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Who Is ZNN?

Zwift News Network
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Who Is ZNN?

Who Is ZNN?

Ever wanted to know more about your beloved ZNN?  I mean sure, we know we’re your absolute favorite source for Zwift news and information, but perhaps there’s a bit more ‘behind the scenes’ (or behind the mask) information you’d like to have about the team that puts together the greatest content in the history of Zwift media?  Well that’s why we’ve come to your second favorite source for Zwift content, Zwift Insider, to share a little bit more about us.

Regarding my identity, that’s a trade secret.  But I wanted to take this generous opportunity, provided by Eric, to explain “why.”  Zwift News Network was created in an attempt to be a humorous, satirical “voice of the community.”  We’re nameless not because we don’t believe what we say or are somehow “concerned” about the content that we share.  But rather, because we think it’s really important that it could, in fact, be “any one of us.” As a personal filter before writing or sharing any content for ZNN, it’s important to me that the content sound like it could have come from just about anyone within the Zwift community.  Sure, very few opinions held by ZNN are universally held by the Zwift community.  There are Zwifters who love Richmond for its rich racing heritage and punchy steep climbs, and both of them comment regularly on ZNN posts which could be seen by some as “critical” of the first American Zwift course.

In other words, ZNN’s identity is you!  Or rather, it could be you at any given moment.  ZNN is your voice.  ZNN is people who love Zwift, who use Zwift regularly, who wouldn’t know what to do without Zwift.  And who enjoy poking a little fun at some of Zwift’s curious quirks, bugs, and even the occasional strange decision made by ZwiftHQ that doesn’t immediately make sense to the Zwift userbase.

Coupled with that understanding that “ZNN is everyone” is the ethos that “ZNN is FOR everyone.”  Often we get asked to make satirical posts about niche racing issues or to poke fun at individuals within the Zwift community.  While occasionally we do poke a little light-hearted fun at prominent members of the Zwift community, we’re never mean.  We don’t create content about niche elements of Zwift, like individual race events or series.  Not because these aren’t essential to the fabric of Zwift, but because they aren’t relevant to everyone. Furthermore, we’re not in the business of exposing cheaters, making mean-spirited comments about ZwiftHQ members or other community members, or other things that cross the line from “light-hearted satire” into “vindictive and anonymous criticism.”

Sadly, ZNN does occasionally receive requests or submissions of content that fall well outside of our established ethical criteria.  But far and away more, we hear about what a great job Zwift is doing, how much they love Zwift, and suggestions for other light-hearted ways to poke fun at what we love.  We also love that, on occasion, we get angry feedback from people who don’t understand that we’re fans of Zwift just poking a little fun at Zwift, and who angrily push back at our content.  We think that’s great— really!  It shows what a devoted and supportive fanbase Zwift has.

Maybe you’re a big fan of ZNN, maybe you think it’s petulant and silly, or maybe you’ve never even heard of ZNN (@ZwiftNews on Twitter and Facebook).  Regardless, we hope to make this little essay the start of a short series of essays not only detailing ZNN and it’s impact on Zwift, as told by its creators and others who have interacted with us over the last year, but also as a sort of “state of the Zwift community” evaluation as interpreted by ZNN.  We cannot claim to speak for the Zwift community (only that we try to speak as if we could), but we think we are uniquely connected to the people who make Zwift the incredible social fabric that it is. And we think that gives us a really special story to tell.

Of course, ZNN is nothing without content.  (It’s barely something WITH our terrible content).  Did you know that you can send direct messages to ZNN on both Twitter and Facebook?  We read every message we receive!  (Mostly because we never really receive any).  If you’ve got something to say, say it!  Your Zwift joke or satirical observation just might make it in to a ZNN post someday.

Making you smile and love Zwift even more is our mission, and we’d love to hear how we’re doing!  Leave a comment on this post below to let ZNN know just how we’re getting along, or perhaps, if it’s time for us to finally get going.  We can’t wait to hear from you, and to create even more smiles and chuckles from Zwifters in the future!

Your Secret Admirer,
ZNN Editor in Chief

Zwift Academy 2018 Women’s Finals – Day 1

Eric Schlange
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Zwift Academy 2018 Women’s Finals – Day 1

Zwift Academy 2018 Women’s Finals – Day 1

Welcome to the 2018 CANYON//SRAM Racing | Zwift Academy Finals in Andalusia, Spain. Today Matt Stephens introduces the three finalists: Mary Wilkinson (England), Ella Harris (New Zealand) and Ione Johnson (New Zealand).

