Confetti Socks!

When Zwift revamped rider levels in December 2023, they promised a second prize for level 100 riders. This week’s update delivers that prize: confetti socks!

Level 100 riders who are wearing confetti socks have a special ability: their Ride Ons are confetti-filled and include a +2XP bonus! That is, when you receive a Ride On from a confetti sock sporting rider, you’ll see confetti on your screen, and get a small XP boost.

You’ll also unlock the “Party On!” badge the first time you get a Ride On from a level 100 Zwifter. This badge is worth an additional 50XP:

Here’s what it looks like when our bot gives a Ride On bomb to the five closest riders:

The confetti is only visible to the rider who gives the level 100 Ride On, as well as the rider who receives it.

Like the fire socks, confetti socks can be put on or taken off via your garage:

Zwifters who have already reached level 100 (impressive!) will see confetti socks unlock the first time they sign into Zwift version 1.62.

XP Changes (Now and Upcoming)

This week’s update includes some changes to Zwift’s XP system, but there are much bigger changes coming soon. Zwift says, “We’ve heard your feedback that the new 100-level system (along with bonus XP from ride streaks) makes leveling-up much more achievable and engaging than it was in the past, but that there’s a desire to make leveling-up more challenging and prestigious, especially for higher levels.”

In this week’s update, weekly ride streak XP bonuses are now only granted for the first ride of each week, instead of the first two. Also, XP details (your current cycling level and XP remaining until the next level) are now shown in the Ride Report:

Zwift says the 100-level system will be revised in May. We don’t have all the details, but Zwift shared the following:

• The XP required to reach maximum Level 100 will increase from the current 591,000 XP to 1,000,000 XP.
• Leveling-up will still be faster than the previous 60-level system, helping to make progression feel more attainable.
• You will not lose any levels or progress when moving to the revised system. Whatever your current level is, you will keep that same level in the revised system.
• There will be no change to the amount of XP required to reach your immediate next level. You’ll earn your next level based on the requirements of the previous system and the revised system will take effect after that.
• There will be no changes to XP requirements for Levels 1-27.
• The amount of XP required to earn levels will continue to increase proportionally for higher levels as it does with the current system. Compared to the current system, the revised system will have a moderate increase in required XP throughout levels 28-50, a higher increase between levels 50-90, and a further higher increase between levels 90-100.
• Just as with the previous 100-level system, existing Zwifters will receive “XP discounts” based on their ‘banked XP’ from the previous level system to reach their equivalent new level in the revised system faster. This means that you’ll still get the satisfaction of leveling up, but each level will be faster to earn while you complete the transition to the revised level system.

Read/discuss upcoming XP leveling adjustments on Zwift’s forum >

Fewer Streaks Screens

Zwift continues to fine-tune the experience of their recently introduced Streaks screen. Starting with today’s update, it will only show when you start a new streak, or when your streak increases to a new week.

That means the screen will only pop up once each week, instead of after every activity. Hurray!

Virtual Shifting Sound

Zwifters enjoying the glory of virtual shifting will now hear a slight sound effect whenever they shift. Want to hear it? Click below, and listen closely…

Bug Fix: Apple TV Logouts

For Apple TV users, Zwift says this update, “Fixed an issue that could potentially cause users to be logged out or reset their game settings after an update.” Zwifters were complaining that Zwift would inconsistently lose their login status or settings when an update was installed, forcing them to re-log in and set up settings, which feels like more hassle than it already is when you have to use the Apple TV remote to do it!

Today’s update should stop this from happening.

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Improved the look of tiles on the edges of the home screen.
• Added missing workout localization to the HUD and Workout dashboard in the Zwift game.
• macOS: Fixed an issue that could cause a yellow line to appear across the roadway when using 2015 (and earlier) Mac devices.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

We’ve also selected a video with a recap of the latest Zwifty news, a rider’s journey to climb the Alpe du Zwift at 6 w/kg, a review of the FTP Builder plan, and of course… more Zwift racing!

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

Online Race Results

Until today, Zwift race results were only available in the Companion app or on third-party websites like ZwiftPower, where race organizers could alter Zwift’s “provisional” results before displaying the finalized list.

