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!
So What’s Next?
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.
How Will It Work?
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.
Zwift’s concept art for the “Watopia Hub” idea… from 2015! In this example Richmond would be the guest map of the day.
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.
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When Will It Happen?
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.
My Comments
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.
Ride with Reason Week 2 Challenge: Ride for Qhubeka
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.
About Ride with Reason
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 >
Kit Unlock
Completing each challenge unlocks a small portion of the Reason Zwift cycling kit. Complete all four challenge and receive the full kit!
How to Enter the Challenges
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.)
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.Â
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.
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.
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.
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.
Build the Perfect Zwift Team With Strava’s Flyby Tool
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 follow
Correlation: How closely the rider matched your speed
Spatial Correlation: How closely the rider matched your route
Distance: How far each rider has ridden.
The 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.
Example 1
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.
Example 2
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.
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.
Greg Hagele’s first race was at a normalized power of 289 watts, average power of 287 watts, and a speed of 43.4kph (26.95mph). His second race had a normalized power of 283, average power of 283 watts, and a speed of 44.7kph (27.77mph).
Joseph Noack’s first race was at a normalized power of 262 watts, average power of 256, and a speed of 43.22kph (26.86mph). His second race had a normalized power of 263, average power of 257 watts, and a speed of 44.7kph (27.77mph).
Ride Feel
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…)
Effort
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:
Fewer attacks to chase: racers are learning that it’s hard to pull off a solo breakaway in double draft mode, so you don’t see as many attacks. Those that do happen are rarely followed because the group knows they can catch the break by continuing to push at their current effort level.
Less variability: because of fewer attacks, the group’s overall effort stays more even. My VI for the first race was 1.06, but dropped to 1.03 in the double draft.
Ease of sitting in with the group: with fewer attacks and a stronger draft effect, those who are in the wind continue working at a typical level while those in the draft are holding the wheel with less effort than a standard draft race would require.
It is worth noting that while perceived effort may be slightly lower, the overall group speed is actually higher in double draft races.
Group Speed
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:
Gran Fondo (A Group): Watopia Mega Pretzel – 107 km (66.5 miles), 1,642 m (5,387′) elevation
Medio Fondo (B Group): Watopia Pretzel – 72.2 km (44.9 miles), 1,333 m (4,375′) elevation
Bambino Fondo (C Group): Watopia Three Sisters – 48.3 km (30 miles), 897 m (2,942′) elevation
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.
It’s been almost exactly one year since I first tried PR Lotion. Since I last wrote, PR Lotion has undergone a re-branding/repackaging and I’ve ridden close to 9,500 miles, many of them with PR Lotion on my legs. Seems like a good time for a follow-up on what has become my favorite training aid.
Note: if you didn’t read the series of articles I wrote last year you can get them here. They include a lot of specific performance numbers which may be of interest.
What Is It?
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.
How Do You Use It?
I typically do two hard training rides (60-120 minutes) per week, plus a long ride on Saturday. These are the rides where I’ve been consistently using PR Lotion this year. (It isn’t needed for my recovery rides since the goal then is to not push myself hard.)
To put it plainly: I now have two essentials for every hard ride: water and PR Lotion.
I rub the lotion in 15-30 minutes before the ride begins. It is worth noting that the application is the worst thing about PR Lotion: it’s rather sticky stuff, and takes some effort to rub in sufficiently. I rub most of it into my quads from knees to waist, but I may also rub more into my hamstrings and calves if I am anticipating an especially hard effort (or if I squirt out too much lotion). Once it is all rubbed in I wash my hands, which takes a few cycles of soaping and rinsing.
What Does It Do?
For me the effects of PR Lotion have been clear and simple: it reduces muscle burn during hard efforts. Pain levels are difficult to quantify precisely, but I would say it knocks down the burn by 10-15%.
Now, if I was doing specific interval workouts I might find that I can complete those intervals with less suffering. But in my typical training ride situation (competitive outdoor group rides or indoor Zwift races) this means I just go harder and set new personal bests.
Training harder means faster gains. It also means improved performance in the races I love!
The results I’ve experienced are in line with the studies Amp Human Performance cites on their website which found that PR Lotion:
Meaningfully increased lactate levels, leading to an improvement in muscle efficiency
Increased interval completed before exhaustion by 25%
Reduced muscle soreness by 53%
Delivered a lower heart rate at the same workload
Sharing is Caring
When I like something, I tell others about it. That’s why I’m writing this post, and that’s why I’ve shared tubes of PR Lotion with my local cycling buddies. Most who have tried it continue using it today. Two mountain biking friends even started shaving their legs just so they could apply it more easily… now that’s saying something!
Where to Buy PR Lotion
Buy PR Lotion here. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and shipping is free on orders over $75.
Speaking of losing, I need to go warm up for a Zwift KISS race. ☺ I rarely podium, but PR Lotion helps me push hard every time. See you out there!
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.)
UPDATE: this post is now outdated, but our Smart Trainer Index has up-to-date recommendations for smart trainers at all budget levels.
DC Rainmaker‘s annual Smart Trainer Recommendations Guide has become the Christmas shopping reference standard for indoor riders everywhere, and for good reason: Ray spends a lot of time with a lot of trainers, shows an amazing attention to detail, and has been doing this for a long time.
You can read his entire guide here, but I’m going to summarize his top picks for each price category below.
The best of the wheel-on trainers, but still falling short of the durability, accuracy, and realistic road feel of higher-priced direct-drive offerings.Â
Note: DC Rainmaker declined to pick a top two for this category, saying they were all pretty similar. The two listed above were referred to as the most “robustly built” and “most accurate” respectively.
Note: the Neo 2 is typically priced ~$200 higher than the Neo 1. DC Rainmaker recommends either as his top pick, so it really comes down to the price you can get and whether you want the “latest and greatest.”
Bicycles help people travel further faster while gaining fitness and access to more options in healthcare, education and work. In short, bicycles change lives.
Following: The riders you follow
Here’s how Amp Human Performance (the company behind PR Lotion) describes their product:
