This week I chat it up with Mark Mermelstein who is the QA manager over at Zwift HQ. Awesome to get some insight from someone on the gaming side of Zwift.
We are amateur cyclists who cover everything in the world of cycling. Co-hosted by Adam Zimmerman and Chris Smith, you can find us on Soundcloud or iTunes.
Matt Stephens catches up with the three Team Dimension Data Zwift Academy finalists on day one in Cape Town. It’s the calm before the storm!
Learn more about the 3 finalists >
Last night Game Master Jon Mayfield published a long-awaited post sharing Zwift’s plans for “Map Choice.” Zwifters (including myself) are reading this post with interest since we’ve been requesting this ability for quite some time.
Jon’s post thoughfully lays out the reasons Map Choice is what it is today. He begins with a statement of what makes Zwift special:
From the very start we chose to focus our efforts on a connected experience where you are part of a world populated by others, rather than the typical solution of the day (and now) of having countless courses to choose from, each being a solo or sparsely populated experience.
No one will dispute the wisdom of Zwift focusing on a social, connected experience. In fact, I would argue that this, more than anything else, is what makes Zwift special.
Jon also shares a short history lesson on how the Zwift community thrived even in its early days on Jarvis Island in 2014 (read more about Jarvis). And even back then, Jon says, Zwifters were requesting more worlds and questioning the logic of having a very limited map selection!
Now it is November 2018, and everyone knows some sort of World Choice is imminent. The only questions are how will it work, and when will it happen? In typical mysterious Mayfield style, he doesn’t answer either question specifically but gives us some big clues.
Zwift’s vision for world swapping is to have Watopia always be live, working as a sort of “hub” for the Zwift universe. Want to ride somewhere else? You can join an event held in another world (this functionality launched May 30, 2018) or (coming soon!) you will be able to take an airplane to the “guest map” of the day.
The guest map idea is analogous to our current course schedule calendar. This “restricted rotation” has some advantages, as Jon explains:
With Watopia being a hub it also means our guest maps can be smaller, more experimental, and even seasonal allowing us to introduce fresh rides without having to spend so much time making something that can support 8,000 simultaneous Zwifters.
Is this what the new World Choice interface will look like once it’s live this winter? Jon says:
We’ve still got some work to do on the user interface for this, and while it’s not quite as cartoony looking as the 2015 mockup above, it’s probably not going to end up too far from it either.
We all want this to happen yesterday, of course. But to the question of “When?” Jon replies:
We’re actively working on this final step of having Watopia + a guest map (or maps), and it’s coming this winter.
I see the rationale behind Zwift’s plans, and agree this is a big step in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how many riders choose the guest map of the day, because this will indicate just how much people care about riding in less-populated worlds. What if the vast majority of Zwifters choose to stay in Watopia? That means Zwift needs to focus on building it out further. On the other hand, if the guest maps also get crowded Zwift may need to make more than one available at a time.
I’ll also say Zwift is running late releasing World Choice. I would have liked to see it a year ago, because even back then free riding any course but Watopia had become a conga-line experience. Even the Watopia flat routes are quite crowded these days, so it is good to see Jon mention a flat expansion for Watopia coming soon as well.
With all that said, even if they’re running a bit late Zwift is still an amazing platform delivering a social indoor training experience like no other–so I’m excited about what the near future has in store for our community.
Bicycles help people travel further faster while gaining fitness and access to more options in healthcare, education and work. In short, bicycles change lives.
This week the Zwift community, Team Dimension Data and Zwift are teaming up to unlock a 500 bike donation for Qhubeka. Qhubeka is a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education, health, and economic opportunities by providing simple, sustainable transportation with bicycles.
The Ride On thumb will be swapped for the Qhubeka High Five in all group rides this week. Zwift Academy finalist Ollie Jones and other Team Dimension Data pros will lead some group rides during the week (see ride list).
