Level 61: Cool Tone Gloves (3 Pairs)

Level 62: Bike Packer Socks

Level 63: London Tube Kit

Level 64: Pop Art Shoes

Level 65: Tortoise & The Hare Sock Pack (2 Pairs)

Level 66: Bike Packer Kit

Level 67: Giro Aries Spherical Helmet

Level 68: Alpe du Knit Kit Pack (3 Kits)

Level 69: Bike Packer Cap

Level 70: Level 70 Kit

Level 71: Scotty Squirrel Cap

Level 72: Makuri Blossoms Kit

Level 73: Dino Power Cap & Socks

Level 74: Outfield Kit

Level 75: Rapha Pro Team Shoes

Level 76: Dino Power Kit

Level 77: Scotty Squirrel Socks

Level 78: Island Time Kit Pack (3 Kits)

Level 79: Dino Power Shoes

Level 80: Level 80 Kit

Level 81: Light Aero Helmet

Level 82: Wolf Power Kit

Level 83: Rapha Pro Team Full Frame Sunglasses

Level 84: Solid Color Kit Pack (3 Kits)

Level 85: Nimbl Feat Ultimate Shoes

Level 86: Kask Elemento Helmet

Level 87: Gravel Party Kit

Level 88: Party Sock Pack (3 Pairs)

Level 89: Giro Imperial Shoes

Level 90: Level 90 Kit

Level 91: Modern Kit

Level 92: Mirage Socks

Level 93: Out of This World Kit

Level 94: Mirage Cap

Level 95: Mirage Kit

Level 96: S-Works Evade 3 Helmet

Level 97: Out of This World Socks

Level 98: Mirage Shoes

Level 99: Mirage Helmet

Level 100: Level 100 Kit (and more?*)

*Sources within Zwift tell us they may be at work on an additional special unlock for level 100 which will be ready before the first Zwifter makes it to level 100.

What’s Your Favorite?

What do you think of the level 61-100 unlocks? What’s your favorite? Comment below!

Because many Zwifters are looking to level up quickly, we’ve published a number of posts with tips explaining how XP is calculated and how to maximize the XP earned for your efforts. Three examples:

• 8 Ways to Earn More XP and Level Up Faster on Zwift
• Level Up Faster On Zwift: GPLama’s XP Farming Alpe Workout
• How Zwift Calculates XP for Cycling Workouts

Soon after the launch of Zwift’s Climb Portal, keen Zwifters noticed that riding portal climbs was earning them large amounts of XP. We noticed the same, and began an investigation into just how much XP riders can grab in the Climb Portal.

Here is what we found.

Climb Portal XP Farming Basics

Portal climbs are automatically broken up into 10 equidistant sections. Each section is tracked individually and displayed in the left-hand panel so you can try to break your PR for each section when you take on a climb more than once.

Here’s the kicker: each section ends in an arch, and riding through that arch awards you with one of three powerups: a feather, a small XP bonus (~10), or a large XP bonus (+250)!

Powerup Frequency

Ever since the Climb Portal launched, some Zwifters have been trying to figure out the advanced algorithm that determines which powerup you receive at each arch. We tried different ideas as well – did powerup probabilities shift based on the difficulty of the segment? Or perhaps they changed based on how hard you went (beat your PR, get an XP bonus)?

But our tests show (and these results are confirmed by Zwift) that powerup probabilities are the same at every Climb Portal arch. They don’t change based on what you do.

So what exactly is the probability of getting the Feather, Small Bonus, and Large Bonus at each arch? We don’t know for sure, but after tracking powerups across 100+ section arches, here are the numbers:

• Feather: 22
• Small Bonus: 62
• Large Bonus: 20

Based on these numbers, we’re going to guess Zwift has assigned the following probabilities to Climb Portal powerups:

• Feather: 20%
• Small Bonus: 60%
• Large Bonus: 20%

Gaming the Portal

In the Climb Portal, just like the rest of the Zwift, the more powerup arches you can ride through, the more XP you can potentially earn. So if we want to “game” the portal to maximize XP, we need to ride through as many section arches as possible using the least amount of work/time.

