Zwift offers events for anyone who wants to jump in. When choosing an event to join, it’s important to understand the course information, especially the distance and elevation. 

The ZRacing Monthly Series is a great place to get started, as it offers a new theme every month with one stage per week and multiple opportunities throughout the day to race. Plus, you can complete each event in less than one hour. ZRacing Monthly utilizes our Zwift Racing Score, which means no matter your ability level, you will always compete in a fair and fun environment. Sign up for the ZRacing Monthly Series here, or learn about Zwift Racing Score here.

Zwift also hosts a selection of community-led events, which offer a variety of formats or are more tailored to specific types of competition.

There are five standard categories in the Zwift Racing Score system. These categories are based on score ranges and divide riders into competitive groups depending on their racing performance and power output:

690-1000

520-690

350-520

180-350

1-180

You don’t need top-of-the-line equipment to compete on Zwift. You can get started with just the basics: a bike, a trainer, and a Zwift account.

Here are some additions that can help level up your competition experience: 

Ventilation: Stay cool with a good fan.

Information: A heart rate monitor to help you compete more efficiently by watching your efforts more closely.

Zwift Play: Keep your position in the pack even more precise with steering and braking.

Bottles and Food: Make sure you’re well-fueled and well-hydrated and have your fan on its highest setting!

If you’d like more information on equipment, check it out HERE.

Ride On: Giving kudos to fellow riders in-game or just a simple way to say hello. 

PowerUp: In-game performance boosters that are randomly awarded as you pass through a start/finish area, sprint arch, or summit a KOM. More details can be found here.

Attack: A sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders, usually to start a breakaway or encourage the main group to ride faster.

Breakaway: When one or more riders sprint away from the peloton to build a lead. A breakaway is usually the result of an attack.

Drafting/Sitting In: When one or more riders ride in a single file behind one another, taking advantage of the slipstream. The riders behind need less power to travel at the same speed as the rider in the front. 

Dropped: When another rider or group of riders has left behind a rider.

Field Sprint/Bunch Sprint: A mass sprint among the main group of riders at the finish of a race. 

Gap: The amount of time or distance between a rider or group of riders and another rider or group of riders. 

Hammer: To ride hard. Variations include “drop the hammer” or “hammer time,” which is used in-game. 

King/Queen of the Mountains: The KOM/QOM is the fastest climber up a timed hill segment, signified by the Polka Dot Jersey. 

Off the Back: When a rider or riders are dropped from the main group. 

Off the Front: When a rider takes part in a breakaway or is otherwise riding away from the front of the main group they were part of. 

GC: Short for the general classification or overall ranking for a select number of events.

Segment: Any timed section of road with a leaderboard on Zwift, such as a sprint or a climb. 

Bridge Up/Bridge the Gap: An attempt to catch the next rider or group of riders in front of you. 

Pull Through/Come Around/Take a Pull: When a rider comes to the front to alleviate the current rider who is breaking the wind for the group and no longer wants to be or cannot continue doing so.

Take the Wheel: To follow someone in front of you, either in an attack or an effort by the group to chase down a breakaway, etc.

Paceline/Train: A long string of riders who are typically riding single file at a fast pace, usually toward the end of an event when attempting to build speed for a sprint or in an effort to catch a breakaway. 

Peloton/Pack/Bunch: A large group of ride