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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!

British Cycling eRacing Championships Announced

Eric Schlange
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British Cycling eRacing Championships Announced

British Cycling eRacing Championships Announced

British Cycling has announced a two-year deal with Zwift, naming our favorite virtual cycling platform as their Official Training Community. A training partnership with such a major cycling federation is big news in itself, but it gets even more exciting: the partnership includes the inaugural British Cycling eRacing Championships, powered by Zwift.

Due to take place early in 2019, the Championship format will be comprised of a series of qualifying rounds culminating in a live final event between the top ranked riders. These finals will see riders compete for the KALAS Sportswear-designed national jersey, in a multi-event format comprising of a series of short races, including a time trial and elimination race.

Anyone can compete in the Zwift races, but you must be a British Cycling member to qualify for the finals and the national title.

Two Goals, One Platform

British Cycling appears to have two goals with this partnership: to get its members more active more often, and to find future champions. Jonathan Rigby, British Cycling’s commercial director, says:

The esports market is particularly exciting for cycling as it enables so many more people to participate and be active… we are also excited about what this could mean for identifying talent. We are proud to have a wealth of gifted riders competing on the world stage and we are confident that Zwift technology will enable us to unearth more future stars.”

This partnership is a win-win for Zwift and British Cycling: they will both receive massive exposure to the audiences of their respective partners.

Schedule of Events

Specific dates for the eRacing Championships have not been announced, but Zwift says “We are looking at dates in February and March 2019…”

Two events are planned this month, with double paralympic champion Steve Bate as the first Great Britain Cycling Team rider to lead a Group Ride on December 12 at 7pm. Jody Cundy will lead the second ride for the training community on December 19. And in between those dates we have the 5-stage 2nd Annual Tour of London to ride!

Training Partnership

As the Official Training Community of British Cycling Zwift will work with British Cycling to deliver structured training plans to the national governing body’s 146,000+ members. Special events will include virtual rides with the Great Britain Cycling Team and exclusive in-game items. Zwift’s flexible training plans will be used to plan workouts and track progress.

Read the press release from British Cycling >

A Taste of What’s To Come?

There has been much discussion recently about Zwift upping their eRace game, with major cycling bodies such as the UCI committing to eRacing in the very near future. In a recent Facebook thread, Zwift CEO Eric Min indicated that Zwift is moving forward with eRacing/training plans with USA Cycling, although no timelines have been indicated.

It sounds like 2019 may just be the year eRacing on Zwift hits the world stage, having gained the support of key governing bodies worldwide. It will be exciting to watch!

Zwift System Status Monitor

Eric Schlange
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Zwift System Status Monitor

Zwift System Status Monitor

If your Zwift session encounters technical difficulties and you wonder if the problem is on your end or Zwift’s, check their real-time status monitor at status.zwift.com.

You can also follow @GoZwiftStatus on Twitter for real-time status updates.

The system monitors key Zwift services and delivers the current status of each:

  • Login: logging into Zwift, Zwift.com, and Zwift Companion
  • Ride: free riding in Zwift’s virtual worlds
  • Events: in-game signup, joining, and participation in events
  • Workouts: in-game workout activities and plans
  • Partner Connections: third-party connections such as Strava, Garmin, Training Peaks, etc as well as the Zwift API used by ZwiftPower

The status page also saves all incident history, so you can take a look at details for past events.

This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

Thomas Eichentopf
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This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

This Week’s Top 5 Zwift Videos

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Sigma Sports x Zwift Party was a Blast!

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What exactly is a Zwift party? Matt Stephens, who recently also starred in a hilarious Christmas-themed clip, takes you right into it. The event features some Zwift professionals, but also lots of normal lads like you and me and those that have already reached level 25.

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Tacx NEO SMART Bike – Early Look

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Currently, direct drive trainers are the state of the art. Companies like Peloton and Wattbike show that the next level might be dedicated trainer bikes. Tacx as well is working on a smart trainer bike. The Smart Bike Trainers channel took a look at it.

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How I Made it Onto the Zwift Eurosport Ad

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Nicely produced vlog by Cameron Jeffers. If you’ve recently seen a Zwift ad, you might have seen him. He offers you some background story to the ad.

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My First Ride on ZWIFT & Plans For Winter Training

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Big welcome to another new rider joining Zwift. Cruise is an American hailing from Japan. His channel is an awesome resource for riding in Japan and Asia. His first experience with Zwift: it’s as addictive to watch as it is for him to feel.

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Zwift vs
Sufferfest

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In this video, Triathlon Taren follows up on his Zwift vs. Fulgaz comparison from not long ago. Arguably, Sufferfest is one of the most popular cycling training platforms out there. We’ve never covered how it complements Zwift. (Think: yoga, nutrition guidelines, lots of stuff.) Great that he does.

The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 54

The Endurance Lab
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The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 54

The Endurance Lab Coaches’ Corner 54

In this episode:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFiGswkLbWg&w=560&h=315]

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