Everything You Need to Know About Zwift Racing to Elevate Your Indoor Riding
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If you’re using Zwift for virtual training this winter, why not try an e-race? You can race on Zwift no matter your training or cycling level, and not only is it a great way for you to test your fitness, but it can also be a great motivator during the winter months when riding starts to feel more like a chore.
To get all the best tips and tricks for racing on Zwift this season, we chatted with Jonny Noblett, Zwift’s senior manager of content experience design and a serious e-racer in his free time. Here’s how to navigate the Zwift racing experience and make the most of those competitive rides.
Why should you race on Zwift at all?
If you’re a newer rider, Zwift racing can be a great precursor to racing in real life, since it helps you both develop your fitness and start to understand a bit about pack tactics and group riding dynamics. Sure, you’re not actually riding close to someone’s wheel, but you’ll learn about how staying in the draft of another rider provides a huge benefit.
It also helps you find like-minded people if you live in a cycling desert, and allows you to compete against people who are close to your fitness level.
“For me, racing on Zwift provides a competitive outlet that I can’t really get anywhere else on a bike. As a Category C rider who lives in a congested city, I’d never even considered that I’d be able to enjoy racing my bike, but now my race days on Zwift are among the highlights of my week!” says Noblett. “I like that I can race against people who are of a similar ability to me and even if I’m not at the front of the race—which I’m often not—there’s always a group of people around me to keep up with.”
Beyond that, it can be a great motivator for going hard on the bike during the winter months where training motivation can be at an all-time low. There’s something magical that happens when you’re on a start line, even a virtual one, that allows you to find that extra “oomf” and willingness to push just a bit harder.
What race categories are there on Zwift?
Good news and bad news: Your category on Zwift is automatically selected, so you don’t have to stress about what level you should be racing. You used to have more options when it came to choosing your category, but in February 2022, Zwift started testing “Category Enforcement” and now it automatically slots you into a category.
While this auto-fill can feel annoying if you’re a strong rider but new to Zwift—you’ll end up in the E category until the app collects enough data to categorize you—it does prevent the quandary of “when should I upgrade?” or “do I need to downgrade?"
Once you’ve completed a few rides on Zwift, the system assigns you a minimum category that automatically places you in a group of racers with similar ability. As your fitness hopefully progresses, Zwift will automatically move you up to the next category.
You can race “up a level,” if you’re feeling like you’re in the wrong category—but you can’t race lower. “The great thing about the minimum category is it means that stronger riders from higher categories can’t come in and dominate your race,” says Noblett. “Wherever you are within your category—at the front of the field or the back—you’ll always have others to race against, so if you’re not going for the win, there’s still plenty to race for.”
Your race category is based on your power-to-weight ratio, which comes from your zFTP and zMAP scores—similar to your FTP and VO2 max—divided by your weight in kilograms. The zFTP and zMAP are calculated by the app and can’t be edited by you.
Your zFTP is calculated by analyzing your peak power values from the last 90 days, focusing on longer duration efforts of eight to 50 minutes. Similarly, your zMap is based on shorter, harder efforts from the last 90 days. This means that the app constantly reassesses your racing category.
You can check your race category, zFTP, and zMAP in your Activity Feed at Zwift.com/feed, under Fitness. (You’ll also be able to see your category when you sign up for a race, because you will only be able to enter races that include your category.)
Here’s the list of race categories that Zwift offers:
Open Races:
zMAP:
zFTP:
Category A
≥5.1W/kg
≥4.2W/kg and ≥250W
Category B
≥4.1W/kg
≥3.36W/kg and ≥200W
Category C
≥3.2W/kg
≥2.625W/kg and ≥150W
Category D
<3.2W/kg
<2.625W/kg or <150W
Category E
N/A
N/A
Women-only race events have their own set of standards:
Women-Only Races:
zMAP:
zFTP:
Category A
≥4.8W/kg
≥3.88W/kg
Category B
≥4.1W/kg
≥3.36W/kg
Category C
≥3.2W/kg
≥2.625W/kg
Category D
<3.2W/kg
<2.625W/kg
Category E
N/A
N/A
How do you know when to move up or down in your Zwift category?
You don’t have to choose, Zwift slots you into the category in which you belong. So, to make sure it accurately places you, you’ll want to do a few rides before racing, or just get started in the E category that’s for riders who don’t have much data.
