Zwift for iOS/Android has an Easter egg which lets you easily access your list of ride files and send them via email.
Here’s Shane Miller showing how it’s done:
Zwift has announced the addition of three more men’s pro teams to the KISS Super League series which will be launching in late January. The league is a first in the world of cycling esports: a dedicated competition featuring professional cycling teams.
The new teams are:
UK-based Madison Genesis 
US-based Hincapie
Australia-based Oliver’s Real Food Racing
More announcements will be coming soon including additional men’s pro teams, the first women’s pro teams, and how amateur Zwift teams can join the league.
Zwift has announced the second year of the Specialized Zwift Academy Tri Team, and this year the team has expanded from four to eight athletes.
The team’s goal is to compete at the 2019 IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, and applications are now being accepted.
The goal of Zwift and Specialized here is to build the “best-supported amateur tri team on the planet,” and they look to be well on their way towards doing just that. Those selected for the team will enjoy the mentorship of superstars Tim Don and Sarah True while benefiting from Specialized Win Tunnel testing and real-world training camps. Team members will also be equipped with the new Specialized Shiv and the best tri gear from partners including Wahoo, Roka, and Science in Sport.
Here’s an intro video from Zwift:
Zwift says, “Whether you’ve raced Kona in the past and have your eyes on the podium, are hoping to qualify for the first time, or are somewhere in-between – we can help get you to the next level.”
Entrants must be at or above Level 12 (cycling) and Level 3 (running) on Zwift. Applications are now open, and the deadline for submission is January 31, 2019.
Did you know actual races happen on Zwift? That there are established teams who compete in things like the VR Worlds, CVR World Cup League, KISS Crit Series and more?
As a long-time racer outdoors, learning of these virtual (though pain is certainly not virtual) competitions came as a surprise to me. I was also surprised by how many people ride Zwift in workout mode, crushing it at 4-5 watts/kg one minute and chilling at 1.2 watts/kg the next.
With so many people pushing their physical boundaries, proper fueling is a crucial step to success. Anyone who has not fueled properly can probably attest to this! What people really don’t consider, however, is that your fueling for every ride begins after the previous ride.
Let’s tackle this one step at a time. This article will focus on pre-ride/race nutrition, which can begin 3-6 hours before your ride. The next article will consider during-ride nutrition, and the final in this 3-part series will discuss recovery nutrition. Considering all of these will help you not only perform better, but also recover more quickly.
As I mentioned in my last article on hydration, beginning hydrated is very important. If you feel like you have not had enough fluid after the last ride, supplement with 5-7 ml/kg of water within 4 hours before exercising.
While there are many theories out there regarding using carbohydrates vs. fats for energy, I will review the most accepted carbohydrate consumption timeline. That said, there is some very strong evidence indicating that fat-adapted athletes can be very effective in certain events… perhaps a good subject for a future article.
After determining how much liquid you should have, turn to your macronutrients. The ratio of carb/protein/fat several hours before exercise can a have a big impact on how you feel, both physically and mentally. Your body can store enough carbohydrate for several hours of zone 2-3 cycling, however high intensity riding or intervals require an increased rate of glucose oxidation, meaning you will burn through your stores faster. Topping off these glycogen stores with a high-carbohydrate meal before your event or ride is currently the recommendation of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN).
There is some debate regarding which types of carbohydrates benefit athletes the greatest. Lower glycemic versus higher glycemic foods are often compared. That said, there seems to be no consensus which is better for your pre-ride meal . My advice? It is hard to go wrong with a large bowl of oatmeal several hours before an event. Many pro and amateur cyclists swear by this as a pre-race food.
Also, within an hour of your ride/race, eat another carbohydrate-containing food. Whether in drink or solid form, try to consume another 40-60 grams of carbohydrate. A Powerbar, a toaster pastry, or a couple of Bobo’s Bites would fit the bill.
Some people have a very strong insulin reaction to fast-acting carbohydrate (glucose) and need about an hour for their blood-glucose levels to stabilize. Others can eat carbs within a half hour of beginning exercise with no problem. Personally, if I eat this small carbohydrate meal anywhere between 5 minutes and 1 hour before exercise, I feel light-headed and weak. I even passed out in a race many years ago ago… just fell over during a fire-road climb. While Zwifting, I imagine you could just take a quick nap on the bars, but that defeats the purpose!
Some studies have shown protein to aid in muscle protein synthesis when ingested before exercise. Protein, specifically branched-chain amino acids, have also been implicated in reducing fatigue mentally and enhancing glycogen storage. So, for those of you who feel better when your pre-ride meal has adequate protein (about a ¼ calorie ratio with carbohydrates), there is some science backing you up. Go ahead, add that free-range egg to your bowl of oatmeal (well, maybe not in the oatmeal… perhaps as a side?)
