Greg and Adam discuss teams on Zwift–why join one, how to find one, and tips on racing together.
For a thorough post on Zwift teams, read Teams on Zwift: Why, Who, and How to Join.
Visit inthepens.com to access the podcast archives.
Game Master Jon Mayfield posted a Zwift run to Strava early this morning which covers new Watopia territory: a path just for runners! Apparently it was good enough to inspire Jon to hit his 10k PR, so that’s a good sign. See Jon’s run here >
Here’s the new run path (in white) overlaid on the Watopia hilly course in Strava.
The new path is 5k in length. While Strava shows 163′ of climbing per lap for Jon’s run, that is because (according to Jon), “It reads the incline from the treadmill (if you have a bluetooth treadmill) and Zwift stores the grade you actually ran into the file.” So Jon ran this activity at a slight incline.
Typically when a new route is leaked on Strava by ZwiftHQ, its release is less than a week away. Looking forward to it!
Team affiliation runs deep in competitive cycling, so it’s no surprise that teams have been a part of Zwift from the beginning. In some cases Zwift teams are born out of real-life cycling teams, and in the case of at least one team (TeamODZ) the Zwift team became a real-life team!
Here’s an introduction to Zwift cycling teams, with a particular focus on teams who race together.
Team members typically race together in individual events or team events such as team time trials or the Zwift Worlds Team Race. Some teams also organize regular Zwift group rides–these often begin as team training rides then later open up to anyone interested.
Lastly, team members interact with each other outside of Zwift, typically via Facebook. Facebook is the main place where Zwifters interact, but the main Zwift Riders group is too large to facilitate intimate, ongoing interaction. A team’s Facebook page is a good place for a small group of Zwifters to get to know each other, congratulate each other on race efforts and share racing/training tips.
To get an idea how racing with a team works on Zwift, watch the end of the Zwift Team Worlds 2017 A race below, where TeamODZ’s Justin Wagner took the win. You can hear Justin’s teammates talking to him on Discord, acting as a virtual “team car” to help guide his efforts.
If we define a team as any group with 10 or more ZwiftPower-registered riders, there are 116 teams at this time on Zwift. To view this list of teams along with contact info, rider county and more visit ZwiftPower’s teams page.
You can check the “Available for recruitment” box in your ZwiftPower profile to encourage teams to reach out to you, but unless you are posting very strong race results you will probably need to take the initiative to reach out and join a team.
In many cases, joining a team is as easy as joining the Facebook page and starting to race under that team’s name and (if they have one) kit of choice. Some teams have more stringent requirements for team members–contact the team manager for details.
Note: this is an updated version of a post originally written in August 2016.
Get in on the action tomorrow September 25 for a special handicap race hosted by GCN on Zwift! This one-off race starts at 7PM BST/2PM EDT. Here’s GCN’s Daniel Lloyd talking about the event:
The course is 3 laps of Innsbruckring covering a total distance of 26.4km. The D group will depart at 7:00, the C group at 7:07, the B group at 7:10, and the A group at 7:12. This will have a large turnout as GCN will broadcast it live on their Youtube channel.
Get to the starting pens early. This way, it won’t take you 5 to 7 seconds just to reach the start line. With a handicap race, you are trying to catch the other groups ahead of you by working together in your category group. But remember, you need to beat the others in your group at some point. This mixture of teamwork and competition is what makes handicap races fun and challenging!
This event is similar to the ongoing CHOP races held regularly on Zwift. Watch a recent CHOP finish below as several groups are brought together on an exciting last lap around the Volcano:
See event details on Zwift.com >
Join the Endurance Lab coaches as they discuss:
A week of special events lie ahead. Starting today, Zwift is offering a daily world champ challenge with each day celebrating that day’s event at the UCI World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.
From Zwift: “The Zwift World Champs Week celebrates the 2018 UCI World Championships in Innsbruck-Tirol. Choose from daily events similar to the races happening that day. The week starts off with the Time Trial events, where riders battle against the clock. The aim simple, but not easy: get aero, ride hard, and push through the pain until the very end. The UCI Road Races begin midweek. Get ready to get caught up in the fun because the World Championships create an atmosphere like no other.”
Scheduled events (various start times apply for each day):
If the road race distances are a bit much for you, there’s also an opportunity to join a shorter version of these challenges. Simply join the “B” group to participate in a single lap (24km) event instead of the full event.
Finish any stage to unlock the Zwift Innsbruck Fan Jersey/Kit.
See the full schedule of events at zwift.com/events/series/2018-world-champs-week/
In a recent “In the Pens” podcast host Greg Leo asked the question: just how are powerups distributed in Zwift? We decided to find the answer and went straight to the source: Game Master Jon Mayfield himself. Here’s his answer:
Note: in mid-2019 Zwift began allowing event organizers to customize the distribution of powerups in their events. So while the chart above applies to free riding and is the default setup for events, specific events may distribute powerups differently.
To learn more about how Zwift powerups work, read Your Guide to Power Ups in Zwift.
Nutrition, rest, managing fatigue, focusing on you, and split days are critical to a successful training camp.
Download Greg’s Race Day Simulations Workout
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).
