We’ve also selected videos about improving your Zwift experience, the top bikes on Zwift, a beginner’s first race, and a Zwift race breakdown.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand but reside in Melbourne, Australia.

How did you get into cycling? My intro to cycling was through triathlon. I met my husband, and he raced Ironman.  At the time I did some running for fitness, was an ex-competitive swimmer but had never ridden a bike.  He suggested I jump on a bike and give a sprint triathlon a go and from there my love of cycling and triathlon began. 

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? Actually, not that many.  It was only in 2021 that I really started to explore Zwift racing.  Living in Melbourne, Australia through COVID we had one of the harshest/longest lock-down periods across the globe (and were not allowed to go more than a 5km radius from home) and it was over that time that I really got into Zwift racing.  At the time I was still training for world championship triathlon events and used Zwift racing in my preparations but also just to really push myself and have fun during what was a challenging time.

Are you part of a Virtual team? Yep! I am part of BL13.  Last season was my first season racing for a team.  I had so much fun, and the team was so welcoming and supportive.  Although I love to race and work hard on the bike, I have enjoyed having some experienced Zwift racers around me to offer tips and tricks.

What do you love most about racing? I love pushing myself and getting the best out of myself IRL and in virtual racing.  Particularly in a team racing environment as you aren’t only racing for yourself but for the success of a team.  Triathlon is a very individual sport, so I have really enjoyed the team element of Zwift racing. Being an endurance athlete, I have also really enjoyed developing my top-end power – this is tough! Being an endurance athlete, I am well used to dialing in Z3 power for 180km, but developing my top end power has been challenging, which is why I have also enjoyed it and love seeing improvements and working on something new and different.  

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? I do prefer a traditional scratch style or points race. The points races have been the most challenging for me – learning to sprint and recover quick enough but that’s part of the challenge and why I have learnt to love them. A iTT is much more similar to my triathlon-style racing, so I enjoy mixing things up when it comes to Zwift racing and working on my lesser-developed skills.

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside, outside or both? The Ironman World Champs in St. George in 2022 was a great experience – being on the Zwift Academy Triathlon team was an awesome experience but the race was also very memorable as I was able to overcome 2x punctures on the bike to become an AG Ironman World Champion.  Backing this up in Kona 2023 and becoming 2x Ironman World Champion was also top of the most memorable list.

What is your favourite food to eat post-race? Guilty post-race pleasure is the one and only golden arches.  Can’t go past a cheeseburger, chocolate thick shake and some salty fries with sweet and sour sauce.

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? There are so many great race series with a great community behind them. Jump in and get involved and ask questions… there are so many people willing to offer help and advice.  I would suggest joining a virtual team as this gives you access to a great support network.  Although I had a lot of IRL race experience when I joined BL13, I was very green on the virtual racing side of things, and it was so great to have plenty of teammates on hand to learn from and help develop my virtual racing skills.  It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be an elite-level cyclist to get involved in virtual racing – there is something for everyone.

Any upcoming races you are looking forward to? I can’t wait to get involved in the ZRL race season again – I’ll be taking part once the AUS time zone changes over.  I’m also hoping to give the Zwift World Series racing a crack from round 3 if I can nab a qualification spot. IRL I have the Ironman 70.3 World Champs coming up in December so full focus will be on that, and I love incorporating some hard Zwift racing and workouts into my build – so see you online!

Where can people follow your racing adventures? Insta – @vanmurraytri Strava – https://strava.app.link/YfNftE220Mb

Also included in this week’s top picks are videos about Zwift racing and new Zwift setups.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Related: Elite Community Racing Calendar Announced for Zwift’s 2024-25 Season >

But all of the planned elite racing went into limbo on December 3, when Zwift’s Director of Racing Sean Parry sent an email to all elite racers informing them of a pause to the Zwift World Series schedule.

The pause was due to concerns over the accuracy of smart trainer power readings, and it came just after elite riders had finished the qualification race for ZWS race #4.

For the full picture, including elite race schedule changes, I’ve included the original email from Sean below, as well as a follow-up he sent two days later:

Firmware Updates Incoming

First, it’s important that we put the pitchforks away. Or at least, don’t point them at the racers! While cheating in high-level cycling esports is always a concern, Zwift has been very clear in communicating that the hardware inaccuracies aren’t from riders intentionally trying to create an advantage by somehow miscalibrating or artificially increasing smart trainer power numbers. Rather, particular trainer models are reading high in specific “edge case” scenarios – particularly high-torque, low-cadence efforts found on steep climbs.