There are two ways to look at this:

• The shorter, the better. All Portal Climbs are broken into 10 equidistant sections, so a 10km climb will have 10 1km sections, while a 3km climb will have 10 300-meter sections. Clearly, the shorter climb will get you more XP.
• The flatter, the better. So if you have two Portal Climbs of equal length, but one averages 4% while the other averages 6%, the 4% climb will get you more XP for your efforts since you’ll go through each section faster.

Maximizing Climb Portal XP, then, requires riding shorter, flatter climbs. Here are the three shortest:

• Cote de Pike (2.17km, 9%)
• Cote de Domancy (2.97km, 7.9%)
• Cote de Trebiac (4.6km, 4.2%)

At 3 W/kg, Cote de Pike takes around 13 minutes to complete. (Domancy and Trebiac each take around 15 minutes at the 3 W/kg). Based on that estimate, we can calculate the average XP earned per hour if you did Cote de Pike repeats at 3 W/kg:

• Average XP per section: (250*.2) + (10*.6)=56XP
• Average time to complete each section: (13 minutes climbing + 2 minutes descending)/10 sections=1.5 minutes per section, or 40 Cote de Pike sections completed each hour
• Bonus XP per hour: (60 minutes/1.5 minutes)*56XP=2240XP
• Distance-Based XP per hour: (2.17km*2)*(60 minutes/15 minutes)*20XP=347XP
• Total XP per hour: 2587XP

As a comparison, you can expect around 820XP/hour riding with the Coco RoboPacer, or as high as 1400XP per hour if you do something tricky like GPLama’s Alpe XP Farming Workout.

Clearly, the shorter climbs in the Portal offer an unprecedented opportunity to earn XP in Zwift.

XP For Other Climbs

Longer Portal climbs don’t offer the same XP farming capabilities as shorter ones, however. If you’re looking at it from purely an XP-earning standpoint, if it takes you more than ~45 minutes to do the climb once, you’re better off riding with a RoboPacer on a flatter route.

Questions or Comments

Have you been farming XP in the Climb Portal? Got any further insight or tips to share? Post below!

Here’s a complete list of Zwift’s achievement badges, including bonus XP awarded and tips for unlocking the badge.

General Achievements

Habitual: “Ride a lap for 3 days in a row”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: ride or run at least 5km, 3 days in a row.
• Tips: your badge is unlocked at the start of your first activity after the one which achieved the goal. Read more about this badge >

Addicted: “Ride a lap for 7 days in a row”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: ride or run at least 5km, 7 days in a row.
• Tips: your badge is unlocked at the start of your first activity after the one which achieved the goal. Read more about this badge >

Work from Home: “Ride a lap for 14 days in a row”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: ride or run at least 5km, 14 days in a row.
• Tips: your badge is unlocked at the start of your first activity after the one which achieved the goal. Read more about this badge >

You’re Popular: “Receive 10 Ride Ons in one ride!”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: receive at least 10 Ride Ons from other Zwifters during a single ride or run.
• Tips: ride with the larger RoboPacer groups to receive lots of Ride Ons from others.

Ride On: “Give 3 Ride Ons”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: give at least 3 Ride-Ons during a single ride or run activity.
• Tips: use the Companion app and/or Zwift Play controllers to easily give 5 Rides Ons to nearby riders every few seconds. This is especially easy in busy groups like big events or RoboPacer packs.

Big Fan: “Give 30 Ride Ons”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: give at least 30 Ride-Ons during a single ride or run activity.
• Tips: use the Companion app and/or Zwift Play controllers to easily give 5 Rides Ons to nearby riders every few seconds. This is especially easy in busy groups like big events or RoboPacer packs.

Fan Club: “Give 100 Ride Ons”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: give at least 100 Ride Ons during a single ride or run activity.
• Tips: use the Companion app and/or Zwift Play controllers to easily give 5 Rides Ons to nearby riders every few seconds. This is especially easy in busy groups like big events or RoboPacer packs.

Paparazzi: “Fan view for 15 minutes”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: watching another Zwifter while they’re active in game for at least 15 minutes.
• Tips: click a rider’s name in the “Riders Nearby” list to fan view, or tap “Fan View” in the Companion app when viewing the rider’s profile. Fan viewing is most fun when you’re watching someone race! Read How to Watch Another Rider In a Zwift Race for details.

