much heavier than my CoPlate. But it only weighs 47lbs.

After laying the unit on my pain cave floor I inserted the suspension balls (just a basic rubber kickball) into the cutouts and inflated them to what I thought was a good starting pressure. (You’ll need a pump and needle to do this.)

Setting up my KICKR on the unit was quite easy, since the ROCKR ships with cutouts and attachment hardware for the KICKR (as well as Tacx Neo/Flux, CycleOps Hammer, Elite Drivo/Direto, and Wahoo KICKR Snap/Core). How-to videos are available online if you have any questions, but all I needed was 5 minutes and a large screwdriver to get the job done.

  • Ready to rock!

A Note About Trainer Compatibility:

The ROCKR should work for every trainer on the market, although it may not have labeled attachment points or included hardware to make your installation simple and easy. A drill, brackets, and some nuts and bolts should work to get just about any trainer firmly attached to the ROCKR.

Key Features

Many of the features designed by Chip for the ROCKR have been copied by other rocker plate makers–so you know they’re good. Here are some of the noteworthy features in the ROCKR’s construction:

  • Adjustable suspension: as you’ll see below, having the ability to easily modify how “loosely” the plate rocks side to side should be a required feature for rocker plates. Rider weights and preferences vary too much for a one-suspension-fits-all solution.
  • Pre-cut trainer mounts: a variety of mounting locations, nicely labeled, make it easy to mount most popular trainers on the plate.
  • 5 elastomers: the 5 central elostomer pivots keep the ROCKR steady as it moves side to side, while allowing for a bit of for-aft movement.
  • Rubber top and bottom coat: according to SBR, adding this coating reduces vibration sound by 5.5 decibels. It also provides for a more grippy surface, which is nice when you’re wearing cycling shoes.
  • Centerline: it’s the little things. Having your bike centered on the plate is important for a proper feel, and SBR has painted a center line to make this easy.
  • Cutouts in base plate: cyclists love a little weight savings! Large cutouts in the bottom plywood plate save significant weight without sacrificing sturdiness.
  • Cutouts on base plate for weight savings
  • 5 elastomers

Dialing It In

With my trainer firmly attached and the suspension inflated, I was ready to rock my first test ride (or ride my first test rock). Booted up Zwift, hopped on, and away we went down Fuego Flats.

I immediately noticed two setup tweaks that needed to be made.

Adjustment #1: Deflating the Suspension Balls

Having used a rocker plate for years, I prefer a very “loose” setup. In talking to rocker plate users, I find this to be a common theme: we start off with a setup that is harder to rock, but progressively loosen it up as we get used to the feeling.

I needed to let a LOT of air out of the suspension so my ROCKR could move side to side in a full range of motion. For me, full range of motion means my handlebars can move side to side ~10” when I’m out of the saddle putting in a decent effort.

Once I deflated the suspension to the point where the rubber balls were quite flat, I had the freedom of movement I wanted, with the suspension still gently bringing me back to center.

Adjustment #2: Balancing the KICKR

The KICKR (and many other smart trainers) is not evenly weighted side to side. Its heavy 16-pound flywheel hangs off the left side, so if you center the KICKR on a rocker plate, your bike will be leaning left.

One way to combat this is to inflate the left suspension more than the right–but I don’t like the way this feels, since your rocking movement is more restricted to the left than the right.

The better solution, and the one I used, is to place a counterweight on the right side of the ROCKR. I started with a 15-pound kettlebell, but settled on a set of ankle weights I had laying around (why did I buy these, anyway?). They sit securely on the platform and were easily shifted around to find the optimal location for a balanced feel.

Ride Feel

Once I got the suspension and counterweight dialed in, my ROCKR felt great. Very similar to the CoPlate, in fact, but even more “put together” since my front wheel moves with the rest of the bike.

The base is stable, rocking is silent and smooth, and like my CoPlate I even have a bit of for-aft movement (SBR says the ROCKR allows for 15mm of for-aft movement).

Here’s a quick demo video I shot so you can see the ROCKR in action:

Better still, the KICKR Climb fits on the ROCKR platform nicely. I’m still testing the Climb, so it’s not in the video, but suffice it to say it works on the ROCKR like it works on a rigid setup.

