Zwift version 1.82 begins its phased rollout today. This release doesn’t contain any major new features, but rather a list of bug fixes.
New Route Badge
Watopia’s “Danger Noodle” is the latest route badge added to the game. It is currently an event-only route, and will be raced as the final event of Zwift Racing League’s third round. We assume Zwift will open up Danger Noodle after these events so it’s an free rideable route.
Release Notes
Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:
Windows, macOS: It’s now easier to exit Zwift with a keyboard or Zwift controller. While on the home screen, press the Escape (Esc) key on your keyboard, or the B button on your Zwift Play or Zwift Ride to see the exit prompt.
Fixed an issue where the workout block countdown chime sound would not play in some cases.
Updated flag icons for some countries.
Fixed an issue that could cause an incorrect flag icon to appear when a Zwifter does not have their country set.
Having trouble making it through endurance sessions indoors? This week’s top video features one Zwifter’s tips for improving comfort on the trainer.
Also included this week are videos with comparisons of Zwift vs reality, indoor cycling setup tours, and some Zwift racing action.
My Tips For Comfortable 6-Hour Rides
Can’t stand the long indoor rides? Patrick Lino shares his tips and tricks for staying comfortable on long rides.
Zwift vs Reality: Bologna
How does the scenery compare? Which is faster, Zwift or IRL? Phil from Bike Racing Without Mercy provides a full comparison between Zwift’s Bologna TT course and the real outdoor Bologna course.
My 2025 Indoor Trainer Setup for Zwift
Thewinsty gives viewers a tour of his recently updated indoor cycling setup. Watch as he sets up his new Wahoo KICKR Bike, compares it to his direct drive setup, and talks through the different components of his pain cave.
Four Tiny Zwift Races – Brutal!
Ryan Condon documents his recent experience racing the Zwift Insider Tiny Races. Will he survive all four?
Zwift Race | Tour de Zwift – Stage 1
Daaaanjj tackles another Zwift race, this time riding stage 1 of the Tour de Zwift.
Honorable Mention: Quek Shio’s Indoor Set Up
Quek Shio’s recent bike build for the Zwift Ride and Zwift Cog features more of his astonishing video editing magic.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Zwift has two “Big Wheel” bikes/trikes which are not available for purchase or unlock, but can be used in particular events where all riders are placed onto the same bike. We’ll call the first the “standard” Big Wheel, and the second, less-seen model the “Concept” Big Wheel since it’s modeled after the Zwift Concept Z1 (aka the “Tron bike”).
If you’ve never ridden in a Big Wheel event on Zwift, you’ve got to give it a try sometime. It’ll put a smile on your face, and the standing sprint animation is something to behold! Here’s a quick video to show you what the two Big Wheel models look like, including basic rider animations:
Because these Big Wheels don’t appear in the garage, we don’t know the aero or weight star rating for either of them. While experience told us these funny bikes aren’t terribly slow nor super speedy, we wanted to know exactly how they performed up against the universe of Zwift frames.
So we ran them through our standard battery of tests. Here’s everything you need to know about the performance of Zwift’s Big Wheels!
Standard vs Concept Big Wheel: What’s the Difference?
Zwift’s two Big Wheel models are very different visually, of course. The standard Big Wheel has that classic plastic trike styling, with a jaunty flag and wobbly rear wheels. The Concept Big Wheel is actually a bike (not a trike) and has a more radical, futuristic look, including Tron lights ahead and behind.
But there’s a key performance difference between the two as well: the Concept Big Wheel accepts wheelset upgrades, while the standard Big Wheel does not.
In our tests, upgrading the wheels on the Concept Big Wheel improved its performance in the same way upgraded wheels improve the performance of other road frames. Examples:
Upgrading from the 32mm Zwift Carbon wheels to the DT Swiss ARC 62 Dicut Disc wheels shaves 1 minute off of our aero test time
Upgrading from the 32mm Zwift Carbon wheels to Lightweight Meilensteins shaves 14 seconds off the Alpe climb time
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
Both Big Wheels performed identically in our aero test, but it should be noted that the Concept Big Wheel has the potential for greatly increased aero performance since its wheels can be upgraded.