Race results are now accessible via the web at zwift.com, offering a similar level of convenience as Zwift Companion app race results. Note: you must be signed into your account at zwift.com for the results to be visible. Race results are available for old events too, not just new ones!

Here’s a quick video walkthrough:

Partial race results are available on your activity detail page when you are logged into your profile at Zwift.com. If you want to see the full results (including other categories), just click the “View All Results” link. This takes you to the event URL, which has the complete results for all categories at the bottom.

Zwift tells us this is just the first iteration of web-based results, and there are improvements to come. One thing we’d like to see quickly is the ability for event organizers who use ZwiftPower for additional results processing to set an option in the event settings that directs people to ZwiftPower for final results.

A simple toggle for “Final Results on ZwiftPower” might do the trick. Then Zwift’s web results would say something like: “Provision Only, visit ZwiftPower.com for final results.” And if that toggle isn’t set, Zwift’s web results could be labeled as “Final Results.”

5 New Workouts

Zwift’s has added five new, efficient workouts between 25 and 35 minutes long. Find them in the ‘New Workouts’ collection.

Faster Tri Spoke

Last week, we shared how the new Tri Spoke // Disc Wheel from the Zwift Big Spin is fun to see but not fun to ride since it’s slower than molasses. Today’s update should fix this problem. Zwift says, “Improved the performance of the Zwift Tri Spoke and Disc wheelset, which can be unlocked by participating in The Zwift Big Spin event.”

We’ve tested the updated Tri Spoke, and published the results here…

Streamlined Streaks

Zwift continues to tweak the Streaks screen in an attempt to walk that fine line between encouraging Streaks without annoying users. Pressing the Continue button on the post-ride Streaks screen now immediately dismisses the screen:

RoboPacer Location

RoboPacer locations have always been visible on the map when clicking a RoboPacer from the homescreen. Today’s update enlarges the location icon so it’s easier to see. Here’s what it looks like:

And here’s what each of the location beacons on the map indicate:

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Fixed an issue where some route cards didn’t have images on the home screen.
• Fixed an issue that could potentially cause a Did Not Finish (DNF) result when racing on routes “The Muckle Yin” in Scotland and “Legends and Lava” in Watopia.
• Zwift Click: Fixed an issue that could cause Zwift Click to not automatically reconnect on the Pairing screen during new sessions.
• Fixed an issue that could potentially cause a crash when loading worlds on lower-performance mobile devices.
• Fixed a potential issue in the Pairing screen where cycling devices could appear in Run mode and running devices could appear in Ride mode.
• Android & macOS: Fixed an issue that could potentially cause a crash when riding in large groups.
• Android: Fixed an issue which caused Android users to enter their email address twice when logging in.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

Additionally, we’ve selected a video about the Zwift Games, a rider’s first win on ZwiftPower, a comparison of MyWhoosh and Zwift, and a race between a lightweight climber and a heavier sprinter.

Latest Zwift Updates

Recently we had another pretty substantial week of Zwifty updates. This includes game version 1.59, Player Highlight, new Zwift Play firmware, and more. Watch as Shane Miller, GPLama, unpacks it all.

Who Is The Fastest GCN Presenter Now?

First win on Zwift!? (power)

After lots of races and rides on Zwift, Ryan Condon finally takes a win on Zwift Power. In his latest video, he breaks down the race, telling the full story of how he got the win.

Is MyWhoosh Better Than Zwift?

Recently, MyWhoosh has gained significant traction, taking some users from Zwift. In his latest video, Oli Chi, ZRace Central, compares the two platforms.

110 KG Cyclist VS 60 KG Climber on Zwift?

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

Ride On Bombs + Player Highlight

The new Player Highlight feature was released in the previous update, and today’s release expands the feature to include Ride On bomb highlighting.

Now when you send a Ride On bomb (by pressing the Z-button on Zwift Play or tapping on the Zwift Companion map) the riders receiving Ride Ons from your bomb are temporarily highlighted and an animation shows your bomb dropping.

Here’s what it looks like:

Read more on this forum topic >

Coffee Stop Fixed

The previous update caused some Coffee Stop bugs which made it so riders weren’t able to take Coffee Stops in certain situations. As cyclists, of course the Zwift community rose up in arms against such an injustice, so we’re happy to announce that Zwift reports today’s update should fix any Coffee Stop bugs.

