Product news: Many will already know it, but just as many probably don't - Zwift is one of the topics among ambitious cyclists at the moment. The video game brings role training into modern times and the strong community creates training groups from Australia to the USA.
Autumn and winter are a tough time for avid cyclists. Short days, low temperatures, relentless winds and wet roads do not necessarily increase the motivation to get on a bike. Sure, there's always that one buddy in the training group who never tires of emphasizing there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. That may be partly true, but the lashing rain still doesn't become music to the cyclist's ears.
So if you prefer to stay in the warm and, above all, dry four walls, but don't want to do without your regular mileage, you can use one of the now countless roller trainers. These come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, price ranges and volume levels. However, they all have one thing in common: Training on the roller is not really fun with any of them. Okay, here too there are exceptions to the rule, but for the majority of users there are undoubtedly more exciting activities.
Until recently, every roller rider had his own patent recipe for distracting oneself from the tedious cranking during training. Many watch series, others read a book and still others are busy a little more creative. The problem: All these activities make time pass more quickly, but they also distract from the actual activity. Without the necessary focus, you certainly cannot achieve the best values.
Zwift: Let's go to Watopia!
It was something like that for Jon Mayfield. The American worked as a graphic designer for various video games and spent most of his free time on two wheels. It was therefore quite obvious for him to somehow combine his technical know-how and his hobby. As early as 2012, he therefore developed a kind of video game that communicated with his power meter - at that time still for purely private purposes. It was to be the cornerstone of the Zwift success story. Just two years later, he founded the start-up together with Eric Min. We jump to the present: Zwift users are approaching 350.000, people are coming from over 150 countries, pros like Steve Cummings believe it is the greatest bike innovation since the power meter and the end of the road seems far from being reached.
If you haven't heard of Zwift up to this point, you can think of it like World of Warcraft - only without monsters, but with more bikes. Each user has their own virtual avatar, which they control either on the fictional Pacific island of Watopia or on real routes in London and Richmond. Whereby steering is perhaps the wrong expression: Of course, the user does not have to steer - all the more pedaling for it.
However, to make the riding experience as realistic as possible, Zwift should be able to communicate with the trainer and vice versa. This is the only way the virtual incline will make your real thighs burn and the real watts will be converted into virtual km/h. The easiest way to do this is with a so-called smart trainer. However, this solution is quite expensive and therefore not attractive for everyone. Alternatively, Zwift also works with classic roller trainers and a corresponding power or speed meter. However, we will come to the technical requirements in detail later.
Okay, so that's how you pedal from your own dry four walls over virtual hills and mountains on Watopia. That sounds quite interesting, but Zwift draws its special appeal from the fact that it is a multiplayer game: Not every user drives their own copy of Watopia, but all users around the world guide their avatars across the same island. For example, you can meet up with your buddies for a training session after work. Regardless of the daylight, the weather and the respective locations of the users. Public events in the Zwift world also invite you to go on a training trip with other users from all over the world.
Huge community and own events
Technology or training - an offer like Zwift lives above all from its community - and it's booming. On the one hand, this is of course reflected in the number of users: As mentioned, these are around 300.000 worldwide, and by mid-2019 they want to tackle the magic million mark. On the other hand, enthusiasm for Zwift is also evident outside of Watpoia. The Facebook group Zwift Riders Germany has over 2.300 members and is open to newbies and Zwift pros alike. It doesn't matter whether it's news about the platform, joint trips or technical assistance.
The Zwift Tour is also very popular, especially in North America – where most Zwift users live. At the events, Zwift fans and newcomers meet to ride challenges together or against each other. The audience is usually loud and this creates a unique atmosphere. Zwift has also been on the road in Europe since last year - together with partner Wahoo, who provides the appropriate trainers. In November we visited the Zwift x Wahoo Challenge in Munich and were able to see for ourselves.
More and more professionals are also discovering Zwift for themselves
Of course, Zwift is also interesting for professionals of all racing classes. Roller training is an integral part of the training plan here – not just in winter. And who says that there shouldn't be any fun? In this respect, it is not too surprising that numerous professionals frolic on Watopia again and again - the big names include Mark Cavendish, Tom Dumoulin and Michal Kwiatkowski.
More and more triathletes have recently discovered Zwift for themselves: For example, IRONMAN athlete Lionel Sanders completed most of his training for the ordeal in Hawaii on the roller and with Zwift.
Of course, this development has not gone unnoticed by the guys at Zwift either. The Zwift Academy was also born out of this trend: In cooperation with two professional teams, users were offered regular training units over a period of six weeks, which were developed by the team trainers. This year they worked together with the Dimension Data and Canyon//SRAM team.
Technical Requirements: What do I need for Zwift?
Anyone who now wants to try out Zwift needs the appropriate technical equipment. This consists of four basic components:
- A roller trainer (if not integrated, additionally: power meter and/or speed/cadence sensor)
- A bicycle
- A Zwift device. PC and Mac are currently supported, as well as iOS devices and the AppleTV. An Android version is currently being worked on.
- A receiver for the ANT+ / Bluetooth signal from the roller trainer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNTXAkky4qE
For supported hardware and compatibility and setup details, visit the Zwift website. Without a doubt, the best Zwift experience is in combination with a smart trainer and the largest possible display screen. The new Wahoo KICKR Snap offers a fairly affordable start at a price of around €550.
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Monthly cancellable subscription model
Last point: Zwift is constantly evolving. With the increasing number of users, larger and larger servers are needed so that Watopia does not go under on the web. In this respect it is not surprising and also understandable that this service is not free of charge.
Zwift currently costs just under €15 per month as a membership fee. It's not a fortune, but it's not peanuts either. Very good, on the other hand, that the membership can be canceled monthly and you are not tied to it for years. For example, you can afford Zwift for two or three months through the harsh winter and then take a break - if you still want to and have not been infected by the Zwift virus.
If you just want to try Zwift, you can do so with a free 7-day trial subscription.