How To Set Up Zwift Companion
Zwift is an online cycling game and training programme that enables users to ride, train and compete in a virtual earth.
Aimed at eliminating the excruciating boredom of simply sitting on the trainer and staring at the wall, Zwift has exploded in popularity since its release in 2022.
Indoor cycling is all the rage at the moment. It seems like every cycling brand now has something to offer this burgeoning market, with contempo releases including indoor bikes from Wahoo, Stages and SRM, and indoor-specific cycling kit from Madison and Le Col.
At that place are a number of different indoor cycling apps available, but Zwift is arguably the most fully featured, and nigh certainly the almost pop – reports suggest that more than half a 1000000 people have signed up for an account so far.
Zwift
More than and more features are continuously being added to Zwift, which is mostly great because it brings a lot of value to an already impressive package. But it can also make knowing how and where to start quite daunting.
There'due south no need to worry though. We've done a mountain of enquiry and take put together a comprehensive guide to the virtual grooming and racing platform. Hither's everything you demand to know about Zwift.
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What is Zwift?
Zwift is an online, interactive training and racing platform. Your pedalling on a trainer drives your avatar around a virtual grade. The harder you pedal, the faster you become.
Zwift has 9 unlike worlds (more on these later), and within each you can navigate the roads as you go.
You can ride with thousands of other riders inside Zwift. Yous tin can join group rides and races – and even get a draft from other riders – or just bring together the world and jump on with other riders when you want to. You tin also do structured power-based workouts.
It features a multitude of gamified elements that encourage you to ride longer and harder, with the goal of increasing your fitness. Zwift's catchphrase is 'Fun is fast'.
Of course, if that doesn't sound similar your cup of tea, there are many other not bad apps to try, such as RGT Cycling, Wahoo Systm, TrainerRoad and Rouvy.
How does Zwift work?
Zwift
Zwift takes the input from your bike – either via a power meter, a smart trainer or only a speed/cadency sensor using ANT+ or Bluetooth – and uses an algorithm to interpret your input data into your avatar's speed on the virtual grade.
It takes into business relationship your weight, your power or calculated power, the road gradient and the draft, or lack thereof, from other riders.
You tin use Zwift on a reckoner (PC or Mac), an iPhone, an iPad or an Android smartphone or tablet.
Zwift is now besides compatible with Apple TV, so if you've got one of those (and your partner/roommate doesn't mind), yous can ready yourself up right in front end of the Goggle box.
How much does Zwift cost?
Initially, it's costless; though long term, sadly not.
You tin get a gratuitous seven-day trial if yous register for a Zwift account online, simply afterward your trial period ends it costs £12.99 / $14.99 per month to go along using it.
What equipment do I need to use Zwift?
The basic listing of equipment you lot demand is:
- A bike (or smart bike)
- A trainer or a set of rollers
- An ANT+ or Bluetooth measurement tool: a power meter, smart trainer or speed/cadence sensor
- A reckoner, smartphone or tablet with Bluetooth or Pismire+ (or an ANT+ USB dongle)
Zwift
As the main source of input data for the virtual globe, the Emmet+ or Bluetooth measurement tool you use is really the key slice of equipment (after your cycle, evidently).
If you lot're really committed to your indoor grooming (and have the required cash lying around), and then you tin can become a defended indoor bike.
Loftier-end smart bikes such as the Stages Cyling SB20, Wattbike Atom and Wahoo Kickr Bicycle, offer fully integrated indoor preparation solutions for those looking to clasp every final watt out of their virtual training and racing sessions.
Zwift will utilize the data from your power meter to summate your in-game speed
A smart trainer is the next option. Like an indoor smart bike, a smart trainer will measure your power directly and transmit that data straight to Zwift.
Beyond but measuring power, smart trainers are besides able to simulate class gradients – irresolute the resistance according to the slope – and can be controlled by Zwift in Conditioning mode to make sure you're hitting the prescribed wattages of a training session (again, more than on this afterwards).
Smart trainers still aren't cheap, but prices take come downward in recent years every bit the market has become more than competitive. If you want to know how to get the most out of Zwift on a budget, be certain to check out our guide.