Apple Watch Rollback

The release notes say “Reverted recent Apple Watch updates to address connectivity issues.” Apple Watch users have told us that the previous update seemed to break Watch connectivity with the game, so it’s good to see Zwift has rolled back the latest updates so Watch users can get heart rate into the game and Apple Health.

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• The Ride Streak screen now automatically closes itself after a period of time. If you’d like to keep the screen open longer, touch or click anywhere to cancel the timer.
• Fixed an issue where routes with minimum level requirements were not correctly locked in the Route selection screen.
• Fixed an issue that could potentially award The Big Ring route badge after completing a different route.
• Fixed an issue that could cause some rocks to flicker in Watopia.
• Internal changes made to reduce the likelihood of red squares issues.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

New Feature: Player Highlight

This feature was initially announced as “coming soon” last April, targeting a summer release. That didn’t happen due to various bugs that were found, but Zwift’s developers also made some improvements to the feature before finally releasing it this week!

This feature highlights your avatar with a white light, making it easy to pick out your avatar from others. It’s a smart light, too, so it varies in intensity based on how many riders are nearby:

Zwift has expanded this new feature to highlight other people of interest on your screen. It now highlights your friends (up to 3), ride leaders, and anyone you are actively fanviewing:

Player Highlight can be turned on and off from the main settings window:

Please note that Player Highlight is rolling out this week on Mac, PC, iOS, and Apple TV, and the release will be triggered by a server-side switch from Zwift (so not necessarily tied to downloading the latest update). The Android release is delayed.

Route Names On Events

It may seem like a small thing, but we’re still happy to announce it: route names are finally being shown in game when you click on an event!

This follows on Zwift recently updating their web calendar to show route names as well. Hurray!

RoboPacer Changes

Two tweaks have been made to RoboPacers, making it easier to keep the Drops Multiplier game going:

• When riding in small RoboPacer groups, the area in which Drops multipliers are in effect has been increased.
• When riding in a RoboPacer group, you now have a longer period of time to re-join the group before losing your Drops multiplier.

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Improved body shape illustrations when selecting a body type in the Garage.
• Fixed an issue where the color selector would not appear when customizing your avatar’s hair, body, and facial hair.
• Fixed an issue where some running shirts did not appear properly on smaller body types.
• Fixed an issue that could cause seals to float in midair on the Beach Island Loop route in Watopia.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the Tacx Neo Road Feel setting to appear for devices that don’t support this feature.
• Fixed an issue that could potentially cause a “Did Not Finish” result to incorrectly be displayed in the Zwift activity feed after completing a race event.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the distant mountains in Innsbruck to appear to wiggle on the horizon.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

Choose Any Avatar

Zwifters can now choose the gender of their avatar, as well as the body type. (This feature change was announced as “Coming Soon” back in December.) The change is pretty straightforward: the gender of the head you choose determines your avatar’s body, as well as the body type options.

Here’s a quick video explaining how it works:

You may also notice that avatar faces have changed. Zwift says, “Your avatar has a new look! This new appearance better-matches the art within Zwift.”

For a complete look at this feature change, read “Choose Any Avatar” Comes to Zwift >

New Zwift Games Route Badges

Four new route badges showed up in this release: Loop de Loop, Mountain Mash, Zwift Games 2024 Epic, and Jurassic Coast. These routes will be used in the upcoming Zwift Games… more details on that soon!

New “Intersection Controls” Option

If you use an Elite Sterzo, Rizer, or a JetBlack Smart Turn Block, you have a new setting under “Preferences” that toggles using your steering device to determine direction at intersections:

This option is enabled by default.

Ride Streaks Stats Fix

Have you noticed that some of the totals on your Streaks screen seem rather low? Various bugs have meant that some of the totals on the screen weren’t tallying correctly, but Zwift has been making changes on the server side and in game to tighten things up.

One of those changes (albeit a minor one) is mentioned in the release notes: “Improves the accuracy of cumulative climbing stats shown on the Ride Streaks screen.” But there are additional fixes included in this release that aren’t mentioned. (There’s always more in each Zwift release than the release notes mention!)