Into the Wind: “Do a U-Turn”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: do a u-turn while riding or running.
• Tips: you can do a u-turn using your keyboard (down arrow), Companion app, Play Controllers, or the in-game action bar.

Statistician: “Connect your Strava account”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: connect your Strava account to Zwift, then do an activity.
• Tips: this can be done via the Companion app or by logging into my.zwift.com and going to Account>Connections. Linking your Strava account also unlocks the in-game Strava kit(s)!

Paired: “Pair a phone through Zwift Companion”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: install Zwift Companion on your phone, open the app and sign into your Zwift account.
• Tips: use the Companion app to browse events or clubs when you’re not Zwifting, and to perform various in-game functions while riding or running.

Sweat!: “Complete a workout”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: complete a structured workout on Zwift. This can be a group event or an individual on-demand workout.
• Tips: workouts typically use ERG mode. If you don’t know how this works, check out “All About ERG Mode on Zwift” before you jump in, as ERG mode is very different from free riding!

Cycling Achievements

Can’t Stop Now: “Ride 10 miles”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: ride at least 10 miles in one session.
• Tips: struggling to go the distance? Join a RoboPacer pack so you benefit from the draft and get more mileage for your effort.

Marathoner: “Ride 40km”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: ride at least 40 kilometers in one session.
• Tips: struggling to go the distance? Join a RoboPacer pack so you benefit from the draft and get more mileage for your effort.

100 Clicks: “Ride 100km”

• Bonus: 500XP + Metric Century Kit
• How it’s earned: ride at least 100 kilometers (a metric century!) in one session.
• Tips: struggling to go the distance? Join a RoboPacer pack so you benefit from the draft and get more mileage for your effort.

No Big Deal: “Ride 100 miles”

• Bonus: 750XP + Century Kit
• How it’s earned: ride at least 100 miles in one session.
• Tips: struggling to go the distance? Join a RoboPacer pack so you benefit from the draft and get more mileage for your effort. Earning this badge also unlocks the coveted black “Century Kit” in Zwift.

Whoa Nelly: “Ride 30mph”

• Bonus: 250XP
• How it’s earned: ride at 30mph or more.
• Tips: struggling to go fast? Try a climbing route, which will always include a descent!

Speed Demon: “Ride 40mph”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: ride at 40mph or more.
• Tips: struggling to go fast? Try a climbing route, which will always include a descent!

Daredevil: “Ride 50mph”

• Bonus: 750XP
• How it’s earned: ride at 50mph or more.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Read How to hit 50MPH on Zwift.

Sprinter Apprentice: “Hit 500 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 500 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Lit: “Hit 600 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 600 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Circuit Breaker: “Hit 700 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 700 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Master Draftsman: “Draft another rider for 15 seconds”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: ride in the draft of another rider for 15 seconds or more.
• Tips: drafting in Zwift takes practice, but it’s crucial if you want to have the strength to win a race. Learn all about drafting on Zwift.

Jelly: “Hold over 500 watts for 10 seconds”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: hold 500 watts or more for at least 10 seconds.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Warmed Up: “Complete 5 laps of the Volcano Circuit”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: ride 5 laps of the Volcano Circuit (in either direction) in one activity.
• Tips: this is best done in a group, and RoboPacers are always on this circuit (see RoboPacer schedule). For more on this achievement, read All About Zwift’s Volcano Circuit Lap Badges.

Hothead: “Complete 10 laps of the Volcano Circuit”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: ride 10 laps of the Volcano Circuit (in either direction) in one activity.
• Tips: this is best done in a group, and RoboPacers are always on this circuit (see RoboPacer schedule). For more on this achievement, read All About Zwift’s Volcano Circuit Lap Badges.

On Fire!: “Complete 25 laps of the Volcano Circuit”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: ride 25 laps of the Volcano Circuit (in either direction) in one activity.
• Tips: this is best done in a group, and RoboPacers are always on this circuit (see RoboPacer schedule). For more on this achievement, read All About Zwift’s Volcano Circuit Lap Badges.

Avid Climber: “Climb Alpe du Zwift 5 times”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: summit Alpe du Zwift 5 times (doesn’t have to be all in one session).
• Tips: the Road to Sky route is the quickest way to get to the Alpe. Get to the top a bit faster by using the fasting climbing frame and wheels available to you.

