We knew this had been in development for several months, but last week WTRL finally broke the news of some major changes taking effect in this Thursday’s team time trials on Zwift.
What’s new:
- TT bikes are now allowed
- TT bikes can draft
- “Conveyor Belt” system (seen previously only in certain iTT races) ensures everyone starts at the right time
- Teams can select their start time
TT Bikes… in a TTT?
Until this moment, TT bikes on Zwift have been unable to draft other riders. It’s become understood that if you want to ride without receiving any draft benefit, you’ll need to grab a TT bike from your garage.
And that’s fine for free riding. But it’s a bit silly when you think about it, because of course TT bikes should be able to draft other riders. That’s how it works in the real world, right?
Starting Thursday, not only are TT frames allowed in WTRL’s team time trial… they’ll also be able to draft! And that means all the (smart) riders will be on TT frames, because they’re much, much more aero than road frames in Zwift.
How much more aero? Well, the fastest TT frame in game (Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc) finishes our 34.6km test course 96 seconds faster than the fastest road frames. (That’s with a 75kg rider holding 4 w/kg.)
That’s significant. Course records are going to fall this week.
(To be clear: TT bikes will only be able to draft in specific TT events. Not while free riding.)
For the first time on Zwift, we’ll see teams of riders in full aero tucks going full gas in real TTT fashion. Super cool.
Conveyor Belt System
Zwift released “Time Trial Mode” back in June 2019. Available only on the Bologna TT course and Fuego Flats, this was a significant upgrade to the TT experience. Riders were given individual start times when they signed up, then placed on a sort of “conveyor belt” when they joined the pens. The conveyor belt moved them forward until they were at the front of the line at their designated start time. Then – zoom – the race began!
This conveyor belt system will now be used for WTRL’s TTT events. Teams of up to 8 riders will be placed on the conveyors, each teammate on their own conveyor (there are 8 conveyors available) and moved toward the front until their designated start time. Then their personal countdown clocks will hit zero and they’ll be racing!
The individual TT conveyor belts automatically bring riders up to 20mph (sort of like the starting ramp in an outdoor TT), but WTRL has informed us that there is no “slingshot effect” for TTT races. So you’d better have your watts up when the clock hits zero!
Conveyor Belts Everywhere
As part of this upgrade, we’ve been told the conveyor belt system is being made available in all start pens throughout the game. It has only been available on Bologna TT and Fuego Flats until now, but this expansion will open up new TT race opportunities as well as expanding the experience for WTRL’s TTT races.
No More Stopwatches
The beauty of the conveyor belt system is: no more stopwatches needed!
Anyone who has raced a Zwift TTT knows that, until this week, teams were given a delay time. Every rider for every team had to be in the pens before the start of the TTT event, but then each team had to use a stopwatch to time their own start delay, so teams could start correctly at 1-minute or 30-second increments.
Mistakes happened, of course. In almost every race someone would accidently start when the clock hit zero. Then as the riders sat around waiting, someone would inevitably roll forward across the start line before their time. And let’s not even talk about the need for the silly pairing screen hack!
The new system prevents this. Teams will choose a start time when signing up at WTRL’s website, then you only need to join the event before your start time (no more needing to sit in the pens). You will automatically be brought forward to the front when your team’s start time arrives.
ZRL As Well
WTRL assures us that these TTT upgrades will be applied to Zwift Racing League TTTs as well. Sure, we only have one TTT this season (September 27th), but the new features will be welcomed nonetheless.
TTT Speed Tests
Since WTRL’s announcement we’ve had lots of inquiries from riders wondering how this will change their TTT races, which bike they should use, etc.
The answer is actually quite simple: just use the best TT frame for the course. Your wheel choice doesn’t change (same wheels as you’d use with a road frame). If you need help picking your frame, this page shows you the Fastest TT Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level (for flat and rolling races).
If your TTT has any significant climbs, check out the newish Felt IA 2.0 and Scott Plasma RC Ultimate. Sure, they’re technically tri frames, but they’re TT frames on Zwift, and they outclimb all other TT frames while being just a tiny bit slower than the Canyon Speedmax CF SLX Disc.
Questions or Comments?
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Some nice changes Eric !! Drafting on tt bike is gonna change people’s race tactics. Nice ..