Note that your totals may not be correct just yet: once the update rolls out, Zwift will need to run a server-side routine to fix everyone’s tallies so they’re correct moving forward.

“Spiral Into the Volcano” Route Fix

The Spiral Into the Volcano Rebel Route was recently added to the game to feature as the long route for stage 8 of Tour de Zwift. But there is just one problem: the route wasn’t correct!

Specifically, Zwift left out the lap around the Volcano Circuit that was supposed to happen just before heading up the Volcano KOM. And that, dear readers, is why last week’s stage 8 efforts didn’t match the route’s official Strava segment.

This has been fixed in version 1.58, but Zwift opted not to include this route in stage 8 make-up events because they don’t want riders who aren’t yet on version 1.58 to be routed differently from riders on version 1.58.

Tacx Flux S ERG Issues?

Zwift included a note for anyone using the Tacx Flux S trainer who has had resistance issues since version 1.57 was released on January 23rd. If that’s you, you’ll want to read Evan’s post on the forum >

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Fixed an issue where, after spectating runners via “Just Watch” mode and selecting “Back to Me”, Zwifters could potentially start in Ride mode instead of Run mode.
• Fixed missing localized text for some languages in the Repack Rush report.
• Corrected a typo occurring in some languages in the “Let’s Get Moving” workout.
• Android: Fixed an issue where tall socks may not be displayed properly on avatars in the Garage.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!

Here’s a quick video walkthrough:

It Starts With the Head

To customize your avatar, go to the “Me” portion of your garage and select a head type:

You have 9 male heads and 9 female heads to choose from. Each gender has 3 head shapes organized into vertical columns, and as you move down the row your skin tone gets darker.

You may notice that the artwork for each head has been tweaked. What’s different, exactly? Larger eyes, for sure! More on that below…

Choose Your Body Type

The head gender you choose will determine your body type options. Males have 3 body types and females have 2. (This is how it’s always been in Zwift. Read this now-defunct article for details.)

Zwift tells us they are aware that females only have two body types, and “We are evaluating the timing for adding a larger feminine body shape in the future to be more inclusive and fix this imbalance.”

Hair Options

Hair options haven’t changed from previous versions, with 22 options ranging from no hair to longer styles, and 5 color options:

If you choose a male head, you will also see the option for facial hair, which is also unchanged from previous versions:

Old vs New Looks

In rolling out “Choose Any Avatar”, Zwift also updated the artwork for the avatar’s faces to better match the rest of the art within Zwift.

Here’s what the new and old male faces look like (new look is on the top row, wearing Zwift Insider kit):

And the female faces:

How is the new artwork different from the old? Larger eyes with more pronounced eyebrows. More chiseled noses and cheekbones. Yellower skin tone for the “Asian” face styles. Overall, a more cartoonish appearance that is bit less realistic. Which isn’t a bad thing… this may be Zwift purposely staying out of the Uncanny Valley.

Why the change?

Zwift says, “Every person on our platform should be able to represent themselves as they feel they are. This is one step towards making Zwift a more inclusive space as we continue to build a platform where everyone feels represented.”

Questions or Comments

Share below!

Workout Browser

You can now explore all the Workouts and Workout Collections available in Zwift from the Zwift Companion App. Select a particular workout to see its details, including difficulty, length, intervals (customized based on your FTP), written description, and more. Here are some screenshots:

The new workout browser actually has a feature you won’t find in game: the ability to sort workouts by duration, effort, or name.

Here’s a quick video walkthrough:

iOS 15+ Required

Time marches on, and so does tech. Starting with this release, Zwift Companion on iPhone will require iOS 15 or newer. Zwift says Companion version 3.53 will continue to function, but will be the last version compatible with iOS 13 or 14, and Zwifters on iOS 13 or 14 may not see feature updates.