Along the way, the team puts in a 5-hour climbing ride as team management observes how the finalists fit into the group and what they can bring into the team personally.

Learn more about the 3 finalists >

Zwift Academy homepage >

Fast Talk Podcast #60: Rethinking the Science of Trainers

Eric Schlange
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Fast Talk Podcast #60: Rethinking the Science of Trainers

Fast Talk Podcast #60: Rethinking the Science of Trainers

There are many cycling-centric podcasts available today, and Fast Talk from VeloNews is one of my favorites due to their laser focus on simply getting faster. Recently they produced an episode centered entirely on indoor training, with plenty of Zwift references mixed in.

Did the hosts do a good job of presenting a full picture of indoor training science? Comment below with your thoughts…

In episode 60 we’re discussing trainers… hey, for those out there who hate them, we get it, but stay tuned, as we’ll tell you why you shouldn’t completely ignore them. For those who love them, we’re going to tell you why riding outside every once in a while is a really good thing. For those in between, today’s episode will offer a wealth of knowledge on how to get the very most out of trainer time.

Now, one thing is certain: The days of staring at the basement wall while riding your clunky, loud trainer are behind us. Today’s smart trainers and online tools allow us to “game-ify” the experience and are making many re-consider how they feel about riding indoors, and importantly, the extent of the training benefits.

In this episode, we’ll talk about the science and experience of the trainer, including:

  1. How riding on a trainer differs from riding on the road, including the experience, our interaction with the bike, the different inertia generated by the trainer, and its impact on our biomechanics.
  2. What impact these differences have on our power and heart rate, and why we shouldn’t use the same numbers inside and outside.
  3. We’ll discuss situations where it’s good to use a trainer—and when it may be even better than riding on the road, such as when we’re doing neuromuscular work.
  4. Likewise, we’ll talk about situations where you might want to avoid the trainer. You might know already… a five-hour, mind-numbing ride on the trainer is a sign of incredible dedication. Don’t do it again.
  5. The game-ification of trainers by tools like Zwift, Trainer Road, and Sufferfest, and how this is changing our perspective on trainers. It can be both good and bad.
  6. When to use rollers rather than a trainer.
  7. And, finally, we’ll talk about how much time to spend on the trainer, and alternatives even when there’s snow outside.

You’re going to get a lot of different opinions in this podcast. None of us will go so far as to call the trainer Satan — though at times we’ll come close — but you will hear a few guests give convincing evidence that the trainer has benefits you can’t get on the road. Ultimately, it’s going to be up to you to decide.

Our primary guest today is Ciaran O’Grady who is a new coach and sports scientist at Team Dimension Data. Ciaran is finishing up his Ph.D. at Kent University with Dr. James Hopker, who conducted some of the definitive research on the biomechanical differences between riding on a trainer and the road.

In addition, we’ll talk with:

Retired multi-time national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson. Having lived in the northeast for most of his life, Tim is very familiar with riding indoors and has a lot of good points to offer from two decades of experience.

Trevor also caught up with Jacob Fraser from Zwift and Kevin Poulton who coaches Matt Hayman and Caleb Ewan, and works with Team Katusha. Kevin used Zwift to coach Matt to his 2016 Paris-Roubaix win and since then has integrated significant trainer time into his athletes’ race preparation.

And with that, get your fan ready, dial in your Zwift avatar — make sure you enter your weight correctly in Zwift now, no cheating. Let’s make you fast!

About the VeloNews Fast Talk Podcast

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best training advice and most compelling insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews managing editor Chris Case and our resident physiologist and coach, Trevor Connor, discuss a range of topics, including sport science, training, physiology, technology, nutrition, and more.

Zwift Over the Past Year

Monica Schlange
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Zwift Over the Past Year

Zwift Over the Past Year

Back in November 2017 Zwift announced a price increase of $5/month. The Zwiftiverse went abuzz with the news, even though Zwifters were grandfathered into the old price for a year. I was curious whether Zwift would be worth the increased price, so I listed out some of the major things Zwift brought us during the previous year, concluding, “If they’ve done all that with our $10/month, ‘$15 Zwift’ is only going to be better.”

It’s been a year since that announcement, so let’s see what happened in the world of Zwift during the year of “grandfathered pricing.” Please note this list highlights the big stuff. Many smaller features and bug fixes happened as well!

Here’s what our courses looked like in December 2017:

Getting rid of the title music alone is worth $5 more per month to me! Besides that, we got two new worlds, several new routes and some really great features. What do you think?

