The latest “This Season on Zwift” press release came out last week, detailing what’s in store on the platform over the next few months. Zwifters love fresh tarmac, so one of the most exciting upcoming releases is The Grade – a new Watopia climb with some surprising functionality under the hood.
Read below for more on what’s arriving soon in Ciudad la Cumbre!
A Grade that Grades
If there’s anything I’ve learned about Zwift over the years, it’s that they love creating unique names that are infused with meaning. “The Grade” is no exception. This new climb begins from Ciudad la Cumbre (“Summit City”) on Watopia’s Southern Coast expansion and heads straight up hill for several kilometers!
“The Grade” is a straight, steady, steep climb, and it’s meant to host FTP tests. That’s where the second meaning of the name comes into play. With the rollout of The Grade, Zwift will introduce a new FTP detection algorithm. According to internal contacts, Zwift used the data from over 700,000 FTP tests on the platform to create an algorithm that accurately detects your FTP based on a max effort ranging from approximately 10-20 minutes.
This new algorithm should be in place when The Grade launches, and it should roll out to the full game eventually.
The Grade is strategically located in a place that makes it work well for FTP tests, too, since riders are required to ride at least 10 minutes or so to reach the base of the climb.
According to verbal descriptions I’ve heard, The Grade is long, straight, and steep for the FTP portion. It then levels out a bit, before continuing on in a more zig-zaggy fashion to the top of the Epic KOM. It also sounds like there will be a secondary descent option for riders who climb The Grade but don’t want to continue to the top.
New Road=New Routes
Of course, with new tarmac we’ll get some new Watopia routes. Zwift says, “The expansion will launch with several new routes available for freeride exploration, training, and racing.”
When Does It Arrive?
Zwift’s press release says The Grade is “Launching June 2024”.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of an in-game climb designed for FTP tests? And do you like the idea of an updated FTP detection algorithm that doesn’t require a full 20-minute effort? Chime in with your thoughts below!
ftp?zftp?
Yes
I wonder if there will be any special HUD enhancement related to The Grade (I mean other than the expected HUD update). For example any segment breakdown like on AdZ. That’s one of the main drawbacks of Ven-Top / La Reine.
I know there will be some special HUD elements for it, but I don’t think they’re finalized yet.
Does that mean we might get a new start pen location?
Can’t wait for the triple epic climb route up and down around the epic 😖
You mean Club des Cingles at Epic KOM? Be happy that they don’t add two new ascents to Ven-Top for the IRL equivalent 🙃
Looks Awesome! Just wondering, does it update my FTP every time I ride? The only downside to that is if I want to take it easy it will drop my FTP. Just wondering.
When it detects an increase of your FTP, it asks you if you want to accept it so I presume this would be the same going forward. I have never been asked if I want to decrease my FTP so I doubt it will change
A straight road is a good way to make sure I never come back. What would be the point of making it straight? Steep and consistent, absolutely, but straight? That’s just incredibly boring. Hopefully that is a misrepresentation of the actual climb.
You can already see it’s a straight road; it’s been visible ever since the Southern Coast was launched. Cycle to Ciudad la Cumbre (“Summit City”) and by the main square you can see it heading inland up the mountain in a very straight, very steep line.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the idea behind a 10 minute FTP check/adjustment. Isn’t the theory behind FTP supposed to be the power I can basically hold for an hour? If I’ve got a ride or particular effort that I’m feeling fresh & pretty amped up, I can exert extra watts for 10 to 15 minutes (maybe even 20) that I could no way hold for 60. A shorter-burst of energy adjusting my FTP I suppose is fine if I wanted to simply constantly push myself each & every ride. But I have had success with periodic zone 2 training. A false FTP (or one higher than what my real FTP is) will simply readjust any/all of my workouts, & what was zone 2 will now put my heart rate higher than planned (my age & max hr haven’t changed). Zwift’s “power zones” are not the same as “heart rate zones” (maybe for some people they align, but they are not the same). So, if during one of my effort-rides or in a race, if I’m crushing it: the game may pop my FTP higher. This has been the case before, but it only did it if I had at least an hour ride & that would at least mean a proper adjustment of the measure (therefore keeping my zone2 workouts more relevant). I can’t say I’m a fan of zwift automatically adjusting the marker that all my workouts (custom or game options) & race categories are measured, off a shorter time than what I can probably/realistically hold for an entire hour. I know some people that talk about their FTP like it’s a bragging point, & it can be to a degree…& that’s if it’s actually accurate.