(One thing that doesn’t fit nicely is my makeshift steering turntable. The ROCKR would need to be 12″ longer for this to fit!)

Pricing and Availability

The SBR ROCKR Pro costs $499US, with US shipping running $100 for web orders.

If you don’t need a full-length rocker plate, the “trainer only” SBR ROCKR Pod Pro costs only $374.99, and web order shipping is $50.

International shipping pricing is available on request. Call SBR at (314) 305-0078 for a shipping quote and place your order over the phone.

At the time of this article, both SBR ROCKR designs were in stock.

Your Feedback

Have you tried an SBR ROCKR Pro? How was your experience? Perhaps you’re considering a rocker plate, but have questions. Share your comments and questions below!

All About Zwift’s Hidden “Extra Credit” Achievement Badges

Eric Schlange
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113
All About Zwift’s Hidden “Extra Credit” Achievement Badges

All About Zwift’s Hidden “Extra Credit” Achievement Badges

If you click Menu>Badges in game, you’ll find a list of achievement badges you can (or have) earned, including the newly-added Route Achievements.

But did you know there is an entire set of “Extra Credit” achievements which are not visible on the list? That’s right, there are additional achievements which are only visible after you do them.

You might ask, “How do I chase the achievement if I don’t know it exists?” And we would answer, “… that’s a good question.”

So here’s the complete list!

Minimalist illustration of a person riding a motorcycle at high speed, surrounded by flames and motion lines, conveying a sense of speed and intensity.
100KPH! (You hit 100KPH!)
Cartoon of a toaster ejecting a piece of burnt toast with a sad face drawn on it. Orange and yellow lines around the toaster suggest movement or heat.
Just scrape it (You hit 800 watts)
Illustration of a blue hair dryer blowing out warm air, shown with orange and yellow lines to represent the flow, and its power cord unplugged, set against a light blue circular background.
The blowdrier (You hit 900 watts)
Illustration of a black spotlight shining a bright yellow and orange beam of light upward, with a blue dotted circular background.
Premier power (You hit 1000 watts)
A lighthouse on rocky terrain projects a bright beam of light, with an orange and yellow burst behind it, set against a blue circular background.
Off the rocks (You hit 1100 watts)
Stylized illustration of a bright yellow and orange sun with swirling rays and wavy blue accents around the edges on a transparent background.
1.21 gigawatts (You hit 1200 watts)
Illustration of a cyclist in black and orange gear, bent over and exhausted, with a blue thumbs-up symbol above their back, indicating encouragement or support.
You’re famous (You received 30 Ride Ons in one ride)
Illustration of a woman running in athletic gear with the number 26.2 in large orange text beside her, signifying a marathon distance, against a light blue circular background.
Going the distance (You ran 26.2 miles)
Illustration of a woman running, wearing an orange shirt and black shorts, with a large stopwatch in the background displaying 5:00.
Olympian (You ran a mile in under 5 minutes)
Illustration of a snow-capped mountain with a string of colorful prayer flags winding above it against a light blue circular background.
Everested! (You climed 29,029 ft in one activity)
A person’s legs stick out from under a large pile of oversized blue thumbs-up icons, symbolizing being overwhelmed by social media likes or approval.
Bigger than Jensie (You received 100 Ride Ons in one ride)
Illustration of a cyclist wearing a helmet and an orange-black outfit, riding a blue bicycle, with a rocket strapped to his back, blasting off with smoke and an explosion behind him.
Liftoff! (Climbed Alpe du Zwift in under an hour)
The image is completely blank with an all-white background and no visible objects, text, or distinguishing features.
Illustration of a winding road leading to mountains with snowcaps, a lake, a bench, a bike, and a large green navigation button with a white arrow in the foreground.
Repack Rush
The image is completely blank with a white background and no visible objects, text, or features.

When you receive one of these badges, they will show up in the “Extra Credit” section of your badges page:

How Close Are You?

This is the full list. How close are you to completing it? Comment below!

