Zwift Ride is the virtual training platform’s new smart bike

This year marks Zwift’s 10th anniversary. The company is celebrating with the launch of its very own smart bike, Zwift Ride.

You may remember Zwift was working on a similar concept a few years ago. It, unfortunately, had to can the project as a result of the supply and demand issues that affected most brands during the COVID period. That being said, Zwift Ride builds on that early work and refines the original project. In “driving down price and driving towards a simple solution” Zwift’s ambition is to make indoor cycling more accessible. The notions of affordability and simplicity are evident throughout. So what can we expect? Well, everything Zwift has offered to date, and more.

Zwift Ride

Zwift brings the virtual shifting, which works in conjunction with a Wahoo Kickr Core, with its smart frame to form a complete indoor smart bike. For those of you who haven’t experienced virtual shifting yet, it modifies the resistance directly associated with the wheelspin to mimic the sensation you would have when changing gears in real life. Further expanding on this realism, Ride also supports Shimano or SRAM 2×12 gearing and accommodates gear ratio options suitable for varying terrains, for example: flat (53/39, 10-28), all-rounder (48/35, 10-33) and climbing (43/10, 10-36).

The in-game on-boarding introduces Zwifters to the navigation, braking, steering, and so on, all of which are fully integrated into the handlebars’ dual control pads. Arguably less life-like but adding to the fun, Ride also boasts user configured drop-bar buttons for quick access to RideOn Bombs, Power Up and so on, with the promise of more to come.

Designed for the home

Ultimately, Ride is intended for the home, meaning that there is no need to bring your outdoor bike inside, nor is there any need to dismantle your trainer setup for your regular club ride. Moving away from the stealth look that a lot of cyclists opt for their regular bike, Zwift has leaned more towards a brighter, sleeker colourway to better reflect a home environment. The company then added the fun and lively hologram, in keeping with the brand. The compact footbed is also more convenient and more accessible for those with smaller homes, who might struggle to accommodate a more typical bike and trainer setup. These users will also benefit from the updated cog which Zwift claims to be noticeably quieter.

Easy setup

Keeping accessibility front and centre, Zwift has carefully considered the user’s…