To ensure maximum fairness via reliable power data, the Zwift World Series Ruleset has a very short list of approved trainers:

• Tacx: Neo 2, Neo 2T, Neo 3M, Neo Bike
• Wahoo: Kickr v5, Kickr v6, Kickr Move, Kickr Bike v1, Kickr Bike v2, Kickr Bike Shift
• Elite: Justo, Justo 2

Based on Zwift’s emails and other sources, it seems that from the list above, only a few trainers from Wahoo and Elite are in question. Recent race annulments appear to be tied to Wahoo’s KICKR v6, KICKR Move, and KICKR v5 trainers as well as Elite’s Justo and Justo 2 trainers.

We haven’t heard anything from Elite on this topic, but Wahoo issued a statement detailing their firmware update plans, saying, “Zwift have been in communication with all the relevant hardware manufacturers and Wahoo is one of these. We have worked quickly on a fix for elite indoor riders competing in events over the coming month – this is now available for KICKR V6 and KICKR MOVE, we expect a fast follow for those KICKR V5. There will be a full rollout to all Wahoo users in early January 2025.”

Leading From the Front

The decision to pause the elite portion of their flagship race series was certainly not an easy one on Zwift’s part. But with so much on the line – athlete reputations, cash prizes, even the viability of indoor cycling as a high-level discipline – it feels like the responsible call. It may damage Zwift’s reputation in the eyes of some, but it helps ensure a bright future for a cycling discipline still in its infancy.

Apart from Zwift, perhaps it’s time for other organizations to step up and push accuracy standards forward as well. This includes trainer manufacturers primarily, but the industry also needs a neutral third party to test and certify trainers. (The UCI, incidentally, has been talking about doing just that in collaboration with Purdue University’s Engineering department for almost a year now. See their test rig mockup below.)

Trainer accuracy standards and specifications to date have been a bit of a “wild west” affair, with a lack of consistent testing and metrics across the industry. A trusted, neutral, third-party test/certification could go a long way toward ensuring accuracy and building trust in cycling esports race performances.

Until that happens, dual recording and subsequent performance verification will remain the standard in high-level indoor bike racing, and racers will need to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring their smart trainers and power meters are reading accurately in high-demand race situations.

Questions or Comments

Did Zwift make the right call in pausing their World Series? How concerned are you about trainer accuracy in Zwift racing? Share your thoughts below!

Hometown: Glenview, Illinois, USA

How did you get into cycling? I have always loved riding my bike, but it was when my husband surprised me with a road bike in 2015 that I really got into cycling – including training and racing – and haven’t stopped since! I started riding in Zwift in that same year. Watopia was the only map available at the time; it had only one 9.1km route, known today as the “Hilly Route”. I used to bump into Eric Min quite often as the route was so short and it had very few riders. As my love for cycling grew, I eventually “retired” from my career in Consulting and started my own coaching business, www.360velo.com

How many years have you been racing on Zwift? About 7 years! I started racing in Zwift when pens did not even exist, back in 2016-2017. I was a member of Team ODZ at the time, and we organized the ODivaZ race, one of the very first women-only races in Zwift. I also participated in the CVR World Cup, a live Zwift event in the Paris Velodrome in September 2017, where I got to meet many of my Zwift friends in person. From there, I’ve participated in various women’s race series, Zwift Pro/AM, and USA Cycling sanctioned events, including Esports Nationals. 

Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes, I am a member of the Revolution Velo Racing team (REVO) and absolutely love it. It is a women’s team and everyone is very supportive of one another. It’s not only about racing, it’s also about having fun. I race and lead social rides for REVO.

What do you love most about racing?  The friendships and support from teammates, and the challenge of pushing myself beyond my perceived physical and mental limitations. 

What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? Points and scratch races are my favorite because they provide more opportunities for tactics. As a punchy rider, I also prefer the races with lots of variations in speed and power. The Crit races with steering are loads of fun also.

What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? Tour de Boudicca

What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH? Outside was the 2021 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. It was freezing, there was ice on the course and the course itself was way above my skill level. I had a great start but after falling a few times, my shifting was broken and I made the mistake of trying to finish the race anyway… which resulted in me breaking my leg. It was memorable because there were so many lessons learned from before, during, and after the race. Inside was the 2024 USA Cycling Esports National Championships. I never went so deep during a race, and it showed me how our minds play such a pivotal role in our performance. My heart rate was between 185-195 bpm for the entire second half of the race (25 minutes). I overcame nausea and dizziness and got the win. 

What is your favourite food to eat post race? Rice pudding mixed with whey protein powder and maple syrup. I know it’s unusual, but it tastes amazing to me and packs the carbs and protein I need for recovery.

