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How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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24
How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift

How (and Why) to Take an FTP Test on Zwift

If you’re new to cycling training, you’ve probably never taken an FTP test. Heck, you probably have no idea what an FTP test even is! Let’s cover the basics of FTP, and options for testing it on Zwift.

What is FTP?

FTP is short for Functional Threshold Power. It’s the most commonly used metric of fitness for cyclists and measures the maximum power you can hold for longer durations (approximately 1 hour).

Going above your FTP will result in blood lactate levels increasing until you “blow up,” but if you’re fresh and well-fueled you should be able to ride at FTP for anywhere from 40-70 minutes.

Getting a bit more precise: while FTP is often described as the maximum power you can average for 60 minutes, that is not how it was actually defined by those who pioneered its use. Andrew Coggan defined it as, “The highest power that a rider can sustain in a quasi-steady state without fatiguing.” A sports testing lab would define it as the amount of power that can be put out at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). MLSS is the highest exercise intensity you can hold where your blood lactate level remains constant over time.

Why Test Your FTP?

On Zwift, knowing your FTP is important because that figure determines the power requirements for intervals in structured workouts. If your FTP is set too low, you won’t get an adequate workout. If it’s set too high you won’t be able to hit your power targets.

Overall, FTP is the most popular metric for tracking fitness. Even if you don’t do structured workouts on Zwift, FTP is a single, simple metric that measures your capability as a rider.

How To Test Your FTP

Here’s the simple 4-step process used by most Zwifters:

  1. Kit up, boot up
  2. Pick a test from the workout options under Training>FTP Tests
  3. Follow the instructions on screen, destroying yourself in the process
  4. If your FTP increases, share it on Zwift Riders. If it does not, never mention this test to anyone. 🙂

Let’s take a closer look at the FTP test options Zwift provides.

3 FTP Tests on Zwift

FTP Test (Standard)

The standard FTP test is also the longest, at 45 minutes. It begins with a warmup that includes 2 blocks (3 minutes at 110% of FTP into 2 minutes at 120% of FTP) meant to take the snap out of your legs so your 20-minute test uses less anaerobic power and more aerobic power.

In this workout, the 20-minute test is all that matters. Your FTP result will be computed as 95% of the power you average during the 20-minute free ride interval.

One common question people have is how Erg mode works during the 20-minute test portion of this workout, because of course you wouldn’t want your trainer enforcing a particular wattage target during the test. And at the same time, you don’t want to feel gradient changes in Zwift, which would through off your pacing!

So it works like this: the 20-minute section is a “free ride” block, which in Zwift workouts means your trainer delivers steady resistance like you’re on flat ground, regardless of in-game terrain. So shift to whatever gear you’d like, where you can hold a comfortable cadence and hit the power numbers you’re trying to hit.

Once the 20-minute block finishes, the game will put you into a cooldown block, forcing you to hit the target wattage again like Erg mode normally does.

Watch Me Do An Older Version of the 20-Minute FTP Test:

Ramp Test

The ramp test starts easy, then simply increases your wattage by 20W every minute until you can’t pedal anymore. The nice thing about the ramp test is that you don’t have to worry about pacing yourself for a 20-minute effort. Just stay seated and pedal for all you’re worth, until you can’t pedal anymore! Typically the ramp test feels very easy at the start, but gets really difficult in the last 5 minutes.

Zwift will calculate your FTP once you stop pedaling. Your FTP Is calculated as 75% of the highest 1-minute power averaged during the test. If your new FTP is higher than your old one you’ll get a popup that says “New FTP set!” along with your new FTP value.

Watch Me to the Ramp Test:

Ramp Test Lite

If you don’t know your FTP but weigh less than 60kg/132lbs, or if you know your FTP and it is below 175 watts, you’ll want to take the “Ramp Test Lite” instead of the standard ramp test. This test starts at a lower wattage and increases by only 10W per minute, providing more accurate results for riders with a lower FTP.

Which Test is Best?