A Power Meter Deep Dive with Special Guest 4iiii’s Scott Cooper – Ask a Cycling Coach 229

Eric Schlange
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0
A Power Meter Deep Dive with Special Guest 4iiii’s Scott Cooper – Ask a Cycling Coach 229

A Power Meter Deep Dive with Special Guest 4iiii’s Scott Cooper – Ask a Cycling Coach 229

While many Zwifters use their smart trainers to detect power, many others own power meters which they use outdoors and on Zwift.

TrainerRoad’s lastest podcast episode is a good one for those interested in learning how these magical power meters really work. Featuring Scott Cooper, Product Manager at 4iiii, the short podcast focuses on the following:

  • What is inside a power meter?
  • How are power meters calibrated in the factory?
  • The difference between zero offset and calibration
  • Why is it hard to install a power meter on carbon?
  • How does temperature affect the zero offset of a power meter?
  • The future of cycling power meters

How To Access Level-Locked Portions of Watopia

Eric Schlange
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13
How To Access Level-Locked Portions of Watopia

Edit: Level locks were removed from all roads in Zwift game update version 1.122, released September 22, 2026.

Certain portions of Watopia are level-locked, meaning you must be at a certain level as a Zwift rider in order to access them. (Learn about levels, XP, and unlocks here.)

Level-Locked Routes/Areas

The Mayan Jungle is locked at level 5+, and Alpe du Zwift is locked at level 6+.

Because these areas are level-locked, routes which access these areas are also level-locked:

Note: these level locks all make sense except for Dust in the Wind, which should be locked at 5+ since it accesses the Jungle but not the Alpe.

If you don’t meet the level requirement, you will be unable to select the routes above from the route picker menu. But there are still ways to ride these routes even if you don’t meet the level requirement!

Accessing a Level-Locked Route

  • Group Event: you can join a group event even if it is held on a level-locked route. Pro tip: if you want to filter events by route, use the ZwiftHacks events tool and enter the route name in the “Search Route Name” field. For example, here are all upcoming events on the Jungle Circuit route.
  • “Ride With”: at the ride startup screen, you can select a rider who is on a restricted portion of the course and click “Ride With” to be placed in the game with that rider. This even works if the rider hasn’t yet entered the restricted portion of the course!
  • Meetup: a rider with access to the restricted route can create a Meetup to ride that route, and invite you to it. You have to be a follower of the Meetup organizer in order for this to happen. Learn more about Meetups >

A note about Meetups: there seems to be a bug in Meetups for certain routes. In our tests, if we chose “Road to Sky” or “Jungle Circuit” as the routes, our riders were placed at the correct spawn points but facing the wrong direction, taking us away from the restricted portions we wanted to test. And there are no u-turns in Meetups!

Some routes seem to work, though: Tour of Fire and Ice started us in the right direction. It just takes longer to get to the restricted Jungle/Alpe from there.

The Best Solution: Level Up!

Of course, the best solution is to just level up. Based on our calculations, it should take less than 8 hours of riding to reach level 6. So stop reading, and start riding!

How to Change Bikes Quickly in Zwift – Bike Swap Hack

Eric Schlange
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26
How to Change Bikes Quickly in Zwift – Bike Swap Hack

With Zwift’s recent-released mountain bike rolling faster over dirt than all the road bikes in game, racers hitting the Jungle Circuit or Road to Ruins routes would be wise to plan a smart bike-choice strategy beforehand.

The mountain bike is significantly slower on tarmac in comparison to road bikes, but the reverse is true on dirt. That leaves us with a few potentially winning strategies:

  1. Ride a road bike, going hard at the start to drop anyone on a mountain bike so you have a significant lead going into the Jungle.
  2. Ride a mountain bike, planning to close any gaps to the road bike riders once things get dirty.
  3. Swap from a road to mountain bike when you hit the dirt, hoping that the time lost in making the bike switch is made up by increased bike speed.

A Brief History of Bike Switching in Zwift

Bike switching is a strategy which appeared in the early “Wild West” days of Zwift racing. Riders might switch to a climbing bike at the base of a long mountain, or a heavy, aero TT bike before a long descent.

