The last community race of the Zwift World Series happens next week, with riders tackling the climby Power to the Tower route. While race 5’s has been delayed for elite racers (read more here), all are welcome to participate in next week’s community events.
Here are the big reasons why the Zwift World Series community races are interesting:
They function as a monument race one weekend per month from September to January, offering a chance to challenge and test yourself against the Zwift racing community
Plenty of opportunities to participate, with races scheduled from Thursday to Sunday across multiple time slots
Zwift World Series Community kit unlock when you complete any of the five races
Three brand-new courses and two never before featured in Zwift racing (see all routes here)
Route Details: Power to the Tower
This route has, by far, the most elevation of the five ZWS races. It also may be the most inventive of the new routes created for the Zwift World Series. It features three tough climbs: the Epic KOM Reverse, The Grade, and the Epic KOM forward. And it’s the only route in game that uses the Radio Tower KOM as the finish line!
2024 was a big year for Zwift, which means it was a big year for us at Zwift Insider. We published over 600 posts last year covering important Zwifty news and tips, but we only scratched the surface. There are always more stories to tell!
It seems like only last year we were lining up for races at the lap banner, hoping our clocks were synced up. But Zwift actually turned 10 just a few months ago, around the same time we saw the fitting resurrection of the beloved Zwiftcast (thank you, Simon), an unwelcome price rise (thanks, inflation), and Zwift’s biggest hardware success to date (Zwift Ride). It’s been quite a year.
This is our look back at all things Zwift for 2024. Enjoy the ride!
New Roads
Heading out from the Jungle to the new coastal road
Zwift and the racing community used these new roads and existing roads to create an unprecedented number of new routes this year. In total, Zwift added 43 new routes to the game in 2024. That’s a lot of badges! Here’s the full list:
This year saw Zwift create several new major events, which was a refreshing change from recent years where Zwift mostly iterated on events they’d already done. Without going into too much detail, here are the big new events we think were most worth mentioning:
Zwift Games: this massive racing festival for community and elite racers saw a lot of firsts on Zwift, and it also broke records with over 80,000 riders participating and more than 215,000 races finished.
Zwift Big Spin: this fun ride series showed just how far we’re willing to go to spin a prize wheel. (Hint: it’s far.) With a prize spinner at the end of every route, and some fun/unique prizes available, Zwifters just kept putting in the laps.
Tour de France Climb Portal Challenge: this fun series leveraged the Climb Portal to let riders take on the same climbs as the IRL Tour de France was racing, on the same days.
Zwift World Series: a new flagship race series which acts as both a series of qualifiers for elite racing, plus monthly “classics” style events for community racers.
Zwift Camp: Baseline: a new style of assessment-oriented training program that is surely a sign of more to come from Zwift.
While the popular Tour of Watopia and Tour de Zwift happened again, Zwift chose to skip the traditional Zwift Fondo series due to all the extra 10-year celebration events.
We also saw this year’s Zwift Academy change direction, with more of a focus on talent ID and less of a focus on community training. Will Zwift Academy continue to move this way in 2025? We’ll have to wait and see…
On the racing side, Zwift Racing League continues to be the biggest racing series on the platform, while Zwift’s ZRacing series (see the current series here) is the most popular scratch race series on the platform. Shameless plug: Zwift Insider’s Tiny Races are still the most popular race each Saturday!
We won’t list all of Zwift’smajor events for 2024 here, but you can certainly browse the events archive to see what we highlighted throughout the year, including many community-organized events.
Racing Changes
This was the year Zwift finally launched the long-awaited Zwift Racing Score, effectively reshuffling the deck by bringing results-based categorization to races. Riders are no longer classified purely by power numbers, which means it’s harder to sandbag at the top of a category. It’s a whole new era for Zwift racing.
There have been lots of tweaks to Zwift Racing Score since its release, and there are more to come (learn what’s planned here). January 2025 sees Zwift making some radical changes to categorization schemes for ZRacing events – read more about that here.
