So you got a Zwift bike/trainer. Now what?

December 25, 2024

LAST UPDATED December 24, 2024

Over the past few months, I’ve seen more and riders asking different versions of the same question: I got my bike and trainer set up. I’m on Zwift. What do I do now?

Zwift is a big thing to wrap your head around, especially if you’re new to cycling. First, you’ve got the hardware side of things: what do I need to own in terms of a bike and smart trainer? What computer should I use to run Zwift? And let’s not even start talking about fans, rocker plates, and trainer tables…

Secondly, once you’ve got your hardware up and running, you have to decide what to actually do in Zwift’s virtual world.

That’s what this post is all about. I aim to give you an overview of the sorts of activities you can do in Zwift, and a bit of guidance to help you maximize your enjoyment of each.

My Resume

How am I qualified to be your tour guide for all things Zwift? Here’s a bit about me:

I joined Zwift in November of 2015
Since then I’ve completed over 1100 races and ridden nearly 90,000 kilometers on the platform
I’m at level 100 (the highest level Zwift currently has)
I’ve also led many group rides, and ridden in lots more
Most importantly, I’ve burned 5,922 slices of pizza while Zwifting

I’m also a Zwift superfan, having built this Zwift Insider website and published over 4500 articles to date covering all things Zwift.

Why have I done all this? Because I know from experience that Zwift is a special place where cyclists can make positive connections and receive motivation to achieve their goals.

With that out of the way, let’s begin. I group riding activities on Zwift into four broad categories: Exploring, Social Riding, Racing, and Structured Training. We’ll look at each one in turn.

Exploring

Zwift has 12 unique maps/worlds containing hundreds of kilometers of virtual tarmac. There are lots of different ways to ride these virtual roads, which leads to nearly 250 different routes spread across Zwift’s maps!

Browse the Master List of All Zwift Routes >

The most common thing people do on Zwift is simply ride various routes. Explore the different worlds. See all sites, and as fitness and time allow, conquer the biggest climbs and longest routes.

Nearly all routes in Zwift have an achievement badge which you earn the first time you complete the route. That badge comes with an XP bonus roughly worth the amount of XP you would get when riding the route, which means you effectively double your XP the first time you ride each route in Zwift.

If you’re looking to level up faster, riding new routes is a very effective way to do it. Of course, you can ride new routes in group rides, races, etc as well. But as you begin to cross routes off your to-do list, you will learn it’s not always easy to find group rides on the routes you need to finish. A solo effort may be needed.

You don’t have to follow a particular route when exploring Zwift roads, either. You get to choose which way you go at each and every intersection, so if you want, you can go your own way and ride a route nobody has ever pieced together before! That’s how the concept of Rebel Routes came to be, after all…

Need help finding your way around Watopia? Check out our map poster >

Social Riding

We all need connection, and cycling is a very social sport. So it’s no surprise that many Zwifters embrace the social side of Zwift.

I would break social riding on Zwift into three broad categories: scheduled events, RoboPacer groups, and Meetups. Let’s look at each of these.

Scheduled Events

As I compose this post, there are 1000+ group rides scheduled over the next 7 days on Zwift. That works out to almost 150 per day, or around 6 per hour on average. You can browse these rides on the Zwift Companion app (highly recommend, available on iOS and Android). Or if you want to do some “power browsing” check out ZwiftHacks’ event search tool, which lets you filter events on a huge number of parameters.

These rides are organized by teams in the Zwift community, and most of them recur each week, often rotating between various routes. There’s a lot of variety in group rides, so read the event description to make sure you know what you’re signing up for! A few ways group rides can vary:

Pace: usually stated in watts per kilogram, this is the main determiner of how hard you’ll need to work to keep up with the group, unless it’s a banded ride.
Length: every ride goes for a set time or distance, so you know how long you’ll be on the bike.
Route: some groups ride the same route each week, while others rotate between a handful of routes and still others tackle tough routes to help you earn badges.
Banding: some rides are “banded”, meaning everyone stays together as long as they keep pedaling. Most rides are not. Click “Rubberband” under the Rules section of the ZwiftHacks events app to see banded rides.
Leaders and Sweepers: leaders are designated with a yellow beacon, sweepers with red. Some group rides have no designated leader and/or sweeper(s), but in my opinion, the best recurring group rides are those with regular leaders. They bring a personality to the event!

My advice? Join a group ride that fits your schedule and meets the parameters you’re looking for. If you like it, come back next week. If it wasn’t your cup of tea, try a different ride next time. The most rewarding group ride experiences I’ve had are on rides where I return week after week and get to know the other regulars.

