The new Zwift Big Spin series has just kicked off, and many riders are joining the events in hopes of spinning and winning limited-time novelty unlocks. One of the most popular is the “Zwift Tri Spoke // Disc Wheel”. It’s an eye-catching wheelset and the first tri spoke in game, so many Zwifters are riding extra Big Spin events just for these wheels!
Unfortunately, the Tri Spoke was misconfigured when it first launched, meaning it turned in super-slow times more on par with gravel bikes than road bikes (see original speed test results). Zwift fixed this issue quickly, though, rolling out the fix in the version 1.61 update that was released this week.
Once we downloaded the update, we went to work running fresh tests. Zwift has indeed reconfigured the wheels, but the star ratings didn’t change: they are still rated 3 stars for aero and 1 for weight. This illustrates how non-granular Zwift’s star ratings actually are. They simply aren’t precise enough to communicate actual in-game performance in a useful way for picky racers, so we ran the wheels through our battery of speed tests.
Here’s everything you need to know about the updated Tri Spoke /Disc Wheel’s performance in Zwift.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
Tri spoke + disc wheels are commonly seen on TT setups because they’re fast. So we expected Zwift’s new Tri Spoke to be pretty zippy on the flats.
The updated wheels aren’t anything to write home about, though. Despite looking quite aero, especially with that rear disc, the wheels turn in a test time of 50:53.5 on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km.
This is almost 3 minutes faster than the old misconfigured wheels (so that’s a big improvement), but also 19.5s slower than the 808/Disc wheelset, which is the slower of the disc wheelsets. The aero performance of the updated Tri Spoke is now within 1 seconds of the ENVE SES 6.7, Zipp 404, and Zipp 353 NSW wheels… all wheels that are better all-arounders than aero performers.
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Climb Performance
Given the Tri Spoke’s 1-star weight rating and mid-tier aero performance, we didn’t expect great things on our Alpe test. We got what we expected.
The Tri Spoke // Disc Wheel turns in an Alpe climb time of 49:47, which is almost 2 minutes faster than the misconfigured Tri Spoke, but still quite slow. These are still the slowest climbing wheels in game, 8s slower up the Alpe than the next slowest wheelset (Zipp 808/Disc combo) and 33s slower than the best climbing wheels (the Lightweight Meilenstein and Roval Alpinist CLX.)
Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Aero frame.
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Conclusions
The original Tri Spoke wheels were so slow that riders could easily sense their poor performance in races or RoboPacer riders. The updated wheels are much faster, so riders using them probably won’t notice a performance hit compared to other rigs.
That said, there is indeed a performance hit! The aero performance of these wheels puts them mid-pack, and they’re the Lanterne Rouge in climb performance.
These wheels are now useable for relaxed rides, but we can’t recommend them for racing.
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Good to the know performance is improved, even if still a bit meh. Overall I’m enjoying the Big Spin event though and it’s definitely motivating me to try to win the items. Thought I’d struggle to get lucky and won the bike first attempt and then annoyingly another twice. Hoping to get wheels next for the set though.
Proves the UK Bucket hat is still the pick of the spin!
Just need to find some kit that even vaguely goes with it… any ideas?
Castelli Virtual Aero Red
Unless you are using a “wheel on” trainer, what possible difference can different wheels make?
Huh?
because the wheels on the bike in the game affect the mechanics of the game, so they can be more aero, they can be lighter etc and this affects how the bike responds to power/vs, power vs climbs etc.
this is not about the wheel on the bike in real life.
You do realise its all virtual dont you?
Surely you jest…
That is even less than meh … Kinda disappointing
Tri spoke wheel still looks cool though – couldn’t afford one in real life when they first appeared. Very happy to have one now 😎
Zwift spending time and money on a turkey like this instead of new roads is corporate malfeasance.
Wow so many thumbs down! Enjoy your crappy wheels my friends.
Yeah very strange reactions
There is no reason these couldn’t have been on par with the 808 disc wheels. Zwift needs to start giving us more bike/wheel options for cosmetic diversity in the game. I wish that all bikes and wheels fell into 1 of, say, 5 or 6 categories. Then we could just ride the ones that we think look the best.
