Ride The Grade: 5 Things to Know About Zwift's The Grade Expansion

In this video, I'll cover the top 5 things you need to know about Zwift’s latest expansion, The Grade.
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[@Andi_ch]

people clearly can't have any normal joy anymore... just be happy Zwift is evolving, adding routes and getting better and better (although more expensive...) if you don't like it, don't ride it... stop complaining

[@mathewrose2951]

Totally happy to have new routes. I only got the update today, but I rode the Snowman route and really enjoyed seeing it was a vey doable 75 minutes as a solo rider. With the FTP section of the Grade, though, it would be nice in a future update to have a “I’m not testing” button for those just free riding one of the new routes that includes the grade

[@jmx1024768]

@mathewrose2951 What would the "I'm not testing" button do? Already the default assumption is that the vast majority of riders aren't testing, and thus you just get a "grade" on the sign up at top. If you are testing and go all out enough to set a new FTP then you get special UI at the top and the sign at the top will say "FTP" instead of "Grade".

[@patrickflanagan317]

So many negative comments . I for one are happy to test my FTP standing and then seated, I'll bet it's a massive difference. Go Zwift !!

[@JanMoog]

Great advice to set trainer settings on Zwift to 50% thank you for this 🙂

[@dna100]

The flat bit looks a bot annoying. My bike is a bit knackered and struggles to shift the front ring which I'll need for the flat bit. Shame they are locking virtual shifting to the new Kickr firmwares (even though IndieVelo has it for any smart trainer - I guess the Wahoo-Zwift partnership has some downsides.....)

[@cyclo661]

25 km a month on zwift is enough for me for now ..... been using IV for racing and MW for training

[@WowRixter]

Similar to AdZ, do the switchbacks level out a bit or is the gradient constant throughout?

[@aerowilly65]

Thanks for the video. Done the Grade climb twice now and I honestly think it overestimates your FTP..The usual FTP test protocol is a full 20 minute max effort but this is preceded by a five minute max effort to take the edge off your anaerobic power. At the end of the 20 minutes, you then take 95% of your average power as your ftp.. The grade FTP based on my numbers today is giving exactly 95% of my average power on the climb. But since the Grade climb will for some riders be much less than 20 minutes and doesn’t include any 5 minute max effort before the climb, I just don’t see how still using 95% of that power as your FTP can be a valid equivalent to the normal FTP test protocol.

[@jmx1024768]

Only people who take exactly 20min to climb the grade will have 95% being used as the conversion percent. All other times get different percentages, and in general the grade is conservative based on the data Zwift has (aside from 20min)

[@aerowilly65]

@@jmx1024768 Ok will look out for that.However,it is still a fact that a 95% conversion of an exact 20 minute effort is still not conforming to the FTP test protocol. There is no earlier 5 minute max effort built-in to this test

[@MattSwain1]

(Having not ridden it yet) I suppose my observation would be that the flatter sections seem like an unnecessary complication during a max effort ride - you could end up with a worse result due a lapse in concentration rather than bad legs (and noticeable that it’s still got the terrible upcoming gradient graphic which doesn’t help any). Will try it for sure but think I prefer the idea of the ramp test where I don’t need to think and pedal!

[@starlitshadows]

Yeah to be honest it doesn't make much sense to me to have a flat section. I think it would have been better to just have a steady %7-8. Folks with a lower FTP and inadequate gearing might struggle on the steeper sections as well.

[@jmx1024768]

We left it in because it gives most people a little break, and for those actually trying for a new FTP it was good practice to learn to pedal over the top of climbs and gear up. There was some debate on it before we shipped it, but I've come to be ok with the flat spot.

[@Kivharo]

@@jmx1024768Appreciate the perspective and that there was discussion on it internally. I dodge an otherwise perfect (real) route near me because it’s got a flat spot which is shocking for doing an FTP test. But hey whatever… A decision was made, so be it. It’s not hard to gear up (and back down again), But I certainly prefer consistency when I’m sitting on the rivet pacing an FTP effort. The rest of the routes so far are neat though.

[@ZwiftDude]

So underwhelming.

[@nalissa77]

Do you have to ride the Radio Tower?

[@Bergmann2go]

You can if you want.

[@nalissa77]

@@Bergmann2go heck no! lol

[@donwinston]

Trainer difficulty? No! Don't be a wimp. I assume there is a proper warm up before the climb starts and the evaluation begins? Can I find it in the Watopia list of routes as "The Grade"?

[@Steven.spendlesstime]

Look at GPlama video of it. There is a recommended route to warm up

[@XX-is7ps]

What has being a wimp got to do with it? There is no advantage to grinding away in a low gear when doing an FTP test - quite the opposite. There are two routes incorporating the grade, one has a warmup/lead-in yes: choose the “Elevation Evaluation” route (not "Oh Hill No") if you want that lead-in. Or just do a warmup on another route/world first.

[@SmartBikeTrainers]

For proper warmup, do the Elevation Evaluation route. It only has 1.7mile lead in to the Grade so if you want a longer warmup, you will have to pick some other route, preferably a flat one like Tick Tock and then choose the Oh Hell No route.

[@talonlan]

Are you an idiot or you just not bother watching the video, all your questions are answered in it.

[@donwinston]

@@XX-is7ps Mental toughness is a big part of fitness.

[@ricardorusso1462]

it's a shame they opted to make it so obviously fake/videogame like. I preffer when zwift looks and feels closer to real world roads, but sadly for me this just looks like nothing in real life

[@rochie5273]

They had to do this to ensure it could run on average laptops - they could easily make it more realistic (especially with unreal engine 5 nowadays), but that would without a doubt burn millions of users computers and deter them away (especially when considering file size)

[@87togabito]

I’d be surprised if modern day apple silicone iPads had trouble running a more realistic background tbh. Those m1/2/3/4 chips are crazy powerful. So I don’t really think device graphic capability is the limitation.

[@rochie5273]

@@87togabito Yea almost certainly. I’m still chilling on a 2018 intel core with barely any storage left so hoping zwift doesn’t get much larger lol

[@Roy-ud1db]

Who does ftp tests? it's 2024, not 1994. 33% increase, no more.

[@Kivharo]

What are you on about? Every single athlete who actually trains does FTP tests...