I was minding my own business recently when I got a private message from Theia Friestedt of Endurance Lab fame. Basically, she told me I HAVE to see the art of one of the gals doing the Zwift Academy. I checked it out and knew the Zwift community needed to meet this gal as well. I set up an e-mail interview, but her quirkiness and incredible writing were so endearing that I chose instead to have her tell the story herself. Please meet Fran Bambust.
(Fran says this about the image above: “I soon got the feeling that my Zwifting experience could be a life changer… Out with the old (couch potato Fran), in with the new (Watopian Fran)…” – The cake in couch potato’s hands references our constant mentioning of cake during group rides and in the ZA Facebook group.) Scroll down for more of Fran’s incredible art.
I am considering moving to Watopia, maybe rent an apartment in the Italian Village or in the Spruce Goose if it’s for hire. I could work from there, logging into the real world from time to time if I really have to.
I live in Breda, the Netherlands, now with my two little robots, R2D2 and BB-8. I’m a Belgian by birth and still work a lot for Belgian customers. I started out as a copywriter in the early nineties and since then I’ve made television programs, wrote children’s books, developed musea, created a behavior change model that is used by the Belgian government, worked in a factory, advised that government and several cities on all sorts of topics, been a spokeswoman for LGBT rights, chief editor for magazines… and I’m always surrounded by computer screens. I love computer screens.
Yet I knew I had to get this body moving. It tends to start looking like a hump of meat with bones sticking out, and since I do need to go amongst the living from time to time, I do have to take care of it at least a little. I am not a sportive woman. Ever since I was little I dreaded sports. I was clumsy, short of breath, too heavy and I have problems with depth perception. Don’t throw the ball at me. The only movement I did enjoy, was sitting on a bike. Not that I could ride very fast. I couldn’t. I can’t. But I thought it was fun.
When I turned 35 I bought myself a racing bicycle. A Kuota Kharma. I have no idea whatsoever if that’s a fine bike or a piece of rubbish. I liked the color. So I started riding. And I kept on riding. I rode the Tour of Flanders ten times – the abbreviated version, mind you, and I took my time. I even started climbing. Up the Alps, up the Tourmalet. And I went down as well. Having no depth perception is a bummer on a bike as well. I would advise against it. You get the urge to bump into things, into people and steer off cliffs. After my last earthward plummet, I decided to stop biking all together. I seem to have at least a minimal sense of self-preservation.
I had pondered selling my faithful Kharma when I read about Zwift. A virtual world? Where you can bike without falling? Where no one laughs at you because you’re slow or because you look weird? Sounds like my kind of place. I got there last year, but it didn’t stick. I was overwhelmed, I supposed. I tried again this year during the Tour de France, and obliged myself to ride whenever the pros were entering the last 40 km. And that’s when I got the taste of it. I started liking the fun and the pain. And I didn’t fall anymore. Yes, I know how to fall with my Tacx. At first, every time I descended a Zwifty hill or another rider came too close, I panicked and jerked myself to the ground. But by the end of the Tour I got used to the whole experience… and I loved it. I loved the scenery, the routes, the sweat, the heightened heartbeat… and the lowered body weight. But what would I do now the Tour had crowned the Welshman?
Zwift Academy to the rescue! I jumped from joy when I read the announcement. There was such a thing as an Academy! With challenges! Workouts! Group rides! Even races! I could be a genuine racer! Yeehaw! I started picturing myself as Marianne Vos, Annemiek Van Vleuten and Anna van der Breggen all rolled into one, weight and age included.
And it was fun. It hurt like hell, but it was bliss. I loved it. And the weirdest part was all the people who started saying: Ride On. I am not a sentimental girl, but I do admit that I got emotional. A professional rider like Leah Thorvilson took her time to answer our questions and gave us tips and cheered us on. This was a new world and I loved it. And I grew thinner. I haven’t been this thin in ages.
And so, I started sharing my joy, my amazement and the wonder I experienced in the only way I know: with silly words and drawings. In that way I wanted to give something back to all the people who have given so much to me, adding on the experience. For slow people like me, it isn’t about the first prize or the fastest lap, it’s about the wonder. Watopia is a wonderful place and a wonderful experience where even silly me can feel like a superhero on wheels. Watopia has been my holiday destination, a place where I have spent several dreams. I talk about it to whomever I meet. I have even incorporated it into a speech I need to give to Flemish government officials. It is changing me. I am becoming a better person; I even start thinking that I might get better at biking as I get fitter. I will try out the other workouts and plans… and then I’ll move in to Watopia. My bags are packed.
In this episode coaches Jason Flores, Theia Friestedt and Mitch Dangremond cover:
And more!
The Endurance Lab is a group coaching program for cyclists and triathletes of all levels and abilities. Each program in the Lab typically runs for 6-8 weeks and is designed to help athletes achieve their training goals. Participants will have direct access to several certified coaches and experts in the various aspects of endurance training, while also learning from peers participating in the same Lab. To facilitate the group interaction we use online platforms such as Training Peaks, TrainerRoad, and Zwift, among others. Participants may choose to use any platform or ride outside to perform the workouts by using a power meter and bike computer (e.g., Garmin, Wahoo, etc.).
For more information on the Endurance Lab head over to www.endurancelab.fit
