The announcement of Zwift and TrainerRoad’s integration is likely the biggest Zwifty news we’ve seen this year. In this week’s top video, hear from the one and only GPLama as he breaks down all the details.
This week’s top videos also include tackling The PRL Full, tips for better climbing, a review of the Elite Avanti, and advice on improving your pain cave.
Zwift x TrainerRoad Integration Finally Arrives!
Yup! It’s finally happened, TrainerRoad and Zwift are now integrated using Zwift’s Training API. Shane Miller, GPLama, shares all that you need to know about the integration.
Attempting London’s PRL Full on Zwift – My Longest Indoor Ride Ever!
J Dirom breaks down his attempt at The PRL Full in his ride with Zwift CEO Eric Min.
How to Climb Better
Eric Barfell shares tips on how to climb better on Zwift as he discusses his recent Tour de Zwift ride up La Reine.
DCRainmaker provides an in-depth review of the recently released Elite Avanti. Is it worth the price?
Five Ways to Optimize Your Indoor Bike Training
As someone who spends lots of long hours in his pain cave, professional triathlete Cody Beals shares five quick tips for enhancing your indoor cycling experience.
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Today, Zwift launched their next “mini Challenge”, celebrating new routes created for the upcoming Zwift Games 2025. Named “Route Chaser: Zwift Games”, the challenge is to complete all five of the routes which will be raced in March’s Zwift Games series:
Note our ZIMetrics difficulty ratings for each route: they get higher as you move through the challenge! In fact, our estimates say Makuri Madness will take just 24 minutes to complete at 3 W/kg, while ZG25 Queen is estimated at 87 minutes at 3 W/kg.
Challenge Rewards
Your reward for completing all five routes? Boosted fitness of course. Because any ride is a good ride, right?
But also, you will surely earn a route badge or five, as these are all new routes. Each route badge is worth the amount of distance XP earned for riding the route’s length, meaning you effectively earn double XP the first time you complete a route and earn the badge.
As with other mini challenges, you will also get a 1000 XP bonus for finishing this one.
Joining the Challenge
To sign up for this Challenge, just click its card on the home screen (the big banner at the top):
If you see this screen, you’re signed up:
Clicking a route from this screen will take you to the corresponding map to ride that route. But you can also ride these routes via other methods once you’re signed up. Ride them in events, as workouts, or even as free rides by choosing them from the route picker. As long as you sign up beforehand, completing the route via any of these methods will mark it as complete for the challenge.
You’ll know you completed the route for the challenge because you’ll get a banner on your screen:
Getting Creative
Once you’re signed up for the Challenge, you can get creative about how you complete the routes. Do them in workouts, do them in events, do them as free rides. You do you!
Here’s a 200IQ move if you’re looking to complete as many of these mini challenges as possible: you can complete other workout-based challenges like Cardio Crusher or The Racer’s Edgeand this Route Chaser challenge by doing one of the Cardio Crusher/Racer’s Edge workouts on one of the Route Chaser routes! (But again, make sure you’re signed up first.)
Zwift Games: Coming Soon
Zwift Games begins in early March, and it’s going to be huge! Watch Zwift Insider for a post covering all things Zwift Games this Monday, February 24.
Zwiftcast Episode 211: TrainerRoad Integration, Zwift Academy Finals, and Older Women in Lycra
Zwiftcast co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are back to bring you the latest fortnightly episode with news and updates galore, including the much-anticipated TrainerRoad integration, news of Sir Chris Hoy’s launch of Tour de 4, and the finals of Zwift Academy 2024.
Nick Kalkounis, Director of Product Management at Zwift, chats with Rebecca and Dave about that TrainerRoad news. Then Nathan, Shane, and Eric join the crew to discuss the latest Zwift news, including the Peak Zwift result.
Zwift version 1.84 begins its phased rollout today. This release contains a new setting for dialing in Zwift’s dynamic Elevation Display, a new route chaser mini-challenge for the upcoming Zwift Games, and more. Read on for details…
New “Elevation Display Sensitivity” HUD Setting
Zwift has added a new setting under Settings>HUD>Elevation Display Sensitivity so you can decide which climbs (if any) trigger the dynamic Elevation Display that pops up below the center HUD as you approach climbs:
I’m not sure what the cutoff is between “Normal” and Low”. That is, where’s the line between a slack climb like the one up from the downtown start banner into the Esses, where the dynamic Elevation Display only pops up if you have it set to “Normal”, versus a climb that shows up on both “Normal” and “Low” settings (as Watopia’s Hilly KOM does)?
Elevation display pops up when set to “normal”Elevation display does not pop up when set to “low”
Perhaps knowing the precise answer isn’t terribly important. In simple terms, this setting could be seen as giving you three options when it comes to Elevation Display:
See it often
See it less often
Don’t see it at all
Take your pick!