Simon von Bromley / Immediate Media
If you have a power meter, yous can brand exercise with whatsoever kind of trainer or rollers. Zwift will use the information from your power meter to calculate your in-game speed, but obviously yous'll miss out on simulated gradients and controlled Workouts that come with using an indoor preparation bike or smart trainer.
A speed/cadence sensor is the well-nigh bones option and allows y'all to use your regular bike (with no ability meter) attached to a conventional trainer. Zwift volition so crunch the numbers to estimate your power. Information technology'south not the well-nigh accurate or realistic option, of course, but information technology does accept one major advantage: it's the cheapest way to go started on Zwift.
For more than on this topic, bank check out our guide to the best Zwift setups for every rider.
Zwift
How practise I get started on Zwift?
Kickoff, you need to sign upwards for an business relationship.
Using your Mac or PC, you can do information technology online on the Zwift website. On a tablet or smartphone, you tin download the Zwift app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and sign up through that.
Y'all can sign up for a subscription (£12.99 / $14.99 per month) directly away or start a free seven-day trial.
If you're using a figurer or Apple Television receiver for Zwift, nosotros also recommend downloading the Zwift Companion app from the App Store or Google Play. This app puts a number of convenient features at your fingertips, such as changing the direction of your avatar and messaging other Zwifters.
The Companion app is likewise a great way of exploring and signing up for the many events that Zwift offers – such as group rides, group workouts and races.
In one case that'south all fix up, and you have the app running, you lot need to pair your devices. These should appear on screen as clickable options in one case you've woken them upwards.
Adjacent, you just choose which world you want to ride in.
What courses can I ride on Zwift?
There are currently nine dissimilar worlds in regular utilise on Zwift:
- Watopia
- France
- Innsbruck
- London
- Makuri Islands
- New York
- Paris
- Richmond
- Yorkshire
Zwift
Each of these worlds has a number of preset courses for you to ride, or you tin can but pedal freely around each map.
There is a grab, though. On any particular day, there volition only be three worlds bachelor to ride: Watopia (Zwift's original and most fully featured virtual world) and ii 'guest worlds' (two of the others).
Zwift
This might audio restrictive, but Zwift is designed to be a social platform, and this stops the user base spreading out too thinly beyond the platform. With this feature in place, you'll always have other people to ride with (and against).
If you want to know when a particular world volition be bachelor to ride, you tin see the schedule for the coming month on the correct of the World Choice screen.
Alternatively, you can schedule rides with your friends in whatsoever of the eight worlds using the Meetups feature in the Zwift Companion app (more on this later).
Zwift
There are as well two other result-only earth maps:
- Bologna
- Crit City
These two maps are not part of Zwift's regular 'invitee world' rotation and can only exist accessed via in-game events such equally races (more on Zwift racing below).
How practice I join a group ride on Zwift?
One time ready upwardly and ready to go, you can beginning exploring Zwift'southward virtual world as yous delight, but there'southward besides the choice to join a group ride.
When you lot log in to Zwift, you lot'll run into a list of upcoming rides and races on the upper-right of the Mac/PC screen. On the Companion app, y'all can see a more detailed listing with descriptions, times and more than information. You can also go to zwift.com/events for a total list.
To join, simply click the ride. On most group rides yous can self-select the level of intensity, from A to D (we've outlined what these categories hateful in the racing section beneath). Group rides are categorised to ensure everyone rides together.
Zwift
If you are not notwithstanding riding, you tin receive a reminder. If you are already riding and an outcome is starting presently, you can join, and when the first fourth dimension gets close, your avatar volition be transported to the kickoff line, where you tin warm upward on a virtual trainer while waiting to commencement.
In the first corral, y'all tin can see the other riders who will be doing the event and your instant bulletin chats will exist seen only by others in that group.
Most events accept a ride leader you can follow, and you can read their comments on screen every bit you go. For mellower rides, the group leader often communicates to keep the group together.
Pace Partners
If you don't want to bring together an organised outcome but notwithstanding want someone to ride with, you tin can at present cull to ride with a Pace Partner. These are bots that ride around Watopia and the Makur Islands at a predetermined pace.
Riders can join and leave at whatever time, for a user-friendly and impromptu group ride. The size of the group each bot has with them depends on how many other Zwifters are choosing to ride with them at any bespeak in time.