Everything about the ramp test is easier than the standard FTP test, but the downside is ramp tests can be less accurate, depending on your physiology. Specifically, riders with a higher anaerobic to aerobic power balance may have their FTP overstated by a ramp test.

On the other hand, the standard FTP test with its 20-minute all-out effort is very challenging, both mentally and physically. Additionally, newer riders will struggle to properly pace a 20-minute effort (they often blow up early).

Both styles of tests have their pros and cons, but generally speaking if you are a beginning cyclist and/or you want a quicker, easier test, go with a ramp format. If you want higher accuracy, and have the experience to pace yourself properly, go with the 20-minute format.

If you’ve never taken an FTP test, we recommend using the ramp test first. This will give you a fairly accurate FTP number, which you can use to pace yourself for the 20-minute test next time.

FTP Auto-Detection

For nearly 10 years, Zwift automatically detected your FTP in game by measuring your 20-minute power average as you rode, taking 95% of that value as your FTP. If it detected an FTP increase, you would get this screen:

But since December 2024, Zwift has been using an updated FTP detection algorithm that works for efforts 8-60 minutes in length. Read about how it works in these update notes if you’d like, but the important thing is to understand that Zwift automatically detects your FTP as you ride, and you’ll get a notification if it detects an increase. If you want your FTP detected accurately, simply do an all-out effort anywhere from 8 to 60 minutes in length.

Simple. But not easy.

Apart from Zwift, most cycling data platforms also compute an estimated FTP based on your ride data, even if you never take an FTP test. These calculated FTP figures are arguably more accurate than an FTP test, but it depends on how they’re calculated and what sort of efforts you’re feeding into their algorithms. Some of these platforms are free, while others may carry fees. Popular platforms include TrainerRoad, intervals.icu, XERT, and WK05 software.

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Top 5 Zwift Videos: Tips for Climbing, Zwift Racing, and Tour de Zwift

Oli Chi
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1
Top 5 Zwift Videos: Tips for Climbing, Zwift Racing, and Tour de Zwift

While we can’t all climb at the caliber of Tadej Pogacar, we can certainly still try. In this week’s top video, hear from an experienced Zwifter as he breaks down all of his top tips for getting better at climbing on Zwift.

We’ve also decided to feature videos about Zwift racing, Tour de Zwift, FTP tests on The Grade, and the Zwift Ride.

Conquer the Climbs! 7 Tips to Master Zwift Climbing

Get tips from David of Zwift Analysis Network on how you can improve your climbing abilities on Zwift.

Is this my best-ever Zwift race? Can I win?

If you need some inspiration to get on the trainer and race on Zwift, Ryan Condon’s recent video delivers just that. Watch as Ryan overcomes a power dropout and fights his back way into contention.

Breaking away from 400 riders at the Tour de Zwift, then this happens…

Ed Laverack races stage 2 of the Tour de Zwift and encounters some questionable racing tactics as he attempts to break away from the massive group of 400+ riders.

What Happens If You Do A Fitness Test Every Day For 7 Days?

Conor from GCN climbs The Grade every day for 7 days. Can he manage to improve his FTP with each climb?

Zwift Race | Tour de Zwift – Stage 1

Daaaanjj tackles another Zwift race, this time riding stage 1 of the Tour de Zwift.

+1000km review of the new Zwift Ride Indoor Trainer Setup

Volker Voit recently received the Zwift Ride for testing. After riding this smart frame for the last few months (including a ride where he completed the entirety of the Rapha 500 in one ride), Volker provides a review of the Zwift Ride.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

7 Feature Requests from a Zwift Ride Organizer

Eric Schlange
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48
7 Feature Requests from a Zwift Ride Organizer

7 Feature Requests from a Zwift Ride Organizer

As someone who has led (literally) hundreds of Zwift rides over the years, I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. In fact, we’ve published some posts to help ride leaders do an amazing job:

How to Lead A Zwift Group Ride – Friday Pacific Sprintapalooza
Behind the Scenes of a Group Ride

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how Zwift could improve the experience for ride leaders and, by extension, improve the overall “product” these leaders create. Here are my top 7 ideas…

#1: More Event Customization Options

Today, event organizers are quite limited in what they can directly modify when setting up their events. You can’t change the title or description text, for example. You can’t create an actual race that uses Zwift Racing Score and/or shows up on ZwiftPower. You can’t modify your event banner, the mix of powerups, place riders on a particular bike or wheelset or in a particular kit… and the list goes on.