RoboPacer Groups

RoboPacers are bots who ride at a particular pace on particular routes around the clock. What they effectively create is an always-on group ride. If you hop in with the same pacer around the same time each day, you’ll start to notice some of the same folks are there with you, which is why RoboPacer groups (especially the slower ones) can often be quite social!

Joining a RoboPacer is the easiest and most hassle-free way to start riding with others on Zwift because they’re always going and you can pop in and out whenever you wish.

To get started, just pick a group from the list of cards on your homescreen’s “24/7 Group Rides” carousel, and the game will drop you into that RoboPacer’s group. Start riding, and if the pace works for you, stick with it! Too fast or slow? Teleport to another RoboPacer.

Meetups

Meetups are a way to organize group rides with one or more friends. When you schedule a Meetup, you pick the date, time, route, length, and whether everyone should be kept together (banded) or not. Then invite your friends to join you!

Related: All About Meetups on Zwift >

One last bit of advice when it comes to being social on Zwift. Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” That’s true in life, and true on Zwift. Make friends by messaging in game and/or interacting with others in Zwift groups on various social networks (Facebook and Reddit are popular). The more you reach out, the more connections you’ll make.

Racing

If you have a competitive spirit or just want to push yourself to the max, you’ve got to give racing on Zwift a try! There are around 650 races on Zwift each week, which works out to nearly 100 per day, or 3-4 each hour.

Like group rides, races vary in significant ways. But where most group rides are organized by Zwift community teams, a good chunk of the races on Zwift are actually organized by Zwift themselves.

When you sign up for a race, you’ll want to pay attention to a few details:

Route: are you racing on a hilly course? A flat course? Knowing what to expect course-wise helps you play your pacing and strategy smartly.
Type of Race: is this a standard “scratch race” (first across the line wins)? A points race? A time trial? Most races on Zwift are scratch races, so assume that unless the event description says something else.
Categories: how are riders grouped in the race? Does everyone start together, or does each category start on its own?

These details and more can be discovered by using the ZwiftHacks events app.

Finding a Team

Racing on Zwift is fun. Racing with teammates is more fun! Whether it’s the massive Zwift Racing League, a tiny team vs. team Club Ladder event, or a one-off race with a few teammates in the field, having friends in the pack always makes things more interesting and rewarding.

It’s also nice to be part of a larger organization since this provides you with a network of helpful friends who can answer your newbie questions or offer encouragement when you’re struggling. So I highly recommend joining a team on Zwift.

Just Do It

One last note on racing: some riders avoid racing on Zwift because they’re intimidated and fearful of “failing.” But here’s the thing: nobody is watching you that closely. Everyone is focused on themselves, working hard to keep up, and if you drop off the back or decide to exit the event early for any reason, chances are nobody will even notice!

So just jump in and give it a go. You may discover, like I have, that racing is the perfect motivation to push harder than ever and build your fitness to new heights.

Structured Training

While all activity on Zwift is “training” in some sense, structured training is a specific type of activity. We call it “structured” because each workout follows a precise plan, and often those workouts are part of a much larger months-long training plan.

Here’s an example of one structured workout:

The chart gives you a picture of what you’ll be doing during the workout. The height and color of each block tells you how hard the effort level will be (higher effort=taller blocks, and colors follow a standard power zone coloring scheme.) The width of each block tells you how long you’ll be holding that power level.

ERG Mode

Most people ride structured workouts in ERG mode, which is different from the SIM mode your smart trainer uses when simulating hills in game. ERG mode modulates your trainer’s resistance to force you to hold a particular power output. You don’t need to shift gears. Just keep your cadence where you’d like and the trainer will adjust resistance so you’re hitting the target power. Magic!

Your FTP

Target power numbers are generally set based on your FTP, so you’ll want to have your FTP set accurately before you take on a structured workout, otherwise it may be way too easy or way too hard!

How do you set your FTP if you don’t know it? Zwift can auto-detect your FTP if you ride at maximum average power for 8+ minutes, or you can take an actual FTP test.

Browsing Workouts and Training Plans

Zwift has a huge library of individual structured workouts available by clicking “Workouts” from your homescreen. You can also click Training Plans from that screen to browse progressive, long-term plans that have you complete multiple workouts each week to build fitness in a structured way.

Training plans can feel very rigorous and… well… structured. But they’re also the most efficient way to build fitness on the bike, if you can stick to them!

Wrapping It Up: Find Your Joy

Every rider is different. Some people love exploring, while others love chatting and being social. Some are highly motivated by competition, while others prefer the rigors (and efficiency) of a structured training plan.

Most people are a combination of two or more of these things. I, for example, love social rides and races. These make up probably 95% of my Zwift activities.

There is no right or wrong here. The important thing is to find what motivates you. Because when you find activities you enjoy, they’ll drive you to get on the bike day after day. And it’s that consistency that builds real fitness on the bike!