Zwift
There are currently iv Pace Partners:
- D. Dan: one.five west/kg. Casual group ride with a few gentle hills
- C. Cadence: two.5 w/kg. Moderately paced grouping ride with occasional hills
- B. Brevet: three.iii w/kg. Adept group ride with lots of climbs
- A. Anquetil: 4.2 w/kg. Elite group ride on a hard road. Expect lots of tough climbs
For full details on when the unlike Pace Partners are available, visit Zwift.com.
Zwift
Tin can I race on Zwift?
Yes, you can race on Zwift. Doing and so is as easy equally joining whatever other issue or group ride on the calendar – you simply choose a race from the events list, choose which category yous want to compete in and sign upwards.
Categories for racing are based on Functional Threshold Power (FTP), in watts per kilogram (westward/kg):
- A = 4.0w/kg and above
- B = 3.ii–3.9w/kg
- C = ii.5–3.1w/kg
- D = 2.4w/kg and below
If you don't know your FTP, you can utilize one of the FTP tests available on Zwift's Workouts page – full details tin can be found in our how to take an FTP test on Zwift guide.
In one case y'all've selected a category and signed up for a race, Zwift will automatically take you to the race start when the race is near to begin.
Have your h2o bottles, an XL fan and towel ready, because if you have to stop mid-race, you'll get dropped and left backside immediately.
Make sure you lot give yourself plenty of fourth dimension to go warmed up as well, Zwift races are notorious for starting fast – some people even pump up the watts just before the showtime to get a leap on everyone else.
Be enlightened that drafting besides happens, even in virtual racing! Try to use this to your advantage, simply like in the real earth.
Zwift
What does w/kg mean?
W/kg merely means 'watts divided by kilograms'. It'due south besides known every bit your 'power-to-weight ratio', and it's a central figure in determining functioning on a bike in both Zwift and the real world.
On a flat road, the absolute amount of ability someone can produce is a fundamental metric. Just when the road goes uphill you also have to overcome the strength of gravity, and the greater your total mass (torso and bike), the more power is required to accelerate to, or maintain, a certain speed.
Zwift uses your westward/kg at FTP firstly to make up one's mind how fast your avatar moves in the virtual world, especially uphill
With that in listen, the wattage you lot can produce per kilo of trunk weight becomes the key metric on any significant colina.
Zwift uses your w/kg at FTP firstly to determine how fast your avatar moves in the virtual world, especially uphill. Beyond that, it also uses w/kg at FTP to gear up categories and intensity levels for grouping rides, races, workouts and training plans.
As you might have figured out, information technology'south pretty piece of cake to cheat the arrangement by simply inbound your weight as lower than it really is. But, every bit the old proverb goes, you'd merely exist cheating yourself…
Zwift
What are PowerUps?
PowerUps are i of the ways Zwift gamifies the platform. They give yous either an immediate quantity of experience points (XP), or a way to temporarily boost your avatar'due south speed.
They're awarded randomly whenever you laissez passer through a start/finish, KOM/QOM or sprint arch. A flake like on Mario Kart, if you already have an unused PowerUp when yous pass through an arch, you won't get another.
There are currently ix different PowerUps in Zwift:
- Large Bonus: Instantly gives you 250 XP points
- Pocket-size Bonus: Instantly gives you 10XP points
- Feather Lightweight: Symbolised by a plume, this reduces your weight past 10 per cent for 15 seconds. Best saved for use on a steep climb, where it will make the biggest deviation to your speed
- Truck Typhoon Boost: Symbolised by a van, increases the event of drafting other riders by 50 per cent for thirty seconds. This is a PowerUp for riding at speed on the flats, where drafting has the biggest event
- Helmet Aero Boost: Reduces your avatar's aerodynamic drag by 25 per cent for fifteen seconds. This is useful when riding solo on the apartment or at loftier speeds
- Breakaway Burrito: Makes you 'undraftable' for x seconds. Best used when trying to break away from a group
- Invisibility: Symbolised by a ghost, this makes you invisible to other riders for 10 seconds. Best used when trying to break away from a group or solo rider – try to establish a gap before you reappear and anybody realises what you've washed
- Steamroller: This power-up is limited to off-route events in Watopia's Jungle Circuit and offers a significant reduction to your avatar's rolling resistance for 30 seconds. It essentially makes riding on dirt roads as piece of cake as riding on tarmac
- Anvil: The opposite of the Featherweight PowerUp, the Anvil makes your avatar 50kg heavier for xxx seconds. Best used on descents to maximise your speed
PowerUps can be activated at any time past hitting the spacebar on your reckoner, or via the Zwift Companion app – just touch the on-screen PowerUp icon. Once activated, timed PowerUps volition show a timer for how long your PowerUp has left to run.
