If you call the northern hemisphere home, summer is fast coming to a close and with it, long days and warm weather too. The sun is setting earlier and the temperature is on the decline, and for many of us, motivation to ride outside is starting to wane.
For even the most motivated riders, the transition from endless warm, dry, and sunny miles to wet, windy, cold rides can be hard to swallow. When you add in the additional effort of keeping the bike clean and running smoothly, getting your winter kit clean and dry ahead of the next ride, and dealing with the added dangers of riding after dark, winter makes consistent riding a tough task.
Luckily, the advent of Zwift means that rain, snow, or long nights should no longer discourage you from cycling. The convenience of riding indoors will enable you to keep up your summer routine, and with the social side of Zwift letting you join organised group rides and races or simply meet your friends, your regular group ride never needs to be rained off again.
Since it first revolutionised indoor training in 2014 when it was first released, Zwift has established itself as the market-leading indoor cycling app, continually pioneering fun, immersive indoor cycling.
Now, 10 years on, Zwift is synonymous with indoor training and following a flurry of launches in the past 18 months, boasts a range of hardware specifically designed to make getting onto Zwift easier than ever, and to ensure your experience when there is as fun and immersive as possible.
As Zwift says, "'Zwift is the App that Makes Indoor Cycling Fun," so here are seven ways in which Zwift can transform the cold, dark winter of cycling outdoors ahead into a fun, immersive experience that will help you get faster in the process.
1. Consistency is key
There is no getting around it, the most critical element to any progress in cycling is consistently putting in the work. If you stop riding, your fitness will deteriorate, and if you ride more, the chances are it'll improve!
But whether your goals are focussed on your cycling performance, shedding a few pounds, or you simply want to keep riding because it makes you happier, the same principle applies that the fewer hurdles to overcome in order to ride, the better off you'll be.
One of the great benefits of Zwift is how easily it makes fitting a ride into a busy schedule. When your bike is set up already, it is easy to hop on and complete a constructive 30-40-minute structured training session or a social group ride without needing kit up, plan a route, prepare the bike, charge your lights, and so on. You don't even need to leave the house, and given the time it takes to dress for a winter ride sometimes, you might have even finished before you'd have otherwise been out the door.
What's more, for those with children or a busy and unpredictable schedule, being able to squeeze in a ride in at impromptu moments can help with your consistency week to week.
Whether you choose to 'Just Ride' in 10 of Zwift's available worlds (there are 12 in total, but two are exclusive to events), 'Workout Anytime' using one of Zwift's hundreds of workouts, or join an event with real people from around the world, there's something for everyone at every stage of their cycling journey, no matter how much time you have to ride.
You could even enrol in one of the platform's 17 available training plans to build your fitness, such as Fast Track Fitness with its sub-30-minute workouts or at the other end of the spectrum, Active Offseason pushing you upwards via eight hours per week of structured work. Whichever you choose, this takes a lot of the brain work out of planning a ride and allows you to be on the bike training in no time.
2. Indoor cycling is safer and more efficient
It might be a well-trodden discussion, but there's no getting around the fact that training indoors is the way to go if you want safe, high-quality workouts.
When following an interval session on real roads, your intervals can easily be interrupted by a junction, traffic lights or slow-moving cars, forcing you to cut them short and in turn, cut down on the training stimulus you're out there trying to achieve. Or you might find yourself riding up a hill when between intervals, forcing you to ride harder than you want to, adding stress and ruining your recovery ahead of the next effort.
That's before we get to the safety aspect too. Riding in winter after dark on wet and potentially icy roads can present a safety risk that could derail your training plan entirely.
With Zwift, you can complete your training sessions from the comfort of your own home, without any of the risks and with minimal interruption to your sessions.
Zwift's Erg Mode also provides you with a constant resistance, when riding both uphill and down, allowing you to maximise the time available to train and not waste a moment.
3. Ready-to-ride simplicity and convenience
Riding through winter is harsh on any bike. They need cleaning after almost every ride, while your kit gets filthy and your shoes get wet. Ensuring everything is ready to go again on your next ride can be a military operation that takes extra time which you could have spent riding.
And that's before we consider the extra cost of servicing due to the wear and tear on components from the road salt, grit and rainwater.
Instead, taking your training indoors with Zwift removes all that grit and grime from the equation, while bringing about a host of other benefits.
Of course, it is worth mentioning that indoor riding comes with its own considerations, and you will still need to look after your bike from salt corrosion caused by sweat, but that's where Zwift Ride comes in. Available as a complete package with the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One, or as a standalone smart frame package for those who already have a compatible indoor trainer, it can be the perfect upgrade to protect your outdoor bike.