Fats tend to slow the digestive process and hamper carbohydrate ingestion. Fat adapted athletes will tell you that they don’t worry about eating as much before, during, or after their rides. While there are a few promising studies for those who prefer this way of eating, more research needs to be conducted on how effective fat-adaptation is in shorter-term intense activities.
If you are trying to squeeze every last watt out of your riding, there are several safe and legal supplements that are widely marketed to the exercise community. If it seems there is interest in this area, I may even add a 4th article to this series.
For now, fuel up and ride on!
Whether you ride indoors or out, you’ll find that climbs come in all shapes and sizes, varying in length, pitch, and level of suffering. But there’s one thing we can say about every climb: we all wish we could get up them faster!
So how do you do it? Well, the first answer is obvious: get stronger. But that’s a lot of work. Are there other ways to improve your climb times? Yes! Here are nine tips specifically written to help Zwifters climb those virtual hills more quickly.
#1: Get a FanWhen your body overheats, your power drops fast. This is what makes long climbs in outdoor heat such a slog: you have very little wind hitting your body for evaporative cooling. You have control over airflow indoors, so be sure to use a fan or two and keep your body’s cooling systems humming along.
Thanks to Zwift’s default 50% trainer difficulty setting you should be able to maintain a decent cadence up almost any climb with most gearing setups. If you can only climb well out of the saddle, your gearing is wrong or you need to build power.
Shift forward and back on your seat on longer climbs, which will slightly change the muscles being used. When seated you should be able to maintain a cadence of 85-95 rpm so you aren’t rocking back and forth or mashing the pedals.
Most riders (other than Alberto Contador) should only stand up for short intervals to power through a steep section or get a short break by changing position. Speaking of standing up…
#3: Get a Rocker PlateThese are taking the indoor cycling world by storm, and for good reason: they make indoor riding more comfortable and realistic!
Most climbs of any length include at least a bit of out of the saddle work, and a rocker plate will make those efforts much more natural and comfortable since the bike can rock back and forth instead of your body rocking while the bike stays vertical.
Want to build your own? Here are the complete plans >
You can lose power if you pedal with your toes pointed downwards. Keeping your feet fairly flat, with a stiffer ankle, will let you transfer maximum power from your calves.
Cycling is an endurance sport, which means many of the toughest battles are fought in your mind. Instead of focusing on the total length of a long climb, break it into short 1-2 minute segments and concentrate on the segment you’re riding. You’ll probably find the overall climb feels shorter, and the mental stress is reduced.
For example, I break London’s Box Hill into these sections:
#6: Drop WeightIt’s no accident that Zwift has made w/kg a ubiquitous metric for cyclists who train indoors. Watts per kilogram is the single most important metric when it comes to climbing, as it combines your power (watts) with your weight (kilograms). These are the two major factors which determine how quickly you’ll ascend the hill.
There are only two ways to boost your w/kg. You can increase your power output through training, and you can decrease your weight.
How much difference does weight make? Here are some numbers from BikeCalculator.com for a 5km grade at 7% and 300 watts:
That’s approximately one minute saved per 5kg of weight loss on a climb like Watopia’s Epic KOM.
#7 Use a Light Bike & WheelsThe frameset and wheels you choose in Zwift affect your speed, so when you’re doing a long climb like Alpe du Zwift you’ll want the lightest bike. Read this post for the results of our climbing speed tests.
It’s easy to get tight and white-knuckle grip your bars when you’re going hard, but those are wasted watts. Keep your grip loose, and concentrate on keeping your breathing even.
The feather powerup reduces your weight by 15 pounds for 15 seconds. Especially useful in a race situation when you want to attack the pack, or are struggling to hang on while others attack. More about powerups in Zwift >
So there you have it, nine ways to get up those hills faster. Give them a try and let me know how they work out for you. Better yet, share your climbing tips below!
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The Zwift Academy races are one of the most anticipated highlights of Zwift racing. We’ve covered the Academy extensively in other posts, but here, we offer to you the video of the final race itself. Jump right into the action!
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Our first pain cave video features again Brian Davis. The strength of his approach is in the detail that he put into building the cave. The cool thing: it’s actually not a high-budget project.
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Cameron takes us on a tour through his pain cave. It’s not our only pain cave video of this week, so watch them both and get a feel for similarities and contrasts.
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One of several vlog videos in this series, King of the Phil just very recently joined Zwift. As he recovers from injury, he takes a camera to film his process. In this episode, he sets up the context of his experience.