Zwifters even began using macros to make the switches instantaneous and simple. Macros allow you to “record” a set of actions (such as mouse movements and clicks) on your computer, then “play” those actions easily. So instead of manually clicking through menus to change bikes, savvy Zwifters could hit a macro shortcut and instantly be on a new bike without ever slowing down.

Zwift put a stop to this eventually by requiring your avatar to stop moving before switching a bike frame or wheelset. (Fair play, since this is how things work in the real world.) This change effectively ended bike switching in Zwift races, because very few race situations existed in which the benefit of a bike swap was worth the time penalty.

How to Switch Quickly

Today, a bike switch can easily be done in 12-15 seconds if you’re a PC, Mac, or tablet user. It involves these simple steps:

  • Stop pedaling
  • Hit “A” to bring up the pairing screen, which also applies the brakes on your rider
  • As your rider slows to a stop, hit “OK” to close the pairing screen, and hit “T” to bring up your garage
  • Select your bike, then start pedaling
  • Hit OK to return to the game

If you aren’t a computer, you can perform similar steps by clicking “Menu” first, then accessing the pairing screen and garage from the menu. It’s a bit slower, but not much.

Here’s a demonstration video showing what this looks like. We recorded two riders chugging along at 300 watts (4 w/kg), so you can see what sort of time gap may be created if you are in a race pack and decide to switch bikes. It appears that time gap will be approximately 20 seconds, but this will vary depending on the speeds everyone is traveling when the switch happens. (Slower is better!)

Note: while a macro program could be used to make this process a bit faster, we did the switch above manually.

Have You Tried It?

Have you tried the bike swap strategy yet in a Zwift race or group ride? How did it work out?

Post World Championship Catch Up (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #37)

Eric Schlange
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0
Post World Championship Catch Up (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #37)

Post World Championship Catch Up (Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast #37)

As business returns to normal after the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire, Matt Rowe, Greg Henderson, and Kristin Armstrong go over a crazy week of podcasting and cycling action.

Just because the big week is over doesn’t mean this episode is any less packed! We chat about the juniors who truly stood out as well as how Mathieu van der Poel could have learned from Greg’s own experiences with bonking (detailed in the Alex Dowsett episode).

Also: Greg gets fired up about one particularly controversial moment in Yorkshire, and Kristin discusses having to follow Chloe Dygert’s explosive TT win from the other side of the world.

About the Podcast

The Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast features host Matt Rowe (Rowe & King), with regular co-hosts Greg Henderson (Coach Hendy) and Kev Poulton (Powerhouse Cycling). The hosts share tips on how road races can get faster in-game and outdoors.

Kona Recap Special, Part 2 (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Eric Schlange
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0
Kona Recap Special, Part 2 (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Kona Recap Special, Part 2 (Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast)

Kona is done and dusted, so Jordan, Matt, and Tim get back together to go over what was an epic race. The race had some big surprises throughout the day, and the titles ended up with the two Germans, Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug.

We sit down to see whose predictions did the best, and we also talk to two Zwift Academy athletes about their successful Kona experiences.

About the Podcast:

The Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast is hosted by former pro triathletes Matt Lieto and Jordan Rapp, lending their in-depth knowledge of the multisport to the Zwift Tri audience.

9 Stages of DIRT Begins Sunday

Eric Schlange
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0
9 Stages of DIRT Begins Sunday

9 Stages of DIRT Begins Sunday

Team DIRT has announced a new community race series designed to let Zwifters experience the challenges and teamwork of stage racing, with pro peloton-style scoring and two individual time trial stages.

The 9 stages take place on a wide variety of Zwift routes, utilizing nearly every world Zwift has to offer (Watopia, London, New York, Innsbruck, Richmond, and Yorkshire).

Classifications (Race within the Race)

Taking a cue from pro tours, 9 Stages of DIRT includes 3 competitions which run alongside each individual race for the duration of the series:

  • Team-Based General Classification: for each stage, the time of the best-placed rider counts as the time of the team. Team with the lowest accumulated time for the 9 races wins. You can compete as a 1-racer-team if you wish, but working together as a real team makes you more competitive on every terrain and every situation.
  • Individual Points Competition: each intermediate sprint banner (except lead-ins) gives points for the top 10 riders. Each flat stage finish gives points for the top 10 riders.
  • Individual King of Mountain Competition: Each KOM banner and uphill stage finish gives points for the top riders similar to pro cycling KOM competitions.

