PREPARE TO RIDE

Welcome to the Tour of Watopia, a multi-stage journey on the island that started it all.

Like a real-life fondo, this event is a giant party on wheels where we’ll push watts and score big rewards together. The Tour brings riders from different countries together with the same goal: visiting Watopia’s must-see destinations and hitting fast forward on the +XP button.

This post helps you prepare to have an awesome and smooth experience.

Group Rides
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 stage. 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 of Watopia homepage, click into each stage page. You’ll see a description of the stage, the available dates, and the scheduler feature for upcoming events.

Choose Your Route
Each stage in the Tour of Watopia will contain two different route options and a Women’s Only ride. Group rides for Tour of Watopia events are organized by distance and difficulty level.

• A Group – The longer and more challenging route.
• B Group – The shorter route with generally less climbing.
• C Group – The Women’s ride, with varying distance and difficulty.
• E Group – The Rookie Ride. Same route as the B group, only guided by a Ride Leader on-hand to answer questions.

The A, B, and E Groups are open to all genders. Rookie Rides (Category E) are separate events with their own schedule. For information on when Rookie Ride events occur, visit zwift.com/towride.

Get Ready
Make sure you give yourself a good 15 minutes to warm up because most group 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!

Joining an Event

Once you’ve registered for an event, you can join the event in two ways: either within the game, or through the Zwift Companion app.
You are welcome to ride on Zwift before your event time. 15 minutes before your event begins, a pop up notifies you it’s time to join the group at the starting line.

• Select “Let’s Go” to teleport to the starting line. Get there early to make sure you’re ready.
  
• Select “No Thanks” to decline to join right away. If you decide you want to join later, be sure to manually join the event by selecting “Join Event” at least 15 seconds before the official start time.
  

You’ll then arrive at the starting area. Here you may chat with other riders or warm up in place. Once the countdown hits 0:00, your event begins! If your event has a ride leader, they’ll give you further instructions from there.

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, and let them draft off of you, too.

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. Hit the thumb, and watch!

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.