Because Zwift Ride essentially takes the place of your bike, mounting onto an indoor trainer to provide the rest of the equation, it removes your bike from any sweat-related issues, while also doing away with the hassle of needing to traipse your dirty bike through the house to mount it onto the trainer.
Zwift Ride is always there and ready for use, complete with virtual shifting courtesy of the in-built rechargeable handlebar-mounted controls (20 hours run time) and seamless setup thanks to Zwift Cog, you can easily configure the gearing to match your bike, helping to fully immerse you in your virtual surroundings.
4. Train on terrain that you don’t have on your doorstep
Unfortunately, a lot of us are not privileged enough to have endless alpine climbs at our doorstep. If you are training for an alpine event next year like the Marmotte or l’Etape du Tour, or simply want to improve at cycling up hills, getting the right training in on your home roads can be a tough ask.
But in much the same way that Zwift can create perfect interval sessions to maximise your training efficiency, it can also replicate the gradient of world famous climbs to let you experience them from the comfort of your home.
Being able to replicate the demands of an event is the best way to prepare both your body and mind. Along with virtual climbs such as Epic KOM and The Grade, Zwift also features some of the most iconic climbs from around the world, such as an Alpe d'Huez replica – Alpe du Zwift – as well as Mont Ventoux.
What's more, there's also a list of famous climbs featured in Zwift's Climb Portal, including the pro cyclist training stalwart Rocacorba, Richie Porte's favourite Willunga Hill, and even Cyclingnews' local, Cheddar Gorge.
This allows riders to tackle an ever-growing library of real-world ascents with one climb changing every few days whilst another remains the climb of the month allowing you to test your climbing legs.
5. Zwift has multi-rider households covered
In the past, riders looking to share an indoor training setup have struggled, and it's often been easier for both riders to invest in their own set ups, doubling the household cost.
For example, if one is running 12-speed and the other is using 11-speed then this meant repeated cassette changes and an investment in time before and after a ride that made it hard to justify.
Now though, with Zwift Ride, riders from 152cm to 198cm can share the same indoor cycling setup without the need to swap anything over at all. Just adjust the saddle height, handlebar height and handlebar reach using the included Frame Key tool, and you'll be ready to ride in seconds.
Alternatively, if you'd still prefer to use your own bike, The Zwift Click & Zwift Cog upgrade kit allows almost universal compatibility of bikes via a single-speed sprocket and virtual shifting.
Zwift Ride, Zwift Click and Zwift Cog have a growing list of compatible smart trainers. For a full list, check out the Zwift website.
6. Control your experience from your bars
If you are a social Zwifter or a racer then you are more than likely familiar with the Zwift companion app to hand out a Ride-On to fellow riders or to deploy a PowerUp at a crucial point in a race.
But fumbling with your phone or your keyboard while trying to ride is easier said than done, especially in the midst of a hard race. Fumble no more, as the Zwift Play Controllers are the perfect upgrade for riders looking for control in Zwift from their bars.
The Play controllers clip onto the hoods of your bike and allow riders to control their route and menus all from the comfort of your natural riding position meaning no more reaching for your phone or laptop mid-ride. While the Zwift Play controllers are available as an aftermarket addition to compatible trainers, those using the Zwift Frame sporting these controls integrated into the bars allowing for easier than ever in-app navigation.
For riders that either already have Zwift Cog, or are looking to invest in one, it is worth noting that the Zwift Play controllers can also take care of the virtual shifting, bringing it all into a neat ergonomic package.
7. Incredible, evergrowing value
At £179.99 / €199.99 / $199.99 per year or £17.99 / €19.99 / $19.99 per month, a winter season of riding on Zwift will cost you less than a set of winter tyres, less than a gym membership of similar duration, and less than a replacement for those drivetrain components that would otherwise be worn down with a winter's worth of use.
Although the hardware to get set up on Zwift requires an upfront outlay, that cost is significantly less than it was just a few years ago. While it might not have the allure of 'new bike day' - even a winter bike specifically bought for riding in bad weather - a smart trainer and a Zwift subscription could transform your winter and help you arrive in Summer '25 fitter than ever.
And with Zwift's neverending desire to improve, be that through additional worlds, new features or its evergrowing library of events and workouts, your value for money never stops improving.
What's more, use code CYCLINGZ10 at Zwift.com/shop for 10% off the Zwift Ride, Zwift Frame and all Wahoo KICKR CORE variants, with or without bundled membership.
Code Expires 31/12/2024, is for use on select trainers for sale on Zwift.com/shop. One use per customer while supplies last. Code cannot be combined with other offers or redeemed for cash. Offer void where prohibited.
