Zwift’s Tron bike is the most coveted ride in game: it takes a lot of work to acquire, it’s fast, and it looks super future cool! Here’s everything you need to know about this special ride.
First: Get The Name Straight
The bike is called the “Zwift Concept Z1” in game, probably due to intellectual property concerns. But everyone calls it the Tron bike, so don’t call it anything else, n00b!
How To Get Yours
First, you have to sign up for the “Climb Mt. Everest” challenge in game. Here’s how to do that:
Once you’ve selected the challenge… start climbing. Every ride you do will add to your elevation total. Once you get to the top (8,850 meters), keep the Everest challenge selected. You need to climb another 41,150 meters to get the real prize waiting in the stratosphere!
That’s right: you have to climb 50,000 meters to get the Tron bike. For most riders, this is a months-long project.
Looking for a little help? Read “The Easiest (Legal) Way to Get the Tron Bike” >
Just How Fast Is It?
On flat/rolling courses the Tron bike is one of the fastest bikes available, beating the stock Zwift setup (Zwift Carbon frame and 32mm wheels) by 53 seconds over our ~51 minute flat test. There are a few frames which are just a 1-3 seconds faster over this test course, but only when paired with a disc wheelset. See our fastest frames list for details >
It is not the fastest bike for climbing: that award currently goes to the Specialized Tarmac Pro with Lightweight wheels. And it’s not faster than a TT bike if you’re doing a solo effort (no drafting) on flat or rolling roads.
But since it drafts, and most races involve going down as well as up hills, you’ll want the combination of drafting, aerodynamics, and light weight the Tron bike provides. (There’s a good reason why the pointy ends of A and B races are full of Tron bikes, and why Zwift doesn’t allow the Tron bike or disc wheels in its top-level Pro-Am races.)
Idiosyncrasy #1: No Wheel Changes
The Tron bike is the only frame which doesn’t let you swap out your wheelset. Of course, why would you want to? Those light-up wheels are amazing!
Idiosyncrasy #2: Reduced Avatar Positions
On all other bike frames, your avatar stands up when you drop below 70rpm on a 3% or greater incline. And when you’re in the draft your rider sits up a bit to indicate that you are no longer “in the wind.”
Neither of these avatar positions exists for the Tron bike, though. All you get is the standard riding position and the out of the saddle sprint.
Idiosyncrasy #3: No Pretend Drinking
On all other bike frames, your avatar takes a drink occasionally. The Tron bike doesn’t include a bidon, so your avatar won’t be taking any virtual sips. Just don’t forget to drink in the real world!
You Light Up My Life
Idiosyncrasies aside, there’s no other racing bike on Zwift that lets you change the color of your tires. You can dial in your bike color to match just about any kit quite nicely. Put the slider in the just the right spot and you’ll get a multi-color light show as you ride. Thanks, Tron bike!
Where Did It Come From?
Wait… you haven’t seen the movie? Here’s a clip from the original Tron movie released in 1982:
wpDiscuz
