UPDATE: Zwift released a game update which significantly increased the performance of these wheels. The numbers below are not accurate for Zwift version 1.61+.
Read all the details >
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!
The new wheelset is rated 3 stars for aero and 1 for weight. But Zwift’s star ratings aren’t precise enough to communicate actual in-game performance in a useful way, so we ran the wheels through our battery of speed tests.
Here’s everything you need to know about the performance of the new Tri Spoke // Disc Wheel 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.
But it’s not. Far from it, in fact.
The wheels turn in a test time of 53:43 on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km. That makes them over 2 minutes slower than the former slowest wheels in game (the “Zwift Classic”). and 3 minutes and 18 seconds slower than the fastest wheels in game (the DT Swiss ARC 62 Dicut Disc).
Or, to put it another way: the Zwift Aero frame with these wheels turns in almost the same time on our flat test as a gravel bike and wheels.
Climb Performance
Given the Tri Spoke’s 1-star weight rating and terrible flat 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 51:40.5, which is 2 minutes and 12.5 seconds slower than our baseline (the Zwift 32mm Carbon wheels) and 2:26.5 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.
Conclusions
We didn’t expect the Tri Spoke to be the fastest wheelset in game (Zwift-branded garage items are never top performers), but given how aero tri spoke + disc combos are IRL, we thought it would hold at least its own against other wheelsets. But that’s not at all the case.
Guessing that the dismal performance of these wheels was due to a configuration error on Zwift’s side, we asked Zwift if that was the case. And they said yes! The rear wheel has the wrong Crr setting, and this will be updated in the next Zwift update (which should release next week, March 19th, if they stick to their current schedule).
Until then, we’ll be duly impressed by anyone who can win a race on these wheels. Comment below if you’re brave enough to try!
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.
Challenge Accepted!
I’ll be taking these beauties matched to my Atomic Cruiser to the Zwift Games.
Not a big risk; Zwift games neutralyse equipment 😉 😛
Not going to take the risk with them programming a new bike and new wheels correctly.
Absolutely 😜
I would love to see the puzzled looks of people who don’t realise that while I’m racing them. Also if I did race that setup on a regular race If I could keep up I’d probably end up moving up a Category
I got these this morning. It’ll be interesting to see what the new configuration of them will be.
I did the big spin ride on these past night and was woefully slow compared to riding the previous night on the 808 disc – now I know why.
I rode 30 miles on Sugar Cookie this morning with them … was wondering why I was almost 10 minutes slower than my usual time … now I have a great excuse !!!!
Form over function
What’s the point of these unlocks if the wheels and bike are no good?
To look cool on social rides and Zone 2 rides.
I guess I do a lot of zone two rides. Haha
At least for the wheels they seem to have done an error so they should get better. Why the bike isn’t better performing with all these super high-tech aero-fairings is beyond me. It looks as outlandish as the new Visma TT helmets so I would have expected a huge performance boost 😉
Dang, this explains why I was working so hard to keep up in last night’s ride. I looked at my heart rate distribution after my ride and it was giving me the middle finger in zone 4….lol
“You… shall not… Pass!”
Is this a bug/flaw which will be fixed somehow/somewhere/sometime or will they stay like this ?
Nevermind, just read it is a mistake.
Kind of amazing this didn’t come up in testing
zwift just wait for eric to test it, and then pretend it was a bug they will fix.
Oh, for pete’s sake.
Expect that to change in the next Zwift update?
Yes.
Eric, out of curiosity, how do you run these tests. Do you let them run, and check the results after an hour. Or do you actually sit back (with a beverage) follow them on screen, have some checkpoints for yourself to form an early conclusion? And what was your first thought when the trispoke came to your first checkpoint.
For most tests, I have them running in the background while I’m working, typically. Then I just save the activity and check times on Strava.
In this case I could tell by the actual speed on the flats early on that something was wrong!
Would be fun to get the tri-spoke. My Cervelo T2 track bike setup was tri-spoke on the front and disk on the back.
Couple lifetimes ago I ran a front trispoke at the velodrome. It was great aside from windy race nights that made cutting up the high bank in T1 a nail biter.