Zwift Games Routes Now Available
While the five new Zwift Games routes were actually added to the game back in version 1.81, they haven’t been available for anyone to ride. Today’s release adds a Route Chaser: Zwift Games challenge and opens up the routes as free-ridable so Zwifters can access them ahead of the big Zwift Games races!
Here’s the list of Zwift Games routes (click for details):
We’ll be publishing a separate post on the Zwift Games ASAP. Stay tuned!
An Open Danger Noodle
Watopia’s Danger Noodle route, designed by Zwifter Mark Brzezinski (ZSUNR) and winner of the ZRL 2024/25 Round 3 design contest, is being raced today in ZRL’s final race.
If you aren’t a ZRL racer and thus haven’t unlocked the route badge, never fear: today’s release makes Danger Noodle free ridable, meaning you can pick it from the Watopia route list and finish it on your own, earning the XP bonus upon completion.
Sometimes, it’s Zwift’s little unannounced changes that I find most interesting. Today’s update changes the “resting” position of avatars on Tron bikes:
My contacts in Zwift tell me this new animation was put in place to prepare for a new bike coming to the game soon. Until then, only stopped Tron riders will see this avatar position.
Riders on non-Tron frames will not see a change in their resting position:
Release Notes
Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:
The Garage icon on the Home screen now displays the new unlocked item badge counter consistent with the Garage icon in the Pause menu.
Added new onboarding tips to loading screens.
Fixed an issue that could cause an incorrect route name to be shown for completed workouts.
Fixed an issue that could cause the Zwift Concept frame to appear black instead of white when selecting the Zwift Ride color scheme. Learn how to get the white Tron >
Fixed an invisible bump in the road after the intersection leading from Countryside to Neokyo in Makuri Islands.
Windows: Fixed a crash that could occur when resizing the Zwift window while loading.
Windows: Fixed an issue that could cause the Video Screenshots button to be disabled when running Zwift on a non-primary display.
tvOS: Fixed an issue that could cause the virtual gear display to be missing after completing a Zwift activity and starting a new activity.
iOS, tvOS: General stability improvements.
Android: Performance improvements and faster load times.
The sixth and final race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 happens Tuesday, February 18, and we’ll be in Watopia for a race on the new user-created “Danger Noodle” route.
There’s much to discuss, including a route we’ve never raced plus bike choice, powerup locations, and strategic approaches. Let’s go!
Route: Danger Noodle
If Watopia’s Danger Noodle isn’t familiar to you, you’re not alone. This route was recently added to the game as the result of a design contest, and ZRL race 6 is our first chance to ride it! The route is 32.3km long, with 413m of total elevation:
This is just a scratch race, so while some intermediate portions will be important, in the end all that matters is your finishing position.
The race begins with an out-and-back on The Esses, approximately 6km long. These pitchy rollers force you to constantly modulate your power in order to maintain a good pack position, but with no sustained climbing, we won’t see any major selections happening. It’s really just a warmup for what’s up the road!
You’ll have received a feather powerup through the arch at the start of the race. Use it on the entry climb to The Esses, or on the final kicker before descending to the JWB Sprint Reverse.
You’ll get a draft boost powerup through the sprint arch. Use this to save some energy while drafting in the pack any time before the downtown arch, where you will receive another feather powerup.
At 9.7km, riders will turn right into Titans Grove. This is sort of like The Esses on steroids – a constantly twisting, rolling escalator taking us to the base of the Titans Grove KOM Reverse, our first “proper” climb of the day.
Titans Grove KOM Reverse @13.3km: 890 meters long with an average gradient of 4.4%, this is a very draftable climb that many riders will complete in 1.5-2 minutes. Use your feather powerup to lighten the load, and be willing to push to the max to chase onto the wheels over the top, because this is where the first major selection will happen. If you get gapped from the front group on this climb, you may never come back! (Tip: you’ll get an anvil powerup through the KOM arch. Use it on the descent to add weight and boost your speed.)
Secret Feather Powerups
Here’s an interesting little hitch in the Noodle: for unknown reasons, it appears as though riders will get two extra Feather powerups as you ride through the tree/rock overhang on the Titans KOM. This seems to only happen in actual events on the Danger Noodle route (not when free riding) and we assume it’s some sort of temporary bug or config error:
That said, we recommend using your anvil before riding through this overhang on the descent after climbing Titans Grove KOM Reverse, so you can pick up the feather powerup.
(You’ll get another when you come back through this section, and in fact, our test showed a third secret feather at 20.0km as you exit the LAX roundabout. Was there a sale on feathers?)
After riding the Titans rollercoaster out of the redwoods, you’ll take the LAX roundabout and head right up the Col du Saddle Springs and back into Titans Grove to hit the same road in the other direction. What for a bit of climbing here. It’s short but punchy, and riders often hit the gas when the pack turns into Titans Grove and the road tilts steeper.
Titans Grove KOM @23km: this is the longest sustained climb on the day, but while the actual KOM segment is 2.6km, you really only climb for the last 1.8km. It’s a very draftable climb, so sit in the wheels if you’re struggling. Or attack off the front if you’re brave!
You’ll get the last powerup of the day over the top, an anvil. This is probably best used on the KOM descent immediately following, although it could be used on any of the rollercoaster descents just up the road.
The race finish is one most of us have done many times: a flat and fast downtown Watopia ending. With no helpful powerups for the final sprint, this one will come down to timing and a question of who has legs left after two terrible Titans. Will it be you? Good luck!
Riders will receive powerups at each arch, as noted above, for a total of 5 powerup opportunities. (Or 8. Because there are some secret feathers being given out, it appears. See above…)
Specific powerups will be given at specific arches, and they have been chosen so they’re particularly useful on the roads just ahead. Here’s more info about how each powerup works.
Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most.
Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.)
Anvil: makes you heavier for up to 15 seconds, so you can descend faster. The amount of weight added is based on a percentage of your body weight, and that percentage increases as riders get lighter. It won’t hurt you, as it only adds weight when the road is at a -1.5% decline or greater.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This route is rolling in profile, with climbs that are fast and draftable and a finish that is flat and fast. That means a pure climbing rig will cost you more than it’ll help, and even an all-arounder will be slower up the climbs than a pure aero machine.
So we like the Pinarello Dogma F 2024 + DT Swiss Disc combo for its light weight combined with strong aero performance. The Canyon Aeroad 2024 is a strong pick as well, or you could even max out your aero advantage in the final sprint by going with something like the Specialized Venge S-Works + Disc:
Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.
J Dirom
The Syco-List
John Rice
Beccah Niesen
Strategic Options
With its rolling profile and two key Titans Grove climbs, this route as a scratch race has all the makings of a classic attritional Zwift battle. Make no mistake: the strongest riders will attack hard when the road tilts upward, particularly on the Titans Grove KOMs.
Any sprinters who can hang on over the top of the KOM will have a podium shot in downtown Watopia.
Here’s a fun option for riders willing to gamble that the secret feather powerups we (and others) have seen will indeed be awarded: use them strategically. You’ve got three coming your way after your first summit of the Titans Grove KOM.
One last bit of advice for the non-climbers: if you find yourself off the back over the top of the first or second Titans Grove KOM, don’t give up hope. You may just be able to chase back on. Find a friendly wheel, put in some work, use your anvil powerup smartly, and see if you can close gaps to riders ahead.
As always, the win will go to the team who plays their cards best.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
The finals for Zwift Academy 2024 have just finished, and Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of four episodes documenting the process at pre-season training camps. Who will come out on top and earn a pro contract?
The CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto women’s camp was held Algarve, Portugal, while the Alpecin-Deceuninck men’s camp was held in Denia, Spain. All eight finalists integrated directly into the teams’ training camp to tackle a series of challenges both on and off the bike, with coaches observing their bike handling, fitness, and racecraft, as well as how they respond to trials and fit into each team.
The first episode was released two days ago, and new episodes will be released for the next three Saturdays.
(As a reminder, there are 8 finalists this year. To learn a bit about each rider, see this post.)
Watch Episode 1:
Up Next
Watch this space for episode 2, premiering February 22 at 5pm UTC/12pm ET/9am PT.
How did you get into Cycling? I have been a spinning instructor for a long time. In 2014, I met my current husband in one of my courses, who got me into road cycling. He took me to a cycling marathon in the Alps (Maratona Dles Dolomites, 138 km, 4230m elevation gain) without me ever having sat on a road bike. Since that event, I have been hooked and love cycling indoors and outdoors!
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I started zwifting during Covid and racing on Zwift (ZRL) one year later, maybe 2020?
Are you part of a virtual team? Yes, I’m part of the team of ABUS SYNERGY.
What do you love most about racing? I wonder the same thing, lol! Sweat, pain and pushing yourself to the limit… I love it.
What is your Favourite style of race? Scratch.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I like elite races like World Series and Restart Invitational.
What is your most memorable racing experience? It was the “Radmarathon Tannheimer Tal” 2023 in Austria. It was raining heavily before the start and I rode 214 km in the rain on slippery roads and with little view of the great mountains. It was a great experience and I was 3rd in my age group.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Noodles – pre race, post race, always.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Have fun! That’s all that matters!
Any upcoming race you are looking forward? Restart Invitational, Zwift Games.