Here’s what our courses look like today:

Leading Rides that People Enjoy

Duane Gran
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Leading Rides that People Enjoy

Leading Rides that People Enjoy

Editor’s note: with last week’s announcement of Meetups this post is quite timely. Whether you’re thinking of leading an official group ride or a small informal meetup, Duane speaks from a place of experience and his advice is spot on. Enjoy!

If you think doing group rides is fun on Zwift, leading a group ride is a whole ‘nother level of enjoyment.  Perhaps you have been thinking of organizing a group ride and wondered how to make it effective.  It’s worth thinking about this because some rides don’t get traction.  My simple and direct advice is be predictable and be positive.

Being predictable means that riders know generally what to expect.  This starts with a good ride description provided to Zwift.  It also means that you communicate early to riders about the target pace.  If the ride will have some changes of pace (sprint together, race the final lap, etc) let people know in advance and also give instruction for how to regroup afterward.

It isn’t easy herding the cats (er, riders) into a cohesive group so you need to establish a tone in your communication and behavior emphasizing riding together.  Sometimes the group fractures a bit over hills and people 5 or 10 seconds ahead simply don’t have the experience or situational awareness to realize the ride is breaking up.  In these cases it works wonders to send a chat message advising the front to go at a slightly slower pace while you herd the rear of the ride up to them.

Of course this means that you, the ride leader, are where you belong.  The leader isn’t necessarily at the front of the ride.  A good ride leader should adhere to the stated ride pace and move about the peloton a bit.  When rides get more than 50 participants having an official or non-official sweep rider or two can really help keep things organized.  Sweepers should ride toward the back fo the main pack.

This really only works though if you can be positive.  There will be a handful of riders who join your target 2.5 w/kg ride who will blast away at 3.5 and possibly take five other people with them.  Kindly remind them of the target pace, encourage them that it is more fun to ride together but at some point let it go and focus on having a fun ride with your core group.

Encourage the group when they do a good job of regrouping after climbs, ask stronger riders to offer the draft to struggling riders and keep a cheerful mood about it.  Riding should be fun and if you approach it with the right attitude others will also contribute to the positive vibe.

How Fast is Zwift’s New TT Position?

Eric Schlange
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How Fast is Zwift’s New TT Position?

How Fast is Zwift’s New TT Position?

One change not mentioned in the latest update notes is an improvement of position for riders on TT bikes. Have you noticed it yet out on course?

The new position is much more in keeping with modern TT postures, with the back flat and head tucked down. Riding behind TT riders now I get the feeling that they’re suffering quite a bit, with their heads being so low. Sure, it’s virtual… but Zwift is immersive!

We did some speed tests on the TT bike to see if the more aero posture resulted in faster times. Sorry TT riders–it does not. But look on the bright side: your avatar sure looks like they know what they’re doing. (Personally, my TT posture in game is a lot prettier than it is outdoors.)

It’s worth noting that this is one of hundreds of minor changes which Zwift rolls out regularly with little or no fanfare. That just comes with the territory when you are developing a game like Zwift: there is always a list of many, many small improvements to be made. Prioritizing that list is no easy task, but I think Zwift is heading in a very good direction. Keep up the good work, HQ.

Accelerated XP for Levels 26-50: How It Works

Eric Schlange
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Accelerated XP for Levels 26-50: How It Works

Accelerated XP for Levels 26-50: How It Works

When Zwift released levels 26-50 earlier this week there was much discussion about how exactly “accelerated leveling” works. Here’s how I explained it in an earlier post:

Accelerated leveling means you still have to work to reach level 26 and above, but you will get there 8x faster. When you choose the “Bring on the Levels” option (see screenshot below) your XP is reset to 110,000 (level 25), but each km you ride nets you 160 XP and each mile 240 XP instead of 20/30 respectively. All other XP rewards are multiplied by 8x as well. Accelerated leveling stays in place until you reach whatever level your XP would have taken you before this update.

After hearing feedback from other Zwifters and thinking through this myself, I realized my explanation was incomplete, leaving open the possibility of Zwift giving us a raw deal. Was Zwift ripping us off? Did we have to work to earn back our original XP, then not get any credit for that additional work?

I didn’t think so, but I wanted to find out for sure. So I asked a source at Zwift HQ how accelerated leveling really works.

Accelerated XP Basics

If you chose accelerated leveling your XP was reset to 110,000 and now you are accumulating XP at 8x the normal rate. But here is an important detail: 7/8 of that accelerated XP is Zwift giving back what you have already earned, while the remaining 1/8 is new XP you’ve just earned.

