Name: Natalie Taylor
Hometown: I’ve been in the north-east of Scotland for a long time now but I’m originally from County Durham, NE England.
How did you get into cycling? I can’t remember not cycling! It was a way to commute and get around since my teens but I really got bitten by the road cycling bug in 2015.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? I did my first Tuesday WTRL race in April 2022 so almost 2 years.Â
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes I race with the awesome Wattsup Demons as part of the LEVEL Racing team.
What do you love most about racing? I love the buzz of racing and Zwift racing fits me perfectly because I have young kids and it removes the need to travel to races! What keeps me coming back every week season after season though is the amazing camaraderie and banter between my teammates.
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? Points, hands down!
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I haven’t done very many! Tuesday ZRL is my main staple but this January I did the Tour de Boudicca for the first time and loved the format of a women-only stage race.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? Being top of the D category GC after the first stage of Tour de Boudicca this year! I couldn’t believe it. Outside of Zwift I did my first cyclocross race at the end of 2023 and that was quite an experience.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? I tend to have my tea before a race so usually after I have some Greek yoghurt with banana/berries and honey.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? It sounds a bit simple but just go for it. The first race is always going to feel a bit daunting and I would say don’t even worry about where you place or whether you ride the whole thing on your own (we’ve all been there!) just make your aim to finish. If you can rope in a friend to do it with you even better! It’s a bit of a learning curve, especially some of the more ‘gamey’ aspects like powerups, but it can be a lot of fun and it’s a great workout. Zwift is a great place to start racing because you don’t have to worry too much about the physicality of outdoor racing in terms of group riding but you still get a buzz from racing. You won’t regret trying it.