I couldn’t agree more. I wouldn’t want everything neutralised, but make the star ratings match the performance and everything else cosmetic. And align the Tron with the top level all-rounder frame and wheels.
Indeed, and this has been one of the most fun aspects of the Zwift Games! Well, completely neutralized made for some funny gear: I enjoyed rocking the Atomic Cruiser+Tri Spoke without losing performance 🙂 Few others on things like the Buffalo bike or mountain bike frames.
But yeah, I’d like to see something like “climbing, flat, all-rounder, and the TT discs” as basically the four road wheelsets, and climbing/flat/all-rounder for each type of frame (road/TT/gravel/MTB).
That gives us plenty of variability in bike choice, and probably enough variation in equipment to still choose gear based on course features.
Absolutely, completely neutralised would be dull but picking between climbing/all rounder/aero/TT would make races more interesting and mean you can get more use out of all those bikes and wheels. Limiting discs to TT bikes would get my vote as well
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Zwift is looking for $$$ from manufacturers to make their Gear looks fast in game. Why does Specialized have the fastest and lightest bikes in game?
Zwift is a business after all so that would make prefect sense and i imagine thats what they are doing
100%. I’ve been saying this for a while. A few basic categories for bikes (eg TT, climber, all-rounder, gravel, MTB) and something similar for wheels. Whether a Giant TCR is slightly better/worse than the equivalent Specialized bike is so arbitrary. Let people ride their favourite bike without penalty
Love the sound of the IRL tri-spoke wheels make!!!
sounds like helicopter blades!!!!
Zwift needs to add that sound in game!!! Lol
Great option for Zwifters who don’t meet the disc wheel requirements. I would have liked that sooner. 2 more stages and then I’ll get the DT-Swiss disc set, until then I’ll happily use the Tri Spoke 😉
I think it makes some sense to have the Big Spin prizes be more novelty items than things that might give you a performance boost over other riders. That wouldn’t be fair to Zwifters who perhaps have no interest in joining the Big Spin events.
I have a question, I am currently level 21 and ride the Specialized Allez Sprint and Shimano C60, I also own the Tri Spoke / Disc Wheels.
How much time would you save by adding the Tri Spoke/Disc Wheels to the Zwift Steel. I would definitely like to save money for the 808 or 858
Tri Spoke is 8.5s faster in our ~50 minute flat test than the Shimano C60.
And 8s SLOWER than the C60 on our Alpe climb test.
Thanks Eric,
What do you think I should buy next? Im Level 23 and have 760 Drops
Can you tell me which is faster?
Specalize Alé Sprint or Trek Emonda
See this page for frame performance data: https://zwiftinsider.com/charts-frames (Emonda is a better climber, Allez Sprint is faster on flats and rollers).
I used them today and they ‘felt’ fast.
I noticed I was about 0.2wkgs less than the group around me when rolling along the flats.
Climbing through the jungle didn’t feel slow or heavy either.
Had a pop at the 4 Sprints along the new coast road (Woodland, Sasquatch, etc) and although I didn’t have any power ups, I managed to almost match my PBs in the first two which were set during a recent Tour race series (where I won the Green jersey that week and was fastest in all four of those Sprints in my Cat)
Not bragging, just giving detail to the effort.
Today I was slightly off with the last two Sprints as I timed my effort badly but still turned in some good times, second and third in my PB history.
I’m 95kgs and 190cm for reference.
Personally, without the precise input that you can do, Eric, I think they are a good wheelset.
W/kg don’t matter on the flat…
I got these immediately on the Big Spin, the looked cool so the next day I put them on my Dogma F went out on a RoboPacer with Miguel. I got shot out the back faster than a cannonball. I figured it was the wheels so I went back to the non-disc DT Swiss Arcut went back to Miguel’s group and was able to keep in the pack or be told to wait for Miguel. I am glad they fixed them, but this will be something that will just hang in my virtual garage.
I wish Zwift would give out IRL things for drops, like T-shirts, water bottles or a free month. I am at level 66 approaching 7 million drops. At a certain point you get all the kits, bikes and wheels you want.