Depending on the course. On mixed courses you need to avoid being dropped and go for a light one. This is the way of the Alpe. It’s the ultimate customization for your avatar, it’s FAST, and it’s a testament to your climbing abilities! What’s the fastest thing to get up AdZ? For example, the Tarmac Pro with Meilenstein wheels vs TP with 404s; Ultimate w/ 3.4s vs 858/disc, etc.. Save the drops for wheels or more aero faster road frames or gravel/MTB frames or TT frames. As a rider “weaves through road traffic” they will also have to stay on the wheel in front to take advantage of the draft. This isn’t an exact science, but we’re pretty confident in our findings thus far. You may still have an issue though. Hi Thomas: at this time, what you wear doesn’t affect your weight in game. Everest Challenge to unlock. These frames are the fastest up the Alpe, but that means they won’t be the fastest down or on flat sections since climbing frames are lightweight and less aero. thanks. Those star ratings must not be very accurate because the SL7 would have one of the best “star ratings” in the game it would seem? This would include big Zwift mountains like Alpe du Zwift, the Epic KOM, or Innsbruck’s KOM. I have been frustrated climbing Alpe Du Zwift time and time again and never win the Meilenstein Lightweight Wheels. The newest wheels on this list (in game), the ARC 62’s deliver strong climbing performance and solid aero performance, making them perhaps the best all-arounders yet. Zipp 454 wheels – Level 24. currently going up the AdZ frequently doing Intervall workouts. So you’ll want to think through your strengths as a rider when choosing your frames and wheels for races. When aerodynamics matter less and weight matters more, which wheelset should you choose? If you ride on Zwift, you have probably seen the cool looking bike with glowing wheels. There’s Jarvis the bear in Titan’s Grove, a ski jump in Innsbruck, vintage steam powered tractors in Yorkshire and, if you’re lucky, you might see the Yeti while climbing Alpe du Zwift. Problem is, it may take one try… or 25. Presume it’s the Tarmac but…?! Is it the SWorks Tarmac, the Tarmac Pro, or the basic Tarmac? Yeah, you have to buy it from the Drop Shop! Oct 2: a big reshuffle! 35,600 LEVEL 2 . LW wheels beat DT Swiss by 6 seconds up the Alpe. Zipp 202 didn’t make the cut for a climbing wheel? When I went to wheels to change my current set the top five were not offered. And it appears to be a great bike in Zwift. Is it because they’re only better on a purely flat course, and the 454s are better with a mixed course? They just barely didn’t make this list – they’d be the next wheelset on the list, if we made it longer. If you have a tough time climbing and you’re racing Watopia Mountain, use the lightest setup you’ve got. But, I love your pages – my ‘go to’ resource for all things Zwift! More drops - drops are earned faster when on a gradient of >3% as well as the 15 seconds following receiving a ride on. I have exactly the same question. I keep read contradicting information about the Tarmac you receive on completion of the Tour of California challenge. So suppose I’m doing Bologna where I spend half the time on flats and half the climb on steep climb. Yes, the SL7 is more aero than the Pro. The star ratings are accurate, they’re just not very granular (if that makes sense). Found a ton of interesting info on your site! This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Hopefully the mountain goats found this post useful. 3rd Fastest Climbing Wheels. Nov 8, 2019: Moved Bora 50s down two slots to #6. Easier said than done, perhaps. Slightly confused. Got mine after 20th and almost want to give up as it’s only good for long steep climb event such as ADZ. I have an upcoming race which is a decent from the radio tower. Is there an SWorks Tarmac? This made it easy to spot which wheelsets performed best. Hi all, not sure if its been discussed before, so apologise if it has.. Eric Schlange, Webmaster Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. It includes 8 stages over 8 days and 50,853' (15,500m) of climbing through the western cape of South Africa. So you’ll want to think through your strengths as a rider when choosing your frames and wheels for races. But look at it this way: you’re going to take on the Everest Challenge anyway, so why not unlock a nice climber while you’re at it? Because you have to get to the Alpe before you can climb it! In this Top 10, we are going through the hardest climbs on Zwift. Long time user, first time commenter. Getting on Zwift: A Step by Step Guide for Cycling, This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. The 3.4’s turn in nearly the same Alpe times as the Giant SLR 0, but they outperform the SLR0 on flat/mixed courses so we gave them the edge. Your choice of wheelset influences your Zwift speed significantly since it impacts both weight and aerodynamics. The very best climbing setup is the Specialized Tarmac Pro combined with Meilenstein Lightweight wheels (which are only available with a bit of luck after you climb the Alpe). You’ve got the sl7 in two places (4/5 and 6/7) and your change log states you’ve moved down the tarmac pro a