If you're in the eye of a structured workout, or on a TT bike, you can simply acquire Modest and Large Bonus PowerUps – and so you tin't use them to brand your preparation any easier, sadly.
Can I use Zwift for structured workouts?
Zwift
Admittedly, this is i of Zwift'southward key features.
Zwift has hundreds of structured workouts (which are essentially interval training sessions) to choose from – or you can build your own – and you lot can even sign upwardly for long-term training plans.
You can cull a programme to target specific events or weaknesses, such as 'TT-Tune Upward' – which, as the name suggests, focuses on the aerobic power and elevation-stop fitness required for time trialling.
Or there are broader plans such as 'FTP Builder', designed to increase your general fitness and Functional Threshold Power in a short amount of fourth dimension.
These plans have been put together by real coaches and are designed to be flexible, so if life gets hectic, you can easily motility sessions effectually to fit in with everything going on in the real earth.
Zwift
All structured training on Zwift is based around your due west/kg at FTP, then you actually need some sort of power measuring device – a smart indoor bike, smart trainer or power meter – to get the almost out of this characteristic.
If yous're on a smart indoor bike, or a smart trainer, then there's an option to allow Zwift to control the resistance in ERG mode.
This will override any changes in course gradient and change the resistance according to the specified wattages in the workout. This is a cracking way to ensure you're striking the prescribed wattage and getting the most out of every training session.
If you don't have a power measuring device, Zwift will try to approximate your ability output using data from your speed/cadence sensor and information nearly whatever trainer you're using. As these numbers are just estimates, though, the preparation zones and data generated won't be as accurate every bit they could be.
How practice I practise a Zwift workout?
Zwift
To do a conditioning on Zwift, log in, and then click on 'Preparation' underneath the 'Earth Choice' section in the centre of the window.
This volition open up a new window, where you'll see two tabs. One for single workouts and some other for training plans with multiple sessions.
If y'all've already set your FTP, and so you tin can simply select a workout and get going.
If you're new to Zwift, information technology'due south worth doing an FTP test to go an accurate baseline figure for Zwift to base your workouts around.
Zwift
In add-on to workouts that you do on your ain, at whatever time, in that location are also scheduled group workouts. Like a grouping ride in the real globe, these start at fixed times (and you have to sign up for them in accelerate via the events page) and involve multiple participants.
Unlike the group rides and races, though, group workouts keep everyone together in a group. As long every bit you lot are pedalling, you stay in the bunch.
The group chat function works well in group workouts
As with the private workouts, your efforts are based on your FTP. However, in group workouts, Zwift tethers anybody together so the end result is like being in an indoor cycling class: you are all following the same workout together, but at different individual efforts according to your fitness.
The group chat function works well here, in that the only messages y'all see (and ship) are to the group.
How practice I upload my Zwift rides to Strava?
You can link your Zwift account with Strava, and ensure your efforts announced on the KOM/QOM leaderboards.
There are two ways to practise information technology. On the Zwift Companion app (on an iOS or Android device ) or via zwift.com.
On the Zwift Companion app, tap 'More' in the bottom right corner, so tap into 'Settings'. From there, tap 'Connections' and you'll discover Strava at the top of the list. Simply tap the + icon and you'll be asked to enter your login details for Strava.
Once that'southward washed, your accounts will exist synced and your Zwift rides will upload to Strava automatically.
Zwift
You lot'll know you're connected if the Strava logo appears in colour and the + sign has changed to a tick.
On zwift.com, the process is very similar. Log in to your account, then click on 'Settings' in the pinnacle-left corner.
In Settings, click on 'Connections'. Click on 'Connect' under the Strava logo and enter your Strava log-in details when prompted.
You'll then automatically be directed dorsum to Zwift, where the Strava logo should now exist in colour, instead of greyed out.
How do I customise my Zwift avatar and bike?