FYI: The iPhone 6s and newer models can be updated to iOS 15. See this forum thread for details

Additional Changes

Zwift supplied the following additional notes in yesterday’s release:

• Removed Today’s Plan logo from the Save Activity screen, which removes the functionality to save activities to your Today’s Plan account. On February 15, Zwift will no longer support syncing workouts from Today’s Plan. See this post for more information.
• Fixed an issue that prevented showing all Bluetooth devices from the paired device dialog.
• Fixed an issue where the workout dashboard presents an error when not performing a workout.
• Fixed an issue to prevent the “Keep Together” setting from appearing as part of group workout settings.
• Updated the “Keep Together” toggle behavior and added improved messaging for Club events.
• Fixed an issue where campaign progress on the Home Screen was not showing completion correctly.
• Updated “hardware” event filter to now include steering-only events.
• Fixed an issue where Zwifters with deleted accounts would show incorrect values on race results.
• Added the ability to see other users’ pace group category on their profile if their privacy setting allows it.

Android:

• Fixed an issue that impacted bridging performance if the user recently performed a firmware update for Zwift hardware.
• Improved “Find Zwifter” search to return better results when searching by first and last name.
• Fixed an issue where Zwift Play disconnects would generate repeated error messages.
• Fixed an issue on the Zwift Hardware screen where error dialog would persist if the Bluetooth was disabled during a firmware update.
• Improved color contrast on “Zone 3” workout blocks

iOS:

• Fixed an issue where the player pin unexpectedly spins on the minimap.
• Fixed an issue where tied race results would lead to incorrect data in the results page.
• Fixed an issue where event restriction icons could have the wrong size.
• Fixed an issue where the pace group category would show incorrect as ‘A’ for Zwifters without power data.
• Updated calendar permissions to work with EKEventStore and iOS 17.

Questions or Comments?

Got questions or comments? Post them below (unless you’re hoping for a direct response from a Zwift employee – it’s better to post on Zwift’s official forum thread for this update in that case.)

XP Doubling Removed For Streak Bonuses

Zwift’s update notes say, “Fixed an issue where XP bonuses were getting doubled for Zwifters who were level-capped in the past.”

This fix only impacts Zwifters who were level-capped in the past and built up “extra” XP which Zwift is now using to accelerate your level-ups (read all about Zwift’s accelerated leveling scheme on this post). According to our contacts within Zwift, the only change here is that XP bonuses given for continuing your Streak will no longer be doubled. Other XP earnings, including distance-based XP, will still be doubled.

Seems like a good move to us, as it will slow the level progression for accelerated Zwifters.

UPDATE: some Zwifters have reported that this change does not appear to have taken effect yet, so Zwift has removed it from their update notes while they investigate.

Streaks Screen Fixes

Some Zwifters have noticed that the cumulative stats shown on the Streak Summary screen aren’t accurate, as if certain activities aren’t being included in the totals. Zwift is on the case, and this update cleans up some of the bugs impacting these stats, including rides not being included in the totals after using “Just Watch” mode or after joining an event from a free ride.

Zwift tells us the next update will resolve some or all of the remaining issues.

10Hz Fix For ERG Mode

Zwift says, “Power values displayed during Workouts are now more stable when using devices that broadcast power readings at 10 Hz with the “3-second power average” setting enabled.”

This is the same display issue fixed back in November’s 1.52 update, where power numbers were updating rapidly (several times per second) when connected to trainers like the Zwift Hub or Wahoo KICKR which broadcast at higher frequencies (aka 10Hz “race mode”). November’s update fixed it for non-workout events, and today’s update fixes it for workouts.

Read details on this forum topic >

More Release Notes

Zwift provided notes on additional tweaks and bug fixes in this update:

• Fixed an issue where the cycling level shown on the Ride Streaks screen counted up from Level 1 after using “Just Watch” mode.
• Fixed an issue where the Ride Streak screen could potentially not be dismissed via the Zwift Companion app.
• Fixed an issue where the Repack Rush Report screen could potentially not be dismissed via the Zwift Companion app.
• Fixed an issue that caused the “Enroll” button to appear when already enrolled in the Fast Track Fitness training plan.
• Visual improvements to the Repack Rush Report, including improved leaderboard readability.
• Android: Fixed a potential crash that could occur in the Pairing screen.

Discuss this release on Zwift’s forum >

Questions or Comments?

If you spotted any other changes or bugs in the update, please comment below!