Yes, you can email Zwift’s events team or submit a change request to get these changes done. But that just introduces delays into the process, thus reducing creativity on the platform.

I get it: Zwift doesn’t want to let just anyone upload their own event banner or change their event title to something naughty. But certainly Zwift could build a process to handle this safely and efficiently.

#2: Improved Route Picker/Customizer

Zwift does let event organizers choose from a long list of routes, and set their event length based on total distance, total time, or number of laps.

The route-picking tools could be improved, though. For example, they don’t tell me how much climbing you’ll be doing if you set up a 100km ride on Waisted 8 like I did last week for the Thursday Pizza Burner.

They also don’t show where the finish line will be if you set a custom distance on any particular route, which is what I do for almost every Tiny Race. Right now, I have to test-ride routes in order to figure out what event distance to key in so the finish banner is located at the right place.

One last little niggle when it comes to precise event lengths – and I know I’m getting into the weeds here. If I input a 2 or 3-digit distance, which I often do for Tiny Races, that distance gets saved into the system, but the system rounds it to 1 decimal place if I go back to edit the race. Annoying. Round it on the frontend, that’s fine. But please don’t confuse me further when editing!

#3: Beacons Always In Rider List

The longer a ride is, and the more hilly the route, the more chance there is that the group will get spread out. Anything Zwift can do to help riders find a group would be welcome.

It would be really nice if the rider list always showed the location of the yellow and red beacons. Show the time gaps to these riders, too. This would let participants see if they should work to re-catch the beacon or ease up and rejoin a beacon group, giving everyone much better visibility of the location of key groups in the ride.

#4: Chat Visibility Improvements

First, I’d love to see fewer blank messages on Zwift (see image above). As far as I can tell, these happen when people send emojis via the Companion app, or message in a non-English character set (Japanese was used above). It seems like adding emojis would be an easy win for Zwift. As for other languages – certainly we could show non-English characters? Or (this would be amazing) – auto-translate messages into each rider’s native language. How cool would that be?

Next, let’s talk about who sees which messages in group rides. Rider leaders have it pretty good: they get to see all riders’ messages, and everyone in the event can see the leaders’ messages as well.

It’s easy to forget, as a ride leader, that this isn’t everyone else’s experience. Event chat is actually proximity-based for everyone else in the ride, meaning you only see other riders’ messages if you’re nearby. So as the ride spreads out, you end up with weird situations where, for example, someone asks the leader a question, but only a portion of the group sees the question. Then the leader messages the answer, and everyone on the ride sees that!

It’s not ideal. It’s confusing and reduces the amount of conversation and connection happening on community rides.

I’d love to see all riders able to see all chat, with proximity-based messaging perhaps automatically enabled for rare, massive events of 500 riders or more.

(Zwift could even get really fancy and enable some sort of smart proximity-based messaging happening if the number of messages gets too high. Maybe the game monitors the rate of messages, and if it’s more than, say, 1 per second for 10+ seconds, the game switches to proximity-based chat mode until the rate comes down. A simple indicator in the message composer could indicate whether you’re in proximity-based mode or not.)

#5: Post-Ride Stats

As the ride leader, I’d love to get some stats once my event finishes:

  • Count of riders who joined the event
  • Count of riders who finished the event
  • Finish rate (Joined/Finished)
  • Number of Ride Ons received in event
  • Number of chat messages sent
  • Total distance covered by all participants
  • Total elevation climbed by all participants

I’d love to get these stats via an automated email, but they could also be made available, much like race results, in the Companion app and at zwift.com, so there’s a historical record of each event’s stats.