Then just don’t accept it when you are asked. It’s simple
Andy Coggan (who came up with FTP, so he has some cred) has said that CP is a reasonably good way to estimate FTP, and you can do that with a couple of relatively short maximal efforts.
How will it be determined that any attempt up this ‘grade’ will be a maximal effort?
Most riders usually have a pretty good idea if their effort was maximal or not.
It’s going to use an algorithm to predict your ftp based on 20 minutes. Typically you take 95% of your 20 min test as your true approximation. You can test the new algorithm by doing a ramp test the next day.
… and then you’ll be comparing a (probably) bad estimate of your FTP with a (probably) worse estimate of your FTP. Whooooop!
Who… cares?
What’s the alternative to a ramp test or a 20 minute test? An actual hour long effort? Good luck with that! The fysiological strain of such an effort makes it so it’s not regularly repeatable and then I’m not even talking pacing. Most people can’t even properly pace a 20min test… go figure.
It doesn’t matter how you test, if your test protocol doesn’t change that enough to make a good comparison. And even then 5W or even 10W really doesn’t make a difference in training zones. If you aim for more or less the middle of your training zones you’ll still be doing those workouts in the correct zone even if your FTP is set 20W too high or to low + FTP fluctuates from day to day anyway.
It, doesn’t, matter.
if you want to dig deeper on that I can recommend the book “training and racing with a powermeter” by Allen and Coggan.
They’ve come up with ftp and explain a lot on that concept. One important thing is, that heart rate zones and power zones usually don’t and don’t have to align.
Another thing is: typically 20min power times 0,95 should be your ftp (what you can sustain for 40-60 mins), because thats a good average for a lot of people. But: training is a study with n=1. So if you have the feeling, that numbers are not matching for you, you can always adjust your ftp ingame.
Zwift has never been great at fancy algorithms stuff. It’ll be interesting to see, but just because they have a large data set doesn’t mean it’s good for what you use it for. Even the 20 min test overestimates punchier people’s ftp, even more so on the ramp, a similarly short bit more random test? Not to hopeful.
Indeed, burly sprinter profiles can score high on these short estimate tests by staying seated and delivering crushing 5 minute power figures. But they’d fly backwards on any true sustained power such as long climbs. Funny too when you see Protour sprinters (including someone like Cav) reveal a true ftp as low 5s w/kg figures, making you realize how these scores are not all the same measurement despite the ftp label.
Hairpins please!! I totally agree with @jonas.
I’m amazed they didn’t announce the new FTP algorithm in the initial communications.
This is a huge deal that has the potential to rearrange a lot of peoples’ category placement. Also, I don’t understand why the direction and steepness of a course matters on an FTP test unless this is for people who don’t want to use ERG mode.
Who uses ERG mode for an FTP test?
People who do a ramp test 😀
But is this going to be used for both FTP and zFTP calculations? Currently they’re not the same thing and zFTP is what’s used for category placement.
On person’s 10 minute climb is another’s 7. How does that work?
I was wondering the same. The article states “a max effort ranging from approximately 10-20 minutes”… Maybe it’s just an FPT test on the climb, and faster climbers have a shorter “sort of FTP”-test?
I actually think this is a really good idea that could genuinely add a new dimension to Zwift. Finding a less daunting, more “natural” way to gauge performance level is a good idea. Fingers crossed that the implementation goes well.
