The world of cycling has changed drastically over the past decade, and it continues to evolve at an incredible rate. For many of us, it used to be slogging it out on the roads and trails in winter and summer, enjoying the long early morning rides before the world awoke. In modern times, indoor cycling has changed everything.
With high-tech bikes and turbo trainers, we no longer have to ride outside but can enjoy the miles indoors in a virtual world. It sounds completely nuts, but it’s the future, and embracing it has many advantages. We often get asked, “What Is Zwift, And How Does It Work?” In this article, we will discuss the following:
- Advantages Of Indoor Cycling
- What Is Zwift?
- How Much Does Zwift Cost?
- What Do You Need For Zwift?
- How Does Zwift Work?
- Exploring The Zwift World
Advantages Of Indoor Cycling
Before we start, it’s good to understand the advantages of riding indoors, as there are so many of them. Here’s everything you need to know.
Structured Training
The first thing to mention is just how structured the training is indoors. Not only can you consistently monitor your heart rate and power on a lot of devices, but you can also have it automatically change the resistance on the bike. There’s also no traffic interrupting you inside compared to outside.
Racing
Racing outdoors is challenging and something which is great to experience. There’s a lot of hassle getting to events and having to pay a license, etc. Online racing is a great way of getting competitive without the pressure of traveling to places or getting a license.
Safety
Another big factor when it comes to riding indoors is safety. In many countries, winter is darker, conditions are much worse, and traffic can get a bit brutal. Many riders turn to cycling indoors for extra safety.
Performance Tracking
Another great reason to use Zwift is you can easily track performance. With data such as power and heart rate, you can easily see how you are improving over time with your training. This is great, especially if you are taking a long program over winter.
What Is Zwift?
Now for the exciting part, let’s start discussing Zwift. Zwift is an online cycling world you can access by using a bike and a turbo trainer or a smart bike. It takes you to a land where cycling is everything, and you can train and race with people worldwide.
It’s a training platform where you can do workouts from experts or make your own workout to challenge yourself when it comes to certain goals. There are even 12-week programs to enjoy, and it’s a surefire way to get fitter and stronger.
Another big part of Zwift is online racing. This is where you can go into competitions with other cyclists who have a similar power to you and race them on online courses. You quite often see professionals here, and it’s not rare to see prizes and money won.
Suppose you don’t want structured training or a race, but you can also just freeride in the world. So when you hit a hit, the resistance increases, and when you go downhill, it decreases. You have to ride a bike indoors just like you would have to outdoors.
How Much Does Zwift Cost?
Zwift requires a paid subscription. This typically costs around $15 a month at the time we are writing this article. Although it might sound like an extra thing to pay for, it is great value for money. It’s a lot better than other free apps, and they are big into investing money back into the platform.
What Do You Need For Zwift?
Surprisingly, there’s not much you need for Zwift, and joining the online community is much easier than you might think. Here are the essentials and the accessories where you can improve the experience.
Essential
- Smart Device (Mobile Phone, Tablet, Laptop, etc)
- Turbo Trainer or Smart Bike
- Bike (If not using a smart bike)
- Zwift Subscription
Optional
- Heart Rate Monitor
- Fan
- Floor Mat
- Climbing Simulator
- Zwift Controller
How Does Zwift Work?
So how does Zwift work? Well, firstly, we need to think about setting Zwift up, and then we will go in-depth into how it helps structure your training and make a race fair.
Setting Up Zwift
Step One: Setup The Trainer
Firstly, you will need to set the trainer up. You can either get a Turbo Trainer and put your own bike into it, or you can get a Smart Bike such as the Zwift Bike.
Step Two: Connect To Zwift
Next, we take a tablet or a smart device such as a laptop or a phone and then connect it to the trainer. Once connected, you will then want to add any other devices, such as heart rate monitors or even climbing towers, to simulate going up and downhill.
Step Three: Start Riding
Next, you just need to start riding. So you can pick a workout, race, or just freeride and then get straight into the action in an online community. It’s that simple, and when you’re done, you can look at the stats and enjoy watching yourself get faster and stronger.
Exploring The Zwift World
The Zwift world is a wonderful place surrounded by crazy and wonderful things. You will go through many different terrains and enjoy some very interesting sites to see. There’s not just one world to explore. There are many. Here are a few of the locations.
Watopia
The most popular world is Watopia. It has big mountains to climb, such as Alp du Zwift volcanoes, jungles, and even deserts. It is a good place to ride in a mixed terrain.
London
London is a smaller world than Watopia but still offers great terrain, such as the Box Hill Climb, and sights like Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and the Mall.
New York
It is set in a futuristic New York with a wide city skyline. Combines elevated glass roads with natural beauty and short and punchy climbs.
Innsbruck
Innsbruck is based on the 2018 UCI Road World Championships. It is ideal for climbers and also features some flat and fast sections.
Richmond
Made after the 2015 UCI Road World Championship. There are famous cobbled sections and short, intense, punchy routes to enjoy.
Makuri Islands
A fictional world inspired by East Asian landscapes. Featuring bamboo forests and small villages with lots of lush greenery.
France
France was made as a Zwift world and is based on routes from the famous Tour De France. It has the Ven-Top climb and lots of other hilly and flat areas.
Paris
Finally, we have Paris, a small but very cool world with places like the Champs-Élysées. Short high paced riding is done here.
Zwift: A Final Note
Zwift is an incredible platform where you have the ability to keep entertained while training indoors and make the training count. We highly recommend investing in a setup and spending the time enjoying riding in a different environment.