#6: Post-Ride Feedback

I’d love it if Zwift would pop up a simple survey at the end of each group ride, inviting riders to give feedback to the ride organizers. Maybe just a 1-5 star rating, with a space for comments?

A simple survey, perhaps different from a finisher’s survey, could even pop up for people who decide to duck out early. Maybe it just has a few options so Zwift and the ride organizer can understand why you left early?

  • Ride is harder than expected
  • My schedule doesn’t leave me enough time to finish
  • Pace not as advertised
  • Other

Like the event stats idea above, I’d love to see all this feedback in an email, along with access via Companion and the web.

An additional benefit from these survey results is that they could be used to help Zwifters pick events in the future, as repeating events could build up a reputation with their star ratings or other feedback. Zwift could summarize this feedback in game and Companion, and could even create special lists of top-rated events. For example, rides rated in the top 10% of all group rides could be on their own list and receive a simple visual indicator so they stand out from the crowd and get more participation.

#7: Encourage Repeat Signups

Speaking of building a reputation and encouraging signups, I’d love it if Zwift would make it easier for people to sign up for next week’s edition of an event immediately after they finish this week’s.

Right now, weekly events are re-created automatically via a nightly process that runs once every 24 hours. So after you complete a weekly event, doesn’t yet exist on the calendar. You have to wait until the following day to sign up.

What if instead, next week’s event was created 30 minutes after this week’s event began?

What if people could click to “subscribe” to an event and be automatically signed up for it each week?

Or what if, when you finish the event, a simple UI popped up asking if you want to sign up for next week’s event right now?

Your Thoughts

Those are my top ideas as a ride leader. But I’m sure other ride leaders will have other great ideas. Do you have any to add to my list? Share below!

Woman Racer Spotlight: Wendy Weaver

Karla Williams
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2
Woman Racer Spotlight: Wendy Weaver

Woman Racer Spotlight: Wendy Weaver

Name: Wendy Weaver

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland 

How did you get into cycling? I got into cycling many years ago after my hypermobility got too bad to run anymore. I still wanted to do high-intensity cardio but most activities hurt my knees. I thought cycling would too and so avoided it for a long time until a friend gave me her bike to try, and it was a revelation!

I soon got my own bike and haven’t stopped cycling since. That was maybe ten years ago but I’ve been indoors only for the past five years after a very close call with a UPS van. With enough to keep me more than occupied on Zwift, plus Scottish weather, potholes, and awful drivers outside, I only cycle indoors now.

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I have been racing on Zwift since last November, so a bit more than a year.

Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes virtual team Coalition, Ourea and Desire when in ZRL.

What do you love most about racing? I am not competitive in any part of my life except Zwift. I cannot state a favourite part of racing because it’s really tough going at times, but I think the overall achievement is what’s important at this point. For me, it’s looking at the little gains I make in my performance every single time I race, and watching myself (virtually) achieve things I couldn’t do the week before or the month before. 

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I love the TTT because I’m a sociable rider and even though we are honing our technique as a team, we have a great laugh too,. It makes the time go so much faster and the effort feel less hard. 

What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? My favourite racing series for women is Tour de Zwift. I love it! About three years ago I was in a TdZ race, all female but all ages too, with 78 other women and I came third. This was a massive achievement and it was me at peak fitness, since then I have had some setbacks with my fitness and hypermobility. But joining the Coalition last November has been a game changer for my riding.

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? My favourite type of race is TTT, I joined Ourea last November (2023) and joined a bunch of strangers who already knew each other and were used to riding together and I’m not going to lie, I didn’t enjoy it at first. I wasn’t fit enough, I was falling behind, I didn’t understand how to control my speed and would shoot forward or lag behind and one thing I hate is being a hindrance. I considered quitting and finding something easier but that’s not me, so I worked at it. My fitness picked up naturally over the weeks and months and my technique improved too, and now nine months on, as I mentioned, I look at the small improvements. I now have the ability to not only keep up but to lead the team on my turns and buddy up with strong riders who still challenge me to go harder, longer and faster. 