Like racing IRL, you never want to be so high up in your category that every race is basically an automatic win. That’s not fun for you or your competitors. Similarly, if you’re getting dropped in the first five minutes of every race and can never catch back up to the group, you’re likely in a category that’s a little too hard for you.
Ideally, you’ll be floating around within the category you’re racing—maybe some days you get on the podium, but there will be other days where all you can do is hang onto the peloton to make it to the finish.
How do you choose which Zwift race to do?
If you’ve never raced on Zwift, you can scroll their events list for races that sound fun or fit your schedule. There are dozens of races taking place every day. Filter the events list down to cycling races, and look for races that include your category (the categories are listed next to the race titles). You can also scroll this list directly in the app—just look for the calendar icon.
Noblett suggests beginning with the ZRacing Monthly Series, which is designed to be beginner-friendly and happen throughout the week. ZRacing events start at 10 minutes past the hour, and depending on the course, take between 20 to 40 minutes.
“For me, they’re the most time-efficient way of getting in some quality exercise in between my work meetings!” adds Noblett. “Each week features a different course and every month there’s a different theme, so it’s a great way to get into racing.”
What do you need to race on Zwift?
You’ll need your bike, a trainer setup of some kind, a good wifi connection, and a computer, phone, or tablet that’s capable of streaming the Zwift app.
You’ll also need a way to measure power within the app, and ideally a heart rate monitor that can connect to the app via bluetooth.
If you’re using a wheel-on trainer that doesn’t transmit data and you don’t have a power meter on your bike that can connect to bluetooth, you can use a speed sensor on your bike that can connect to the app, and your in-game effort will be generated by Zpower, Zwift's estimated power curve. (Some races do require a power meter or smart trainer and a heart rate monitor, though.)
How do you prepare for a Zwift race?
First, set up your environment for optimal airflow and ventilation, and make sure you have everything you need on hand. This means setting up your fan, opening windows, and getting your water bottles lined up and ready for easy access. “A towel is a must,” adds Noblett.
He also suggests that, like any bike race or ride, you consider your nutrition and have a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal an hour or two before your race. Most Zwift races are short enough that you won’t need a gel during them—though it never hurts to have one on hand!
Zwift racing may not require checking tire pressure or stressing about weather and what to wear, but it does come with another set of issues: wifi connectivity and device compatibility. Don’t wait until five minutes before the race to log on—make sure that you’re on Zwift at least 15 minutes early to warm up (more on that in a second) and to make sure that your smart trainer or power meter is connected to Zwift. (If your trainer setup is far from the wifi router, you may even want to consider setting up a wifi booster near your bike!)
Noblett is a fan of using an iPad or tablet for racing, because the touch screen makes navigation a little easier than on a laptop that doesn’t have a touch screen, especially when you’re in the middle of a race. If you’re serious about making your Zwift setup as pro as possible, then he recommends a combo like an Apple TV and the Zwift Play controllers, which attach to your handlebars to let you control the game from your bike rather than from the app.
Now that you’re set up, it’s time to warm up—just like you would for an outdoor race. You don’t need to belabor your warmup, but spinning around on Zwift for 10 to 15 minutes and tossing in a few sprint/hard efforts will get you ready for the hard starts that tend to happen in Zwift races. (Noblett recommends using the Volcano Circuit for a warmup route.)
Most races allow you to join them and get into the starting grid 30 minutes before the start. In the start grid, you can still pedal on your bike—your avatar is actually sitting on a Zwift trainer, which feels a little meta.
“Some people like to join early to get to the front but that means sitting in the pens for a long time,” says Noblett. “I like to make sure everything is connected including my heart rate monitor, have my little ride around the Volcano, and then I will join about five minutes before the event start to have a chat with the other racers, scope out my competition, and take a quick look at the race route on my phone.” Then, it’s go time!
How should newer racers approach their first race season on Zwift?
Noblett has two key tips: Stop stressing and make it a routine. “Have fun and don’t worry about the results,” he says. “Only one person can win any race, but everyone can have their own little battles within themselves and others, and get fitter and faster in the process.”
His second tip is to make it part of your routine—something that Zwift, like your local weekly crit series, makes easy. “Race at a regular time that works for you, whether this is in ZMonthly Racing, one of the many great community events, or the Zwift Racing League run by WTRL,” he says. “You will likely meet other Zwifters who can become more than just an avatar on the screen. You might even find that you want to join one of the many great clubs and communities on Zwift.”
