Yesterday Zwift recorded a new personal best: 10,453 active Zwifters. The previous record was somewhere in the 8,500 range, so our community didnโt just beat our personal best: we smashed it!
It's official: the world's first Virtual Tour de France will be held on Zwift, beginning this weekend.
Here are all the details of this Zwifty celebration of the TdF, including the Virtual lโEtape du Tour open to all Zwifters. Allez allez!
Last Sunday we hit a new high of 28,305, then yesterday we broke the 30k mark for the first time in Zwift's history.
But this morning we blew away our record again - hitting a peak of ~34,940 at precisely 2am PDT, or 9am GMT. Rideโฆ
@GoZwift
@dcrainmakerblog
@zwiftinsider
A comparison of the new
@GoZwift
Ventoux, Alp d'Zwift and the classic Watopia mountain (to the tower) climbs. Ventoux is taking things up a notch or two!
8/7 (I knew that would happen!)
Now when you save or discard your activity on PC or Mac, you're taken back to the home screen where you can choose a new route, join another rider, choose a workout, sign up for an event... or click "Exit" to leave the game.
Get all the details here:
This route is named for the massive climb it contains: Mont Ventoux!
This GPS-accurate model of the world-famous climb is by far the toughest ascent in game, climbing 1480 meters (4857โฒ) from the beginning to end of the timed KOM segment.
Big news! You can now choose between the home world (Watopia) and a rotating "Guest World". (And if you use the world hack, you have access to a THIRD world from the launch screen!)
Zwift's latest update is out, and it's a BIG ONE! Two new maps: France and Paris.
Here are our thoughts on the latest release, virtual TdF rumors, French route badges, and more.
This is big. VERY big.
We take a close look at what what CyclingNews posted today, and what the Tour de France coming to Zwift might mean for our favorite virtual cycling platform.
"Reports of ZwiftHub's death are greatly exaggerated..."
If you're already a ZwiftHub user, just continue using the service like before. And if you've never signed up to use the site's badge tracking features, we'd encourage you to do so!
Today we saw two firsts: our first Peak Zwift on a Saturday (it typically happens on Tuesdays around 11am California time). And our first Peak Zwift over 19k!
Zwift's Pace Partners are probably the most popular feature added to the game in the past couple of years.
And yesterday, Pace Partners began riding new tarmac for the first time ever... because they've been rolled out to the Makuri Islands!
Zwift's latest update just dropped, with new bike frames, 24 new workouts, new May missions, some experimental event modes (boost mode, whaaaat?)... and improved sandbagger controls.
Lots to love here - click for details!
Zwift says the Scotland map includes features not seen anywhere else in game, including "a loopable hill and a dedicated time trial course that will make racing at every level fun."
Here's everything we know about the upcoming Scotland map release:
Hurray! Now any Zwifter can organize truly private rides!
Here are all the details of Zwift's just-released Meetup option which hides all non-Meetup Zwifters from view.
Today's Companion update lets us choose any open Zwift map for our Meetups, and expands the invite limit from 50 to 100. Happy days!
Click for details, including a world hack tip for you route badge seekers - especially those onโฆ
The peak was reached right around 11am Pacific time, which is the traditional day and time for peak traffic on Zwift.
Will it go higher? Yes. Because temporary laws governing outdoor cycling are becoming more restrictive...
Last year on January 8th, 2019 Zwift recorded a new personal best: 13,064 active Zwifters. The previous year's record was somewhere in the 8,500 range.
Today we hit a new high, just confirmed by Zwift HQ: 14,812 concurrent users onโฆ
This update is a big deal, because it includes a brand new world (Makuri Islands) with 8 routes. These are our favorite updates!
The new map contains approximately 27.6km (17.1 miles) of new roads, and around 1/3 of those roads are dirt singletrack.
The cone of shame has never rested on a less deserving head. But it's still pretty funny to think of Zwift telling De Gendt "You missed your calling as a pro cyclist..."
Lots of good stuff in Zwift's latest release: on-road steering, major Meetup enhancements, the return of the rider leader fence, Pace Partners, a new powerup, a new Tarmac... and more!
See all the details here:
Zwift has just rolled out a major change to the game. They've also announced a major change in plans!
Clearly both bits of news are driven by the unprecedented level of users on the platform.
Here are the details
This release's big new feature is the much-anticipated addition of a southern coastal Watopian road. But it also includes refreshed textures and objects throughout Watopia, a new workout startup screen, and other improvements. Let's dive in!
Here's the good news: getting onto the climb is now easy, thanks to regular events appearing on the calendar.
The bad news? While a handful of Zwifters have climbed it in less than an hour, it will take even fairly fit riders 90+ minutes. Ouch!
The peak was reached right around 10am UK time, when astute Zwifter Jon Wakefield snapped this Zwift Companion shot with the highest number seen on the day.
Will we double January's peak numbers?