Both turned in an aero test time of 51:42 on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km. This puts them 25 seconds behind the “fast four” (Cervelo S5 2020, Felt AR, Specialized Venge S-Works, Uranium Nuclear) and 17 seconds behind our “baseline” Zwift Aero frame.
The standard and Concept Big Wheels are, in fact, slower than almost all the road frames, coming in ahead of only the Zwift Atomic Cruiser and Zwift Buffalo Fahrrad.
Climb Performance
The standard Big Wheel is a bit slower than the Concept Big Wheel on our climb test, which is done up Alpe du Zwift. Of course, with upgraded climbing wheels on the Concept Big Wheel that performance gap could grow even larger.
The standard Big Wheel turns in an Alpe climb time of 50:04, which is 8 seconds slower than the Concept Big Wheel’s time of 49:56. The best climbing road frame in game – the Specialized Aethos – turns in a time of 48:50. So if you’re going for an Alpe PR, the Big Wheels probably aren’t going to be your go-to choice.
They are, in fact, right at the bottom of the road bike list in terms of performance. While the Big Wheels climb better than TT, Gravel, and MTB frames, every other road bike frame available in Zwift outclimbs the Big Wheels.
Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm carbon wheelset on the Concept Big Wheel.
The Garage Hack
While testing the Big Wheels, we noticed that when you enter the garage and click to change, say, your rider’s jersey, the bike shown in the jersey preview is the road bike frame your rider was on before the event moved them onto the Big Wheel.
Looking a bit closer, you can see that, while in the garage/Drop Shop screens, the actual in-game avatar is swapped off of the Big Wheel and onto the rider’s original bike. Here’s what it looks like if you’re in an event riding a Big Wheel, and then you enter the garage screen:
This got us thinking: are the in-game bike characteristics changing while we’re in the garage screen? Does our bike frame and wheelset CDA and weight get changed from that of the Big Wheel to whatever road frame and wheels we were formerly on?
So we ran a test. And the results showed that yes, being in the garage screen does in fact revert your bike’s performance back to your previous setup instead of the Big Wheels’.
That means this qualifies as a hack. We’ll call it the “Riding In Your Garage In Your Garage” hack, since we’re indoor cyclists. Or maybe the “Garageception Hack”? It really wouldn’t be practical in a race, or fun in any ride, since your visibility is so poor. But it’s a hack nonetheless.
Conclusions
Zwift’s Big Wheels were created as “funny bikes” for use in occasional events. They certainly weren’t created to be fast rides used in races, and this is perfectly fine. Since you only see Big Wheels used in events where all riders are on the same bike (trike), performance is less of an issue.
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.
How did you get into cycling? I ppicked up a bike as a social activity to supplement my running.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? 1 year+ of Zwift racing
Are you part of a Virtual team? Team Coalition
What do you love most about racing? I love to race because I’m a part of a team of women who challenge me to always push a little further than the last race.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I enjoy the chase but really push on the TTT.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? One of my Zwift races I was finally able to hold on for about half the race and even at the end I had to dig deep for a very long sprint. Didn’t win anything but loved the team support.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? I’m pretty boring post race. I usually have a generous protein shake and maybe some fruit.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Your first race be kind and give yourself grace and enjoy the journey.
Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? In real life, it’s cyclocross season. Always fun to race in the grass!
Tour de Zwift 2025 headlines our picks once again this week, but we have other popular or interesting rides featured as well. This includes women’s mini races, a tough route bagger challenge, and two Sweden-based rides open to all.
Tour de Zwift, the biggest ride series on the platform, is underway, and hundreds of riders have been turning out for each event! Stage 2 is available through the end of the weekend, with these route options:
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!