couple of spots but it is in #1 position. Nov 1, 2019: added the Cannondale SuperSix EVO in the 6th spot. We hope all you riders/racers found this post useful. I’m close to halfway there (completing the ToC) but have enough drops to get the Tarmac Pro when I… Read more ». I’d go DT Swiss in a Tour of Fire and Ice race, especially if I was at all concerned about my ability to hang onto the front pack in the flat early sections. Do I need to do something special? Tarmac pro as frame for sure , and then? The ToC Tarmac is not worth the bother. This is tough for most riders as a single-day event. Cheers! The amount of Drops you earn can also depend on the amount of climbing and effort you put into each session so hit Zwift hard and you’ll see your bank balance jump accordingly. Leave em for us commoners! Learn more. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. Now, it’s back to gloves though. Go with a Specialized Tarmac Pro paired with Meilenstein Lightweight wheels from the prize spinner atop Alpe du Zwift. Even if it meant higher efforts on the flat? As mentioned here, 8 seconds on the total climb is the difference between the two…still going to run them though….#marginal_gains. Only 8 seconds separate the Meilensteins from the Bora Ultra 50’s up the Alpe at 300 watts with a 75kg rider on a Zwift Aero frame. If you’re looking for the perfect pic of your avatar, then you’ll probably know … Climbing means more resistance, and more resistance means more work. Unlock the Zwift Everested badge. I got my Lightweights on the 5th time up AdZ. Very good climbing wheels and possibly the best you are likely to get before you hit the level 30+. Zwift workout Power Pyramid v1 in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. lol. The 404’s perform very much like the 454’s up the Alpe (just 1 second slower), but the 454’s outperform them by a few seconds on flat/mixed courses. The 202s are 4 seconds slower up the Alpe than the ENVE 3.4s. Post below! Über Pretzel Debrief + PRL Full Event Announcement. or better a more aero solutions as Dtswiss to keep the group ? 262,700 Drops to purchase, must be Level 27+. We’ve been hard at work in our lab testing wheels and frames, and this is the fifth in a series of posts giving you some solid, data-driven answers. I’ve been really lucky, then. Oct 23, 2020: removed Canyon Aeroad 2021, since ZHQ made it heavier. There are a number of climbs in Zwift, but I couldn’t find an ordered list of climbs ranked by climbing category. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (. So the Pro wins on long, steepish climbs. Zwift workout Climber's Paradise in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. Leave em for us commoners! These wheels are super-premium IRL, and their price reflects that. Nearby Zwifters Disappearing from the Screen – A Story ... How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More), Shop for a trainer using our Smart Trainer Index. Question: Is is posible to lose weight by riding without a helmet/shades/gloves up the Alpe, or any other climb for that matter? 284,000 Drops to purchase, must be Level 24+. 1 Zwift’s “Trainer Difficulty” Setting. What about climbing? Again, your best Zwift race setup depends on our specific situation, so do your research and choose wisely. When I go to my garage it shows just Tarmac. Have you seen Zwift’s Getting Started Guide? The Madone will set you back 887,500 Zwift Drops. Then again, the 404’s are much easier to obtain! Be sure to use a fan to keep your core temperature down so you can perform at your best! Comments to the frame? Got questions or comments? Then I’d take the average of time savings on flats and steeps from these rankings. Removed 7, 8, and 9 because their flat performance is so bad, and you can get better climbing wheelsets at lower levels and prices. But when the road turns up, gravity kicks in and weight matters. Lighter items perform better on climbs, while more aerodynamic items perform better on the flats. Hi Eric, thanks for the useful insight. Each piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic (CdA) values, making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics. 149,200 Drops to purchase, must be Level 15+. In the wheel rankings, the 808s are ahead of the 454s, and I’m pretty sure that in previous posts (and before the garage) they were one of the best wheels to have. Your choice of bike frame influences your Zwift speed significantly. Want a look at the complete data?Check out our Zwift Speed Test Charts for Wheels >. Shouldn’t I be able to access at least one light wheel set? Follow on Strava, So complicated to choose! The Tarmac SL7 and SuperSix EVO turn in identical climb and flat times, so they’re ranked together here. Are you in the Drop Shop, or your garage? For 2020, the biggest stage of the race is Stage 5 with 9,350’ (2,850m) and 53miles (85km). Aug 11, 2020: inserted the new DT Swiss ARC 62’s in the 3rd slot. Was wondering if people had done similar and what the best frame wheel set up they used. ie – I use my Tarmac Pro for everything because of ANY climb, whether that’s Epic KOM or Petit KOM, but would I be better off with a ‘flat-course’ bike on certain stages? Cheers