Complete ANY 2 group rides during the week to unlock an in-game cycling cap. If 25,000 Zwifters complete this challenge, Zwift will donate 500 bikes to Qhubeka. All group rides count. Races and group workouts do not.
November has always been “charity month” in Zwift, with riders working together to complete challenges and raise funds for worthy causes. This year Zwift has broken November into four weekly challenges, with each week focusing on supporting a different cause. Read more at Zwift.com >
Completing each challenge unlocks a small portion of the Reason Zwift cycling kit. Complete all four challenge and receive the full kit!
Click the orange button to join the challenge. (For whatever reason no text was displaying on the button when we put this article together, but clicking it will get you entered so you can see your progress towards completing each challenge.)
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ inner_shadow=”on” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#d8d8d8″ box_shadow_style=”preset6″ fb_built=”1″ _i=”0″ _address=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ _i=”0″ _address=”0.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”0.0.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Article intro” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”0.0.0.0″]
We’ve combed the web seeking Wahoo KICKR Core reviews and information, summarizing our findings so you can learn everything worth knowing about this smart trainer. If you decide to purchase the KICKR Core, please consider doing so through the shopping links at the bottom of this post, as this will help support Zwift Insider.
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″ fb_built=”1″ _i=”1″ _address=”1″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”1.0″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”1.0.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.0.0.0″]
Wahoo rolled out the KICKR Core mid-range direct-drive trainer at July 2018’s Eurobike show. Priced between Wahoo’s wheel-on offering (the Snap at $599) and their flagship direct-drive Kickr ($1199), the Core competes directly with the industry’s other mid-range direct-drive smart trainers, the Tacx Flux and Elite Direto.
The Core is essentially a stripped-down version of Wahoo’s industry-leading KICKR. How do the two differ? The Core’s frame is less robust, the flywheel is a bit smaller, its max watts/gradient are a bit lower, and it does not include a cassette. There are also some minor power inaccuracies showing up in early testing which will probably be cleared up with a firmware update.
Are those differences worth the $300 price difference? That’s for you to decide, but we will say many are calling this the best smart trainer for the money available today. In fact, the Core is DC Rainmaker’s top recommended mid-range trainer for 2018.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”1.0.1″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Quick Quotes” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_color=”#efefef” custom_padding=”20px|20px|5px|20px” border_radii=”|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.0.1.0″]
Ray at DC Rainmaker says:
I suspect it won’t take long for the KICKR CORE to become Wahoo’s most popular trainer, and for largely good reason. You can save $300 with almost negligible ‘loss’ compared to the full KICKR 2018.
Tom at GearMashers says:
With the Release of the KICKR Core, Wahoo has shored up a mid range trainer line that competes nicely with Elite Direto and Tacx Flux. In fact they have done such a great job it actually competes with its more expensive and heavier flywheel KICKR counterpart.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”1″ _address=”1.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”1.1.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Promo Video” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.1.0.0″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SgxQVi5d4M” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/3SgxQVi5d4M/hqdefault.jpg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ _i=”1″ _address=”1.1.0.1″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”2″ _address=”1.2″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”1.2.0″][et_pb_image src=”https://zwiftinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/xwahoo_kickrcore_wfbktr4_no_cassette_right_3_4_3.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.XieIkC2f-M.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.23″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.2.0.0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”1.2.1″][et_pb_image src=”https://zwiftinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/wahoo_kickrcore_wfbktr4_right_3.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.23″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.2.1.0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”2″ _address=”1.2.2″][et_pb_image src=”https://zwiftinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/wahoo_kickrcore_wfbktr4_no_cassette_front_3.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.23″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.2.2.0″][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”3″ _address=”1.3″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”1.3.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Key Specs” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” link_text_color=”#e09900″ header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_text_color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#595959″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.3.0.0″]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”1.3.1″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Pros & Cons” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_3_text_color=”#ffffff” background_color=”#930707″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii=”on|10px|10px|10px|10px” box_shadow_style=”preset1″ _i=”0″ _address=”1.3.1.0″]