Masochist: “Climb Alpe du Zwift 25 times”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: summit Alpe du Zwift 25 times (doesn’t have to be all in one session).
• Tips: the Road to Sky route is the quickest way to get to the Alpe. Get to the top a bit faster by using the fasting climbing frame and wheels available to you.

Portal Climber: “Complete Climb Portal Once”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: finish one of the climbs in the Climb Portal.
• Tips: the climb of the day is easily reached by clicking the first card under “Just Ride” near the bottom of the homescreen. See the Climb Portal Schedule to find out when climbs are scheduled.

Climb Portal Pro: “Complete Climb Portal Ten Times”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: finish 10 Climb Portal climbs (any combination counts, it doesn’t have to be 10 different climbs).
• Tips: the climb of the day is easily reached by clicking the first card under “Just Ride” near the bottom of the homescreen. See the Climb Portal Schedule to find out when climbs are scheduled.

Legs of Steel: “Complete Climb Portal 25 Times”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: finish 25 Climb Portal climbs (any combination counts, it doesn’t have to be 25 different climbs).
• Tips: the climb of the day is easily reached by clicking the first card under “Just Ride” near the bottom of the homescreen. See the Climb Portal Schedule to find out when climbs are scheduled.

Running Achievements

Hot Off the Line: “Run a mile in a single session”

• Bonus: 250XP
• How it’s earned: run 1 mile in a single session.

First Five: “Run 5km in a single session”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: run 5km in a single session.

Gimmie Ten: “Run 10km in a single session”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: run 10km in a single session.

Runners Dozen: “Run 13.1 miles in a single session”

• Bonus: 1500XP
• How it’s earned: run 13.1 miles (a half marathon) in a single session.

Centurion: “Run a total distance of 100 miles”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: accumulate 100 miles of runs across multiple sessions (or do it all in one session if you’re crazy).

Street Cred: “Run a total distance of 500 miles”

• Bonus: 1500XP
• How it’s earned: accumulate 500 miles of runs across multiple sessions.

Pursuit of Happiness: “Run a total distance of 1000 miles”

• Bonus: 2500XP
• How it’s earned: accumulate 1000 miles of runs across multiple sessions.

Earning the Donuts: “Run a mile in under 9 minutes”

• Bonus: 300XP
• How it’s earned: run a mile in under 9 minutes.

Leg Warmer: “Run a mile in under 8 minutes”

• Bonus: 400XP
• How it’s earned: run a mile in under 8 minutes.

Like the Wind: “Run a mile in under 7 minutes”

• Bonus: 500XP
• How it’s earned: run a mile in under 7 minutes.

Engines Are Go: “Run a mile in under 6 minutes”

• Bonus: 600XP
• How it’s earned: run a mile in under 6 minutes.

Extra Credit

The following badges are not shown in the achievements list until you’ve earned them, effectively making them “hidden” achievements.

100KPH!: “Break 100kph”

• Bonus: 1000XP
• How it’s earned: ride at least 100kph (62.1mph).
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Read How to Unlock the 100kph Achievement Badge in Zwift.

Just Scrape It: “Hit 800 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 800 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

The Blowdrier: “Hit 900 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 900 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Premier Power: “Hit 1000 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 1000 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

Off the Rocks: “Hit 1100 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 1100 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

1.21 Gigawatts: “Hit 1200 watts”

• Bonus: 100XP
• How it’s earned: put out 1200 watts or more during your ride.
• Tips: struggling to get this badge? Work on your sprint form, remembering that power is torque x cadence. Increase either and you increase your sprint power!

You’re Famous: “Receive 30 Ride Ons in one ride”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: receive at least 30 Ride Ons in a single ride or run.
• Tips: ride with the larger RoboPacer groups to receive lots of Ride Ons from others.

Bigger Than Jensie!: “Receive 100 Ride Ons in one ride”

• Bonus: 50XP
• How it’s earned: receive at least 100 Ride Ons in a single ride or run.
• Tips: ride with the larger RoboPacer groups to receive lots of Ride Ons from others. Stay with a large pack for a couple of hours or more and you should be able to get this badge!

Going the Distance: “Run 26.2 miles”

• Bonus: 2500XP
• How it’s earned: run a marathon (26.2 miles) on Zwift.