Zwift will continue to return your already earned XP as 7/8 of your accelerated XP until it has all been returned. This means by the time your acceleration ends you will be well above your original (pre-level 26-50) XP. Here is an example to explain why that is.

An Example

I had 350,805 XP before levels 26-50 were released. That is enough XP to qualify me for level 42 (see level XP requirements and unlocks).

A graphic shows a Rider Score of 350,805 in large blue text, with a horizontal scale ranging from 350,000 to 353,500 and a bicycle icon pointing at 350,805 on the scale.

I chose the accelerated leveling option, which means I got set to 110,000 XP, and my menu indicates I will be accelerated through level 42.

A blue progress bar showing a rider score of 110,000 with a bicycle icon above the score. The bar ranges from 110,000 to 114,000, and in the upper right, LV25 | LV42 is displayed in a gray oval.

Zwift will return the 240,805 which was removed from my total, I just need to work to get that XP back. How much work, and what will my final XP total be once acceleration is finished? Here’s how the math shakes out. 

240,805 divided by 7/8 is 275,205. This is the total XP I will receive before acceleration is finished. 34,400 (or 1/8) of that is new XP I’ve earned, and the rest is the 240,805 XP I already had which Zwift “took” then gave back. 

So when acceleration ends I will have 110,000+275,205=385,205 XP. Enough to level up to 44, not the 42 my total currently shows. My guess is Zwift will increase that upper level indicator as I get closer to it. 

See Your Actual XP on ZwiftPower

Your ZwiftPower profile actually shows an accurate count of your total earned XP, presumably pulled straight from Zwift’s servers. Here’s what mine shows right now:

Profile summary of a Zwift user showing a cartoon avatar, level 28 with 354,975 XP. Stats include rank B, 455.31 points, 147 races, 295w FTP, and links to Strava and TeamODZ. User is from the United States.

Before level 26-50 was released I was at 350,805. Then I was reduced to 110,000, and have since put in enough work to be at 143,360 at the accelerated rate. 143,360-110,000=33,360 accelerated XP earned. 33,360/8=4,170 actual XP earned. Add that to my original XP of 350,805 and we’ve got 354,975: my total showing on ZwiftPower.

So somewhere in their system Zwift is tracking our total XP earned, even if we don’t see it in game. And that leads me to my final point…

Who’s Minding the Mint?

In my talks with Zwift staffers it is clear Zwift is being very careful to make sure everyone gets exactly the XP they have earned. No more, no less. XP is important for leveling, but it is also important because it may be used in the very near future to create “Drops” currency for purchases in the virtual store. So Zwift wants to make sure Zwifters never get shorted on what they’ve earned.

You may have to work to earn it back at the accelerated rate, but this is much better than stopping XP accumulation once you hit the level cap (a solution many games use).

Still got accelerated XP questions? Comment below and I’ll do my best to get a clear answer!

Zwift Companion 3.0 Released with Meetups, Enhanced Activity Feed and more

Eric Schlange
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Zwift Companion 3.0 Released with Meetups, Enhanced Activity Feed and more

Zwift Companion 3.0 Released with Meetups, Enhanced Activity Feed and more

Zwift has just leased version 3.0 of the Zwift Companion app for iOS and Android. This major upgrade includes three key new features:

1: Meetups

Organize group rides with your friends! These are such a big deal we’ve dedicated an entire post to the topic. Read it here >

2: Enhanced Activity Feed

Access tons of new activity data and visuals, and comment on your friend’s activities. Also a big deal with a deserving dedicated post. Read it here >

3: Full Training Plan Views

Executing a Training Plan is no small task: you have to plan your week, make up workouts you had to miss for emergencies, etc. The new Zwift Companion lets you view your entire training plan, scrolling through workouts you have already completed and those which are not yet done, so you can see what’s coming up and plan accordingly.

Read Zwift’s notes on the ZC 3.0 release >

Enhanced Activity Feed: More Data, Visuals, and Interaction in Zwift Companion 3.0

Eric Schlange
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Enhanced Activity Feed: More Data, Visuals, and Interaction in Zwift Companion 3.0

Enhanced Activity Feed: More Data, Visuals, and Interaction in Zwift Companion 3.0

Zwift Companion 3.0 has just released, and it includes a major upgrade to the Activity Feed. Here’s a look at what we now have at our fingertips with this powerful new tool.

