Tour de Zwift: Prepare to Take Off with Zwift Ride

Welcome to the Tour de Zwift! This multi-staged event is like a real-life fondo—a giant party on wheels where we’ll push watts and see beautiful sights together. Tour de Zwift brings riders from different countries with the same goal: visiting all of Zwift’s must-see destinations and exploring routes new and old. This post helps you prepare to have an awesome and smooth experience.

Group rides on Zwift are a great way to meet people and build camaraderie. Chat while you pedal, find a pack, and take in the sights during each destination. As this is not a race, there is no winner. If you’re brand new to Zwift and need to gear up, watch this How-To video.

Schedule Your Rides

From the Tour de Zwift homepage, click into each stage’s page. You’ll see a description of the stage (plus each stage’s multiple routes), the available dates, and the scheduler feature for upcoming events.

Choose Your Route

Each stage in Tour de Zwift carries a distinct theme, from flats to mountains to after-party climbs and beyond! All stages have four categories that align with the overall theme. Group rides for Tour de Zwift events will be organized by time needed to complete each ride, with the A Group taking the longest to complete the course, C Group taking the shortest, and B Group falling somewhere in between. All genders may join any of the groups between A and C. Finally, the D Group is for women riders only.

Get Ready to Take Off

Make sure you give yourself a good 15 minutes to warm up because most rides go hard out of the gate. This is also a good time to make sure all your connections—heart rate monitor, cadence tracker, and trainer—are calibrated and working properly. We notify you in-game when your event is about to start, so don’t worry about losing track of time while warming up.

Make sure your bottles are full, nutrition is within reach (at least for longer rides—most Zwifters don’t eat during events shorter than one hour), and a dry towel is handy. Don’t forget about your fan!

Fast Starts

Just like in real life, everyone is excited and fresh at the start of the event. Be ready to pedal hard from the get-go. You may have to push watts above your comfort level for a bit as the pack settles in. This initial burst usually only lasts for the first mile or so, as Zwifters begin to find riders at similar levels to work with.

Reading the Heads-Up Display

Zwift’s Heads-Up Display (HUD) includes a lot of information to help you understand your data while in free-ride mode. Learn how to read it with this video.

The Draft Effect

To better mimic the real world, take full advantage of drafting. Simply put, if you are on someone’s wheel, you can put out less power and still stay with them. This essentially allows you to “rest” while someone else does the work. It’s a good tactic to use, but don’t expect someone to let you sit on their wheel for an entire ride. Catch your breath and take a pull.

Interacting with Others

Zwift is a social place, and connecting with others around the world can help you rise to the challenge. Learn how to chat with friends and motivate them with a Ride On.

More About Ride Ons

While you’re riding on Zwift, you might see a big blue thumb over your avatar every now and then. No, you’re not delirious—that’s called a “Ride On,” and it’s how the community encourages each other. Want to send one to fellow riders? Click or tap a person’s username and you’ll see a ‘thumbs-up’ icon beside them. Just hit that, and you’re all set! Alternatively, you can send a Ride On in the Zwift Companion app. Once you’re in-game and riding, just go to the “Nearby” tab, tap a name in the list, then tap the blue Ride On button.

Read our How-To for more info on giving Ride Ons in-game and out.

Using Powerups

Zwift PowerUps are like superpowers! They give you a temporary edge in the game. Pop a PowerUp and set a new PR on a solo ride or sprint, or surge ahead of the pack. Watch this quick video to learn how to use Powerups!

How Weight Works

Weight impacts your ability to go up hills. You may see Zwifters put out massive watts on steep hills and charge up ahead. This is because lighter riders ascend easier than heavier riders and need less power to do so. But when it comes time to head downhill, the reverse is true—heavier riders can bomb downhills easier than their lighter counterparts. Keep this in mind as you try to catch someone going up or down the Watopia mountains.

Ride On.