Olympian: “Run a mile in under 5 minutes”

• Bonus: 700XP
• How it’s earned: run a mile in under 5 minutes.

Everested!: “Climb 29,029 ft in one activity”

• Bonus: 5000XP
• How it’s earned: accumulate 29,029′ of climbing in one ride or run.
• Tips: this is no small achievement! To truly “Everest” on a bike (indoors or out) you must follow a set of rules, as explained on the official Everesting website.

Liftoff!: “Climb Alpe du Zwift in under an hour”

• Bonus: 250XP
• How it’s earned: summit Alpe du Zwift in under 60 minutes.
• Tips: riding the Alpe with others will push you to do your best. Try riding it in an event such as the Summit Seeker Weekends. Also, make sure you are using the fasting climbing frame and wheels available.

Route Achievements

Most routes in Zwift award an achievement badge upon first completion. The game maintains a separate list for “mixed” routes (those which allow both riding and running) and run-only routes.

When you earn a route achievement badge you also receive a one-time XP bonus for completing that route. This bonus is equal to the XP you already earned for the route (20XP per km), so you effectively double your XP earning rate when riding routes for the first time, helping you level up faster.

Completed Missions

Zwift has held “Mission” events over the years which typically require Zwifters to achieve a certain goal within a particular month. Mission badges are grouped by year and listed at the bottom of your achievements list.

Completed Training Plans

Whenever you complete a Zwift Training Plan, its badge is added to your achievements list.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Related: XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Zwift Cyclists

The Big Idea

Your level in Zwift is based purely on how much XP you’ve earned.

Well, sort of.

Both times Zwift increased its level cap (from 25 to 50 in December 2018, then from 50 to 60 in September 2022) many Zwifters had already earned enough XP to level up to the new cap.

Example: John Doe Zwifter had earned 760,000XP by August 2022,ut he was stuck at level 50 because that was the highest possible level. Then Zwift released levels 51-60, with 60 requiring 750,000 XP.

The goal of “accelerated leveling” is to give high-level Zwifters like John Doe the fun of working to level up, even if they’ve already earned the XP required to hit higher levels. Otherwise he would just log into Zwift and see 10 new level achievements immediately pop up!

So Zwift devised a scheme whereby these high-level Zwifters would still have to earn some XP to level up, but their leveling up would be accelerated using XP the Zwifter had already earned.

Acceleration Rates and Indicator

With levels 26-50 that acceleration was at a rate of 8x. So for every 1XP earned, Zwift used an additional 7XP that the Zwifter had already earned, meaning you went through the levels 8x faster than usual.

With levels 51-60, Zwift slowed the acceleration to 2x.

If you’re on the accelerated track, you’ll see an indicator on your pause screen showing your current level with an arrow pointing to the level you will be accelerated to.

A Recent Visual Change

Until recently, Zwifters on the accelerated track would see a doubled XP number whenever Xp was earned. (I, for example, saw 40xp with each new km. This was Zwift giving me the standard 20xp per km, plus adding another 20xp that I had already earned.)

The pause screen also showed the current XP count Zwift was using to calculate my level. Even though I had earned well over the 750,000XP required to hit level 60, the main menu showed a lower value (say, 525,540) while I was working from Level 51 (520,000XP) to 52 (540,000XP).

This UI presented a few problems. First, the +40XP popup made it look like I was earning double XP when I really wasn’t. Secondly, there was no place where I could see how much XP I had actually earned.

In early April, Zwift changed the UI to clarify accelerated leveling. Recently they made a second change to how the game displays newly-earned XP. But there was one problem: nobody announced it, and now it’s causing some confusion for astute Zwifters who knew how it looked previously!

This is how it works now:

So Zwift has made two key changes in recent weeks:

1. The pause screen now shows your total earned XP.
2. A doubled XP number is no longer shown. All you see is the actual new XP you’ve earned.

Questions or Comments?

Post below!

Can We Ride 100km/hr on Zwift? Advent Week 2

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The Key to Winning a Zwift Race

How Hard is Racing A-Grade on Zwift?

