Zwifter Carl-Johan Berletin recently sent over a few photos of his pain cave renovation, which includes (to my knowledge) the largest-ever Watopia map installation!
We chatted back and forth and he shared more images of his setup, as well as details about himself as a rider. Read it all below.
Tell me more about yourself as a Zwifter…
I’m 39 years old and live in Sweden. I started mountain biking in the summer of 2016, then bought my first trainer (Tacx Flow roller) in 2017 to complement winter training, and to see why some people were so hyped about Zwift.
In the beginning I just did the basic stuff – free riding or structured workouts. It was good but still only a complement to the MTB training. 2019 I upgraded to a Tacx Flux direct-drive trainer. That made Zwift feel quite smooth, but it was still just for winter workouts.
In 2021 I made a big investment in a Tacx Neo 2T and started to grow interested in racing! Joined the group Swedish Zwift Riders and started talking to other Zwifters, slowing getting more and more interested in the latest in Zwift and racing.
In 2022 I joined the race team SZR Swedish Zwift Racers with Martin Björgvik as captain. Then and there I was hooked. Discord forum. Chat every day. TTT race every Thursday, ZRL on Tuesdays. Midweek race. Tiny Races. By the end of 2022 I bought the Tacx Neo bike and a 50” TV. I dedicated a whole guest room to be a “pain cave”. I was a full-blown Zwifter.
This spring I took the next step in racing, trying to get even better! And was lucky to join Jon Werme and Robin Andersson’s team eSRT (in my thoughts the best Zwift race team in the world). So now, even when it’s low season in Sweden for Zwift, I race up to 6 days a week.
You’ve had quite a progression as a Zwifter, starting by just dipping a toe in. But now you’re fully submerged! I know the feeling…
That Watopia map wall is absolutely epic, just slightly larger than the ones we sell. 😉 I love seeing the map I designed displayed on such a huge scale. What’s the actual size of the wall poster, and who did the printing for you?
The actual size is 385×230 cm (12.6’x7.5′). The company that did it is a local advertising firm that my brother works, www.bildvaxlarna.se . I gave him the PDF file from the Zwift Insider site. They put that file into a special program that breaks the picture down, gets rid of all pixels, and makes every little detail sharp. Then it’s printed on a special wallpaper sticker.
Are you happy with how it turned out? Anything you’d do differently?
The outcome was better than I ever could imagine. Every detail is so sharp.
What else are you putting into your epic pain cave?
Now that the room is remade with better TV/trainer position, I will invest in a better fan on the floor. I’ve also ordered special LED lights to go around the Watopia wall.
Because the outcome of the wall print was so good, the other wall will be the black and gold eSRT logo:
Anything else you’d like to add?
A little comment on some of the feedback I got when I posted it on the Zwift Racers Facebook group. Some folks asked, “What happens when Zwift updates Watopia?”
I didn’t make this picture to get around right in Watopia! I don’t care if Zwift remakes the map or adds new routes. For me the map right now is iconic, as a ground floor for Zwift that will always have the “base routes” in the game.
A quick video of the Watopia wall fully installed:
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
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