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Zwift Meetup came to Zwift with the release of Zwift Companion 3.0. It’s an interesting function, but how effectively does it really work in practice? This video might have the answer.
If you’re new to Zwift, you may not realize in-game speed is affected by the bike frame and wheels you choose. In fact, Zwift Insider has performed hundreds of test rides to compile the data so you can know which setups are fastest.
What about helmets? Do they affect speed?
A year ago there were only two generic helmets available for your cycling avatar. Then the Laser Bullet helmet was added as an unlock at the top of Alpe du Zwift, and people wondered if this helmet was faster than the original two. When Zwift released levels 26-50 (which includes several new helmets as level unlocks) the questions really start flying. This week’s Zwift Coaching Podcast even includes a reference to certain helmets making you faster!
It’s logical to assume that helmet choice affects your speed in-game, since it does outdoors. (For example, Specialized claims wind tunnel tests show their S-Works Evade II shaves 6 seconds off a 40km time trial compared to their already-slippery original Evade.)
We had tested helmets a couple years ago but found they did not affect speed in-game by more than 1 second over a ~ 45-minute Watopia Figure 8 lap. Back then it appeared as though helmets were not included in CdA or weight calculations, and the 1-second variation was just a Strava/GPS rounding error.
But we weren’t sure if things had changed, so we did a pile of test runs using both the TT bike and the Tron bike. (We included the TT because we thought it may be possible that Zwift would let certain TT-specific helmets affect speed on the TT bike, but not on other frames.)
We found that what you wear on your virtual head makes virtually no difference. All helmet choices (including no helmet) were within 1-2 seconds of the same time over the 29.8km (18.4 miles) Watopia Figure 8 route.
With that said, it is important to note that according to Jon Mayfield helmets do affect your in-game speed. The reason we don’t see much of a difference between helmets is that none of those currently available are efficient enough to make much of a difference. That should change as new helmets are released in the near future.
You can see our test results here.
From using PowerUps to bike selection and course tactics, this episode is full of ways you can nudge your way up the result sheet. Topics include:
Note: the coaches discuss how helmet choice affects your speed in game. We at Zwift Insider have a different opinion, at least with the current crop of helmets…
The Zwift PowerUp Cycling Podcast features training tips from host Matt Rowe (Rowe & King), with regular co-hosts Greg Henderson (Coach Hendy) and Kev Poulton (Powerhouse Cycling).
Zwift announced today that it has finished a Series B funding round, raising $120 million.
Venture capital firm Highland Europe led the funding effort, adding Zwift to a portfolio which includes Huel, eGym, and Malwarebytes.
“It’s a highly scalable business and we’ve been impressed with how they have already managed to expand globally – already 70% of current subscribers are from outside the USA. Research points to an audience of 40 million competitive and enthusiast cyclists, and many of those lie in the traditional cycling nations of Central Europe, so in this market alone there is huge growth potential.” – Highland Europe’s Tony Zappala
Additional investors include True (owner of Ribble) and Causeway Media, an investment group who say they are “Investing in the teams who are transforming sports media and sports technology.”
This cash injection is massive compared Zwift’s previous funding rounds, vividly illustrating just how much investors have warmed to the eSports idea in the past few years. Past funding included an initial $7 million friends and family round, $10 million angel round and $27 million first major funding round.
“I think this opportunity is huge. I think the investors share that view.” – Eric Min
Hopes for growth aren’t just pie-in-the-sky projections, either. More than one million people have created Zwift accounts, logging 410+ million miles on the platform. And it’s becoming a popular training tool for top pro athletes, with over one-third of 2018’s Tour de France peloton registered on Zwift.
A massive cash infusion of this magnitude bodes well for Zwift’s community. Of course it means ramped-up efforts to build out the platform with new roads, expanded features (especially in the racing arena), and improved usability. But this funding also gives Zwift the freedom to take a long view in building the platform, basing decisions and priorities on sustainable, stable growth.
Significant cash backing also means increased credibility in the cycling world, where Zwift has been busy developing partnerships around training and racing with cycling federations and professional teams. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg here:
“There isn’t a single stakeholder within the industry of cycling that we have not spoken to or already have partnerships with. There are probably four or five other federations that are waiting in the wings.” – Eric Min
The future is bright on Zwift. Ride on!
Levels 26-50 were recently released, and top-ranked Zwifters have been hard at work ever since, leveling up and unlocking lots of goodies. Here’s what you unlock for levels 26-50.
Special thanks to James Rees of Zwift Hype fame for gathering most of the pictures above!