Introducing the Enhanced Activity Feed

What used to be a very basic activity feed has been blown wide open in this latest update. We now have access to loads of data, beautiful graphs, and a new level of interaction with other Zwifters. Here’s a quick list of what the new Activity Feed offers:

  • View an animated map-based playback of each activity (complete with highlights)
  • Activity photo browser
  • Rich graphs for power/cadence/HR
  • A list of everyone who gave you a Ride On, and an easy way to follow them
  • Race results
  • Private notes to your activities
  • Commenting on the activities of others
  • Filtering: choose between viewing your entire feed, just favorites, or just yourself

Race Results

The race results feature is a very cool addition. I do hope it can be made clear in the app that for most races, the immediate in-game results are preliminary results only. Companion shows the in-game finishing order, but riders are often removed from final results because they raced in the wrong category, were not registered with ZwiftPower, or otherwise violated rules of that particular race.

At this time you will need to visit ZwiftPower.com for final results, but displaying them in the app moves us toward a better race experience for everyone. Word on the street is ZwiftPower is going to integrate more tightly with Zwift’s systems in the near future, which could (among other things) provide a way for racers to view final results from within the app.

Commenting

This may be my favorite feature of the new Activity Feed. The ability to comment on activities is huge, because before today there was no easy way to share a comment with someone outside of a quick message in game. Apart from in-game messaging, you had to track them down on Strava or Facebook, and that was just a big hassle.

Activity comments make it easy. I predict activity comments will be heavily used and will help make Zwift much more social than it already is.

A Word About Privacy

You can comment on any activity which people have shared publicly. Go to Settings>Privacy to change the default privacy setting for your activity, or set individual activity privacy when saving from within the game or by editing the activity from the Companion app after you are finished.

The app development team put a lot of work into these Activity Feed features, and it shows. Well done!

Ride With Friends! All About Meetups in Zwift Companion

Eric Schlange
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Ride With Friends! All About Meetups in Zwift Companion

Ride With Friends! All About Meetups in Zwift Companion

UPDATE: the “Keep Everyone Together” option was added to Meetups in October 2019. Read more about this useful feature here >

Shane’s video below is a great tutorial for this popular Zwift featured:

Zwift Companion 3.0 has just released, and its biggest feature is Meetups: the ability for any Zwifter to organize and lead a group event. This is big news, and it’s going to take Zwift to the next level as a social platform. Here’s how it all works…

Organizing a Meetup

Meetups are organized entirely via Zwift Companion. Click “Events” then tap the trio of people near the top. Time to create a meetup! (Go ahead and give it a try–you can test out most of the features without actually creating the Meetup.)

Requesting a Quick Meetup

You can also click any currently active follower and request a meetup directly with them. This is useful for those times when you hop on Zwift and notice a friend riding and want to join them.

Joining a Meetup

Meetups behave like any other Zwift event, so you can RSVP from Companion or the Zwift startup screen. Here’s how the invite appears in Companion:

Once you are in-game you will be notified when the Meetup is starting, and you will be taken to a starting area to wait for your group. Once the ride begins you will see the usual progress meter at the top of your screen. Members of your meetup have a green highlight in the riders list so they stand out nicely.

Any in-meetup chat is visible only to those in the meetup. Nice!

Important Details

There are a few important limitations in this first iteration of Meetups:

  • You can only invite people who follow you. This was a decision made by Zwift to limit spamming and let the Meetups feature be tested by smaller groups before it expands.
  • You are limited to inviting 50 followers (for the same reasons above)
  • You can only ride on the course (world) scheduled at the time of your meetup
  • Meetups can be scheduled up to 7 days in advance
  • There is no late joining of meetups
  • You can only create three meetups per 24 hours period at this time. So be careful if you’re messing around with creating meetups, because the system will lock you out after three!

Zwift sees the massive potential of Meetups, but they want to make sure the features are stable and user-friendly before expanding. This is a smart move for sure.

Future Functionality

The core functionality just released is quite powerful, but there is certainly more to come for Meetups. Expanded features I can envision include:

  • Easy invites: a unique URL you can easily to share to let others join your ride without being followers
  • Off-calendar rides: give Meetups access to every route in Zwift
  • Culled riders: this feature already exists for events, but it would be nice if organizers could set Meetups to hide all other riders except those in the group
  • Audio chat: sure, we have Discord. But wouldn’t it be great if we could easily voice chat with those in our Meetup?
  • Event types: let organizers define what type of event this is. Can we do a group workout? How about a race, where a leaderboard is shown at the end?
  • Late join: we all have “that friend” who shows up late to every ride. An option to allow late joining for your Meetup would be nice.

I’m excited about the new Meetups feature, and I know there’s even more to come.

What do you think of the new Meetups feature, and what additional functionality would you like to see? Please share your thoughts below!

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