The Good:
The Bad:
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ inner_shadow=”on” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#dddddd” box_shadow_style=”preset6″ fb_built=”1″ _i=”2″ _address=”2″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”2.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”2.0.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Video Reviews” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.0.0.0″]
We’ve taken a look at the best KICKR Core review videos and summarized them for quick digestion.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ _i=”1″ _address=”2.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”2.1.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.1.0.0″]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”2.1.1″][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi_w2vghs1k” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/Fi_w2vghs1k/hqdefault.jpg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.1.1.0″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”2″ _address=”2.2″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”2.2.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.2.0.0″]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”2.2.1″][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7EE0B6IsmU” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/-7EE0B6IsmU/hqdefault.jpg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.2.1.0″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”3″ _address=”2.3″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”2.3.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.3.0.0″]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”2.3.1″][et_pb_video src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6eABEJOdWM” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/H6eABEJOdWM/hqdefault.jpg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ _i=”0″ _address=”2.3.1.0″][/et_pb_video][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#000000″ fb_built=”1″ _i=”3″ _address=”3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”3.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”3.0.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Conclusions” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” link_text_color=”#4389c1″ header_3_text_color=”#ffffff” _i=”0″ _address=”3.0.0.0″]
While its 1800w/16% gradient max is lower than what the most expensive trainers offer, it is better than the other trainers in this price range. Besides, most Zwifters run their trainer difficulty at 50% or less, meaning they would never get close to a 16% gradient feel!
And while the 12lb flywheel is significantly lighter than the KICKR 18’s 16lb flywheel, it is worth noting that all prior KICKR models had a 12.5lb flywheel. It would seem Wahoo only increased the KICKR 18’s flywheel size to differentiate it from the KICKR Core!
With all this in mind, Wahoo’s KICKR Core looks to be today’s best choice in the mid-range direct-drive smart trainer market.
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″ fb_built=”1″ _i=”4″ _address=”4″][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” _i=”0″ _address=”4.0″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”0″ _address=”4.0.0″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Read Reviews” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”4.0.0.0″]
DC Rainmaker
Gearmashers
SMARTBikeTrainers
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||” _i=”1″ _address=”4.0.1″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Where to Buy” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”0″ _address=”4.0.1.0″]
Direct from Wahoo
Clever Training
REI
Competitive Cyclist
We all love a good race. You know, the one where it’s a real team effort. You bunch up with your teammates from the get-go working together to take turns on the front controlling the fast-paced peloton, shelling out your rivals one by one. You provide support for each other through the struggles of your teammates and surges from that breakaway duo trying to shake things up mid-race. As you approach the finishing line you form a train and provide a lead-out for your strongest sprinter and they give it all they have at the right moment to claim a position on the podium. It’s not the individual on the podium, it’s the team.
Of course, not every race has such a coordinated story to tell, in fact, you might argue it’s a rarity. Most races end up an individual effort in a peloton of riders you don’t know and it’s more like meeting your partners’ friends for the first time: you are a little shy unsure of the correct etiquette, so you just hang on in there as best you can.
In the early days of racing on Zwift the coordinated story was more prominent. Events were few and far between and the user base was much smaller. You got to know your fellow racers and each week got to understand who to look out for to either form a partnership with or sit behind. It was like building a team dynamically, in race, in game. This is how many teams were born and my team (TFC) is a testament to that.
So can we still have that dynamically-developed team? Yes, most of us are members of a team, but how many team members race the same races as you, match your ability and can coordinate with you? How many teams plan their tactics pre-race? Zwift Companion can show you who is planning to turn up, but wouldn’t it be cool to see who is most likely to match your ability so you can plan who to watch out for or team up with. Then over time you would develop your own small community of riders of similar ability and (who knows?) even develop a team around your shared abilities.
So how can you spot your perfect racing partner(s)? Strava Labs have developed a tool called Flyby shows you all the riders who have previously completed the same or similar course as yourself.