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Here at Zwift Insider, we’ve published several posts over the years detailing how XP works, and how to earn XP faster. A few we’d recommend:

• XP, Levels, and Unlocks for Zwift Cyclists
• How Zwift Calculates XP for Cycling Workouts
• 8 Ways to Earn More XP and Level Up Faster on Zwift
• How to Get Over 40XP Per Mile On Zwift

Recently I chatted with our favorite Lama from down under, Shane Miller. Inspired by a recent Reddit post, we discussed ways to earn more XP. With a rough plan in place, Shane retreated to his pain cave to work his magic… and here’s the result, put together with Shane’s trademark precision and attention to detail:

Video Summary

Shane dives into the basics of how XP works, then unpacks his plan for ultimate XP farming: a workout up Alpe du Zwift!

He creates the workout, then takes it for a test ride. The results?

• Free-ride first 5km to base of Alpe +100XP
• 70 mins @ 12XP/min +840XP
• Free-ride last km to arch +20XP
• Arch crossing +10XP
• Won the wheels +1000XP
• Ride the 1km top loop +20XP
• Coast the 12km to the base of the Alpe +240XP
• Other randomness +20XP
• Total gain: 2250XP in 96 minutes, or 1406XP per hour.

As a comparison, you can expect around 820XP/hour riding with the Coco RoboPacer, and 720XP/hour doing just a standard workout with similar blocks as Shane used.

Keep in mind, if you’re earning double XP like Shane and many other level 50+ riders, all the numbers above will be doubled.

Questions or Comments

Is Shane’s method the most time-effective way to earn XP on Zwift? Share your questions and comments below!

Is this a sign of things to come? We hope so. Adding event-only routes to the list of achievable badges would encourage event participation and add more carrots for Zwifters to chase. And you know we like carrots!

Neokyo Crit Course is being unveiled with the L39ION of LA Crit Series, so participating in one of those races is the most obvious way to get the route badge. But there are other ways, as our favorite Aussie Lama explains:

As Shane explains, you can also unlock the route badge by joining another event held on the route (see a full list of upcoming events on Neokyo Crit Course).

You can also use the Zwift-Preferences tool for Windows, or the Zwift-Prefs tool on Mac.

Ride on!

With 500,000XP being needed to reach level 50, surely one needs to ride 25,000km at 20XP per km or 16,667 miles (26,816km). Or do they? I’m Zwifting proof that it’s entirely possible to reach 500,476 XP with 19,843km of riding. That’s 25.22 XP/km (40.58 XP/mile)!

A good number of approaches to gaining extra XP are covered in 8 Ways to Earn more XP and Level Up Faster on Zwift. And the screenshot above, like a good weight-watchers case study, proves it.

So, what tips does someone who has gained 25% extra XP over 20,000km give?

• Put yourself into km rather than miles (you’ll get 7.3% more XP this way).
• Get gamified and go seek achievement badges. Throw a U-turn, do a workout, be a fan, watch people and complete a workout are pretty easy ways to get a little XP bonus.
• Tour the courses and get the route achievements. You pretty much get double XP for the first time you ride a route. Ensure you select it as you start up Zwift and keep riding until you get the success banner!
• Look for events giving double XP (they are very rare). The 2020 Tour of Watopia was a prime example of this, giving 40XP per km rather than the normal 20XP. If you get a route achievement on one these stages, that’s as good as triple XP.
• Ride the Alpe. Ride it a lot. Yes, it’s slow XP on the way up, but the XP on the way down is pretty easy. 13km 260XP in 10 minutes. Plus, there is an XP bonus at the top once you have the gloves or don’t get the wheels.
• Ride a time trial bike – you’ll get XP bonuses through each arch instead of powerups.
• Get into a pack in a group ride. Ok. It doesn’t earn any extra XP per km, but you will cover more distance within a set time if you’re traveling faster thanks to the increased draft.
• Do some workouts. Feel free to craft your own if you want, but you do get more than 20XP per km.

But the biggest keys to gaining XP are to ride your bike, have fun and be social in the Zwift community.

Think it’s going to be a quick trip to Level 50? Whilst it’s proven possible to gain 25% extra XP over 20,000km, it will still take you ~700 hours to do so. Enjoy. Ride On!

What About You?

Have you managed to reach level 50 with less than 20,000km of riding? Share your experience and tips below!