No matter what the performance is. I won the tri spoke wheel on my first Big Spin ride and equipped it straight away. I was thinking about getting the first disc set available to me anyway, mainly because of the look, but it looks just as cool. 2 minutes slower than the worst set of wheels is shocking, but since I don’t race and only occasionally sprint to the end of a ride, I keep riding them. The next update will bring it. As a cat d driver, I haven’t had any major restrictions as a result. Optics are everything 😎
Hello! Do you think the atomic cruiser is borked as well?
No. I think it’s performing as planned.
That’s a shame, I got lucky and had it on my first spin. Was hoping it would at least be a fun bike to use for flat TT style rides or downhill blasts. I guess they want to keep it as a novelty bike that people see being used now and again rather than a higher performer that everyone suddenly has access to.
Came 2nd with these wheels equipped and after reading this I thought I had an excuse for not winning, but then remembered that ZG’s neutralises all wheels so I am back to no excuses again! 😆
https://youtu.be/Sz_tYTDbpEI
Controversial opinion: I would really like this wheelset to remain slow.
Maybe not as quite as slow as it currrntly is – I’d have to test – but still slow.
It’d be a perfect option for “bridging the gap” btwn RoboPacers for folks who are, say, a touch too quick for Maria but not quite quick enough for Coco without having to ride Tempo.
You know it makes sense.
It would indeed be an interesting to have some permanent “sticky wheels” for “tweaking” your performance to match a Robo Pacer or a friend. It could perhaps alternatively be something you could turn on – like an ERG mode bias, giving you the option to artificially lower your speed.
you can currently just use a gravel bike or MTB or TT bike in the same way
You can … but the ploy of using either of the first two goes completely sideways if the route actually does have dirt or gravel.
Also, when you start climbing the increased power needed to mirror the RP’s dynamic pacing is largely offset by the fact that the thing that makes you slower on the MTB (increased rolling resistance) is much less of a factor at lower speeds. Not saying that’s a bad thing, but it definitely changes the feel of the ride.
The TT bike makes things harder than if you just rode with the next RP up! That’s clearly not an optimal solution.
What you really need to make Maria feel like Maroco (the genetic splice of Maeia and Coco, obvs) is a slower road frame and/or slower road wheels. And the wheels are twice as important as the frame.
Or you could copy me and spend a couple of years trying to get strong enough to hold Coco’s wheel for 2 hours. 😂
I rode the A stage with Atomic Cruiser/Tri Spoke combo. It was a soul sucking experience. Would not even recomend to my competition.
Did two events today and won the wheels on the first. Used them on second ride, but couldn’t stay in peloton without pedaling much harder than usual, so stopped and switched to Tron bike. Good to hear they will fix them next patch!
I got these wheels a couple of days ago and fitted them immediately. The look great. Unfortunately they feel like riding through wet concrete. Sadly they’ve now been relegated to the never use pile along with so many ropey jerseys and socks.
Zwift has created a colossal mess with it’s equipment model. The only reason it’s tolerated is because so many serious riders just stick with the Tron bike, which is competitive on every course.
I put these wheels on my safety bike and was pleased to see that the colour adjustment changed the colour of the wheels as well as the bike. Though the effect on the wheels was pretty subtle.
I rode a short 5K cool down ride with Bernie yesterday with the tri-spoke and newly-acquired atomic cruiser for the lulz. I had to put out about 1.8 to 2.0 W/kg just to stay in the pack. For me, not a cool down at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey @Eric Schlange did Zwift give any indication of how fast the wheels are supposed to be? I’m not interested in doing the big spin events but I wouldn’t want to miss out on the wheelset if it’s genuinely fast and would be beneficial to have for races. Thanks
They’re supposed to be a bit slower than the current disc wheels, but faster than most others, I believe.
I’d love if they gave them a gimmick, like making them faster on wood for when the velodrome finally gets released. Otherwise they’re just taking up space in an already overcrowded garage.
Can’t believe people worry about imaginary wheels on an imaginary bike with imaginary results in an imaginary world!
You can’t believe it, but you visit this website about this imaginary world, you read this article about those imaginary wheels, you even read the comments and take the effort to reply. Who are you trying to fool? You are one of us. 😀
Best reply this month.
Who cares about the speed. Style over substance every time. I’m really looking forward to the wheel set with bread ties on the spokes and a lollipop stick on the rear frame for that authentic spoke rattle sound 😆
Are there any updates on this wheelsets performance?
Yup! Read the post linked at the top.