What is your favourite food to eat post race? Greek yogurt and raisins! 

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? My advice to anyone wanting to get into racing for the first time is absolutely do that, don’t give up and don’t be intimidated by those in front of you leaving you behind, one day soon you’ll be able to stay in the pack! Work hard, take guidance, persevere and you will improve, you will see your worth in a team and you will love it!

Any upcoming race you are looking forward to?  I totally look forward to my Thursday TTT with my team every week, even when the route is hard, because I have the support and encouragement from my team!

Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of January 25-26

Eric Schlange
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0
Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of January 25-26

Tour de Zwift continues to headline our weekend event picks due to crazy popularity levels. But we’ve also included three popular group rides and Tiny Races with adjusted categories!

🤝 Tour de Zwift – Stage 3

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Kit Unlock

Tour de Zwift, the biggest ride series on the platform, is underway, and hundreds of riders have been turning out for each event! Stage 3 is available through the end of the weekend, with these route options:

Read all about Tour de Zwift 2025 >

Are these races? Not officially, but the front of each ride will surely be spicey. Read about me racing stage 2’s short ride, then ride it at whatever pace you’d like!

Hourly events this weekend
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tdz2025

🤝Doddie Aid: Sir Chris Hoy Coffee and Cake ride

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Celebrity Leader 　✅ Good Cause

The popular Doddie Aid rides are back January 5-February 2, raising funds and awareness for the “My Name5 Doddie Foundation,” which aims to find effective treatments for the currently incurable MND/ALS. Join Sir Chris Hoy and friends on a Sunday social ride every week, and you can donate here.

This week we’re on Watopia’s Coast Crusher for 50km.

Sunday, January 26 @ 10am UTC/5am ET/2am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4733854

🤝 BMTR Flat 100 (Miles)

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Legacy Leaders 　✅ Kit Unlock 　✅ Endurance Challenge

This event is popular every weekend, and thus earns a regular spot on this list! The BMTR Flat 100 consistently gets big turnouts because it offers multiple pace groups on flatter, distance-friendly routes.

This week riders are on the France Classic Fondo, Douce France, and R.G.V. routes based on which pace option you choose. Be sure to read the event description for details!

Saturday, January 25 @ 1:10pm UTC/8:10am EST/5:10am PST
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4771152

🤝 Vatternrundan Group Ride Series #3

✅ Popular Event 　✅ Endurance Challenge 　✅ Kit Unlock

The Vätternrundan group ride series is back for another year, and it’s getting lots of signups! The premise of the series is simple: rides increase in duration from January 12 to March 2, with the goal of preparing you to handle many hours on the bike when the IRL race day arrives in June.

The Vätternrundan Group Ride Series is part of Vätternrundan’s official training program.

Sunday, January 25 @ 8am UTC/3am ET/12am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4654682

🥇 Tiny Races – Updated B/C Bands

✅ V02 Workout 　✅ Popular Race 　✅ C and B Group Changes

Our popular Tiny Races happen each Saturday: 4 back-to-back races within an hour that will push your fitness to the max!

This week features slightly modified Zwift Racing Score bands to better balance group sizes. The 400-540 “C” group is now 380-540, and the 540-680 “B” group is now 540-700.

We’re revisiting our National Train Day routes this weekend, with four courses all featuring trains. Choo chooooo!

Saturday in three different timeslots
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces

How We Make Our Picks

We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:

  • Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
  • Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
  • Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
  • Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
  • Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
  • Is it for a good cause?
  • Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
  • Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?

In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!

