• Get Started
    • Get Started on Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Kit Unlock Codes
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Top Wheel-On Trainers
      • Top Direct-Drive <$900
      • Top Direct-Drive >$900
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List of Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Rebel Routes
    • Speed Tests
  • News
    • Events
    • Game Updates
  • Shop
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Get Started
    • Get Started on Zwift
    • Zwift Course Maps
    • How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More)
    • Links Every Zwifter Must Have
    • More “Get Started” Posts
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Kit Unlock Codes
    • Training & Nutrition
    • Racing
    • Zwift Hacks
  • Reference
    • How Zwift Works
    • Course Calendar
    • Smart Trainer Index
      • Top Wheel-On Trainers
      • Top Direct-Drive <$900
      • Top Direct-Drive >$900
      • Exhaustive Trainer List
    • Achievements & Unlocks
    • Frames & Wheels
    • Routes & Maps
      • Master List of Routes
      • Downloadable Watopia Map
      • Rebel Routes
    • Speed Tests
  • News
    • Events
    • Game Updates
  • Shop
More
    Sign in
    Welcome! Log into your account
    Forgot your password? Get help
    Privacy Policy
    Password recovery
    Recover your password
    A password will be e-mailed to you.
    Getting Started

    Top 13 Tips for Beginner Zwifters

    Karissa Minn
    By Karissa Minn
    August 22, 2019
    9

    So you’ve installed Zwift, set up your trainer or treadmill, and paired your devices. Now it’s time to get moving! Here are some tips that will help you make the most of Zwift as a beginner.

    1. Get ready ahead of time.

    Make sure everything is within arm’s reach before your ride, your water bottles are filled, your batteries are charged, and your Zwift client is updated. Sure, you’re at home, so anything you need is a short walk away. But when you’re doing a race or you really don’t want to lose a group, a little preparation can save you a big headache.

    Some Zwifters even use a pre-ride checklist to make sure nothing is forgotten.

    Pro tip: if you’re using ANT+ to connect to your devices, you can help prevent signal dropouts by using a USB extension cable to bring the ANT+ dongle closer to your bike.

    2. Use a fan. Or two.

    Even if the temperature is cool, if the air is still, you’re not getting the benefit of evaporative cooling. A small, enclosed training space also can heat up pretty quickly! If you get too cold during warmups and cooldowns, try beginning your ride with a jacket or find a way to control your fan remotely. (Some fans come with remote controls, but if yours doesn’t, a “smart” plug or power strip can work too.)

    Further reading: How Much Fan Do You Need When Riding Indoors?

    3. Get social.

    Wherever you are, Zwift lets you ride or run alongside people from all over the world. Don’t miss out on this part of the Zwift experience! Type a message to say “hi” and give someone a wave and a Ride On. If you notice someone is on a long ride, maybe offer them your wheel for some relief (but don’t be offended if they decline). Join a group ride and enjoy making conversation (or not) while working toward a common goal. Consider joining a Zwift team, which gives you allies in races and friends on the road. And if a group ride includes a Discord voice chat, give that a try too!

    Check out the Zwift forums, where you can chat with others and get help. If you have a Facebook account, you can join “Zwift Riders” and/or “Zwift Runners” – the official unofficial Zwift groups. If that’s not enough, search around to find communities that suit your interests.

    4. Pay attention to challenges.

    Zwift offers three “challenges” that keep track of your progress toward certain goals and reward you with an in-game bike when completed. Two of them, Ride California and Tour Italy, add up the distance of your Zwift rides. A third, Climb Mt. Everest, counts your total elevation. From the menu screen, click the challenge image in the top right to select one.

    Here’s the key: Your rides only count toward a challenge when it’s selected, and each challenge will track either distance or elevation – not both! The challenges will save your progress when you switch to another one, though. It’s possible to target Everest when you’ll be climbing, and then switch to California or Italy when you’re sticking to flat roads. When you have finished one challenge, make sure to select another one… unless you just got to the top of Everest! Keep climbing with Everest selected for another reward.

    5. Sign up for missions.

    Once in a while, a mission box will appear at the left of the starting Zwift screen. These often give you the chance to win prizes, both within Zwift and in real life, for completing certain goals in a set amount of time. To participate, click the “Join” button on the mission and agree to the terms and conditions.

    6. Learn to draft on the bike.

    Drafting is an important skill to learn on Zwift, especially if you’re going to be doing group rides or races. A quick way to get a feel for how it works is to approach a rider going a steady speed and try to draft them. Ease up a little to see your avatar drop back, and then gently add power to bring yourself back onto their wheel. Now see if you can pedal with the least effort while staying right behind them. It’s good etiquette to come around the other rider and let them sit in the draft too! (Remember, some people may want to ride by themselves. Try not to stay on the wheel of a lone rider for too long unless they invite you to keep them company.)

    Important note: time trial bikes can’t draft. If it has aerobars/tri bars sticking out the front, save it for TT races or solo riding.

    7. Try a little of everything.

    Not sure what to do? Try it all! Spend a session on your own getting lost on Watopia, admiring the scenery, and going for jersey segments. Then chill out with a relaxed group or push your limits by competing in a race. Get a taste of structured training with an individual workout or jump into a training plan. Maybe join a group workout. Don’t limit yourself – your favorite thing might not be what you expect.

    8. Read event descriptions.

    You can join events directly from Zwift, but you won’t get much information about them in game. Before your event starts, look it up on the Zwift events page or the Zwift Companion mobile app. An event’s description can give you vital information about the format, the rules, the pace of a group ride, which category to join in a race, and more.