Once you click the link, it takes you into a screen that shows you the list of riders from which you can play back the activity, showing the proximity of these riders around you. What you need to pay attention to are the numbers next to each name under the 4 letters F, C, S, D which stand for:
Following: The riders you followThe important columns are S and C, since they tell you how closely the rider matched your speed and course. You can use the list to sort the athletes to the ones that are the closest match to your ability.
So take this video for example. This is an early TFC race that both myself and Eric Schlange (Zwift Insider’s editor) raced in. You’ll notice that our S and C scores are in the late 90’s and the bunch is packed together. We raced together, as expected, through the entire race. Even when David pulled away, we worked together to bring him back which led to an all-out sprint at the end of the race. Team TFC didn’t exist then, but at this point we knew each other’s ability, had raced together many times and dynamically teamed up to bring him back.
Now take a recent race. Nick and Rob have very close correlations and you can see that they pull away as a duo and hold a pretty constant gap to the end of the race. Andrew and Fred can’t match their surge and eventually split up themselves. At this point Fred maintains the same gap on Andrew to the end of the race.
What if Andrew and Fred knew they each had very similar abilities? It would be in their best interests to form an alliance and work together to close the gap on Nick and Rob. What if they knew more riders that they could coordinate with?
I link this now to Eric’s post about utilizing discord more to build that dynamic, in game, in race team. If we were armed with more knowledge about our fellow racers we could dynamically and tactically form an alliance for mutual gain, and who knows… we may start to develop very tactical teams in the future which could make racing an even more exciting prospect!
Why not watch back your races and see if you spot riders with close correlations to your efforts. You might just spot one or two names that always have a correlation score above 90.
How else can we learn more about our fellow racers’ abilities? Drop a message below with your suggestions.
Double draft mode is one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in Zwift racing’s recent memory, but it is still being tested by race organizers and used only in a minority of races. (As of November 9th only ~20% of upcoming races are using double draft mode.)
After finishing a ZHR Hare & Hounds race last night I realized it might provide me with the numbers needed to analyze the effects of double draft on racing. You see, I had done the same race a month earlier and put in a very similar effort. But the earlier race was not in double draft mode, while yesterday’s race was. Perfect!
Disclaimers: obviously there is no way to account for each and every variable and make a perfect comparison of two races. While both races were quite similar (similar effort levels, same course, etc) the second race did have more riders in it, which would logically increase the overall speed somewhat. Also, it is worth mentioning that most of this analysis really only applies to the flatter portions of races. Once the road turns uphill drafting matters less, and your watts per kilogram matter more.
Here are some key numbers from the two races.
| Draft Type | Normalized Power | Average Power | Average Speed | ZwiftPower Link | Strava Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 285 watts | 278 watts | 41.4kph/25.74mph | ZwiftPower | Strava |
| Double | 289 watts | 283 watts | 43.3kph/26.9mph | ZwiftPower | Strava |
I also looked at the numbers of two A racers who rode in both races, and the differences in their numbers match up with my experience in the B’s.
It is definitely easier to “sit in” while in double draft mode, as the increased draft effect means even more power savings for those drafting. I analyzed Zwift’s draft effect a while back, and while I haven’t done any draft tests in double draft mode, my guess would be that at race speeds, power savings is approximately 35% in double draft mode (compared to 25% without double draft).
I like the feel of double draft more than standard draft, because it’s closer to what I experience outdoors. (Now if we could just be allowed to freewheel a bit without auto-braking…)
As you can see from the numbers above, my efforts in terms of pure watts haven’t varied much between standard and double draft events. But I will say my perceived effort levels in double draft races have been slightly lower than their standard draft counterparts. I attribute this to three things:
It is worth noting that while perceived effort may be slightly lower, the overall group speed is actually higher in double draft races.
This is the most notable effect of double draft: group speed increases. At nearly identical effort levels my speed increased by 1.9kph/1.16mph in the double draft race. The two A riders I looked at showed slightly less difference between races, but still around 1.3kph/.81mph.