Tiny Race Series – January 25 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Eric Schlange
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0
Tiny Race Series – January 25 Routes and Last Week’s Results

Tiny Race Series – January 25 Routes and Last Week’s Results

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

All About Shimano’s Updated Dura-Ace Wheelsets on Zwift

Eric Schlange
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9
All About Shimano’s Updated Dura-Ace Wheelsets on Zwift

All About Shimano’s Updated Dura-Ace Wheelsets on Zwift

Zwift recently upgraded the performance of the three Shimano Dura-Ace wheelsets available in game: the C40, C50, and C60. Drop Shop prices also increased, as did the levels at which each wheelset was unlocked. Here is a summary showing the before and after specs for the three wheelsets:

Shimano Dura-Ace Wheel Details (Version 1.80 and earlier)

PriceLevelAero TestClimb Test
C4035,900451:1349:31.5
C5034,600451:1149:35.5
C6041,1001051:0249:39

Shimano Dura-Ace Wheel Details (Version 1.81 and later)

PriceLevelAero TestClimb Test
C4085,300651:1349:29
C50165,0001051:0449:26
C60187,0001250:5849:28

The star ratings for the C50 and C60 wheels also changed in the update. Zwift’s star ratings, as you may know, are based on the invisible CdA and weight settings for the wheels. (If a wheelset falls within a particular CdA range, it will receive 3 stars for aero performance, for example.) The more stars, the better.

Both the C50 and C60 improved from a single-star weight rating to a two-star rating, making all three wheelsets have 3-star aero/2-star weight ratings:

We already spilled the tea and shared the test results of the updated wheels above. But read on below to get these results in context, as well as other takeaways!

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Aero performance has improved for the C50 and C60 wheels, while remaining unchanging for the C40. The C50 improved by 7 seconds in our tests, while the C60 improved by 4 seconds.

That means the C50 moved up the leaderboard past 5 wheelsets in terms of aero performance, including the level 6 Mavic Cosmic Ultimate UST. It now essentially matches the aero performance of the level 8 Mavic Cosmic CXR60c, while outclimbing these wheels. This means the C50 is the best aero performer available at levels 10-11.

The C60 moves past 4 wheelsets, meanwhile, including (crucially) the level 13 Mavic Comete Pro Carbon SL UST. So the C60 is the best aero performer of any wheel up from level 12-14.

It’s not entirely “fair” to compare these low-level unlock wheels to the best, high-level wheels in game. That said, it’s another way to gauge their relative performance. The C40 remains 48 seconds slower than the current fastest road wheels (DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT DISC, level 39) on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km. The C50 is now 46 seconds slower, and the C60 is now 37 seconds slower.

Climb Performance

Climb test performance improved for all three Shimano wheelsets with Zwift’s 1.81 update. The C40 is 2.5 seconds faster up our Alpe du Zwift test course, while the C50 gets to the top 9.5 seconds faster and the C60 shaves off 11 seconds.

The overall ranking of Shimano’s wheels in terms of climbing performance improves substantially with these changes. While the C40 moves past just 1 wheelset in the rankings, the C50 moves past 12 wheelsets, and the C60 moves past 13 wheelsets!

The fastest overall climbers in the game (Lightweight Meilensteins and Roval Alpinist CLX) complete the test 15 seconds faster than the C40, 12 seconds faster than the C50, and 14 seconds faster than the C60. While the performance of Shimano’s three Dura-Ace wheelsets doesn’t stand out from the full crowd of Zwift wheelsets, when compared to lower-level wheelsets, they may now be the best available option. More on that below…

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Aero frame.

Conclusions

Shimano’s Dura-Ace wheels are now the fastest racing wheels available between levels 10-14. While the C40 is not a standout performer, the C50 and C60 show strong aero and climb performance for their unlock levels, making them a go-to choice for newer Zwifters racing flat and rolling routes.

February 2025’s ZRacing series is titled “Shimano Find Your Fast”, so we’re guessing this wheel update was done in anticipation of this partner event. (Watch this space next week for details on February’s ZRacing, including courses, unlocks, and a prize drawing.)

The updated Shimano Dura-Ace wheels can be found on our Master Zwift Wheels List, and we’ll be updating the following posts to reflect Zwift’s recent changes:

Questions or Comments?

Share below!

Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.