But are there ways Zwifters can earn XP faster? Of course there are! Here are 8 strategies for boosting your XP earnings.

#1: Ride New Routes

The first time you complete an official Zwift route you’ll earn the badge for that route, which includes an XP bonus of approximately 20XP per kilometer of route length. Assuming you’re riding around 35kph, that’s a bonus of 700XP per hour if you’re just riding new routes. This means you’re effectively doubling your XP earnings when you’re riding a new route!

If you tally up the XP bonuses from riding every route on Zwift you get 40,290. That’s a whole lotta XP!

Check out our “Couch to Route Hero” schedule to help you complete all Zwift routes in 11 weeks >

#2: Ride a TT Bike

If you’re on a time trial frame, you won’t receive speed-boosting powerups when you ride through arches. Instead, you’ll receive either the 10XP or 250XP. Every time!

Combine the TT bike with a short route that includes one or more lap banners and you’ll accumulate XP extra fast. Here are some suggested routes, sorted in order from frequent banners to least:

• Crit City’s Bell Lap or Downtown Dolphin (event only – 1.2 miles, 1 banner per lap)
• New York’s LaGuardia Loop (event only – 1.6 miles, 1 banner per lap)
• Watopia’s Volcano Circuit or Volcano Circuit CCW (2.6 miles, 1 banner per lap)
• Richmond’s Fan Flats (3.1 miles, 1 banner per lap)
• New York’s Gotham Grind (event only – 5.8 miles, 2 banners per lap)
• Watopia’s Flat Route (6.4 miles, 2 banners per lap)

#3: Ride Flat Routes

XP is based purely on distance (30XP per mile, or 20XP per kilometer), so you’ll accumulate it faster if you keep your speed as high as possible.

#4: Use Metric, Not Imperial

You receive 20XP per kilometer and 30XP per mile, but a kilometer is not 2/3 of a mile – it’s less than that. (1km = 0.62 miles). So you’ll accumulate XP 7% faster if you use metric units instead of imperial. Change this under Menu>Settings in game.

Note: Zwift’s September 27, 2023 update largely removed the metric advantage.

#5: Participate In Group Rides

The faster you go, the faster you’ll earn XP. Participate in group rides to enjoy the increased speeds of the group draft, and watch that XP add up!

#6: Hack Your Workout

We’ve already written about this thoroughly in “How Zwift Calculates XP for Cycling Workouts“. That post includes some hacks to maximize XP earnings via workouts including changing interval length, doing workouts up the Alpe then free-riding down, and using workouts for your easy rides since you’ll likely earn more XP than free-riding.

An additional bonus related to doing workouts up the Alpe: the spinner at the top awards XP if it lands on a prize you’ve already received. Including 1000XP if it lands on the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels!

#7: Enjoy the Downhills

Any cyclist worth their chamois knows you don’t end a ride at the top of the hill–you earned that descent, so enjoy it! But it’s worth mentioning here: if your ride would have ended atop a hill, go ahead and take that descent: you’ll earn XP for the distance with little or no extra work.

#8: Earn Achievement Badges

There are lots of achievement badges in game. Many are visible under Menu>Badges, but there’s a whole list of hidden achievements as well. Every one of those achievements includes an XP bonus, so grab those badges!

Combining Strategies

For the ultimate in high-XP riding, combine two or more of the strategies above. Perhaps choose a group ride on a route you haven’t yet completed. And of course, use metric measurements while you’re at it!

The achievement badges for multiple Volcano Circuit laps earn a big XP boost – you get bonuses for 5, 10, and 25 laps. The 25 lap bonus is 1000XP! Why not do a ride that gets all three, along with the 100km badge. Then keep going and get the 100 mile badge while you’re at it! Do it on a TT bike and you’ll be racking up XP points each time you ride through the lap banner.

What About You?

Got more tips for earning XP? Share them below!

For a complete look at XP unlocks and more see “XP, Levels, and Unlocks in Zwift Ride“.

But XP is calculated in an entirely different way for structured workouts. In a workout you don’t accumulate distance-based XP, nor do you receive XP as you ride through arches. You also don’t receive powerups as you ride through arches, so you can’t get an XP bonus powerup.

Instead, Zwift calculates your XP based on the types of interval “blocks” you complete, how long those intervals last, and how well you complete them. Let’s take a closer look at how each type of interval is scored.