My experience also aligns with what I’m hearing from other racers who are saying double draft races are just fast. Recently we’ve seen some A racers get handed the “cone of shame” for going too fast on certain segments in double draft events, and to my knowledge this simply hadn’t happened in standard draft races. Double draft races seem to have brought group speeds to a higher level than we’ve seen before on Zwift.
Are there negative implications to increased group speeds? If you’re a person who likes to solo off the front, yes! The only breaks that will survive with double draft mode will be group breaks which take advantage of the increased draft.
So teamwork looks like the key to winning double draft races from a breakaway. If you’re not the breakaway type, your results will come down to the ability to hang in then unleash a killer sprint for the line.
What about you? Are you a veteran Zwift racer who has tried some double draft events?
I’d love to hear how your experience compares to mine. Please share below!
The Zwift Fondo Series has returned with a 6 monthly rides planned beginning November 11th.
Fondos are long group rides which some treat as races. The goal for everyone is to push hard while enjoying a challenging route with a large group of riders.
On Zwift you’ll have three options for route difficulty: Gran, Medio, and Bambino. November’s routes are:
Mark your calendar and join one of the four Fondo events scheduled for this weekend!
All Zwifters who finish a Fondo route will unlock the official Zwift November Fondo kit. Each of the 6 Fondos from November to April will have a unique kit to unlock.
See upcoming Fondo rides on ZwiftHacks >
Here’s how Amp Human Performance (the company behind PR Lotion) describes their product:
PR Lotion is a tool for the human body that delivers bicarbonate directly to your hardest working muscle groups. Bicarbonate is what your body naturally produces to neutralize acid, battle fatigue and reduce soreness. More bicarbonate means the ability to do more–more work, more results and more days doing what you love.It is well-known that sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) can boost performance in cyclists (here are articles from the US National Institute of Health and TrainingPeaks on the topic, but Google will bring up many more). The challenge with bicarb is the difficulty of ingestion: it is unpleasant to consume, and if you do it wrong things can go south fast. The TrainingPeaks article above says, “One of the more common side effects is gastrointestinal distress in the form of cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea.” PR Lotion sidesteps the ingestion issue: instead of eating it, you rub it on your legs. No gastrointestinal distress.
Buy PR Lotion here. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and shipping is free on orders over $75.
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.6″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVKZ9p1GLkA” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/WVKZ9p1GLkA/hqdefault.jpg” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
I really like to compare Zwift’s roads against their real-life equivalent, and Cycling Pulse set out to do just that on Alpe d’Huez. Kudos to the effort. (Don’t worry: it’s not an hour of video.)
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.6″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8feAlwHFs-U” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/8feAlwHFs-U/hqdefault.jpg” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
You’ve been on Zwift for a while: you might be familiar with most features of Zwift. But all of them? Or maybe you are new on Zwift this winter, and you don’t really understand everything yet. Either way, GCN’s entertaining list serves as a helpful tutorial.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.6″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0WOOuJCcF8″ image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/l0WOOuJCcF8/hqdefault.jpg” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
Eat Plants guides you through a 40min race video and discusses race tactics in detail. The commentary is insightful and educational, but we recommend watching with accelerated speed through the muted parts.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.6″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5brU7QGMnc4″ image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/5brU7QGMnc4/hqdefault.jpg” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
Should I train on Zwift? Or on Trainerroad? Why not both at the same time? Sure, it works technically, but that’s not all there is to it. This is not the most cinematic video, but a very hands-on analysis of how it feels to do both.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.6″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coYc-T0OOJQ” image_src=”//i.ytimg.com/vi/coYc-T0OOJQ/hqdefault.jpg” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]
This is the shortest video we’ve posted in any Top 5 Zwift Video list, but it’s definitely a must-watch. Zwift will never be the same again! (Disclaimer: this video is not from ZwiftHQ.)