The racing events calendar was cleaned up dramatically in 2024 as well. It began in August with women’s race events, then the overall racing calendar saw a major cleanup in December. Overall, Zwift is clearly taking control of the public calendar in an effort to deliver consistently good race experiences to Zwifters. It seems to be working with women-only events. As for the open races? A bit too soon to tell.
Perhaps the single-biggest new Zwift software feature for 2024 is the Training API, which allows third-party partners to communicate workout data to and from the game. This effectively expands Zwift’s workout library from several hundred standalone sessions to an infinitely-massive library full of workouts and plans built by qualified coaches or AI engines!
It’s up to Zwifters to decide which third-party partners they want to work with, and most come with additional fees. While we’re still waiting on TrainerRoad to release their Zwift Training API integration, six partners have come online since the API went live:
In June, Zwift made a huge move into the hardware space by releasing the Zwift Ride smart bike. Where other smart bikes were selling for $2500-$4000, the Zwift Ride was priced at just $1299US, which immediately disrupted the market. A couple of months later the Ride frame became available for purchase as a standalone item ($799US), giving existing Zwifters with virtual shifting-capable trainers an upgrade path.
Chatting with contacts inside the company, it’s clear they’re happy with how Zwift Ride has landed. Tens of thousands of units have sold, and while there have been some hiccups with shipping damage, by and large customers seem quite happy with their purchases. Zwift Ride looks to be the company’s most successful hardware venture yet.
The other big piece of hardware news is around virtual shifting. When 2024 began, just one trainer, the Zwift Hub, supported Zwift virtual shifting. Then the Wahoo KICKR Core got virtual shifting support in February, along with the KICKR v6 and KICKR Move. Later in the year trainers from JetBlack, Elite, and VAN RYSEL would also receive virtual shifting support.
Nobody likes the fact that Zwift virtual shifting is proprietary, meaning the Zwift Ride effectively only works on Zwift. But virtual shifting is so good, and Zwift is so popular, that literally tens of thousands of people chose to purchase a Zwift-only setup this year. That says something.
New Features
Along with everything listed above, Zwift released or improved many game features in 2024. While many of the changes are quite minor on their own, their combined weight helps drive the platform’s continued adoption. Here’s a complete list in chronological order:
There are still just three companies in the indoor cycling app market that Zwift is competing against: IndieVelo (now TrainingPeaks Virtual), MyWhoosh, and Rouvy. Each is chasing market share in unique ways:
TrainingPeaks Virtual quickly built a reputation as a rapidly evolving, feature-rich, race-centric platform. Bringing TrainingPeaks into the mix adds a training angle to their offering, not to mention thousands of new users.
MyWhoosh hosted the UCI Esports Worlds for the first time this year, and will be hosting it for the next two years as well. There are two simple reasons why riders are attracted to the platform: it’s free, and you can win cash in races.
Rouvy has been advertising heavily this year, and features real-world footage that the other platforms lack.
While Zwift is still the massive leader in terms of user base, these other platforms keep Zwift on their toes by releasing new features and hosting events Zwift would like to see on their own platform. The good news is, we all benefit from this competition.
What’s next?
What’s coming soon to Zwift in 2025? Here are a few things we know about:
Zwift Community Live in Mallorca: the first ever IRL Zwift meetup is happening in April in Mallorca, Spain. We’re getting prepped for epic rides and community time!
Garage Upgrades and Halo Bikes: we know this is coming soon, but it sounds like it may be delayed even further, so we’re guessing a February 2025 release.
TrainerRoad Fitness API Integration: TrainerRoad has already said they’re working on it, but we haven’t seen a target date. Our guess is sometime in Q1 2025.
There’s definitely more to come in addition to what’s listed above, though. Zwift keeps us in the dark on some of their future plans, while others (including map expansions!) we get to peek at, under embargo.
Regardless, we’re looking forward to 2025 and all the Zwifty upgrades it will bring. We hope you are, too.
Your Comments
What are your thoughts on Zwift’s 2024? Favorite new features, things you wish Zwift had released but didn’t? And what would you most like to see in 2025? Share below!
As more and more riders are finding themselves indoors on Zwift, this week’s top video features two content creators getting together for a fast and competitive category A race.