Women’s Mini Races (3 races in an hour) happen each Sunday, but the ULTIMATE Mini Races are a bigger monthly event organized by Vinnette Powell of Team eSRT. If you’re looking for some punchy women-only racing, check out these events.
Some of Zwift’s route badges feature longish routes, and it’s a lot more fun to finish these routes with friends! Team Velos holds a monthly Route Bagger Challenge ride to help you “tackle the hardest Zwift routes.”
This Saturday’s ride features Watopia’s Power to the Tower route (45.6km, 1496m). The leader will set a steady pace around 1.9-2.1w/kg, so expect the ride to take approximately 2.5 hours.
I love charity rides that donate more for each rider who participates! The translated text (originally in Swedish) from this event says:
Cycle for the benefit of the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation together with us, SCF and Wahoo. For every kilometer you cycle during this event, BAUHAUS donates SEK 10 to the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, up to one million SEK in total!
Crunching the numbers, if we assume riders cover 35km in the hour-long event, that means each rider results in a donation of 350 SEK, so we would need 2,857 riders to finish in order to hit the one million SEK limit. Can we do it? (We’ve had bigger charity rides in the past… but they were also better-publicized…)
✅ Popular Event ✅ Endurance Challenge ✅ Kit Unlock
It looks like we have not just one but two popular Swedish rides this weekend, because the Vätternrundan group ride series is back for another year! The premise of the series is simple: rides gradually increase in duration, with the goal of preparing you to handle many hours on the bike when race day arrives in June.
The Vätternrundan Group Ride Series is part of Vätternrundan’s official training program.
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!
Looking to level up your Zwift racing game? Get the inside scoop on Zwift racing from an elite cyclist as he comments on his race against the top virtual cyclists in the world up Zwift’s famed “The Grade” climb.
We’ve also included more videos about Zwift racing, the latest game release, and a comparison between structured workouts and racing.
Zwift Racing with Elite Racers up The Grade
Ed Laverack breaks down his recent Zwift World Series race against the top e-sports cyclists in the world. Can he hang with them up The Grade?
Zwift Update 1.81: New Route Estimates // More Badges // Tour de Zwift // Peak Zwift ’25
Shane Miller, GPLama, shares an update on everything Zwifty. He covers the updated route estimates, new route badges, Tour de Zwift, and peak Zwift 2025.
Can I Win My First Zwift Race?
Tom Bowers tackles his first Zwift race using the new Zwift Racing Score categorization system. Can he finally take the win?
Zwift & Wahoo KICKR Move Review
The Radavist shares tips and tricks on how to enhance your Zwift experience. He also provides a brief review of the Wahoo KICKR Move.
Zwift Race | What Makes You a Better Cyclist – Racing or Workouts?
Which is better for improving your fitness, racing or workouts? The Watt Life shares his take on this topic and shares how he balances his racing and structured training.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
How the Race/Ride Was Lost: Tour de Zwift on Outer Scotland
This all started by accident. I was looking for a race on a Tuesday afternoon, scrolling through events in the Companion app, and managed to sign up for a ZRacing event on Wednesday at 3:10am thinking it was Tuesday at 3:10pm.
I didn’t notice my mistake until I signed in around 2:40pm on Tuesday, and there really weren’t any compelling races coming up in the next half hour. So I decided to race the “short” route of Tour de Zwift Stage 2, on two laps of the “Outer Scotland” route.
This event looked like a fun one for three reasons:
Over 500 riders were signed up
The route featured rolling climbs but nothing too long, which meant I might be able to hang with the front
I created Outer Scotland as a Rebel Route in May 2023, but this would be my first chance to ride it as an official Zwift route. That always feels extra special!
If you aren’t familiar with Outer Scotland, the concept is pretty straightforward and easy to visualize if you know Zwift’s Scotland map. You start from the Glasgow Pens and travel in a clockwise direction, sticking to the outermost roads on the map:
A Weak Warmup
I didn’t get much of a warmup in because I got on the bike a bit late plus my scheduling snafu meant my race was starting 10 minutes earlier than planned.
I knew I needed to get into the start pens as early as possible to avoid having to blast through hundreds of riders at the start, so I popped into the pens about 15 minutes before go time and spun my legs to get the blood flowing.
Is this a race?
Let’s get this out of the way early: I realize Tour de Zwift is officially a group ride, not a race. In fact, I’ve already ridden 4 other TdZ 2025 events (going for the Ultimate Challenge!), and I treated all of them as zone 2 or tempo-paced rides.
This is what’s fun about Tour de Zwift, though. The groups are so big that you can always find people at your pace to ride with! If you’re a strong enough rider who wants a harder effort, you’ll find yourself in or near the front pack. If you don’t want to push very hard, you’ll find a group further back.
The truth is, on Zwift everyone is riding their own ride, and nobody is too fussed about what others are doing. Usually.
Start + Lap 1
We blasted out of the pens with around 450 riders in the pack, and I hit the pedals hard to make sure I could get to the front of the group. With Zwift only rendering the nearest 100 riders, you can’t always rely on the avatars you’re seeing on screen.
For example: you may be sitting in the middle of a long line of 500 riders, but it looks like the front of the group is just ahead because Zwift is only rendering the closest 100 riders.
So it’s smart to look at your current position at the top of the rider list on the right. This shows where you’re ranked, and also shows the total number of riders who have joined the event.
I got to the front of the group quicker than anticipated, and as we began climbing up the draggy Cliffs section of the course, gaps began to form in the line of riders behind.
One surprising thing I noticed, which I don’t remember happening as often in past rides, was the number of late riders dropping in. Every few seconds, it seemed, a new rider would appear in our group. It was a bit annoying, to be honest, but I also realized that most of these riders were quickly dropping from the front group.
Before we hit the 3km mark the elastic had snapped and I found myself in the front group of 46 riders. That group quickly dropped to 35 as we hit the Corkscrew Castle climb followed by Breakaway Brae Reverse, with many in our group making smart use of the powerups afforded at each arch.
As we made our way toward Glasgow, I had a strange steering malfunction that I hadn’t had before in Zwift: the game steered me hard right to the center line, and I wasn’t able to steer back into the pack for a few seconds odd. (See this in the video below at the 13:35 mark). This happened a few more times on the ride, but hasn’t happened since.
I used my aero powerup at the top of the Clyde Kicker, just before going through the arch, then quickly used my fresh feather powerup on the short climb that followed. I knew another powerup was waiting just up the road, and I wanted to use each powerup to maximum effectiveness.
We finished the first lap with 22 riders in our front group, and I earned my Outer Scotland route badge. Time for another lap!
Lap 2 + Finish
Things got spicy on the Cliffs this time around, but I stayed in the wheels, letting others pull back attacks. Jadon Jaeger, a high-ranked A+ racer (5-time and reigning USA Masters TT Champ), was off the front for a bit, as was Bobson Dugnutt, an A racer who kept attacking the front group.
(The problem was, I had no idea who Jadon Jaeger was. Or that he has a legit FTP of at least 411 watts.)
Popping my feather powerup on the Corkscrew Castle climb, I found myself just off the front of our group, chasing Jaeger. We both had steering capabilities, and Jadon got cagey, weaving back and forth to avoid giving me a draft. I knew I didn’t have the legs to stay off the front, so I just sat up and let everyone else catch.
It wasn’t easy to see what was happening at the front of our ride/race, to be honest. This is one of those things I wish Zwift would improve. Even with Sauce for Zwift running, I wasn’t sure if the riders shown up ahead were being lapped by our fast group, or were attacking off the front. The rider list on the right doesn’t help, since it only shows who’s ahead of your group if you put down the watts and move to the front of your pack.
