In the Drops Episode 62: ZRL TTT How To Win | Guest Snowy Pruett | New HUD, Roads & Challenges + more
In this week’s episode of In The Drops, Nathan and returning co-host Rob Bane cast a disparaging eye over the updates to the Zwift HUD and have a quick peek at the routes now available for free riding. The ITD duo is fractured over the changes to the garage, with the live audience settling the argument quite decisively.
Snowy Pruett, veteran of over 250 TTTs and fresh from DSing Jill Pruett in the World Championship Semi-Final joins the show and gives some expert advice on how to handle Stage 1, Season 1 of the Zwift Racing League 2024/25.
Update (February 10, 2025): Zwift updated this challenge with an expiration date, saying it must be completed by February 28.
Today, Zwift launched the first of its new challenges: Cardio Crusher. These new Challenges could, perhaps, be labeled as “mini-Challenges” since they’re easier to finish than the “big” Challenges (Tour Italy, Ride California, and Climb Mt Everest).
You can work toward one Mini Challenge while also working toward one of the Big Challenges. So you may be working on accumulating elevation for the Climb Mt Everest challenge, while knocking out the workouts for Cardio Crusher.
Access Cardio Crusher from the homescreen banner, or under the “Challenges” row:
To finish the Cardio Crusher challenge, you’ll need to complete the challenge’s five workouts:
These workouts start short (“Make It Sting” is only 15 minutes long), but each workout is 10 minutes longer than the previous, meaning the final workout (“Kitchen Sink”) is 55 minutes long.
Finishing Cardio Crusher earns you some solid training, of course. But you’ll also get a bonus of 1000XP!
Hacking Your Way to Route Choice
Currently, clicking a workout from the Cardio Crusher list of five takes you straight into Watopia, to the spawn point near the desert start pens. This differs from how the game usually works, where clicking a workout takes you to a detailed view, then you’re able to select a route to ride when you begin the workout.
Zwift tells me this is intended behavior, as they wanted to reduce the number of clicks, especially for new users. Fair enough!
So if you want to choose which route to ride for these workouts, you’ll need to go about it a different way:
First, you need to make sure you’re registered for the Challenge. That means you need to click the Cardio Crusher card from the homescreen, and click on one of the five workouts listed. Once you’ve done this, you’re “signed up” and will receive progression credit when completing the workouts in the Challenge.
Next, instead of picking a workout from the Cardio Crusher homescreen, find the workout in the main Workouts collections. You can do this by clicking “Workouts” from the homescreen. The workouts are stored in different folders, so here’s the list to save you the time of tracking them down:
Make It Sting: 30 minutes to burn
Ignite: 30 minutes to burn
Half Hour of Power: 30-60 minutes to burn
Climb Time: Fitness Jumpstart
The Kitchen Sink: 30-60 minutes to burn
Workout Details
Since Zwift takes you straight into the game when clicking a workout from the Cardio Crusher screen, you don’t get to see the workout’s details unless you choose the workout using the alternative method above.
If you’re like me, you like to see what you’re signing up for before you start riding. Here are screenshots of each workout, with the rider’s FTP set to 250W:
More About Mini Challenges
Zwift announced these new Mini Challenges in their “This Season on Zwift” press release last week. Cardio Crusher is the first of the new Challenges, while the second, “Route Chaser: The Grade” arrives on October 3.
Zwift tells me these new Challenges aren’t time-limited like the monthly Missions, although it’s possible that some of them may be removed from the game down the road. But for now, the idea is that a library of Mini Challenges will be built up over time, each inspiring Zwifters to build fitness by engaging the game in a particular way while earning an XP bonus.
Questions or Comments?
What do you think of the Mini Challenge concept? Got any ideas for more Mini Challenges? Share below!
The latest “This Season on Zwift” press release came out last week, sharing what’s in store on the platform over the next few months. Because of all the speed tests we do here at Zwift Insider, one planned change that’s especially intriguing to me is the “Upgrade Challenges” added to bikes in our garage.
Below I dig into how these Challenges may work, as well as Zwift’s announcement of upcoming “Halo Bikes.”
Garage Upgrade Challenges – Fall 2024
Zwift will be rolling out “Upgrade Challenges” that allow you to invest Drops you’ve earned into your favorite frame to make it better.