If your kids are stuck at home due to school closures and/or shelter in place policies, here's a bit of good news: they can have their own Zwift account, free of charge! Here's how it works, including some best practices.
Big news today from Zwift: they've launched Zwift Play, the first dedicated game controllers designed specifically for Zwift.
Let's dig into what the controllers do, why they're needed, how they're set up... and where to get yours today at a discount!
Zwift has just sent out a press release highlighting upcoming game improvements and key events for the spring and summer months (April thru August 2023).
There is muchย to discuss here, so we begin by publishing Zwiftโs full press release...
Want to learn about Zwift's new France map? Here are all the routes, each with detailed info including Strava segments, route profiles, bike recommendations, and much more.
You won't find more detailed route info anywhere! Check it out:
Strava flipped a switch overnight, marking all Zwift segments as private unless they were created by our Zwift Insider account.
They've also removed "Zwift Insider verified" from all the segment names. Hello clean, short segment lists!
Learn more:
"...it feels like once the TdF races are done, there is a big opportunity to focus on elevating the core platform to a higher standard."
Zwifter and tech project manager James Eastwood shares his wishlist, "a list of refinements rather than revolution."
The Zwift racing community has been abuzz since last Wednesday when James Hodges, the programmer behind ZwiftPower, walked away from the project and posted "thanks for all the fish".
Learn what's happening between ZwiftPower and Zwift:
This week Zwift shared teaser details of the next expansion planned for the platform. Named "Neokyo", this is a very urban addition to the Makuri Islands map. And it's slated to launch in November!
Get a sneak peak here:
After 14 weeks, Monica has completed her challenge of riding all of Zwift's routes!
In this wrapup she summarizes her stats (143 pizza slices, 21,980 Ride Ons?!), reflects on learnings, and talks about what's coming up next.
It's here! This desert-themed "Fuego Flats" expansion is visually striking with beautiful scenery and eye-popping man-made features. This is the place for flat, fast TT efforts!
See all the details here...
43,182 Zwifters finished stage 1... which is like 245 Tour de France pelotons riding together! Click to read more fun stats from Zwift's biggest-ever stage event.
Former pro rider Adrian Timmis shares his experience vEveresting Alpe du Zwift with 8 sub 1-hour climbs.
An impressive feat, especially considering he did it unplanned and at 55 years of age!
Many Zwifters who've never climbed Alpe du Zwift ask the same question: how long will it take me?
Luckily, ZwiftPower has built up a history of Alpe du Zwift segment times, so you can see what sort of time you can expect! Here's how it works.
Zwift's design team has been hard at work creating an updated UI, and at a recent media event they shared details of the redesigned homescreen.
Here's a peek at what Zwift will be releasing in the coming months...
The FutureWorks Pace Partners are riding! 4 bots, 4 paces.
When you click to join a bot it's just like joining a friend who is already riding โ and you can ride with them as long as youโd like.
Learn more:
Rumors of a new Zwift world have been swirling for weeks, and we're seeing our first glimpses of the new map via some social leaks.
Here are a few images and one video showing the new world... plus everything else we could find andโฆ
Zwift racing has become a discipline in itself, where 1000โs of the worldโs cyclists compete daily. If you arenโt familiar with it, here are 5 tips to get you started:
John Walkley is currently 1,535km into the longest Zwift ride of his life.
He's doing it to help the Children's Hospital at Stoke continue their great work in lifting children's spirits through play. Learn more:
According to Jordan Rapp at ZwiftHQ, a four-pronged approach will soon be implemented to persuade Zwifters to enter the proper race category.
Here's everything we know (and don't know!) about this highly-anticipated game update:
Learn more about Rachael Elliot: what happened the day of her stroke while Zwifting, her recovery/prognosis outlook, how the Zwift community's support has helped and what we can do to participate in fundraising efforts.
Use our schedule to progressively build fitness while conquering every Zwift route in 55 rides. It's beginner friendly, flexible, and can be complete in 90 days or less!
There's lots to love in today's Zwift update! New dirt-specific bikes, the Crit City map, more route achievement badges, added flexible training plans, new December mission(s)... hurray!
The Watopia map has been updated, and it's our most visually-stunning version yet!
Download/print the free PDF, or support Zwift Insider by pre-ordering a poster. Enjoy!
If you're an AppleTV user looking to watch TV while Zwifting, AppleTV's picture-in-picture mode may be just what you're looking for!
Our favorite Lama from down under recently posted a quick tip explaining how it works:
Zwift has leaked images and hypothetical specs and pricing for their first smart trainer/smartbike. And they look good!
We dig into details, including some insider info from sources within Zwift.
Beautiful desert views, flat roads, and a new starting pen. Lots of changes around the corner in Watopia!
Learn about the upcoming expansion's location, landscape and more.
This week's Zwift update includes a massive set of changes to rider levels, Drop Shop pricing/unlocks, and the ways in which XP and Drops are earned.