Also included in this week’s picks are videos about FTP testing, a throwback to 2015 Zwift, and more Zwift racing fun.
Racing Against My Rival
Jeff from Norcal Cycling and EJ from EJ’s Training Camp get back together in a race on Zwift. In this video, they discuss their relationship, views on indoor cycling, and the benefits of riding indoors with Zwift.
FTP Ramp Test: A Start to the Zwift Racing Season
As Caedmon Cycling starts to ride more indoors, he tackles an FTP test to see where his fitness is at.
Throwback: Zwift on ITV Cycling Show – July 2015
As Zwift celebrates its 10th anniversary, we thought it would be fun to showcase an interview with Eric Min from 2015 that also features first impressions of Zwift with former professional cyclist Jens Voigt.
Still not enough for CAT C?? Learning to Zwift
In his second Zwift race, James tackles a category C race. Is a 3.8 w/kg average power enough to win this race?
Zwift FTP Ramp Test After a Year of Cycling
Daaaanjj provides a brief recap of his cycling in 2024 and then tackles an FTP test to see where his fitness is heading into the 2025 season.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Nowhere Fast Episode 53 – The Cheating Detective, with Bjoern Ossenbrink
Bjoern Ossenbrink’s eyes *clap clap* are watching you, they see your every move.
Well, kind of, but he does use data analytics to verify virtual racing performances at the high levels of the sport. He joins the pod to talk about the low-cadence craze, power meters and smart trainers, and that one time he raced against KBH.
We also try to determine if CrossFit is the Zwift of working out.
About the Podcast
Nowhere Fast is a member of the Wide Angle Podium network. To support this podcast and help pay for Mike’s coffee stop glitch research, head to wideanglepodium.com and contribute to our advanced virtual racing research.
To keep up to date on all our real coverage of fake bike racing, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
How did you get into cycling? I was running a lot. Aimed to complete a marathon under 3 hours. Back injury in 2019, so tried cycling. Had never tried a real racing bike before that. Thought it looked boring until I started. Found Zwift as the weather in Sweden does not always allow outdoor cycling, and now I’m hooked!
How many years have you competed on Zwift? 4 years
Are you part of a virtual team? eSRT
What do you love most about racing? It’s captivating, you’re invited to keep up, there are many others. You train, take in, have fun, have to be on your guard and suddenly you have trained hard and had fun.
What is your favorite style of race (eg points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? Scratch
What is your favorite women’s Zwift race series? A tough series with long races and elements of several tough slopes.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH Iceni on March 13, 2021 on Innsbruck’s Achterbhan (47 km). It was a great feeling after. I survived!
What is your favorite food to eat after the race? Fresh pasta, giant prawns, garlic and a creamy sauce.
What advice would you give to a woman participating in her first Zwift race? Have fun and always try to stay in the pack.
Any upcoming races you are looking forward to? ZRL
It’s Rapha Festive 500 weekend, and you know what that means: long rides! We’ve picked the most popular big rides and races coming up Saturday and Sunday, including events on Zwift’s two longest routes, plus a 500-kilometer group ride!
Zwift CEO Eric Min is an avid Zwifter, reaching level 100 a few months ago after riding more than 80,000 km on the platform. But do you know what he hasn’t done yet? London’s The PRL Full – the longest route in Zwift.
That’s going to change soon, though. On Saturday at 4pm, Eric aims to cross this final route off his list. And he’s inviting the Zwift community to ride it with him, because long days in the saddle are always better with friends!
Most races on Zwift are quite short (under 1 hour). Some are a bit longer (1-2 hours). But very few touch the challenge of this one-off event from TFC! Held on Watopia’s The Uber Pretzel, this race is 128.8km long, with 2381 meters of climbing.
Riders are categorized based on zFTP, and each category starts separately.
Tens of thousands of riders are working toward completing the Rapha Festive 500 this year. But some (crazy) riders are doing it all in one ride!
The TugaZ team has scheduled a 500km ride on Watopia’s Tick Tock, but they’ve set it up so you will be able to see the riders in the event even if you’re not in it. Join the event from the start if you can, or hop onto Tick Tock and find the group if you join later!