Yeah, we're all individuals! In Zwift, you tin can customise the appearance of your rider and your cycle. Head to the Preferences section of the menu and yous can toggle through a number of choices for how your avatar and bike look in the 'Drop Shop'.
Equally y'all ride and complete challenges, you'll earn XP and in-game currency (known as Drops). As y'all level up, you'll unlock more bikes and wheels on which to spend the currency you earn. Be warned, though, if you desire the best bikes, you'll demand to put in a lot of hours on the bike (unless you lot're willing to resort to more nefarious means).
Zwift
Locked bikes and wheels tin also be more aerodynamic or lighter (and sometimes both) than the basic kit available when y'all start. So the kit you unlock will actually make a difference to your avatar's speed in the virtual world, not just how it looks.
To unlock the BikeRadar kit in Zwift, simply printing "P" after yous sign in and enter the code "BIKERADAR". The kit will and then be available for your avatar via the normal customisation options.
Zwift
How do I conversation in Zwift?
When using a reckoner, press 'Grand' and then just start typing. Your letters will be seen past riders near you.
When using the Zwift Companion app, you tin can employ the Group Text button to chat with riders in your same group or race. You can also hit the chat box next to an individual passenger to send a individual message.
The easiest way is probably using the talk-to-text function on an Android or iOS device. To do this, hit the mic icon after you have brought up the bulletin box.
How exercise I set up a group ride?
The quickest way to gear up a private group ride with your followers is to use the Zwift Meetups feature in the Zwift Companion app. Head to the Events page, tap the Meetups icon at the top of the page and so tap 'Create Meetup'.
From at that place, you'll have a number of options to customise the ride; the engagement and time you want to ride, where you lot desire to ride, road, altitude/duration, whether to automatically go on everyone tethered together or not… and whether you want the Meetup to exist a race!
In one case yous've decided on those details, you just demand to invite people from your listing of followers (y'all can only invite Zwifters who follow you lot to a Meetup ride currently), add some ride details and then invitees know what they're being invited to then tap Create Meetup.
Simon von Bromley / Firsthand Media
When it'south time for your Meetup, just log into Zwift a few minutes beforehand and Zwift will automatically ship you to the beginning of the ride.
Zwift also recently inverse things and so that you lot can still bring together a ride up to 30 minutes after the Meetup has begun (provided it'due south not a race), then there'south no demand to worry if you're running a little late.
Can I report riders for bad behaviour?
On the whole, Zwift is pretty civil, but yous might run across a few problems.
For starters, it is impossible to crash or be crashed by someone. If you experience like someone is acting inappropriately, you can flag them with the Zwift Companion app.
You tin also flag other riders for foul linguistic communication, harassment or suspicious power output. This last category Zwift has set as 'flier' – basically meaning if you run across someone flight past you at a sustained 8+ watts per kilogram, and then something is up.
Zwift has ability profiles for globe-course performances for diverse durations. So if a rider gets flagged, and Zwift looks at their file and sees they are indeed producing astounding power, then the rider will receive a message forth the lines of 'hey, you should be pro!', with a recommendation to cheque their settings and a notification that their ride is invisible to other riders.
That rider volition still exist able to complete their ride and come across other people in the game, but they will just exist invisible to others.
Ii things can cause supernatural power in Zwift: inaccurately entering weight (and thus altering that westward/kg figure) or having a trainer improperly set up.
Steering
One of the more recent innovations on Zwift is the steering functionality. Originally restricted to a small off-road course in the Titan's Grove area of Watopia, it'southward at present possible to use steering across the entirety of the game.
In order to take reward of this new feature, you'll need an Elite Sterzo Smart steering plate, which costs £69.99 / $109.99 / €84.99.
Zwift
With steering enabled, you'll be able to cull your line more deliberately (to accept a racing line, for instance), or move out of a group to prevent other riders from drafting you.
However, it also means that your avatar will no longer be able to ride through other avatars – you'll have to steer around them instead.
Zwift
You'll also have to pay close attending to the riders in front considering y'all'll demand to steer yourself into the draft in guild to get the maximum advantage.
Event organisers can cull to have steering turned on or off, so make sure to double check this when signing up.
- Zwift expands in-game steering to all roads
How To Set Up Zwift Companion,
Source: https://www.bikeradar.com/features/zwift-your-complete-guide/
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