All that to say, with 3km to go we were nearing Glasgow, and I thought Dugnutt was the only rider off the front, 8 seconds away. It wasn’t until I watched the video replay that I saw Jaeger was well ahead of him!
Not that it mattered for me personally – I wouldn’t have put in the chase on Jaeger anyway. But maybe someone else would have, and I could have followed their wheel?
We caught Dugnutt on the Clyde Kicker, and I thought everything had come together at that point. I triggered my draft boost up the Clyde Kicker, then got a rather useless feather for my final powerup.
The pace was high as we descended from the Clyde Kicker with just 1km to go, and I wasn’t sure if I’d even get back onto the wheels of the front group as the line stretched out. But they all seemed to sit up a bit to catch their breath, and I put in a well-timed dig on the last little rise to get back in touch:
There were just 11 of us left. I triggered my feather before the final left-hand turn, then downshifted and got out of the saddle for the final sprint. To my surprise, I saw myself passing rider after rider, eventually crossing the line in what I thought was 2nd position!
Turns out, Jaeger was 8 seconds off the front in 1st, which meant I got 3rd on the day. I’ll take it!
A total of 663 riders joined this event, and while at least 130 of those dropped out early and countless more weren’t treating the event like a race, I was still pretty stoked with my result.
A few noteworthy takeaways from this ride:
Surprising myself: going into this ride, I wasn’t at all sure I’d even be able to hang with the front group to the finish. So I was really pleased with coming across the line in 3rd! I set a 6-week power PR in the 20-minute range, which is always nice to see.
No coffee: I didn’t notice a single coffee stop used in this ride, which struck me as odd until I remembered that you only get one 30-second break in the first 5 minutes of a ride, then you aren’t able to take another until the 30-minute mark. But there’s another rule: you can’t take one in the last 5km of a ride! My ride ended at 31:31, so basically nobody really had a chance to use a coffee stop when it would have mattered.
Late join mods needed: I really wasn’t a fan of having all the late joiners dropping in next to me as I was digging deep to stay in the front group. It was especially frustrating when a handful of riders got off the front for a minute or two, and I saw late joiners dropping in up the road! I’d like to see Zwift modify their late join placement logic to put riders, say, in the middle of the event. Find the rider who is positioned at the 50% mark (say, 75th out of 150) and place late joiners next to him. That doesn’t seem like a difficult change to make.
A more helpful rider list: I’d love to see Zwift tweak the rider list UI for events so I could see riders who are off the front of my group. Perhaps something as simple as a little bar at the top of the rider list that says something like “2 riders ahead”? (In fact, if Zwift added that, they could also change the bottom of the list to say something like “45 riders behind”). I think this would be a big improvement for group rides and races. I even made a rough mockup:
Your Thoughts
Have you tried racing any of the Tour de Zwift events this year? How did it go? Share your thoughts below…
But it’s not a TTT this time around! We’re here for a points race, which means it’s all about your sprinting abilities on this flat, fast route. There’s much to discuss, including the route’s key sections, powerup details, strategic options, and bike choice. Let’s go!
Looking at the Route: Douce France
France’s Douce France route is 24.2km long with 133m of elevation gain and 4 intermediate point segments. We’ve raced this route multiple times in ZRL as a TTT – most recently in September 2024 for round 1. But it’s a points race this time around, which changes everything!
All categories will be racing a single lap of this flat, short loop.
Here are the key sections of the route from a points race perspective:
Les Intestins (0.6-3.4km): After a flat lead-in of approximately 500m you will turn right and begin the twistiest section of the course, which we nicknamed Les Intestins. This section is a bit pitchy as well, with three distinct up/down sections, but none of the climbs are steep or long. Unless you’re a strong rider who can put in real attacks to fatigue others you’ll want to mind your pack position and save your legs for the points segments up the road.