If they fix up the algorithm while they do it then great. It seems to throw up some weird numbers for me, particularly with shorter efforts (10-15 mins on climb portals for example). It’s supposed to be a number which I can hold for 40 minutes plus but currently mine is higher than I’ve ever managed to hold for 15 minutes!
Still not worth the huge price hike. Won’t be using Zwift anymore. Subscription cancelled.
It’s $2 extra a week???
38.5% increase in UK pricing, hell of jump
I’ve already switched to indievelo which has new features every week. Still checking back now and then whether new Zwift features will make it competitive again.”The Grade” certainly doesn’t…
Why don’t you then go to the indievelo forum to comment. No wait…there’s no such thing.
No forum? Indievelo discord is too busy discussing new IV features 🤣
Then why comment?
I am stopping my subscription due to your ridiculous price increase.
You do realise that Eric doesn’t work for Zwift and that this isn’t the Zwift website?
Too little too late, we need more roads not just one, if they think this is worth the price rise then they are wrong.
I love new roads, so looking forward to this. I would really like Zwift to build more roads, including short link roads which let you change from regular routes.
Not sure a straight, steady slope climb for playing “pin the tail on the FTP donkey” is a constructive use of new roads. People wanting to do FTP tests and/or ramp tests can do them on plenty of existing roads.
One thing Zwift routes are desperately short of is a course that climbs a series of moderate hills, similar to the ones I’m trying to ride again outdoors on the western side of the South Downs in Hampshire (England). Approx 260-700 feet climbs, averaging 3-6% (Strava cat 3 and cat 4 climbs).
Prices rise by more than 30% but manage to make the experience 30% about their off platform investments.
Activation has some of the best and most consistent upgrades while keeping cost to consumers at a minimum.
Frankly the fact is that someone is trying to capitalize on people trying to stay safe while becoming healthier.
Here is a thought… If you want to make more money just put money in to developing the worlds and routes. While lowering the price.
And forget about your dumb ass ciclyng teams.
Oh heck yeah! I live along the coast so I ride zwift for the climbs. To have one that doesn’t flatten out periodically just to do ftp testing is welcome.
I really like it. I actually use AdZ/climb portal for this purpose already in a way. My current zFTP is based off my best efforts up AdZ rather me going through FTP tests to set it. It’s not perfect, but I prefer testing myself up the Alpe or in Climb Portal rather than through ramp/FTP tests.
Don’t quite updesrand why you need a climb to do an FTP test. Zwift is just power and most people do an FTP test in erg mode on an erg ramp. If you need to do one off-Erg then just do it on the flat and keep a sustained power over 10, 20, 60mins. What’s the advantage of a climb?
Or if you do want a climb, the Alpe, which is long and steady.
It’s a pretty strange addition. I’ll enjoy it, and new connecting roads are always cool. But the thing about it being suited to a 10-20 minute effort for FTP estimation seems a bit like a solution looking for a problem. I can’t think who this is aimed at or who it helps.
Anyway, this bit:
“It also sounds like there will be a secondary descent option for riders who climb The Grade but don’t want to continue to the top.”
So, effectively two new roads?
This seems like an FTP test for noobs who don’t want to or don’t know how to do a ramp test. Straight seems needlessly boring but the twisty high part sounds okay. Man I hope Zwift has *a lot* more than this and a couple of customizable HUD fields for their “after the horse has bolted” big upgrades promise.
Hopefully it’s not TOO straight. A few sweeping (non-switchback type) turns would be nice.
I never understood fully how you can workout a 1 hour FTP from a 20 minute ramp test so if even shorter, intuitively it doesn’t seem to be measuring the same thing. Some people run a 10km fast but a marathon very slow and others have little variety in pace. I am living at 2600M altitude so short hard efforts sap you quickly even though I’m more of a sprinter.
Still, I’m pleased to see Zwift has accelerated it’s new track output recently and it’s getting more like an ecosystem you can rotate without boredom!