Every frame will have five stages of upgrades (for now), with each stage focusing on a single aspect of performance, such as:
Reduction in weight
Improvements in aerodynamics
Improvements to rolling resistance
So you may see this in your garage:
Once you finish the Upgrade Challenge’s requirements, you’ll get an in-game banner stating that you can now purchase the upgrade. This purchase is done within the garage, and includes the details of what performance boost you’re purchasing:
Each upgrade stage will require more effort (and Drops) than the previous, which means maxing out a particular frame will require a significant investment of time and Drops!
Particular challenges will vary from bike to bike. For example, climbing bikes may have elevation challenges, TT bikes may have duration challenges, and all-arounder bikes may have distance challenges.
With all the speed tests I’ve done on Zwift frames and wheels, I’ve got a lot of questions about how this will all work! For example:
Will the upgrades be equal across frames? Or could one frame’s stage 1 weight decrease be bigger than another frame’s? Or perhaps one frame’s stage 1 upgrade is a rolling resistance decrease, while another frame’s stage 1 is an aero improvement?
Just how much work will it take to max out upgrades for a particular frame?
Are these upgrades tied only to frames? What about wheels? (It seems odd to tie a rolling resistance upgrade to a particular frame, and not a wheelset.)
How in the world am I going to test all of this?
I’m sure all these questions will be answered in due course. Except the last one.
Halo Bikes – Fall 2024
In Zwift’s early days, the Tron bike was a badge of honor. But today it’s so popular that the hip kids purposely ride something else! The Tron bike is Zwift’s only real “Halo Bike” at this time, but that concept is being expanded to give long-time Zwifters something more exclusive to work toward.
New Halo Bikes will be from particular manufacturers, such as the Pinarello Espada shown below. You’ll unlock the Halo Bike by upgradingthree bikes from that manufacturer to their maximum stages. It’s about rewarding fans of particular brands, because this, according to sources in Zwift, will take “A lot of time and a ton of investment to attain.”
Zwift says these bikes “will offer high performance and huge street cred.” Sounds like fun to me!
Garage Management – Winter 2024/25
Not mentioned in Zwift’s official TSOZ press release, but shared during the TSOZ Zoom call, is one welcome upgrade coming this winter: Zwift is adding some garage management features.
Perhaps garage sorting would be the better term, though. Because it doesn’t sound like we’ll be getting the ability to delete or archive items entirely, as many Zwifters have requested. But it sounds like we’ll be able to sort items based on which ones we most recently used, or most recently unlocked.
It’s a start, right?
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Zwift’s planned garage changes? Share below!
How did you get into cycling? I got into cycling because I signed up to do an Ironman and had to learn how to ride a bike 112 miles 😆 I am also a triathlon coach with Campfire Endurance and I encourage my athletes to get on Zwift in the winter months to make training fun and engaging.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I’ve been on Zwift for at least 6 years.
Are you part of a Virtual team? I am on F3 racing.
What do you love most about racing? I love racing on Zwift because of the camaraderie amongst the women racing as well as with my team. My team hosts a Zoom call for racing and it’s great to connect with others while pedaling my heart out!
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I prefer hill climbs, ITT, and duathlon!
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I love all the Warrior Games races!
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? My most memorable racing experience has been competing in the Ironman world champs in Kona. I actually got to meet several of the folks I Zwift race with at the event!
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Post race I like to eat french fries, ice cream, and cookies. Basically potatoes and sugar.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? I like to share with anyone who is interested in cycling to get on Zwift and do a race! Any race! There is no better workout out there, and no better way to become a stronger cyclist than to pedal your heart out in a race.
Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? I am just coming back from having a baby, and I’m looking forward to completing a 70.3 triathlon this summer.
This weekend sees the kickoff of the popular Iceni women’s race series, plus the new FemmeCycle Collab races are now underway. So we’re featuring both as our top events! Also selected: two popular monthly group rides and the first race from Zwift Academy 2024.
The popular Iceni Women’s Series kicks off on Saturday with Challenge 1: a single-lap race on Castle Crit for a total length of 17km. It’s a short race in terms of length, but this course packs a punch!
Zwift recently rolled out major changes to the women’s race calendar, and that includes a new slate of women-only races housed under the FemmeCycle Collab (FCC) club but managed by various race organizers.
For now, these races are previewing Zwift Racing League routes. Saturday’s FCC races are on The 6 Train, while Sunday’s are on RGV. If you’re a woman who isn’t racing Iceni, this is your next-best chance for a fun womens-only race.