Zwift Racing League Week 3 Guide: Road To Ruins Reverse Scratch Race

Eric Schlange
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6
Zwift Racing League Week 3 Guide: Road To Ruins Reverse Scratch Race

The third race of Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 3 happens Tuesday, January 28, and we’ll be in Watopia for our first-ever ZRL race on Road to Ruins Reverse.

There’s much to discuss, including crucial course segments, bike decisions, powerup usage, and strategic options. Let’s go!

Looking at the Route: Road to Ruins Reverse

This week’s route is an event-only route on Zwift, so it’s quite possible you’ve never ridden it before. Road to Ruins Reverse is 29.8km long, with 276m of elevation. It’s essentially a Volcano Flat Reverse lap with a Jungle Circuit Reverse lap thrown into the middle, but the connector road between the two is where some key moves will happen:

This route is rarely flat, but at the same time, it doesn’t feature any large climbs. There are four key sections when racing Road to Ruins Reverse as a scratch race:

Dirty Sorpressa (4.9-5.5km): the first attack point in the race, the Sorpressa isn’t likely to drop any but the weakest riders in the group. Still, it’s where strong riders can put in digs to begin to weaken others who will eventually fall off the back, perhaps on the longer Jungle climb later in the race.

Most riders will use their steamroller powerups on the climb portion of the Dirty Sorpressa, to save a bit of effort and/or maximize any attacks being made.

Epic KOM Reverse Base (8.9-11.1km): the steepest sustained climb in the race begins at the foot of the Epic KOM Reverse. You’ll begin with the steep bit, winding your way up ~700 meters of tarmac to the bridge before the gradient reduces to 2-3% and continues at that slack gradient through a right-hand turn toward the Jungle and another kilometer of climbing, ending at the Jungle start pens:

You’ll have plenty of time to recover after this first big climb as you descend to the bottom of the Jungle. Just watch for that little kicker getting off the rope bridge!

Jungle Circuit Climb (18.1-22.9km): you’ll get your second (and final) steamroller at the bottom of the Jungle circuit, then the climb out of the Jungle begins. This climb can be visualized in three parts, with flats bits in between.

  1. First you have the initial climb, which flattens out for just a bit near the Mayan Bridge cutoff.
  2. Next, you have the longest portion of the dirt climb. This is where the biggest moves usually happen, as it’s sustained and a bit steeper than the first bit.
  3. Lastly, after a bit of flat road, you’ve got the final paved portion of the climb. You can chase back onto a group here if you’ve got a bit in reserve, or if you’re running out of juice, you may lose the wheels you’ve been desperately trying to hold! Whatever happens, it’s best to have a group as you begin the descent at the top, since you’ve got 7 kilometers of fast flats and descents left in your race.

Most riders will use their steamroller during the Jungle climb when effort levels are high. Depending on your fitness and rider phenotype, there’s one other place where the steamroller could be used effectively: at the bottom of the descent, just past the Spruce Goose and beneath the windmills, you’ll hit two sections of flat dirt that are each around 200 meters long. If you’re more of a TT rider who doesn’t fancy a pack sprint finish, and the pack you’re in is small enough, attacking on these final dirt sections with a steamroller may let you get enough of a gap that you can stay away for the final 3.7km to the finish.

The Finish (28.3-29.8km): the last 1.5km of this route is a well-known strategic race finish for seasoned Watopians. It begins with a quick climb up out of the ocean tunnel and onto a false flat. Riders often try to go long here, but they’re usually caught. It’s a gamble. Do you go for the long attack? Chase down that long attack? Or sit in the wheels and do minimal work until the final sprint?

Once the group turns right at the intersection, you’ve got just 600 meters left to the line. Timing and strength will be the decider at the end of this race, as steamroller powerups will have zero effect.

Read more about the Road to Ruins Reverse route >

PowerUp Notes

This event is giving just one type of powerup: the Steamroller. You’ll get one at the start through the start/finish arch, and another just before the climb out of the Jungle begins.