Get the high-level summary and dig into the details if you'd like:
The 5-stage tour begins March 6! With double XP on tap, powerups doubled in duration, and a fresh kit to earn, you can bet Zwifters will be putting in the work to complete stages, earn points, and level up.
Get all the details:
Yesterday's Peak Zwift surprised some of us, since it was on a Monday and fairly early in January. But today's new peak is less surprising, since Tuesdays are when Peak Zwift often happens.
Zwift believes that larger racing fields make for a better race experience, so they are looking to remove low-participation events from the public calendar.
How will this work, and what could be done to improve/automate the process?
This is massive news with implications across all facets of Zwift, including its budding hardware business.
Read the full text of Zwift's press release:
Today, Zwift has announced the initial rollout of the Clubs feature under its FutureWorks label.
What does the functionality look like now - and what might it look like down the road? Let's dig in!
If single isn't your speed, Zwift's new matchmaking service may be just what you're looking for.
Zwift's press release claims Tandem "matches eligible Zwifters with startling accuracy while providing a safe virtual hangout space."
If you've been on Zwift today you probably noticed that Christmas is in the air.
Santa isn't flying around Watopia yet like he did last year, but the trees are decorated with lights, and many riders are sporting an Ugly Christmasโฆ
Shout out to
@GoZwift
's event team. There were some challenges getting events managed when COVID first hit, but the team is performing beautifully lately. All of the event change requests we've seen have been handled within a few hours, complete with a friendly reply.
Ride on!
Zwift CEO Eric Min has traditionally posted a Strava "teaser" ride just prior to the launch of new routes, and he's just done it again.
The new roads will be a feast for the eyes, and a burner for the legs in a race!
Today's update includes welcome changes to Meetup messaging, a training plan just for eRacing, a new ramp test, weight changes for minor accounts, the new steamroller powerup, more bike choice options for events, and a pile of bug fixes. Click for details!
Today Zwift released details of their new Scotland map, a purpose-built world that Zwift calls "your racing playground".
Learn all about the new routes, some Easter Eggs, a new road surface launched in Scotland... and more!
Lowered level locks for the Jungle and Alpe, Birthday and Gender profile locks, two new bike frames, the return of the fence... and (maybe) some other stuff. Big stuff!
Read all about Zwift's latest update here:
Who knew the Elite Sterzo Smart lets you โsteer in compatible training programs like Stravaโ?
Between this and the MP1 recommendation above it weโre wondering if the good folks at
@pelotonmagazine
do any indoor training at all! ๐
An 8-stage, 40-day tour that covers more routes than any Zwift event to date!
This year's TdZ is all about embarking on the journey. A "Tour de Zwift Passport" will allow us to collect stamps by traveling to one or more destinations in each stage...
Indoor training poses a threat to your bike in two ways: wheel strain and sweat corrosion.
Love your bike, and it'll love you back! Here's our exhaustive set of tips to prevent bike damage during Zwift riding:
Zwift has been teasing Neokyo's release for a few of weeks now. And today, CEO Eric Min posted a teaser ride to Strava, which means the map's release is imminent!
Let's look at what we know about Neokyo, plus a guess on the (newly-revised) release date:
Yesterday's Zwift update appears to have affected ERG mode for some PC-based Zwifters, resulting in Zwift not controlling your trainer resistance as it should in ERG.
Here's the one reliable fix we've found:
Today's update includes the much-anticipated new Neokyo map!
It also includes a couple of Drop Shop additions, and some much-needed bug fixes. Here are the details...
Zwift has just announced a partnership with INEOS Grenadiers, bringing you a training camp this January-March. Join Tour de France Winners, Olympic and World Champions, and benefit from world-class coaching in this 12-event series!
Get the details:
"Peak Zwift" is one of many metrics used to track how active and large the Zwift community is, and traditionally it happens each year around mid-January. Usually on a Tuesday, around 11am Pacific time.
But 2021's first Peak Zwift happened today...Monday!
So unhappy to hear that
@TeamYouTube
has terminated
@gplama
's YouTube account with no reasons or recourse. Such a terrible way to treat someone who has done nothing but contribute quality cycling-related videos. Fix your mistake, YouTube!
Did you know there are badges and XP awarded for multi-lap Volcano Circuit efforts, and newer Zwifters can use these achievements to jump several levels in one ride?
Get all the facts, including little-known details about how theseโฆ
Zwift has announced that Personalized Leaderboards are coming to the Zwift Companion app in February 2023, allowing Zwifters to see and analyze their times on Zwift segments.
See the details of this feature (and what's planned next!) here:
@chloedygert30
@JimMiller_time
You were killing it, and we were cheering for you during a Zwift ride. Heal up and get back out there... weโre pulling for ya!
First launched in 2019, Tour de Zwift has become the biggest annual tour on the platform - a celebration of discovery across all Zwift worlds.
Beginning January 10, this year's TdZ consists of 8 stages on a variety of routes.
Get all the ride details: