Zwift - 5 Tips for Improving Race Results

[@r.massattack4052]

I'm new to zwift, doing it mainly for the workout and fitness but really enjoying the mountain climbing, pace rides, workouts, etc. I'm not sure if I'm ready for racing yet but I will be getting in shape for it and all the information you've given is much appreciated. Great Video.

[@wx3054]

As someone who did almost 500 zwift races, I can say these are pretty good tips. Take note!

[@cyclingboss469]

Wow! That's a lot of racing.

[@ezralaundy-blair4451]

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[@ezralaundy-blair4451]

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[@brownsugarcoffee1]

Omg!! This is so competitive it’s like you riding outside

[@Willieswheels]

Got my first race tomorrow, this has been super helpful! Thank you!

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Hope your race went well! Zwift racing is addictive, I should warn you...

[@kec2528]

Thanks for the tips. I am totally new to Zwift and cycling but hoping to improve.

[@stefaanc9998]

Good tip about showing up early!

[@Amoreme75]

I agree, I turned up to a SRAM send it race on Tuesday with 2 minutes to go. There were 580 people in the paddock, I was down in 500th position or so. When the gun went, I thought, I'm not too far back (although, I couldn't see my position). It turns out, you can only see so many people around you at one time, so the more people I overtook, the more that showed up in front of me. After a minute or so of 'balls to the wall effort', my position showed and I was in 200th spot.. I was hurting.. I kept the pace up and finally got to 100th. By that point I was in the hurt locker and I had to ease up and settle with the bunch I was with as there was a split ahead and I couldn't bridge it myself. I ended up in 67th on Zwift Power, I know if I had got to the start 10 minutes earlier, I would have not had to work so hard early on and I would have found myself in a bunch further up the road and would have ended up about 35th (way more race ranking points for my effort (177ave bpm and max >200).. A valuable lesson :-)

[@cyclingboss469]

Yes, especially for those really big events with hundreds of other racers getting there early is so critical.

[@emenianofara-on4013]

Great tips James. Thanks for sharing!

[@michaelholden4914]

Great video. Both some beginner and expert tips!

[@ergallentine3744]

Great video! Great examples. Great editing. I look forward to using your tips right away.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Awesome, thank you!

[@outside2333]

Good stuff - thank you for sharing your tips.

[@jordanrundell9962]

Great video. I have my second zwift race tonight. I totally goofed my first one by choosing the TT bike. So I was the only one in the race that could not draft. DOH! It didn't end well. haha. Looking to see how I ACTUALLY do this time.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

I've done that too many times to count....Good luck!

[@jordanrundell9962]

@@finishstrongcycling2355 Haha, right?! And thanks! It went MUCH better. Had a lot of fun.

[@Amoreme75]

That's hilarious, would have been a rough race. I turned up to my first few rides in Zwift on a TT bike (I was on my TT bike on the trainer and the TT bike looked the coolest). My first few experiences in Zwift were not enjoyable at all. I was complaining to my friends and they thought I was just being an idiot. After watch my wkg being higher than those around me but I was still getting dropped, I thought there had to be something wrong. A bit of googling and I found the reason why.. Lol.. My first hard lesson in Zwift.. lol.. At least it wasn't in a race.

[@noelward4864]

That was superb! Thank you... 🙏

[@CyclingwithVovo]

Great Video!

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@frentz7]

Well done, thanks for the video.

[@Zfq93]

Well done

[@ozbanglacyclist9381]

Good tips mate. Thanks for sharing 👍🏽

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

No problem 👍

[@NeonGrayEdits]

I have my first race in the AM. Thanks for the tips bro.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Best of luck to you!

[@cyclingboss469]

I hope it went well and that you have continued Zwift racing since then.

[@declanjamesp]

Appreciated - worthwhile video. Thank you

[@gwhite7011]

Stay near the front and do 500 watts the whole time

[@jukguy]

Really enjoyed this video !

[@dlay58]

Loved that. Thanks.

[@JanetWilliams01]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Glad it was helpful!

[@briandekeyser]

Great info keep them coming.

[@syamsularifinmohamadyunus8144]

Great sharing

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@philtomlinson72]

great tips, thanks !

[@fredeastworth6084]

Hi James, how do you coop with the renewed cycling tire resistance that recently has been introduced on Zwift. So your setup with fast ZIP tires will drop you on the dirt in specific races. Is there a specific setup you prefer for watopia volcano or watopia road to the ruins.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Tests have shown the mountain bike to be the best on off tarmac races. You have to complete the requirements at the Repack Ridge course to get it. See my latest video for more details.

[@PersonaGrata13]

Thanks, it's was interesting

[@alleywatson]

hi number was called 'off the maap' stage 3 ?

[@titofoxandfriendstalks]

Thanks for this champ.

[@leejasonr1]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast...

[@TROll-oe9ng]

Noob here. What defines an “FTP man” vs. a climber? Thanks

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

People known for their FTP are usually very strong on long efforts and can be dangerous on breakaways or long solos to the finish, but may not necessarily have a high WKG. Climbers have unusually strong WKG (watt per kilo) numbers, not just raw watts. Depending on their training, they can be great on shorter climbs (think Box Hill) or longer efforts like the Alpe, or are among the rare class who are great at both.

[@TROll-oe9ng]

@@finishstrongcycling2355 I see. Thank you.

[@speedrocks84]

How long have you been cycling?

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

I've been cycling almost four years.

[@speedrocks84]

Finish Strong Cycling Nice! What difficulty setting do you have on when zwift racing?

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

@@speedrocks84 I use the default. I like some resistance feedback from the game.

[@robertdupuy9538]

I enjoyed the video, although I have some mixed feelings on what was included and what was missing. First, power is super important...so while your point is it wasn't everything, if you don't have it, its what you need and without it, you have no chance. when I first signed up for zwift, I was waiting for my smart trainer to arrive and just used a dumb trainer and a power meter. The reason I mention this, I didn't do it on purpose, but ZwiftPower, classifies you based on that race, and takes your top 3 race average - so if you do drop in as a Cat C, you may get to stay a Cat C for a few races. I didn't do it on purpose, but by virtue of having that first race weight down my average for a while... I got to try Zwift, my first five races as a Cat C. It was awesome. I had more power than anyone, and won 3 podium spots. After I was bumped to Cat B, I was on the low end of Cat B and couldn't win anything. There wasn't any strategy that was going to change that. However, what would vastly improve my position, was to ride with the lead peleton for as long as possible, even if it meant bridging up to them. That's why I have even trouble understanding why positioning at the start is considered important. Sometimes the B's start from a different pen than the A's....and you still have to bridge up to them. No chance in those races of having good positioning. But, if you hold wiht the lead peleton for half the race or so, When I dropped off their pace, many a race I then Time trialed it to the end, with little to nobody passing me. Anyone riding in a group behind me, wasn't going to get a chance to use their sprint on me, as long as I stayed ahead. That's good, because I have no sprint. The tip I would give someone is get to the lead peleton and hold on for dear life....the longer you hold on, the better your position in the end. It won't be a win, of course....but you could move up in your race ranking on Zwift power.

[@PedroPrego]

Honestly, when I get dropped from my cat, I prefer to rest, wait for someone and then battle it out. It will give me a bigger stimulus and if I have to sprint finish then it's good ttraining.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Those are also some great insights. I would still encourage anyone to get a good position at the start because it means you can put out less watts and still maintain contact with your group as the group accelerates. If you are 5M ahead of someone else at the start, that's potentially a lot of positions they have to make up just to get to your position, and that power has to come from somewhere. Best of luck to you in your races!

[@iammotherearth6432]

Is it okay to race on zwift with unlisted rollers?

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Typically your trainer will need to have a power meter for your results to count. If power comes from a zPower calculation, you'll be filtered out of the results. Check the capabilities of your rollers to find out if they have a power meter and communications compatible with Zwift, and don't forget to create a Zwiftpower account as the community generally relies on Zwiftpower for the official results.

[@timgraves4209]

thanks. good tips!

[@adammillsindustries.]

Yeah man, not bad. Want to see more tips dude.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Thanks, I have another tips video out and one in the works. If you subscribe and click the bell icon, you'll be notified when it hits KZbin.

[@kayevillacarillo3089]

wow , thanks for sharing

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Welcome 😊

[@nhaatninhthuan8660]

Nice thkss bro

[@Primetime_dads]

What is the rubber band effect, is this real life or just a zwift saying . And what is it and how to use it , and how can it not work. Thanks

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

The rubber band effect in racing is when the front attacks with more power and stretches the group. If this continues, some riders may no longer be able to hold the wheels in front of them and they lose the draft. This creates a greater aerodynamic load to overcome to maintain the same speed, which in many cases results in the group splitting and falling away from the lead group. Sometimes stronger riders in the chasing group can close the gap and rejoin the lead group, but much of the time this doesn't happen. If you are a stronger rider in a race or are part of a strong team, you can attack at select points to create this situation, or if you know you may be vulnerable to these types of attacks, you can try to get a good position coming into a climb so you can maintain contact with the group, even if you can't produce the same WKG. This is called sag climbing and it can work sometimes, provided the group doesn't split ahead of your position. This effect is more pronounced in Zwift than in real life because the group draft advantage is quite large. You should avoid losing the draft wherever possible if it keeps you in contention. Thanks for the great question!

[@dcam8530]

Good video

[@deanoneill5364]

Nice one. I literally cannot time a sprint! Got to keep working at it. But also I don’t think I’m a sprinter - I must be an FTP man as I don’t think I’m a climber either! 🤣

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Zwiftpower will help you see where you rank and where your strengths are. Sprint timing does take practice. The right moment is different for each race depending on a number of factors. You'll get the hang of it.

[@longbra]

I have that exact bike on wood panel hanging on your wall

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

A classic, isn't it? My wife has good taste methinks....

[@matt.eggleton]

Thanks!

[@FTWinnick]

I love zwift but i cannot see myself ever doing this

[@yakov-zwift-sisu-racing]

COOOOOOOOL

[@David-vb8tg]

number one tip. if you arent cheating or sandbagging. theres no hope

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

It's feeling more like it everyday, but I have hope because they don't control the algorithm. One day they will be filtered out.

[@Robin_S78]

Thumbs up

[@zmorrell1562]

So you are racing in a group ride? Not meaning to bash... but it's just a group ride or training not really a race.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

That's the beauty of the big Zwift events. You have people of every persuasion who are coming with different objectives. Some want the camaraderie, others want to keep up with faster riders, and some want to push their limits and get a great workout. You're absolutely right, however most of the time, because the size of the community is so large, people make most events to be what works for them. I think for rides that post a specific WKG, participants should stick within the range and not push the group. Thanks for sharing your views!

[@omardgardiner2225]

Thanks for the Tips

[@Eragonking53]

Draft draft draft

[@MR-wh5wp]

If this was a race then how come you didnt have a place? 😆

[@p0zzyvm]

Great and useful tips - thank you, sir! Please share something else!

[@StevenTilly]

Congratulations on your great victory in the group ride. Did you get many ZP points for that? No? Why not? Oh yeah, cos IT'S NOT A RACE.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

ROTFL 🤣

[@saracen888]

Great tips. Thank you

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

Glad it was helpful!

[@oneaweekmulti-sportclub8230]

Great tips! Thanks!