Here are detailed charts outlining the Points and KOM classifications:

  • Points competition
  • KOM competition

All race results will be tracked and available on the ZwiftPower league page.

Schedule

Race Categories

Racers must select a category, and each category group gets its own start time. Standard Zwift race categories are used, except this stage race includes an “E” category for elite and long-distance racers!

  • A: 4-4.59 w/kg
  • B: 3.2-3.9 w/kg
  • C: 2.5-3.1 w/kg
  • D: 1-2.4 w/kg
  • E: any w/kg

While everyone will race the same routes (listed above), race length is based on category. See table below for details:

Race routes and lengths

More about DIRT

To learn more about DIRT (Dads Inside Riding Trainers), check the following links:

Did Cam Jeffers Win Because of the Tron Bike?

Eric Schlange
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0
Did Cam Jeffers Win Because of the Tron Bike?

Did Cam Jeffers Win Because of the Tron Bike?

The story of Cam Jeffers being disqualified and sanctioned has garnered a lot of attention in Zwift and the cycling community at large. And that’s not surprising: it’s the first time a governing body has sanctioned a rider for actions in Zwift, and it’s a hefty penalty which includes restriction from outdoor racing as well.

The controversy centers around the Tron bike which was obtained “illegally” by Jeffers using an ANT+ emulator. Jeffers then used that virtual bike in the British Cycling eRacing Championships, going on to win first place.

While no one disagrees that Jeffers’ use of an emulator is cheating, many are asking: what kind of advantage did the Tron bike give Jeffers? Or more to the point: did Jeffers win because of his unfairly-obtained Tron bike, or did he win because he was the most capable rider on the day?

A Short History of Fast Zwift Bikes

Before Zwift’s release of the Drop Shop in early 2019, the Tron bike was the undisputed king of Zwift racing. It wasn’t quite the fastest climber, but it was near the top, and significantly faster than other available road bike setups on flat roads and descents.

So the Tron bike developed a deserved reputation for being the best race bike.

But when the Drop Shop arrived, Zwift modified weight and aero values for frames and wheelsets and released several new frames and wheelsets. The Tron got heavier, making it a poor choice for long climbs. And today, at least three frames are as fast or faster than the Tron bike on flat or mixed courses when coupled with one of the disc wheelsets. Those fast frames are:

  • Specialized Venge S-Works
  • Cervelo S5
  • Felt AR

Tested Time Gaps

The final race of the BC eRacing Championship was over two laps of Watopia Hilly Reverse. Here are our test lap times for actual bike setups used in the BC races, run at 300 watts steady (4 w/kg) for two laps:

  • Tron (ridden by Ian Bibby and Cam Jeffers): 28:30
  • Canyon Aeroad with 808/Disc (ridden by James Phillips, now the winner of the race): 28:32
  • Cervelo S5 808s (ridden by Zwift veteran Kim Little, 3rd place in the final race): 28:36
  • Zwift Aero with 808s (ridden by other members of Madison Genesis): 28:36
Oddly enough, no riders used the Zipp 858/Super9 wheelset, which is the fastest wheelset in game for flat/mixed courses. We did a test run with the speedy S-Works Venge running the 858/Super9 wheelset, and its 2-lap time was 28:24!

TT vs Peloton Times

It’s worth discussing the difference between lap times turned in by our solo rider test results, and the times you’ll see in an actual Zwift road race. Because they are very different beasts.

While our test times give you a pure look at which setups are fastest, there are much, much bigger factors determining who wins a Zwift race. Factors like:

  • Rider power
  • Rider weight/height
  • Drafting abilities (conserving power)
  • Intuition (knowing which attacks to follow and which to let go)
  • Finishing sprint power
  • Course knowledge
  • Powerup assignments and usage
  • Team tactics
  • and more

Story Time

Here’s one example of how course knowledge and powerup assignments factor into races: in a recent race on the new Yorkshire course, I was in a chasing group which had been consistently 10-15 seconds behind the lead group for miles. But in one well-timed 45-second push, I was able to pull my group back to the lead bunch.