Ballon Sprint @6.8km (210m, 0%) FAL+FTS: this short sprint averages 0% gradient, but it actually starts with an uphill, which changes into a downhill, then back into an uphill. You’ll be entering this at a high speed thanks to a downhill lead-in. Don’t be scared to go all-in, because you’ve got a flat ~3.5km immediately following!
Aqueduc KOM @10.9km (420m, 0.9%) FAL+FTS: This short climb is the biggest uphill on the route, but it’s not a big climb by any means. While the actual timed Aqueduc KOM segment begins at 10.9km and is more like an uphill sprint, the climbing begins before the start line at around 10.2km. This is a very draftable climb, so stay on the wheels if you aren’t attacking. Be ready for the biggest attacks of the race to happen in this section.
Pavé Sprint @12.9km (0.33km, 0%) FAL+FTS: significantly longer than the Ballon Sprint, the Pavé Sprint is flat and cobbled, with a start line that’s hard to pick out from the surrounding scenery. Watch for the road to turn left and go through an arch entering town – that’s your start line.
From the Pavé Sprint to the final sprint you’ll cover ~10.7km of essentially flat road with no sprint or KOM segments. While some attacks will doubtless occur, it’s rare for such attacks to succeed on this course.
Marina Sprint @23.9km (340m, 0%) FAL+FTS: the final meters of the race are also a points segment, making the last minutes of your race very tactical indeed. Expect the pace to pick up early as riders chase that precious combo of FAL and FIN points.
Riders will receive one of three powerups at each arch, and there are three arches on this route. Here are details of the three powerups, including the probability that you’ll receive each at an arch:
Aero Boost (helmet) – 50%: makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 15 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.) If you’re chasing sprint points, this is the powerup for you.
Draft Boost (van) – 40%: 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.) Very effective when chasing FTS sprint points, where you begin from the back of the pack and sprint through the riders.
Cloaking (ghost) – 10%: makes you invisible to other riders for 15 seconds. Disabled within 400m of the finish line. Use when you want to get away from one or more riders. Deploy then hammer, in hopes that you will create enough of a gap that your opponents can’t grab your wheel.
Sometimes you need to use a powerup to chase back on or avoid getting dropped. But let’s get real: for most riders, the ghost will prove useless and the aero boost or draft boost powerups will be saved for timed segments.
Bike Frame + Wheel Choice
This route features three flat sprint segments (including the finish), one timed KOM that is more like a short uphill sprint, and lots of flat road. In short: you’ll want the most aero bike you’ve got.
An aero bike will maximize your sprint speeds and let you sit in most easily on the flats, rollers, and descents that make up the vast majority of your overall mileage. The climbs aren’t very steep, meaning they are fast and draftable, so a pure climbing bike won’t give you any advantage.
The S-Works Venge+DT Swiss Disc is the most aero setup available (although the Felt AR frame performs exactly the same as the S-Works Venge, if you prefer white).
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.
This chart shows the maximum points a team of 6 could earn in a race with 60 participants. Because the Marina Sprint is also the finish line, we’ve allocated that segment’s FAL points to the Finish points.
With FAL and finish points making up 75% of the race’s total points, the message is clear: you want to do everything you can to stay in the front group, because big points are on offer for riders who can turn in a well-timed sprint, especially on the final Marina Sprint!
Here are some predictions of strategies we’ll see on Tuesday:
Rest, Sprint, Repeat: this will be the most common strategy. Rest between timed segments, sprint on the segments, and then rest again. It’s the smartest approach, unless you have the legs to attack in a meaningful way.
Big Attacks On Aqueduc: this draggy climb will stretch out the pack and drop some riders. Every. Time. Extra glory points to a team who can stage a group attack on the Aqueduc and stay away to raid points on the Pavé Sprint less than 3km up the road!
A Long Final Sprint: riders will be skittish heading into the final sprint, and it has a start line that isn’t always easy to spot. Expect the pace to pick up well before the sprint officially begins.
Your Thoughts
Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!