Steamroller: reduces Crr for 30 seconds so you roll as fast as a road tire on pavement regardless of wheels or road surface.
This is most effective when used on dirt, but it also provides an advantage on cobbles, bricks, gravel, wood, and ice/snow, etc.

Bike Frame + Wheel Choice

The key moves on this course will happen on the two key climbs mentioned above, but neither of these climbs is particularly steep or long. Additionally, the finish is flat and fast.

Therefore, we’re recommending a strong aero setup with a lighter frame. Our top pick would be the Pinarello Dogma F 2024 + DT Swiss Disc, but the Canyon Aeroad 2024 + DT Swiss Disc or Tron Bike would also be good picks.

Pinarello Dogma F 2024 + DT Swiss Disc
Canyon Aeroad 2024 + DT Swiss Disc
Tron bike

See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.

More Route Recons Resources

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.

The Syco-List

Recon notes >

John Rice

Zwifty Zwifter

Course notes >

J Dirom

Beccah Niesen

Strategic and Attritional

With two big selections happening on 5-10 minute sustained efforts, this week’s race will be attritional. Our guess is that the front pack will be reduced to 20-30% of its original size by the time they exit the Ocean Boulevard tunnel and get ready for the final sprint.

Teams will need to play it smart and communicate well. Do you send your strong riders off the front to attack on the climb, knowing your weaker riders may get dropped? Do you sit in and keep the pace as low as possible to preserve your sprinter’s chances?

And will anyone have the legs and guts to attempt a late steamroller attack?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!

My Zwift Wishlist of Not Really Important Changes

Peter Sauve
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My Zwift Wishlist of Not Really Important Changes

My Zwift Wishlist of Not Really Important Changes

Everyone likes to talk about the biggest, most “important” Zwift feature requests. But what about those less important changes? They matter too, right?

Here’s my five not-really-important Zwift ideas for 2025.

#1: Rearview Window

If you’re wearing the Rearview Mirror Glasses (level 55 unlock), a little window should pop up on the screen showing the, ahem, rear view.

#2: Quicker Leaderboard Timeouts for Questionable Efforts

When a certain threshold is beaten or a dumb trainer is used, change the time-out criteria on leaderboard jerseys from 60 to 15 minutes. The Zwifter still gets credit, but those far‑too-often superhuman times will be less likely to prevent realistic efforts from earning jerseys.

Two examples where someone averaged over 40 mph/65 kph to get the Jersey

#3: Auto-Warmers

Put us in arm and knee warmers every time we are above the snowline.  Brrrr…

#4: Extra Drops for Leaderboard Jerseys

In addition to the current accelerated drops when getting a Ride On, also accelerate accumulation if you’re wearing a Leaderboard Jersey. That might incentivize even more competition.

#5: RoboPacer Recoloring

Change the color of Robo Pacers so they make some sense.  Like along the color spectrum – Red for the hardest to Violet for the easiest.

How about Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet?

Those are my five unimportant wishes for Zwift in 2025. What about you? Post your not really important ideas below!

Zwiftcast Episode 209: Tour Down Under, Enchiladas, and T-Rex chat featuring Kate Veronneau, Puck Moonen, and Callan O’Keefe

Eric Schlange
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3
Zwiftcast Episode 209: Tour Down Under, Enchiladas, and T-Rex chat featuring Kate Veronneau, Puck Moonen, and Callan O’Keefe

Zwiftcast Episode 209: Tour Down Under, Enchiladas, and T-Rex chat featuring Kate Veronneau, Puck Moonen, and Callan O’Keefe

Co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are back with a brand new episode of the Zwiftcast to talk about going full enchilada with the Tour de Zwift, and it’s a jam-packed episode with guests galore.

Zwift’s Director of Women’s Strategy, Kate Veronneau, dials in from the Tour Down Under as the UCI WorldTour season kicks off. Plus, adding even more star-factor, Puck Moonen and Callan O’Keefe drop in for a chat, with a very special announcement!

Plus, play along with the Zwift quiz and see how much you really know!

Enjoy…

Zwiftcast is available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Spotify.

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