how do i set zwift for flat course

by Mr. Elmore Kuhlman II 9 min read

Launch Zwift and go to the Menu. Click on the Settings button and you’ll find the Trainer Difficulty slider. The default position is midway between “Off” and “Max,” or 50 percent of the grade resistance you’d find while riding the same grade of hill in the real world.

Full Answer

How do I firm up a ride with Zwift?

Here are the specifics you’ll need to firm up: Be prepared with multiple possible dates and times, since Zwift’s initial response may say your desired day and time is not available. You might also check the event calendar to make sure other rides aren’t already scheduled for that date/time.

How do I Turn Around in Zwift?

Simply leave the keyboard alone to continue to ride the pre-selected route, or override those turns by using your keyboard arrows or the "Turn Left" or "Turn Right" buttons on the Zwift Mobile Link app to move around the various turns on your route. If you want to turn around, you can use the 'down' arrow on the keyboard.

Are flat races on Zwift easy?

But that doesn’t mean they’re easy. Flat races can be some of the fastest on Zwift, meaning if you lose the pack even for a second, it’s going to be a challenge to get back. Groups tend to be larger, and the races usually come down to an all-out bunch sprint.

What is the trainer difficulty setting in Zwift?

Simultaneously the most misunderstood and controversial setting in Zwift’s menu. What it does is simple enough: Trainer Difficulty scales the gradients sent to your smart trainer. So if the slider is at 100%, your trainer is being sent the same gradient you see on the screen.

How do you do a flat ride on Zwift?

Just ride as long as you want. Don't need nothing to navigate there. You may be able to remove the trainer resistance but you will be going very slow. Not sure what you mean by “if you have a smart trainer” (but please feel free to clarify…)

What is the flattest route on Zwift?

Richmond's “The Fan Flats” was renamed from “Prefer Flat Roads” in the Richmond refresh. It is one of the flattest routes on Zwift, with only 13m (43′) of elevation gain per 5km (3.1 mile) lap.

What is the longest flattest route on Zwift?

Welcome to the flattest route on Zwift! "Tempus Fugit" is a flat and fast out and back, giving you 20km of desert road perfect for TT racing or any ride where you want to hold steady power. You'll also get three chances to take the Fuego Flats leaders jersey, if you want to push it!

How do I choose a route on Zwift?

Once you've selected a world at the top of the screen, click or tap a route to see its details including a length, elevation, and a route map. Click or tap the orange start button to start the route you have selected.

How long is Watopia flat route?

6.4 milesThe Flat Route is 6.4 miles with a . 3 mile lead-in. Climbing per lap is 177 ft.

Why is Zwift so hard?

“The racing is short and particularly intense,” he explained. “It is 45-90 minutes of racing instead of three to six hours. The consequence for the riders is that there is no opportunity to save energy like they have in road races, so they have to make prolonged, all-out efforts that push them to their physical limit.”

How long does it take to do the pretzel on Zwift?

The entire thing took me just under 4 hours of ride time, with 13 minutes worth of breaks. After a quick shower and change I joined our friends and hoped no one would ask me about the ride.

How long is Zwift Greater London flat?

5 miles // . 8km long, 1.5% grade.

What is the fastest Zwift course?

Fastest FramesLevelFastest FrameTime Savings1Zwift Carbon (Free)0s5Specialized Tarmac SL7 (674,500)*6s6Zwift Aero (319,500)11s8Focus Izalco Max 2020 (426,000)13.5s2 more rows•Aug 24, 2021

Can I create my own route on Zwift?

For a new route It is possible to create a route from scratch using an online (bike) route tool, such as bikemap.net. After creating the route you can download a GPX file of the route.

Can you complete multiple Zwift routes in one ride?

There is no option to do multiple routes during one ride, and have Zwift recognise the second route as an official 'Zwift route'.

Do Zwift routes change daily?

Keep in mind the guest course changeover happens at midnight Eastern/9pm Pacific (4am UTC the following day). If you'd like to ride an off-schedule course, see How To Access the Route You Want.

How to make ZWift climb harder?

Add Resistance to Your Climbing. Move the slider right and climbs feel tougher. In fact, set the slider to “Max” and your Zwift climbs feel as challenging as outdoor climbs of the same steepness. Remember that downhills get steeper, too. You can find yourself going so fast that spinning the pedals adds little more speed.

Does ZWift make hills more realistic?

Zwift gives anyone using a smart trainer the option to make our virtual hills seem more or less realistic to the actual grade. While tweaking Zwift’s “Trainer Difficulty” setting won’t impact how far or fast you ride, an adjustment will change how Zwifting over hills feels.

Modify your Zwift Preferences

In your Zwift user data directory is a file called "prefs.xml". This file has a number of options that are stored there by changing your Zwift settings in-game. Some of them are undocumented, but still powerful. The ability to change the course is one of these options.

Use the GUI, Luke

One of our own Zwift'ers, Jesper Rosenlund Nielsen, has created a GUI for modifying these, as well as other in-game, hidden preferences, called " Zwift Preferences "!

How much downhill does ZWift have?

Little-known fact: Zwift only sends half the descent gradient to your trainer. So at 100% Trainer Difficulty on a 10% downhill, your trainer is replicating a 5% downhill. At 50% Trainer Difficulty, it’s replicating a 2.5% downhill.

Where does Eric Zwift live?

Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Follow on Strava

Can you train indoors in ZWift?

Many Zwifters train indoors for big events or races outdoors. That race may be a pan-flat criterium in Florida, or a massive multi-day Haute Route event in the Pyrenees. It wouldn’t make sense to set your Trainer Difficulty to 100% and attack major climbs in Watopia in order to prepare for the pan-flat crit.

Does ZWift have an indoor bike?

Now that Zwift has been around for 5+ years, more and more Zwifters have a dedicated indoor bike as well as their outdoor bike (s). Often the gearing on the two bikes doesn’t match, (especially if you use an old ride for your Zwift bike like I do). Trainer Difficulty can help this, though!

Dedication Required

Looking at Zwift’s statement above, it is clear that Zwift wants dedicated ride leaders. There are only so many time slots available and they want to make sure they are not giving one to a leader/group who may not show up.

Planning Your Ride Specifics

So you‘ve put in the work and now you want to organize your own ride. Here are the specifics you’ll need to firm up:

How to turn around on ZWift?

Simply leave the keyboard alone to continue to ride the pre-selected route, or override those turns by using your keyboard arrows or the "Turn Left" or "Turn Right" buttons on the Zwift Mobile Link app to move around the various turns on your route. If you want to turn around, you can use the 'down' arrow on the keyboard.

Can you ride with someone else on ZWift?

You can choose to ride with someone else already on the course, you can choose to ride one of the canned or custom workouts or you can choose to ride one of the pre-set routes within Zwift. If you choose one of those routes, it will present you with an option to turn in different directions when you come up upon an intersection in Zwift.

Can you turn while riding in ZWift?

You can also turn while riding in the Zwift desktop application, if you have a keyboard handy. When you're approaching an intersection, you'll see a blinking sign on the side of the road indicating the direction of the next turn. It will look something like this:

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