Our Tron vs Top Performers chart is very popular with Zwift racers constantly looking for the perfect frame+wheelset combo for their race course.
But recently we’ve had many Zwifters asking how the Tron bike’s performance compares to time trial frames in Zwift. (This question is even more popular thanks to WTRL’s recent announcement that TT frames can now be used in TTT events.)
After lots of testing, we’ve created a scatter plot chart pitting the Tron bike against top-performing wheels and TT frames. Here’s how the best time trial frames and wheels in Zwift compare to the Tron bike on flats and climbs.
Frames used, in order of aero performance:
- CADEX Tri: most aero TT frame on Zwift (1,029,500 Drops, level 42)
- Canyon Speedmax SLX Disc: former top aero TT frame on Zwift (891,000 Drops, level 26)
- Felt IA 2.0 & Scott Plasma RC Ultimate: very aero frames, but best climbing TT frames on Zwift (both turn in identical performance numbers) (1,136,000 Drops, level 34 & 33)
- Specialized Shiv Disc: fastest beginner-level TT frame (994,000 Drops, level 18)
- Cervelo P5: another beginner-level frame, this one climbs well (710,000 Drops, level 15)
- Zwift Concept Z1 (Tron)
Wheelsets used, in order of aero performance:
- DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT DISC: most aero wheels (1,579,800 Drops, level 42)
- Zipp 858/Super9: former most aero wheels (1,508,800 Drops, level 45)
- Zipp 858: most aero non-disc wheels (312,400 Drops, level 37)
- ENVE 7.8: aero all-arounders (205,900 Drops, level 39)
- Zipp 808: popular OG racing wheels (177,600, level 13)
- DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut 62: strong all-arounders (184,600 Drops, level 6)
- Zipp 353 NSW: strong all-arounders (255,600, level 19)
- ENVE 3.4: strong all-arounders (191,700 Drops, level 4)
- Roval Alpinist CLX (135,300 Drops, level 32) or Lightweight Meilensteins (unlocked via Alpe du Zwift spinner): both top climbers deliver the same performance
Tron vs Top TT Performers
Colored based on frame. Mouse over each point for details.
Zwift Concept Z1, CADEX Tri, Canyon Speedmax CF SLX-Works, Felt IA 2.0 & Scott Plasma RC Ultimate, Specialized Shiv Disc, Cervelo P5
Chart updated September 23, 2022
Observations
Not surprisingly, TT setups are more aero than road setups (like the Tron bike), but don’t climb as well. This replicates what we see outdoors.
The Tron bike is clearly the standout here in terms of climbing performance, beating the best TT combination (Felt IA 2.0 or Scott Plasma RC Ultimate + Lightweights or Roval Alpinist wheels) by 49 seconds up the Alpe.
But if you look at aero performance, the best TT setup (CADEX Tri + DT Swiss Disc wheels) beats the Tron bike on our flat test by a whopping 110.5 seconds.
We’ve enlarged the points which perform best (you want points that are lower and leftward).
Your Thoughts
What conclusions do you draw from this chart? Share your thoughts below!
Think that works out roughly as Speedmax with disc wheels being 9 ish W slower on the climb, but 50 ish W faster on flat
For something like Bologna, it looks like it comes down to how long you expect to be on the flats vs climbing, then, right? If you expect your time distribution to be 50:50 (flats:climbing) the TT bikes are the clear winner. Actually, anything less than 34:66 and it looks like you save time with the TT bike (because the benefit of the TT bike on flats is twice the benefit of the Tron on hills). But, if 2/3 or more of your time is spent climbing, the Tron is best? Is that the takeaway I should be making?
Seems like a solid takeaway to me.
It’s more complicated than just time spent though, right? Let’s say both an A cat and a D cat race on Bologna and for simplicity sake both have a 50:50 time distribution but the A cat is twice as fast overall. His drag on the flat would be significantly higher and the aero option more important to him than to the D cat.