What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Have a learner’s mindset: go in with the goal of learning about yourself as a racer (physically and mentally) and the racing itself. Don’t focus on results or others. Rather, focus on discovering the elements that will make you a better racer as you continue to participate in races. Racing in Zwift is as low risk as it gets in competitive cycling, and as such, it is the perfect environment to try new things, push yourself, and have fun. So many racers are worried about what others will think of them, when in reality everyone is just thinking about themselves. 

Any upcoming race you are looking forward to?  The fall/winter Zwift Racing League and the USA Cycling Esports Nationals again in January!

It’s About Participation Levels

Zwift’s announcement says, “We are taking action now in order to ensure that all races on the platform have adequate participation and provide a great racing experience for all involved.” In talking to contacts within Zwift, that statement nicely summarizes their reasons for culling some events from the calendar.

Back in 2022, when Zwift first looked at removing races from the calendar, they shared this interesting bit of info which is still true today:

Detailed analysis of all racing events demonstrates a very clear correlation between the number of participants in an event/subgroup and the percentage of starters that go on to complete the race – (finishing %s are one of our clearest measures of race quality) -. This correlation is not surprising – we know that in smaller races and/or subgroups it’s more likely that you’ll end up alone and you’ll be less likely to finish the race. This is also supported by a range of qualitative feedback we receive.

Racers know intuitively that most events need a sort of “critical mass” if the experience is going to be a fun one. How many riders are needed in order to make it fun? Opinion will vary, but I’d say you need at least 10 riders in your category, and even more as the race grows longer or the course more hilly.

Zwift has come up with their own criteria for participation to decide which events are removed from the public calendar. They looked at participation numbers for the month of November 2024 and required events to hit particular targets:

• For most racing events, less than 30 participants on average per week
• For hill climb and time trial events, less than 20 participants on average per week

By the Numbers

Zwift says approximately 240 weekly community race events will be moved to their respective clubs in this cleanup, while all Zwift-owned TT and Hill Climb events will also be removed (approximately 70 per week).

With around 1200 weekly race events scheduled in recent weeks, that means we’ll seeing an overall reduction in race events of approximately 25%.

Public to Private

Events that don’t meet the minimum participation requirements will be moved from the public calendar to the host club’s private calendar, meaning they will still exist and continue repeating each week, but you must be a member of the club to see the event in your Companion app schedule.

If you’re a race organizer who is wondering if this move impacts your events, check your email. Zwift’s James Bailey has contacted any impacted racing organizers directly.

Target Date

Zwift says they are “aiming to complete these changes by 16th December.”

Getting Back On the Calendar

Having your event moved to your club’s private calendar isn’t necessarily the end of the line for your race. The event could return to the public calendar if you’re able to boost participation levels.

Zwift says, “If any of these events subsequently achieve the criteria (for a minimum of three weeks in a row), we will be happy to reinstate the specific event(s) to the public calendar.”

It sounds like Zwift will be more strategic moving forward when it comes to considering new event requests. James Bailey says, “Going forward we will start to manage the public racing calendar much more actively and will carefully consider any new event requests with respect to the current volume of events, activity on the platform and other factors at the relevant time of day. The criteria outlined above will also apply to new events, which will undergo a trial period. Should you wish to create any new events please continue to contact me directly, and we can discuss your request in the context of the above.”

Concluding Thoughts

I, for one, welcome this move from Zwift. I think most racers will, too, because there have been too many poorly maintained and/or poorly attended races on the calendar for far too long.

When you have 10 races scheduled near the top of each hour instead of 3-5, some riders will inevitably sign up for races with poor participation numbers, and the experience for those riders will be degraded. It’s not always easy to figure out which race(s) will be getting large enough fields when you’re browsing events a few hours (or days) out.

Here’s an interesting stat: sources within Zwift tell me that the majority of riders sign up for races within 24 minutes of the event. That means you can’t be sure of how much participation a race will have until the final minutes leading into the event. Therefore, Zwift needs to be even more careful to curate their race calendar so riders know when they sign up for an event, they’ll have a great experience racing against a competitive field.

Questions or Comments?

What do you think of Zwift’s move to clean up the race calendar? Share below!

There’s much to discuss, including a route we’ve never raced plus bike choice, powerup locations, and strategic approaches. Let’s go!

Looking at the Route: Tair Dringfa Fechan

If Watopia’s Tair Dringfa Fechan isn’t familiar to you, you’re not alone. This is just the second route ever added to the game as the result of a design contest. Racer Bryan Culliford (CLS) came up with it, and Zwifters voted it as their favorite from a narrowed-down list of candidates.