Join the team at Bike MS for their monthly Zwift Community Challenge! Two timeslots, with two distances to choose from (25 or 35km), and you unlock not one but TWO jerseys when you complete an event! These rides are about raising awareness and support for the fight against multiple sclerosis. As the team says, “Multiple Sclerosis does not stop, so neither will we as we ride together for this great cause.”
This month’s rides are open-paced events on on Queen’s Highway After Party, a fairly new event-only route that few riders have completed. Do this ride and earn the route badge and extra XP!
Looking for a long group outing? Join the USMeS Monthly Century Ride! This month they’re on the France Classic Fondo route, meaning you will finish the route a bit extra during the 162km event.
This ride generally has two leader beacons. One will ride at a 2.5w/kg pace, and the other at ~3.0w/kg plus. Pro tip: check out the Discord channel for some voice chat, which can help pass the time on longer rides.
The first race of Zwift Academy 2024 is still underway after kicking off last weekend. It’s a doozy! This is a 30-minute hill climb challenge on the Ven-Top route, which means after a short lead-in you’ll be climbing steadily for the remainder of the race. Bring your climbing bike.
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!
Since that test launch, Zwift’s game team has been looking closely at ZRS results and Zwifter feedback. Recently they announced plans to launch ZRS in October, while also sharing details of the latest tweaks made to the ZRS system…
Floor Score Change Indicators
Race results now include more transparency about hitting or establishing a minimum/floor score. We’ve received a lot of questions and confusion around why the resulting score from the most recent race result does not match the current score listed in the profile page. Race results… have been updated to accurately show when a racer encounters their floor with new indicators:
Zwift
Here’s what these new arrows look like, and what they indicate:
Your Racing Score increased after this race.
Your Racing Score decreased after this race.
You’ve set a new, higher, floor value for your Racing Score after this race.
Your Racing Score has decreased to your floor value after this race.
Why the change?
Your ZRS can change for three reasons:
Your power metrics change, which increases or decreases your “seed score”
You finish a race and thus earn a fresh ZRS result based on your finishing position
You do nothing, and your score decays slowly over time
If you hit a power PR during your race which boosts your seed score, this may impact your overall racing score independent of your actual race placing. With the new arrow indicator, you’ll know if your score is being influenced by a new, higher floor value.
Conversely, you may get a low race result based on your finishing position, and this may cause your overall score to drop all the way to its lowest possible value. In this case, the new arrow indicator will tell you you’ve hit your floor (which is now 15% lower than your seed score, see below).
Increased Score Volatility
We have begun slowly increasing score volatility, or how much a score can change from the result of a single race. It was useful in early days of testing to ensure scores didn’t vary too wildly from race to race, but the data (and your feedback) is showing we can release the handbrake a bit. This change won’t be immediately apparent, but as racing continues, we will start to see an increase in how quickly scores move.
Zwift
Why the change?
Score volatility is a challenging setting to get right when it comes to race scoring. You want scores to change quickly enough that riders feel a since of progress and movement when warranted, while also being quickly placed in the correct pace group. But you also don’t want a single result to affect score so dramatically that it places a rider in an unrealistic category.
Zwift has been testing the scoring system at a lower volatility setting, but they’re finding that some riders aren’t being moved up to their proper category quickly enough. Increasing volatility should help.
New Score Floor
Starting today, your score can drop 15% lower than where you were seeded. Before this, your initial seed also served as your floor or minimum score. Our original seed algorithm tried to undershoot the prediction slightly to account for this, but we’re seeing many cases where people finish in the bottom half of the field consistently and their scores are not allowed to drop any further. This creates a poor racing experience for those racers since they are never able to adjust to their ideal category. Now that the floor is slightly lower than seed, we hope that this provides the flexibility required to ensure the model works for everyone.
Zwift
Why the change?
Simply put, some Zwifters should be moved down a category, but the system wasn’t allowing for that because it kept them pegged at their power-based seed score. This change reduces that lowest possible score by 15%, which will allow some riders to drop further, hopefully getting them into a lower category where they can feel more competitive.
Additional Changes
Zwift says two more changes will be coming in the next couple of weeks:
A more accurate seeding and floor formula that increases the threshold of what we consider a “quality power curve”: this is a bit cryptic, but Zwift tells me they’re looking for ways to use cleaner data for a more consistent seed score.
Support for filtering general classification standings on Zwift Power by racing score ranges: showing more ZRS data on ZwiftPower would be welcomed by all, certainly.