This also has the benefit of letting you race against a lot of the same people regularly, which can be a more fun way to gauge your progress through the winter.
Should you be nervous before a Zwift race?
If you are someone who gets stressed before any race, whether you’re lining up in a starting grid IRL or just sweating in your basement, know that it’s a completely normal reaction. Mental performance consultant Pat Spencer recommends trying to reframe the nerves and stress as excitement, because those emotions are just the two sides of the arousal coin. And look at Zwift racing as a chance to get on a few start lines to work out those nerves so that next time you’re at a real-life race, you’ll be a bit more mentally prepared.
And if you think that Zwift racing is super-serious and you find that racing is simply too nerve-wracking, look for themed rides instead. “If you see an event with novelty bikes or outfits, join it!” says Noblett. The sea of riders in goofy costumes on the start line will ease your jitters. “There is nothing funnier than trying to sprint in a Dino outfit riding on a big-wheel tricycle.”
(FYI, Costumes aren’t always available, sadly, but keep an eye on Zwift events, especially around the holidays, as they often include costumes that you can obtain by doing certain rides!)
How do you get better at Zwift racing… or even win?
Be prepared for a hard start—it takes even more effort to catch back onto the back of a hard-charging pack than it does to spend your first 45 seconds of a race going extremely hard. “For some reason, in Zwift races. everyone tends to sprint off the line, so be ready to start with a surge and don’t get caught out,” says Noblett.
If the pace feels untenable, don’t worry: Noblett adds that things will almost always calm down and the race takes on a more sustainable pace pretty quickly.
For new riders, you’ll quickly learn that group riding is highly tactical, and your positioning in the group really matters. “Learn where to sit in the pack so that you can get the maximum benefit from drafting,” says Noblett. This will take some trial and error, and since everyone is jockeying for the same optimal position, it takes time to get good at figuring out the sweet spot in the group and staying there. But you’ll be amazed at how much effort you can save if you learn this skill. “It can make all the difference when you need a little extra energy for that final sprint,” he adds.
Finally, explore the ways that Zwift is more like a video game! You can use PowerUps that you earn in-race, and you can also get extremely tactical about them. “In terms of sneaky tactics, sometimes I like to try and break away from the group I am in and see if I can force some of the other riders to use their PowerUp to counter my attack,” says Noblett. “This gives me a bit of an advantage over other racers when I need it, before they collect another PowerUp.”
What the heck is a PowerUp?
Unlike IRL racing, Zwift has a bit more gamification in the form of PowerUps. PowerUps give you special powers like decreasing your avatar’s weight for a short time so you can go faster—so use them wisely!
You earn PowerUps in races: Every time you ride under an arch, you earn a random PowerUp (you’ll see an icon pop up on your screen alerting you to this fact). These aren’t allowed in many official races, but plenty of races on Zwift now allow them, because PowerUps help mimic the randomness of racing IRL.
The PowerUps also include things like making you more aero, making you weigh less or more, increasing your drafting capabilities, and making you invisible. You get these advantages for 10 to 40 seconds, depending on which feature you’re using.
Then, in the race, you can activate those PowerUps by tapping the PowerUp icon on the app or hitting the spacebar on your laptop, depending on which device you’re using to Zwift.
Will racing on Zwift make you a better IRL racer?
It definitely can help! While Zwift can’t help you learn to actually stay in a peloton or hop on a curb when you’re taking a tight corner in a crit, it does mimic peloton-style drafting and power surges that you’d get in a crit or road race pretty darn well. So you’ll learn not only how to hold a high power, you’ll get better at modulating your efforts and pacing yourself. (However, it’s important to add that crushing it on Zwift doesn’t make you an amazing group rider or bike handler outside, so please proceed with caution.)
“I have found that racing on Zwift has made me much stronger on the bike in general and I’ve now smashed all of my Strava PBs outdoors from before I started racing on Zwift,” says Noblett. “There’s no way I can get unbroken and intense riding in and around where I live, and Zwift racing has been perfect for getting me to do those efforts. I’ve heard loads of pros like Ashleigh Moolman Pasio also talk about how Zwift has massively helped her outdoor racing, so I guess it’s true even at a World Tour level."
You’ll also get over a bit of the start-line jitters, if that’s a big issue for you. Nothing compares to the IRL race start vibes, and you run much lower risk of crashing on Zwift (though it’s not zero!), but having that whistle blow, even virtually, does help you gain that race experience so it’s a little less fraught on race day.
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