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    ReferenceHow Zwift WorksTips & TricksRacing

    All About the Supertuck On Zwift

    Eric Schlange
    By Eric Schlange
    October 17, 2019
    12
    Chris Froome showing us how it’s done!

    Ah, the supertuck. You’ve seen the pros do it, and you’ve probably been advised against doing it yourself.

    For those unfamiliar, this very aero tuck involves sitting on the top tube and lowering your shoulders/chest onto the bars (or close to it) by bending your arms as far as they will go while holding onto the drops. It’s a fast position, but also difficult to pedal in (although Froome pulled it off in glorious fashion at the 2016 TdF). It’s also a dangerous position because of how it affects your bike handling.

    But here’s the fun part–you can supertuck in Zwift, danger-free! Here’s how it works.

    Getting Into a Zwift Supertuck

    To supertuck in Zwift three conditions must be met:

    1. You must be traveling at least ~36MPH (~58km/hr)
    2. The decline must be at least 3%
    3. Your power output must be below 11 watts

    Zwift will automatically place you in the supertuck if all these conditions are true. You come back out of the supertuck once any of these conditions is not met – for example, if the road flattens out to a 2% decline.

    How Fast Is It?

    Specific numbers are hard to come by since the supertuck behaves differently in races than free rides. But in our experience, coasting in the supertuck will let you hang with a pack that is putting out 2.5-3.5 w/kg. Of course, this varies based on rider weight, how many in the group are putting out power, steepness of decline, and other variables.

    While it is possible for riders to attack on a descent and drop supertuckers, you don’t see that very often in Zwift races.

    See our Supertuck Speed Tests for more >

    When Should I Supertuck?

    Smart Zwift racers use it like the pros outside to get a little recovery on the downhills without losing speed. The question is: when should you tuck and when should you put out power?

    Use the supertuck on long descents when you need to recover a bit. But always make sure you pay attention to what’s going on in the race and respond accordingly. There are often opportunities to supertuck and sit in with a group on long descents, but you’ll want to watch and make sure you match any accelerations so you don’t get dropped while resting.

    Be especially careful of Zwift bringing you out of the supertuck due to gradient changes or speed dropping below ~36MPH. When this happens you can quickly get dropped by other riders who are putting out wattage while you coast!

    Note: Zwift updated how the supertuck behaves for race events in May 2019, making it an even more effective tool in the Zwift racer’s toolset!

    TT, MTB, and Workout Exception

    You cannot supertuck if you are riding a TT or MTB frame. Because that’s just silly!

    Also, no supertucking in workouts. Even if you’re in a free ride block descending Alpe du Zwift.

    Conclusion

    The supertuck does not make you superfast–but it can allow for short periods of rest which are helpful in race situations. So use it wisely, but keep your eyes open and don’t get dropped while you’re resting!

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      Eric Schlange
      Eric Schlangehttp://www.zwiftinsider.com
      Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Follow on Strava

      12 COMMENTS

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      Reed Markley
      Reed Markley
      2 years ago

      Can you supertuck on a Tron frame?

      0
      Reply
      Eric Schlange
      Author
      Top Member
      Eric Schlange(@eschlange)
      2 years ago
      Reply to  Reed Markley

      Yes.

      0
      Reply
      Alan Farnes
      Super Member
      Alan Farnes(@alan_taylor_farnes)
      2 years ago

      What’s faster? Supertuck on a fast road bike with 858/Super 9 or a TT bike with 858/Super 9? I know you can’t super tuck on a TT but it the TT tuck position faster or slower than the supertuck?

      0
      Reply
      David Boatwright
      David Boatwright
      1 year ago

      Did supertuck go away. Coming down adz on a roadie, over 40mph, not pedaling, 11% grade….no tuck.

      0
      Reply
      J.Branham
      J.Branham(@jennifer)
      1 year ago
      Reply to  David Boatwright

      I’d say it’s working as I tucked in stage 4 of MAAP.

      0
      Reply
      Reed Markley
      Reed Markley
      1 year ago
      Reply to  David Boatwright

      I also tucked on the shorter Stage 4 of MAPP on my Tron.

      0
      Reply
      Reed Markley
      Reed Markley
      1 year ago
      Reply to  David Boatwright

      It is indeed working. I tucked twice in Stage 1 and once in Stage 4 of MAAP on my Tron.

      0
      Reply
      Ryan G
      Ryan G
      1 year ago
      Reply to  David Boatwright

      Same for me today. I finished a workout then was descending AdZ on the Emonda, no supertuck even though all required conditions were met.

      0
      Reply
      Lara
      Lara(@laracowden)
      1 year ago

      Does supertucking (and putting out 0 watts for that time) affect your average wkg?

      1
      Reply
      Arnout
      Arnout
      1 year ago

      I’m having some difficulty getting into the supertuck in races. When I stop pedaling, a drop from 350W to 0 takes 6-7 seconds. By the time I get into the tuck I’ve already lost the pack. Is there a way to drop your watts more quickly when you stop pedaling (riding on a elite suito)?

      0
      Reply
      Reed Markley
      Reed Markley
      1 year ago
      Reply to  Arnout

      See this recent article on sticky watts. https://zwiftinsider.com/sticky-watts/ It address this situation.

      0
      Reply
      Mike Collins
      Mike Collins
      1 year ago

      Soon to be banned??? Will be interesting to see if Zwift follow the UCI

      2
      Reply
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