Join a Scored Race!
I’m not sure how Zwift will be rolling our ZRS in October. Which events will used ZRS for categories? And will only those events affect your score (as it is now), or could other races that use other categorization methods also impact your score?
We’ll find out soon enough. Until then, try some races using Zwift Racing Score! Here’s a list of upcoming ZRS test races: zwift.com/events/tag/zwiftlabs
Zwiftcast Episode 205: This Season On Zwift Special – Shiny New Things
In what has now become a tradition, Zwift HQ today revealed a bagful of new features, both in hardware and software, coming down the track as the Northern Hemisphere Peak Season ramps up.
The Zwiftcasters run through the shiny new things – some of which are being implemented immediately and some which will be scattered before Zwifters hopefully before there’s snow on the ground.
There are a number of real crowd-pleasers, including a revamped HUD and new roads in Watopia, but there’s more – it’s quite a packed programme. Hear what we think of what’s coming!
It’s the news many Zwifters have been waiting for: today Zwift begins selling the Zwift Ride smart frame as a standalone item.
They’ve announced additional hardware news as well: the official launch of the Zwift Ready program, more Zwift Ready trainers coming soon, global availability of the Zwift Cog + Click upgrade pack, and more.
Let’s dive into all the Zwifty hardware news!
Zwift Ride Smart Frame Available as Standalone Purchase
The Zwift Ride frame is available now in the US, EU, and UK priced at $799.99/€799.99/£749.99. It can be ordered exclusively from Zwift.com.
The frame ships with the latest version of the Zwift Cog for installation on your smart trainer. This Cog features built-in adjustability, which allows Zwifters to perfect their chain alignment to provide the quietest ride experience. The frame also includes multiple front feet to help ensure the frame is at the correct height for the trainer it’s paired with.
In addition to the list above, two more “Zwift Ready” trainers will be arriving soon:
Elite Direto XR with Zwift Cog and Click
VAN RYSEL D100 with Zwift Cog and Click
“Zwift Ready” Program Launch
The Zwift Ready Program was soft-launched a couple of months back (see our post for program details), but today Zwift officially launches it. Basically, this program certifies trainers which support virtual shifting and ship with the Zwift Cog installed and a Click controller. These trainers have also undergone significant testing in order to be certified – you can read more about that here.
Zwift Ready trainers available from September on include:
Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One
JetBlack Victory with Zwift Cog and Click
Wahoo KICKR V6 with Zwift Cog and Click
Wahoo KICKR MOVE with Zwift Cog and Click
The Zwift Hub One would also be considered Zwift Ready, but it is no longer for sale. Additionally, in the next few months two more Zwift Ready trainers will become available:
Elite Direto XR with Zwift Cog and Click
VAN RYSEL D100 with Zwift Cog and Click
Zwift Cog+Click Availability
Virtual shifting is going global!
The Zwift Cog+Click upgrade pack will be available starting in September from Wahoo dealers globally for $79.99. If your smart trainer supports virtual shifting, you can purchase this pack to enable the simplicity of a single-cog setup with virtual shifting.
KICKR CORE Pricing and Availability
Wahoo and Zwift are now offering the option of purchasing the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One trainer without a 1-year Zwift membership, decreasing the price by $150US:
Additionally, the KICKR CORE Zwift One is now available to purchase via Wahoo retailers globally, bringing virtual shifting capabilities to more countries.
Zwift Play Controllers Available in Canada
WTRL, organizers of Zwift Racing League and other major events, have partnered with Zwift to handle fulfillment of Zwift Play Controllers for Canadian Zwifters! WTRL tells us these are now available to pre-order via the WTRL Shop until stock arrives in Calgary, AB in approximately 2 weeks.
Pricing is a reasonable $140CAD, and WTRL tells us shipping is typically around $14CAD.
To summarize: the Zwift Ride frame can now be purchased as a standalone item in the US, UK, and EU. Plus there’s more virtual shifting coming to more people thanks to more trainer support and Wahoo selling compatible trainers plus Cog+Click upgrade packs through their global retailer network.
That’s all good news as far as I can see. Ride on, everyone!
Questions or Comments?
What are your thoughts on all this hardware news? Share below!
Your Racing Score increased after this race.
Your Racing Score decreased after this race.
You’ve set a new, higher, floor value for your Racing Score after this race.
Your Racing Score has decreased to your floor value after this race.