Eric. Ironically, even though it takes a lot of climbing to unlock the Tron bike, it’s not a great climber. Your best Zwift setup, more than ever, depends on your specific situation. Any cyclist worth their chamois knows the fastest bike on the flats isn’t the fastest bike on the climbs. Anyone has an idea what has happened? Earn Your Über Pretzel Badge! I got the Meilenstein’s on my 15th trip up the ADZ…I was so excited I turned around and went back up However, I did not see a noticable difference in time or uphill speed from the Enve 3.4’s with same effort. Thanks! And while it may not be the fastest up the Alpe, it’s not far off. Each piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic (CdA) values, making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics. I have no idea what the percentage is! Correction…only 5 seconds noted between the Enve 3.4’s and Meilenstein wheels. Also moved the SuperSix EVO up a slot so it’s tied with the SL7, since their numbers match. Hi, Tarmac Pro is what you want, for climbing. I think it’s fairly straight forward. The massive Alpe du Zwift provides a perfect testing ground for us, and the prize spinner at the top even gives you a set of … . Contents hide. Wheel-on TrainersIf you're looking to get started with Zwift—a wheel-on trainer is a good entry level choice. That means selecting wheels with the most stars for weight. However here, they’re not mentioned. I weigh 95 kg and have an FTP of around 350 watts. 191,700 Drops to purchase, must be Level 4+. Luckily for us, we can get them free by just riding up the Alpe! Therefore, on the flat I can follow almost any group (often fairly easily), but struggle on the climbs. This bike is called “Concept Z1” and is usually referred to as the Zwift “tron bike”. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. [email protected], Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. We’ve been hard at work in our lab testing wheels. For more information on why cooling is important for indoor riding, and how to do it best, read Staying Cool on Zwift. These climb 1 second slightly slower than the Bora Ultra 35’s, but they vastly outperform the 35’s on flat/mixed terrain so they made the cut. A solid all-around wheel, the Zipp 454’s rank at the top of our combined percentile rankings (see bottom chart here). For gradual climbs, take a rough average based on how steep it is. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Posted by Eric Schlange | Nov 16, 2019 | Frames & Wheels, Racing, Speed Tests | 30. Added the new Specialized Tarmac SL7. Zwift Climbing Difficulty. 191,700 LEVEL 4 . We tested all wheelsets using the same power levels, rider weight, and bike frame. Classics and Climbing. So I pulled all the info I could find together into this page. If not, is the ToC Tarmac good for something else or not really worth completing the challenge for? Read more speed tests here >. Use an average based on the time (not distance) on the flats or descents, and the time on relatively steep climbs (8% or steeper). According to my Zwift profile I have enough drops and I’m at level 9 but I don’t see the Cannondale EVO in my list of frames to choose from. A solid choice for the ladies! , How do I access these top 5 wheel sets? Climbing the first half of the climb, the Reverse Epic KOM, the segment was timed. For mixed routes, shall I go for light wheels and frame so that it helps me on the crucial moment of a race (for example, the original Watopia KOM) when I get dropped? Got questions or comments? Had neglected to test this up the Alpe when it was released back in July. Is the Spec Tarmac that gets awarded for completing the Tour of California the dame as the Pro that comes out as #1 climber? We tested all frames using the same power levels and rider weight, making it easy to spot which frames performed best. Because the stars aren’t super “granular”. The frames above are separated by just 4 seconds on a climb up Alpe du Zwift at 300 watts with a 75kg rider using the stock 32mm carbon wheelset. Cannot be purchased, must be won via the Alpe prize wheel. DT Swiss beat the LW wheels by 21 seconds on the flats! Hey Eric sorry if asked before but… what’s quicker to climb (without drafting) the Tarmac Pro or a Shiv S-works? You should do that then. I’d be very curious to see the time differences of these Alpe runs (and the flats!). Want the best climbing bike? Just achieved the ToC and it said on the screen that I had unlocked the Tarmac S Works. And that’s how it performs in-game, too! Posted by Eric Schlange | Nov 8, 2019 | Frames & Wheels, Racing, Speed Tests | 24. This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Feel free to sift through our detailed charts! He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Here’s a post summarizing some of our findings. Has value if your going for the specialized collection but not much else. Home; About Us; News; Whats on… Sunbeams Pre-School; Hall Hire Information Lighter items perform better on climbs, while more aerodynamic items perform better on flats and descents. Below you will find the 9 fastest wheelsets for longer, steeper climbs. We’ve already looked at which frames perform best on flat/mixed routes. So Eric, which combo do you suggest for a race “tour of fire and ice”.? Earn Your Über Pretzel Badge! If you find climbing easy, but anticipate that today’s Greater London Flat race will be a chore, look for a bike with the most aero stars. Removed 7 and #8: Cervelo R5 and Chapter2 Tere, and 9 and #10: Trek Emonda SL and Specialized Tarmac. They’re just an approximation. Post by on 26th February 2021 in Uncategorized on 26th February 2021 in Uncategorized Now, I wish I had registered a time on the board. The “which bike frame or wheelset is fastest” question isn’t as easy to answer as you might think. Ps, I’m at level 43. Gotta buy ’em before you can use ’em! Plus, with a more aero wheel, you get to feel the wind in your hair on the way down! Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. fastest climbing wheels on zwift. And Zwift’s release of the Drop Shop has given us access to lots of wheelsets: 28 now, with more on the way! But the Pro is lighter than the SL7. Über Pretzel Debrief + PRL Full Event Announcement. Tarmac pro is done if same performance as the cannondale evo with the evo being half the drop price. PS: I hate to be the **** that points stuff like out but thought that someone should – always a massive fan of your site! Roval CLX64. I’d love to have an SWorks Tarmac just because that’s what I ride in the real world. And they’ll cost 284,000 Drops. ENVE SES 3.4. Is there a chart breakdown of different wheelsets with different frames? So riders will want to think through their frame and wheelset options when racing on climbing routes. I hope you can do a new comparison test on a more tough roller routes such as NYC Perimeter Park to see where else can we slower rider can make better use of this Meilenstein wheels. And as even in real life I do not use gloves I am quite upset to receive 3x gloves :(…, Everyone receives way too many gloves. Read more about that in Fastest Bike Frame and Wheelset for Climbing Alpe du Zwift. Tarmac from ToC challenge isn’t anything special. [email protected], Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Hi, looks the SL7 now features twice in the list following the latest revision to the page. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (. On flat courses you should even be able to break away (small group or alone), so a fast wheelset will definitly help. This list is based on our recent speed tests of 100+ rides up Alpe du Zwift, a 12.2km, 8.5% monster of a climb. But compared to your body weight a few hundred grams will not make a big difference :). Claudia explains, "You do get some drafting benefits when climbing, so depending on how you want to play your cards and how good you are with 6 to 8 minute power, plan to dig super deep or let someone else set the pace and sit on their wheel for a slight tow up most of the corkscrew of the volcano climb until it's an all in sprint to win at the finish banner." On the other hand, suppose I’m doing a route like the Watopia reverse Hilly. This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. One of the newer bikes on this list, the SuperSix EVO was built to climb fast but be aero at the same time (read more about it here). This list needs editing. I already own ENVE SES 3.4 (cheap to get) but the Lightweights would make me feel better :). Below you will find the 9 fastest wheelsets for longer, steeper climbs. is there any indication of percentage for the Lightweight Wheelset and the other items? I got the Meilenstein’s on my 15th trip up the ADZ…I was so excited I turned around and went back up However, I did not see a noticable difference in time or uphill speed from the Enve 3.4’s with same effort. Below you will find the fastest draftable frames for climbing Alpe du Zwift. A great climber with a super-cool paint job. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. I was curious on this too?? #2: Lose Weight. Oct 7, 2019: added Chapter2 Tere in #7 slot. We then ranked tho… I watched this youtube for a test showing that safety bike frame with lightweight wheel is the fastest, faster than tarmac pro (level 11) with lightweight wheel. Just 5 seconds behind the Meilensteins, these wheels come at a low price and level unlock. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. 191,800 Drops to purchase, must be Level 22+. Or the opposite, any advantage I get this way on hills will be wasted in the flat sections (even if I “hide” in the… Read more ». Aug 7, 2020: removed Canyon Ultimate (it would have been #7). Three of my longer workouts made me complete the AdZ but all in all three instances I received gloves…. Are the in-app star ratings not accurate when you actually put them to the test? Cannot be purchased, must complete Climb Mt. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (www.zwift.com), although Zwift does provide funding to help defray site costs. Amira: 355,000 Drops to purchase, must be Level 31+. Zwift workout Gorby+ in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. It’s just physics: when the road is flat, most of your resistance comes from wind, so aero is everything. Differences between options will also be magnified or minimized by your own power levels, drafting abilities, and more.