XP By Interval Block Type

Warmups/Cooldowns

Warmups and cooldowns (called “ramp up” and “ramp down” if they don’t bookend your workout) reward 5-6XP per minute, regardless of the wattage you set for the start and end of the ramp.

Zone Blocks

These are the simplest intervals to understand in Zwift: just a block of time at a particular wattage. Thanks to astute Zwifter Claus Jensen we know that Zwift rewards 1XP for every 5.55 seconds on Zone Blocks, or approximately 10XP per minute.

Contrary to what you may think, Zwift does not reward higher-effort intervals with more XP. One minute at Zone 1 earns the same as one minute at Zone 6!

Free Riding

Free ride intervals reward you 5XP per minute, regardless of effort level. We’re not sure precisely how many seconds it takes to accumulate 1XP in free ride mode, but 61 seconds earns you 6XP, and 72 seconds earns you 7XP.

Intervals

“Intervals” are essentially a pair of Zone Blocks, with each block able to be set to a particular wattage and time. This pair of blocks is then repeated two or more times, as dictated by the workout.

Intervals reward you a set amount of XP based on the total time of the interval block: 12XP per minute, regardless of interval wattage.

FAQ

FTP Bias adjustments

Moving your FTP bias up or down does not change the amount of XP rewarded. You may be working harder, but you’re not earning more!

Half stars, no stars

If you don’t hit your wattage accurately enough, you will be rewarded a half star instead of a full star. Half stars are worth 70% of the XP you would have been rewarded if you had received the full star.

We’re not sure where the threshold is for receiving a half star instead of a full star, but in our basic tests if you power was more than ~12% off the target you went to a half star.

If you really mess up the interval, you’ll receive no star–which is worth approximately 1XP per minute of interval length.

Cadence Targets

Although a workout may include cadence targets, cadence does not affect stars (or XP) rewarded.

Completion Bonus

There is no bonus XP rewarded upon completion of your workout, even if you earn all your stars. “The joy is in the journey,” my friends!

Hacks

Can workout mode be used to accumulate XP more quickly or easily than other modes? Well, that depends. As you can see above, a hard workout doesn’t earn you more XP than an easy one. Thirty minutes of Zone 4 will get you 300XP, but so will 30 minutes of Zone 1!

For most riders, if you’re going hard, chances are you’ll get more XP outside of a structured workout. But if you’re taking it easy, a workout will probably give you more XP per minute.

Here are a couple of hacks to maximize your workout XP…

Playing with Seconds

With certain interval types, adding just one or two seconds to each minute of interval will increase the XP significantly. For example:

• 60 seconds of free riding gets you 5XP, but 61 seconds gets you 6XP
• 60 seconds of a zone block gets you 10XP, but 62 seconds gets you 11XP. (Also, 56 seconds of a zone block will get you 10XP, just like 60 seconds!)

ERGing up the Alpe

Since XP is mostly distance-based outside of workouts, riding flat routes gains you more XP than riding climbs.

You do, however, gain a lot of XP while descending!

So do your workout while riding up Alpe du Zwift, then coast down in free ride mode once the workout is finished. You’ll earn XP on the way up that is similar to what you’d earn while riding the flats, then you’ll earn a lot of XP on the fast descent. You may also earn a big XP bonus from the prize spinner at the top: 1000XP if it lands on the wheels and you’ve already got them in your garage.

Improvement Suggestions

It seems odd that workouts do not reward more XP for harder intervals. We would like to see Zwift change this, rewarding (for example) 8XP per minute of Zone 1, 10XP per minute of Zone 2, 12XP for Z3, etc. Zwifters shouldn’t be punished for doing harder workouts, but that is effectively what’s happening with the current system.

Secondly, giving a completion bonus for a workout where you get all the stars seems like a great idea. It doesn’t have to be a big bonus, but a little pat on the back is always nice. (If Zwift were to adopt a completion bonus they would also need to change the workout summary screen behavior. Currently, the screen pops up immediately after you finish your last interval, so you cannot see the XP you were rewarded for the last block.)

Your Feedback

We’ve tried to be as thorough and accurate as possible with the summary above, but if you spot anything we missed or have any questions, please comment below!