Yeah, I think I mentioned in another comment here that I think it really comes down to average speed over the course of the entire ride. I used to have a set of numbers that worked for me (and still mainly works if I’m racing races without TT bikes able to draft) where there were cutoffs of expected average that I would use different bikes for (low average and I’d go climbing, mid-range average speed for the whole race and I go tron, expect to go over 40 kph the whole race and I go venge/dt disks). For me (low… Read more »
Useful numbers. Thx.
Very clear choices on the Alpe or Fuego Flats but what about all the courses in between? Most races, esp. the TTTs, have a bit of flat, a bit of rolling and some small climbs (not the proper mountains). E.g. Reverse Hilly for the TTT this week. Do we go for a flat performer or best climber on that kind of course?
Might the standard tests include an “in the middle” course like that Hilly? Or is it simply the case if there is no Alpe, Epic or Volcano then can just think of it as flat?
I think based on the big difference of time spent climbing vs flat. The short climbs are not long enough to get a big enough advantage from a climbing bike (tron) so the mostly flat courses with some climbs are best suited for a TT bike.
Honestly, I think it’s about steepness, not the length of the climb. Or, to put it another way, how fast you’re able to go. Several years ago (before all the new bikes came out), Eric compared various frames on various routes and said that, if you can put out 4 W/kg, you’re a small bit faster using the fastest at the time TT bike and the Zwift standard wheels than using the Tron up the Volcano KoM in a situation where there is no draft (presumably that would be true also in a situation where both bikes can draft) because… Read more »
The other issue is that on a circular course, you will have as much descent as ascent, and TT bikes will perform better descending. In essence I think only hill top finishes favour the tron
But you also can’t supertuck on TT frames. Also the rolling parts (think The Esses or Titans Grove apart from the KQOM) should still favour an aero setup, if you crest the lumps with 30km/h or whatever how much did you really gain by your bike being lighter than with the aero advantage that you still have at those speeds. And depending on the steepness of the climb and , as Paul Himes said, the speed you are able to go, some KQOM are deceiving. Not sure where the cutoff is but on the Volcano KQOM for example an A… Read more »
That gap in the graph just screams: “There! Now stop asking.”
what about when the tron bike is drafting tho :3
Does the speed test include the tine coming back down the Alpe? I’m wondering how much time the TT regains when both the up and the down are in the stats. A race with a summit finish is going to be fairly different from one with laps up and down a climb.
No. The Alpe speed test is for the climb only… because otherwise it wouldn’t be a climbing speed test. 🙂
Actually it’s not. TT bikes get no supertuck benefit so the faster climbing road bike is going to be much faster than the TT bike for both clmbing AND descending the Alpe.
In the wheel test chart from Nov 2019, the DT Swiss 62, Enve 3.4, and Zipp 353 are identical in terms of climbing performance, but in this test the DTs go a little better uphill than the other two.
What frame and wheel choice would you recommend for the Zwift Academy Road program? I assume TT bikes are not allowed, but could be wrong!
It really doesn’t matter much, since 1) most of the Academy is structured workouts, where your frame and wheel doesn’t really matter and 2) the baseline and finish line rides supposedly put you onto a TT frame during the important segments, so your frame choice doesn’t matter there either.
In summary: none of these are races, so frame and wheel choice is sort of a non-issue. Ride what you like!
How about changing the bike at the beginning of the climb ? I’ll try this next time.
It’s not directly stated, but surely this is mostly relevant for TTs only (and workouts, I guess)? In any group ride/race situation, you’d generally want to ride the Tron for the draft benefit.
In WTRL TTTs, the draft should apply to a similar degree for all bikes (possibly slightly more for the Tron as it has a larger CdA to start with), so you’d want the TT bike for all but efforts up the Alpe, maybe short routes that finish at top of Innsbruck and the Epic KOM but probably not Bologna.