There’s also a fundraising angle to this ride, in support of World Bike Relief. Learn more here >
Team CRYO-GEN has organized a TTT record attempt for Saturday, and all are invited to join! All riders will be on draftable Cadex Tri TT frames with disc wheels, so you’ll have the fastest setup available. Four categories are available, each aiming to set their own records. Work together to hit your target distance in one hour!
A – 50K
B – 46K
C – 42K
D – 38K
All events are held on Watopia’s Tempus Fugit, the flattest/fastest route in game.
This event has one goal – riding 100km in under 2 hours. Held on Tempus Fugit, (of course), all riders will be on draftable Cadex Tri TT frames with disc wheels, and there will be powerups at every arch!
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!
Zwiftcast Episode 207: A Christmas edition of The Zwiftcast… plus Shane, Nathan and Eric are back!
A Christmas edition of the ZwiftCast with Olympic Gold Medalist Dani Rowe MBE…plus Shane, Nathan & Eric are back!
The ZwiftCast is back for a festive Christmas Eve special with its new regular hosts, British cycling broadcaster Rebecca Charlton and American cycling announcer Dave Towle.
Olympic Gold Medalist Dani Rowe MBE joins Rebecca to chat all things pregnancy and riding, her recent move onto the Discovery+ broadcast team for the Tour de France, and designing workouts for Zwift at different points of life. Stay tuned for her hilarious Zwift fail!
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a bit of festive Zwifting – we look at what’s happening to keep you motivated, including the famous Rapha Festive 500.
Now in its 15th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Team signups for the second round of the season are now open.
Here’s everything you need to know about what’s coming next for Zwift Racing League…
Intro to ZRL
Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is the world’s largest virtual cycling competition. How big is it? Over 36,000 riders participated in the 2023/24 season, making it the biggest season on record!
Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spread across multiple weeks, with teams organized into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races happen every Tuesday, and the season is broken into three 6-week rounds with short breaks in between.
ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.
This page contains the latest info about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.
Routes and Dates
Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.
Race #1: Waisted 8 January 14, 2025 (TTT)
ZRL is heading to Jarvis for the first time ever as we kick off round 3 with a Watopian TTT. Most of this route is flat, but there are key climby bits that will test your team’s ability to work together to maintain maximum speed.
Race #2: Douce France January 21, 2025 (Points Race)
We’ve raced this multiple times in ZRL as a TTT, but never as a points race. This is a super-flat route, with the only small bump being the punchy Aqueduc KOM. One for the sprinters!
Race #3: Road To Ruins Reverse January 28, 2025 (Scratch Race)
We raced the forward version of this route as a ZRL scratch race back in 2022. The reverse version of the route is going to unfold in a very similar fashion since the key selection points and even the finishes share many similarities even though they’re coming from opposite directions.
Our second time racing this course in a TTT. Although it’s a bit twisty, this is a very flat route with just one key climb near the end, up to the Castle area.
Race #5: Everything Bagel February 11, 2025 (Points Race)
The Queen Stage of this round, this pitchy route will make for a spicy points race as riders head up the New York KOM early on, with all the points segments coming after that key selecting climb.
Race #6: Danger Noodle February 18, 2025 (Scratch Race)
What do you get when you take messes of Esses and add in a ton of Titans? Danger Noodle! This new route from Mark Brzezinski (ZSUNR) won the design competition for the final race of round 3. Mark says, “This route, with its snaking ups and downs, lefts and rights, provides plenty of opportunities for a breakaway to succeed.”
PowerUps: Feather, Draft, Feather, Anvil, Anvil (assigned powerups at each arch) 🛈
Race Timeslots
Some divisions and start times get tweaked between each round, so make sure you pick the time slot that works for your team.
Teams/Registration
ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can have up to 12 racers rostered, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can be rostered on no more than 2 teams per round.
If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day starting two weeks before the first race. Learn more >
Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.
First-Timer Tips
If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:
The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
Cadence monitors are required.
You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team, and then are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round.
Race Recon Events
If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.