So looking forward to trying this out. Glad to hear they haven’t nerfed the new tri frames yet.
It is good that Zwift will role out the conveyor belt to other pens. Interestingly, when I launched my Mountain Massif TT’s I wanted to use that but couldn’t and I love the fact that I didn’t and people start as one and ride shoulder to shoulder – however, that said, I think I may use the new system for a new race I have in mind, but only if I can still keep the categories, A-E. Bottom line, I think it is good new features are being made available to keep events fresh.
Can you, as an organizer, determine the order people get added to the conveyor belt? Especially in hill climb races, but really in any TTT, I need rabbits to chase at the end as my energy runs out and it all comes down to how much suffering I’m willing to handle. I’d love a system where the slowest people start first and the conveyor sort of makes it like a chase race. For me the whole luck of the draw of there being someone I’m a bit faster than who started far enough in front of me that I can… Read more »
I don’t know how the backend system works, but WTRL has it set up where you choose your start time, then (I presume) WTRL signs you up for that time slot in Zwift automagically using their backend tools.
I highly doubt race organizers are currently able to manually manipulate who goes one – I doubt Zwift has built such a tool. And in fact, my guess is that currently only WTRL is able to hold TTTs on the new system.
Other than WTRL, I’ve always wondered how the TT race line up on the conveyor was organized. Sometimes I’ll be put at the very front (or only around people way stronger than me) and I struggle. Other times, I’ll be put just far enough behind people of my own cat (or, when I was a high C, really lightweight – I’m heavy – low Bs on flat courses) and I’ll have people to chase the whole race and do well. A toggle box to let organizers choose whether to assign people slots as they sign up, do it randomly, or… Read more »
It’s just based on when you sign up. First come, first served. It can’t really work any other way, if Zwift wants to give you a start time at time of signup.
I feel like making the TT bikes able to draft just as much is going to make them the default for flat races, so maybe they should make it slightly less of draft to help keep it reasonable. I do like the update though.
Or just ban them for group events, like IRL ? 🙂
It’s not clear from this writeup whether TT bikes will be able to draft everywhere, or just in the specific events discussed here. Eric?
If they can draft everywhere, then individual events could certainly ban them, as many Zwift races already do.
Just specific events.
You guys should definitely do your next road races on TT bikes.
LOL. Yes!
Will you draft all riders (i.e. riders not on your team)? Getting rid of the awkward overtaking is now the final missing piece of the puzzle I think.
Yes, all riders. Zwift doesn’t yet have a way to differentiate team members from non team members.
Coming Soon!
If only steering had been widely enough adopted to be commonplace, TTT races would be the perfect place for it. The overtaking team would just be required to temporarily steer 2 lanes to the left (or right or whatever). It would be obvious which teams didn’t do it and they couldn’t claim it was an accident. It would have required everyone involved to have a steering device though. I wonder if the next evolution of the TTT after adding the conveyor belt will be to have each team as they come out of the pens to be sorted into different… Read more »
Draft for TT-Bikes in TTT’s only (!) is a good addition … and will produce some stress to mid-level Zwifters to reach Lvl26 and to find easy 891.000 drops just in time when the first ZRL-TTT will take place at Sept. 27th 🙈😉
one question to Eric : does my Avatar show a draft-position ? … or not like it is on a Tron ?
My guess would be not.
Will the point now available on zp?
WTRL manages their own points system. I don’t see that moving to ZwiftPower any time soon.
I really don’t like that Zwift is making a big change like that and then only make it available for WTRL. Every race-organizer should be able to do TTT’s now that it is an official feature of Zwift.
“If your TTT has any significant climbs, check out the newish Felt IA 2.0 and Scott Plasma RC Ultimate”
Your full TT bike comparison states that the Canyon Speedmax CF Disc is still faster than either of these on the climbs – (3009 vs 3009.5 and 3010) but faster on the flat – is that right?
No – we haven’t added the Felt IA 2.0 and Scott Plasma RC Ultimate to the frame charts yet. But both of those frames outclimb the Canyon handily.
You’re probably looking at the OLD versions of those frames. The Felt IA and the Scott Plasma. Those aren’t the same as the new frames.
That explains it – thanks!
With this change in WTRL TTT, should we expect to see the usual visual cues regarding draft? Eg distance to wheel, gap closed, etc