The route is 32.1km long, with 375m of total elevation:

This is just a scratch race, so while some intermediate portions will be important, in the end all that matters is your finishing position. Here are the key sections of the route:

Climb Up Base of Epic KOM @4.6-6.4km: the first and biggest climb of the race. This one starts quite steep, then turns into a steady 2-3% grade over the bridge Zwifter Rob Bane aptly labeled “The Bridge of Fading Watts.” The elastic will snap for some here, although they may be able to chase back on during the 4km descent that follows.

JWB Sprint banner @14.4km gives all riders a feather powerup. This is best saved for the Hilly KOM just up the road.

Hilly KOM @15.2-16.5: our next key climb section is one we haven’t raced before. You begin by going up the base of the Hilly KOM Reverse, but then take the cutoff road over to the Hilly KOM forward and climb the second half of that pitch up to the arch. We’ll all get anvil powerups at the top, and these are probably best used on the descent immediately following.

Volcano arch @22.8km gives all riders a draft boost powerup. Use this in the pack to grab extra recovery before reaching the lap arch in downtown Watopia.

Lap arch at @25.3km gives all riders a feather powerup. You’ll want to save this feather for use on the finishing climb!

Lead-In to the Finish @26.5-30.5km: once you turn left onto the desert road, you’ll be (mostly) climbing for the next 4km. Attacking here probably isn’t the wise move for most riders, but sitting in the wheels well-positioned and conserving for that final KOM is.

Titans Grove KOM Reverse @31.2km: this race features an uphill finish, and the climb will take most riders 80-120 seconds to complete. Pace yourself accordingly, and know that sitting in the wheels, especially near the bottom where speeds are still decently high, will save you a few watts.

Read more about the Tair Dringfa Fechan route >

PowerUp Notes

Riders will receive powerups at each arch, as noted above, for a total of 4 powerup opportunities. Specific powerups will be given at specific arches, and they have been chosen so they’re particularly useful on the roads just ahead. Here’s more info about how each powerup works.

Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 30 seconds. Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. With key climbs in this race, including the finish, the feather is a very useful powerup.

Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 40 seconds. Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) Use this for recovery in the group on flats and descents. It will even give you an advantage when drafting on slacker climbs at race speed!

Anvil: makes you heavier for up to 15 seconds, so you can descend faster. The amount of weight added is based on a percentage of your body weight, and that percentage increases as riders get lighter. It won’t hurt you, as it only adds weight when the road is at a -1.5% decline or greater. Use this on downhills. Pair it with a supertuck to go extra fast with zero effort!

Bike Frame + Wheel Choice

This route is rolling in profile, which means a pure climbing rig will cost you more than it’ll help. Lots of different setups will perform similarly on the rolling hills, but the question many should ask is “What will help me most on three climbs?”

I ran a few tests at 5 w/kg on the Epic KOM climb – the first and largest climb of the race. I had to use Strava for times, which means they were rounded to the nearest second, which is a painful loss of precision. That said, the “aero-all-arounders” seem like the best choice:

• Pinarello Dogma 2024 + DT Swiss Disc: 4:14
• Pinarello Dogma 2024 + ENVE 7.8: 4:14
• Tron: 4:15
• Specialized Aethos + Lightweight Meilenstein: 4:15
• Specialized Venge S-Works + DT Swiss Disc: 4:16

I wouldn’t go with a straight climbing bike, but I also wouldn’t go with the most aero rig, given the uphill finish. Here are our top picks:

See Speed Tests: Tron Bike vs Top Performers (Scatter Plot) for more nerd-level detail on frame and wheel performance.

More Route Recons

Lots of recon events are scheduled on upcoming ZRL routes, led by various teams. See upcoming ZRL recons for this race at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

Zwifty Zwifter

Race recon notes >

John Rice

The Syco-List

J Dirom

Strategic Options

With its three key climbs, this route as a scratch race has all the makings of a classic attritional Zwift battle. Make no mistake: the strongest riders will attack hard when the road tilts upward, and the pack will be whittled down significantly by the time you reach the base of the Titans Grove KOM Reverse.

That finishing climb will be an all-out slugfest. Save your feathers.

One last bit of advice: if you find yourself off the back over the top of a climb, don’t give up hope. You may just be able to chase back on. Find a friendly wheel, put in some work, and see if you can close gaps to riders ahead. Because everyone will be hurting at that point, and riders ahead may sit up, knowing they can beat you on the final climb. (And while that may be true, sitting in the front group’s draft will position you better than riding alone then getting caught by the slower chase group…)

As always, the win will go to the team who plays their cards best.

Your Thoughts

Any insights or further thoughts on this race? Share below!