    9. Connect a ZwiftPower account to Zwift if you race, and maybe even if you don’t.

    Zwift sometimes gives race results in-game, but some organizers choose to turn this off. Why? To encourage you to use ZwiftPower. On this third-party website, you can see how you fared against others who are really in your category and who followed the race rules. You’ll also see performance data for yourself and the people who raced with you. All your past results and performance data will be organized here in one place. It’s also a good spot to see recent and upcoming Zwift events, including group rides and runs, at a glance.

    10. Ride flat ground to level up faster and get a better wardrobe.

    Higher levels reward you with new kits and accessories for your avatar. They also let you pass level gates for certain areas and unlock more bikes and wheels in the Drop Shop.

    To level up as quickly as possible, seek out flat routes. XP is mainly awarded based on the distance you cover. (Cyclists get 20 XP per kilometer or 30 XP per mile, so using kilometers will earn them faster!) Also, use PowerUps as you get them – the next banner may randomly give you an XP bonus. If you’re riding solo, try a time trial bike. TT bikes don’t collect PowerUps, which means you’ll get more XP at every banner. Finally, workouts will award XP based on the “stars” you get for successfully completing intervals.

    11. Go climbing to get more gear.

    You can exchange Drops for in-game bikes and wheels for your avatar. Some of these help you go faster, while others you might just want for the look. To collect Drops as quickly as possible, head for the hills. You earn them faster while climbing a 3% grade or higher.

    12. Learn to use shortcuts.

    Not cutting corners – keyboard shortcuts! They can be a little confusing. “A” for the pairing screen? “E” for workout mode? “T” to customize your avatar? “M” for message is easier to remember, and so is “G” for a graph of your power and heart rate. It might help to write them down or print out a list (found here).

    Don’t have your keyboard handy? A Bluetooth keyboard and mouse is great for Zwifting. If you’re using Zwift on an iOS or Android device, tapping on the screen will bring up the Action Bar, which has buttons representing some of the shortcut actions. You can also bring up the Action Bar on a computer screen by pressing the “Up” arrow. The main menu button appears in the lower-left when you stop riding or running, move the mouse (on a computer), or tap the screen (on a mobile device).

    Important: pressing “A” also works as an emergency brake. Avoid during races! Stopping pedaling won’t stop your avatar on a downhill, and you’ll coast to a halt on the flat. To stop right away, just bring up the pairing screen.

    13.  Check Zwift Insider for route info, bike stats, expert tips, and more.

    OK, this one’s a little self-promoting. But it’s a good tip! Other helpful websites include:

    • What’s On Zwift? for information on which courses are on the calendar and a handy list of Zwift workouts.
    • ZwiftHacks for useful tools and reference pages.
    • And, of course, Zwift support, where you can see Frequently Asked Questions and submit a ticket to get help with a technical problem.

    Happy Zwifting and Ride On!

    Related Posts

    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest
    ReddIt
      Karissa Minn
      Karissa Minn
      Karissa is a freelance writer and cycling enthusiast. She also volunteers and serves as an advisor for a community bike center called The Pedal Factory. She and her husband, an avid cyclist, live in North Carolina with their two birds, who have not yet learned how to ride a bike.

      9 COMMENTS

      Subscribe
      Log in using
      Notify of
      guest
      Log in using
      guest
      9 Comments
      oldest
      newest most voted
      Inline Feedbacks
      View all comments
      Jack
      Jack
      2 years ago

      How can you just ride solo on Zwift…without thousands of avatars/cyclist buzzing all over the place?

      3
      Reply
      mario
      mario
      2 years ago

      ow can I callibrate my cadence? the reading in Zwift differs 20-30 rpm compared to the reading on my edge

      0
      Reply
      Adina Crawford
      Adina Crawford
      2 years ago

      I have a friend just starting with zwift. What is a beginner ride to start with

      -4
      Reply
      romper
      romper
      2 years ago

      🙂 bone conduction headset,motion recorder such as gopro,live streaming platform…

      0
      Reply
      Patrick Sayer
      Patrick Sayer
      1 year ago

      How many teethes do you suggest using?

      1
      Reply
      Leith Handley
      Leith Handley
      1 year ago

      how do i join a challenge ( ride california) ? through app on my phone or do i need to join through laptop?

      0
      Reply
      wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz

      Free Zwift Trial

      Create Account

      Newest Featured Posts

      Elite’s Best Gets Better: Justo Direct Drive Trainer Review

      Trainers

      Zwift Chartgeist, Volume 3

      How Zwift Works

      Chasing Yellow Event Series Announced

      Events

      Support This Site

      Contribute a post, shop through us, make a donation, advertise on this site. See how you can support Zwift Insider!

      This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs.

      This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts.

      Terms of Use/DMCA Copyright Policy

      Privacy Policy

      [email protected]

      Latest articles

      Elite’s Best Gets Better: Justo Direct Drive Trainer Review

      Notable Zwift Events for the Weekend of July 2-3

      Unbound Home Triathlons (Nowhere Fast Episode 38)

      Popular Categories

      • Racing869
      • News695
      • Training & Nutrition563
      • Interviews430
      • Events377
      • Routes & Maps288
      9
      0
      Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
      ()
      x
      | Reply
      Comment Author Info
      :wpds_smile::wpds_grin::wpds_wink::wpds_mrgreen::wpds_neutral::wpds_twisted::wpds_arrow::wpds_shock::wpds_unamused::wpds_cool::wpds_evil::wpds_oops::wpds_razz::wpds_roll::wpds_cry::wpds_eek::wpds_lol::wpds_mad::wpds_sad::wpds_exclamation::wpds_question::wpds_idea::wpds_hmm::wpds_beg::wpds_whew::wpds_chuckle::wpds_silly::wpds_envy::wpds_shutmouth:
      You are going to send email to

      Move Comment


    • Related Posts