Your choice of virtual bike frame influences your Zwift speed significantly. And Zwift’s Drop Shop gives us access to a pile of bikes: over 125 if you include the Tron, TT, Gravel, and mountain bikes!
At Zwift Insider, we’ve tested every Zwift frame and wheelset using an accurate, repeatable procedure to determine how it performs in game.
Based on those speed tests, we’ve chosen the 10 best overall road bike frames in Zwift today. This isn’t just a stack rank of the most aero bikes in the game – we took into account how each frame performs across a variety of routes, and how they perform in their un-upgraded vs fully-upgraded states (read more about upgrades here).
Without further ado, let’s get to the list! Drumroll please…
The Best Road Bike Frames on Zwift
#1: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
1,750,000 Drops, must be level 40+
The S-Works SL8 clearly earns the top slot, with aero performance within 1 second of the fastest bikes and climbing performance that puts it ahead of all others. (Only two bikes, the Aethos below and the Trek Emonda, outclimb the S-Works SL8 when comparing fully-upgraded versions of the frames.)
Why it’s a winner: top un-upgraded climbing frame coupled with very strong aero performance.
#2: Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71
1,750,000 Drops, must be level 40+
Coming in just a hair slower on the flats and a few seconds slower on the climbs, Cannondale’s top offering is ridden by the pros outdoors and many Zwifters indoors for good reason. It performs well, and looks sick!
Why it’s a winner: very strong all-around performance with a distinctive look.
3: Pinarello Dogma F 2024
1,750,000 Drops, must be level 40+
The 2024 version of Pinarello’s flagship race bike slightly outperforms the S-Works SL8 and SuperSix Evo LAB71 on the flats, but loses several seconds on the climbs. Still, it’s a strong “aero all-rounder” that deserves a spot on our podium.
Why it’s a winner: most slippery of the top all-arounders, plus an eye-catching colorway if you finished all the Pinarello Powered races in September 2024.
#4: Specialized Tarmac SL8
700,000 Drops, must be level 35+
The “standard” version of Specialized’s popular SL8 is more accessible than the S-Works version while remaining a very strong performer. It stays within 1 second of its S-Works brother while losing around 8 seconds on an hour-long climb.
Why it’s a winner: strong aero performance with a lower price and level unlock than the top three.
#5: Specialized Aethos S-Works
966,300 Drops, must be Level 30+
While not in the same aero performance league as the other bikes on this list, the S-Works Aethos earns its spot because it outclimbs every frame but the S-Works SL8 when not upgraded, and outclimbs every frame when fully upgraded. If you’re looking for a climbing weapon, this is it.
Why it’s a winner: best climbing bike in Zwift when fully upgraded.
#6: Giant TCR Advanced SL 2025
1,100,000 Drops, must be Level 25+
The new TCR Advanced SL from Giant is very comparable to the Aeroad 2024 (below). It just loses a bit on the flats, but performs a bit better on the climbs. It’s a strong all-arounder, but definitely on a second tier below the top all-arounder frames.
Why it’s a winner: strong all-arounder performance.
#7: Canyon Aeroad 2024
1,100,000 Drops, must be Level 10+
Canyon’s latest Aeroad is best classified as an “aero all-arounder” because it turns in blazing fast flat times (the fastest of any bike in our tests, in fact) while turning in climb times that beat the pure aero bikes. It can’t quite hold the wheel of the top all-arounders on the climbs, but given its amazingly low level unlock, many Zwifters will buy this as their first serious race bike and never look back.
Why it’s a winner: strong aero all-arounder performance with a surprisingly low level unlock.
#8: Liv Langma Advanced SL 2025
1,000,000 Drops, must be Level 8+
The only frame on this list from a women-specific brand, the new Langma is just a step behind the new TCR and Aeroad in our tests. Still, its all-around performance is surprisingly good considering its very low level requirement!
Why it’s a winner: a women-specific frame with strong all-arounder performance and the lowest level unlock on this list.
#9: Zwift Concept 1 (Tron)
Cannot be purchased, must be unlocked
The Tron bike is popular because of its distinctive look and strong aero performance. In fact, it’s faster than any road frame and wheelset on flat ground (but only by a second or two over an hour!) Just keep in mind that it’s not the best climber, so if your race includes longer climbs, an all-arounder may be the better choice.
Why it’s a winner: distinctive look (including multicolored lights), chart-topping aero performance.
#10: Specialized Venge S-Works 2019
1,200,000 Drops, must be level 37+
This frame has been hugely popular among Zwift racers for years, because until Zwift tweaked frame performance in 2025, the S-Works Venge was the most aero frame on Zwift! But it’s not 2019 anymore, and while the Venge still hangs with the best on flat ground, the top aero all-arounders on this list match its aero performance while climbing much faster. This battle-worn frame makes the top 10, but just barely.
Why it’s a winner: veteran racer favorite, strong aero performance.
Halo Bikes
We didn’t include the new Halo Bikes in the list above, for two reasons:
- They don’t perform well on climbs, meaning they’re really only useful in flatter races
- These bikes require a lot of work to acquire – more than any of the standard road frames
You can learn more about Halo Bikes, including their speed test results, here.
Dig Deeper
Want to dig deeper into the precise speeds of various frames and wheels? Check out our ranking charts and public test data. You may also like our Concept Z1 (Tron) Bike vs Top Performers chart which compares precise times of top frames and wheelsets with the Tron bike.
Share Your Thoughts
We hope all you riders/racers found this post useful. Think there’s a frame we should have included in the top 10 but didn’t? Got other 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.
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