How did I do it? A well-timed aero powerup as we hit the twisty Pot Bank descent, then keeping the power up when we hit the slight incline afterward.

I could have put out that same power anywhere else on course with little effect. But I knew the course, had a useful powerup, and went hard at the right time. And I wasn’t even riding the Tron bike!

Conclusion: riding a virtual bike that tests a few seconds slower or faster than the competition makes no noticeable difference in a typical draft-enabled Zwift race.

Why Jeffers Won

It’s clear from the times above that, while the Tron bike didn’t hurt Jeffers at all, it’s also not the reason he won. He knew the race courses, had good legs, and rode smart.

Opinion: Race Equipment Standardization

As a result of “Jeffersgate” I’ve seen many calls for standardized equipment in these big races: that is, make every rider use the same virtual bike and wheels so there is no advantage based on equipment.

While I understand where those calls are coming from, I can’t help but think that, if eRacing is going to be its own discipline, it needs to reward those who embrace it.

If a rider doesn’t want to put in the effort to unlock a faster bike, or even understand which bikes are faster, they need to realize they’ll have a slight disadvantage compared to those who have worked to unlock faster bikes and understand the game.

This is analogous to what happens in outdoor racing: riders who invest more time and money into their equipment rightly expect to gain some advantage over those who invest less. It’s how cycling (and sports, and life) work!

And it’s just one more way Zwift is trying to ensure that race results aren’t all about power. If racing on Zwift is going to be interesting to viewers it must include elements of strategy, even randomness (Lightweight Meilenstein wheels, anyone?), as well as pure athleticism.

Share Your Thoughts

I’ve shared the test results and given my opinion. Now it’s your turn!

All About the Supertuck On Zwift

Eric Schlange
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14
All About the Supertuck On Zwift
Chris Froome showing us how it’s done!

Ah, the supertuck. You’ve seen the pros do it (before it was outlawed by the UCI), and you’ve probably been advised against doing it yourself.

For those unfamiliar, this very aero tuck involves sitting on the top tube and lowering your shoulders/chest onto the bars (or close to it) by bending your arms as far as they will go while holding onto the drops. It’s a fast position, but also difficult to pedal in (although Chris Froome pulled it off in glorious fashion at the 2016 TdF). It’s also a dangerous position because of how it affects your bike handling.

The good news is, you can supertuck in Zwift, risk-free! Here’s how it works.

Getting Into a Zwift Supertuck

To supertuck in Zwift four conditions must be met:

  1. You must be traveling at least ~36MPH (~58km/hr)
  2. The gradient’s decline must be at least -3%
  3. Your power output must be below 11 watts
  4. You must be out of the draft and not riding in a pack (safety first). The only exception is, ironically, if you’re in a banded “keep together” group ride. In this case, drafting is disabled (that’s part of how the banding algorithm works) and you can supertuck in the group.

Zwift will automatically place you in the supertuck if all these conditions are true. You come back out of the supertuck once any of these conditions is not met – for example, if the road flattens out to a 2% decline.

How Fast Is It?

Specific numbers are hard to come by since the supertuck behaves differently in races than free rides. But in our experience, coasting in the supertuck will let you hang with a pack that is putting out 2.5-3.5 w/kg. Of course, this varies based on rider weight, how many in the group are putting out power, steepness of decline, and other variables.

While it is possible for riders to attack on a descent and drop supertuckers, you don’t see that very often in Zwift races.

See our Supertuck Speed Tests for more >

When Should I Supertuck?

Supertuck whenever you can! Thanks to Zwift’s Pack Dynamics 4.0, you can only supertuck when riding out in the wind. If that’s you (perhaps attacking in a race, or trying to bridge up to the group) use the supertuck to your advantage.

TT, MTB, and Workout Exception

You cannot supertuck if you are riding a TT or MTB frame. Because that’s just silly!

Also, no supertucking in workouts. Even if you’re in a free ride block descending Alpe du Zwift.

Conclusion

The supertuck does not make you superfast–but it can allow for short periods of rest which are helpful in race situations. So use it wisely, but keep your eyes open and don’t get dropped while you’re resting!

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