Are there any races where everyone is on the same bike … or at least each bike is given the same performance?
Racing is hard enough when you’re new let alone when everyone else is on a faster bike. You start to focus, or at least I have been, on getting the Tron, rather than enjoying riding!
Maybe it’s just me.
I think that you’re overestimating the advantage that you get from different bikes. Your own performance is by far the higher factor.
Thanks Steve.
It’s easy to think that those at the front on Tron bikes are doing well because of their bikes.
I can tell you that on more than one occasion I’ve finished dead last in a race on my Tron bike!
The tron bike is a great all-rounder but on many routes it’s not the perfect choice. It’s one of the best choices when you don’t want to think about bike choice. The zwifterbikes website presents the Zwift Insider test data and will show you the optimal bike & wheel choice for any given route or segment for your level. Two things you may notice are (1) tron bike is not always fastest, and (2) the differences often amount to a few seconds over the entire route, which is something you can compensate for with your legs.
This is a fact! We’re talking seconds in draftless conditions, as also seconded by Paul.
In racing there’s drafting. There’s also much bigger factors such as weight and size and that plays a significant role. Hint: Ask us light (-ish/-er) guys about flat TTT’s… 
It’s easy to say, I presume, but if you’ve got a “good enough” bike, just go out there and enjoy it. I actually make a point nowadays of NOT using my Tron.
Some races/TTs do put everyone on the same frame, but not that many.
However, even when they do, you have free choice of wheels from my experience.
In races with drafting on, relatively speaking, I’m starting to think wheel choice has a larger effect than frame choice.
Under level 15, grab the DT Swiss 62 as a good all rounder, but grab and use the Zipp 808s at level 13 for all but approx 5min+ climbs, or you are specifically being timed on an incline.
It does, at a ratio of about 2:1! If you level up and have access to faster wheels, buy them rather than saving up for a fancy frame.
Thanks Paul, the site is really useful.
I supposed I’ve been hanging on to my pennies waiting for my ultimate bike(s) rather than buying bikes/wheels along the way … level 24 and 30,000 metres climbing (still a lot long way to the Z1 or Aethos etc). Highlights my “tight ■■■■” personality my wife would say 
.
Maybe I’ll just have to go out and buy a new bike!
Racing is already hard when you’re new, and it feels worse when others have faster bikes. Lately, I’ve been more focused on getting the Tron bike than just having fun riding.
Maybe it’s just me."
What level are you at, and which bike/wheels are you using?
A lot of factors go into race results. Bike choice matters but all the other factors can also be important, and once you’re able to obtain a reasonable bike, the importance of bike choice declines significantly. The leveling system is designed to offer access to decent bikes at a fairly low level, and the way to get them is by collecting drops, which are easiest to obtain by riding with large robo pacer groups or popular social rides on flat routes where there’s a big pack to haul you along.
The difference is actually pretty minimal if you at least choose the right type of bike and something “pretty good” - ie. as long as you aren’t racing on an MTB, the disadvantage is marginal. I’ve won races on the BMX bike.
Get the Aeroad 2024 frame as soon as you’re level 10 and you aren’t giving up much to the very fastest bikes, even the Tron & other Halo bikes. The fastest wheels start to be unlocked a little higher level, but look on ZwiftInsider and see what you can get.
Agree to disagree; high pace group rides are enough evidence to me that having a low level stock bike vs a field of Level 5 SL8s is obvious how much impact there is; even in drafty scenarios.
Ride with a B level RP and go between the Safety bike and then your highest upgraded bike over the course of 10 minutes so things remain consistent, and you should see a solid impact on RPE.
The way I would put it is the Aeroad 2024 is adequate. I wouldn’t be doing this week’s ZRacing event on the BMX bike or even the Zwift steel bike with stock wheels unless a savage workout is the only consideration.
Totally agree; the gap between a “good” bike to begin with and a “best” bike may be minimal (unless again referring to a field of Level 5 SL8s vs a Level 1 Aeroad, where you’ll still see a difference in RPE). This is definitely made easier for new users with the Aeroad being half decent, and now available for low-levelers.
Racing in Zwift still requires some thought involved in the equipment side of things.
I don’t see that changing; it’s just now more than ever thanks to the upgrade system.
But that’s just how it’s always been; being a new user stuck with a crap bike is always going to suck until said new user learns the ins and outs. That’s just the ‘gaming’ aspect of Zwift, some may care to learn it after they get whooped, alternatively, they may not race for an extended period.
Most people wouldn’t go out racing on the Safety bike though, that just seems silly 
(yes, I’ve done it before lol)
All of this harkens back to the old request of “races for n00bs”
But I think we all know when the day Zwift holds its users’ hands will come…
There’s a difference. It isn’t enormous, if you’re stronger you will still likely win. If it’s a fairly high quality field and it’s even or close to even - yea, every advantage matters. But my main point wasn’t about the BMX bike, that was mostly a joke as I was just doing that because I’m a BMX racer.
The point that you can get to a bike that’s pretty close to the best stuff really fast at level 10.
The Aeroad is the fastest on the flat before upgrades save for the Halo bikes, and it climbs better than those. Second fastest after upgrades. It’s more than adequate, it’s a legitimate choice if you have access to every bike in the game.
Level 10 doesn’t take long to get to when you are getting bonuses for route completion almost every time you do a ride, streak bonuses, route of the week bonuses, etc.
Wheels take a little longer to get to the best stuff, but the level 6 Mavic Cosmic & level 16 Roval CLX 64 are big jumps.
Start riding the Aeroad for everything at level 10 and you’ll get the upgrades before you get any faster bikes as well.
Gotcha gotcha.
Now when will there be sandbaggers racing on Buffalos and Safety bikes to drop their ZRS at still competitive category power 
At this point it probably wouldn’t hurt (if Zwift cared), to make a new 2025 Zwift Carbon Aero frame similar in stats to the Aeroroad to where new users can be equally competitive off the bat.
Still at the going rate with the announcement of the new DTSwiss wheels yesterday; the gap between low level users and high level / hour riders is… growing, a lot, more than ever before.
I’ve seen a lot of people say bikes don’t matter in Zwift, but I’ve tested this while doing the upgrades on both the Zwift Carbon and Zwift Steel bikes, and I completely disagree. The difference was obvious. Coming from a fully upgraded SL8, I started getting dropped right away and had to push way more power just to hang on. As a lighter rider, I really felt the change. The base bikes just aren’t nearly as efficient, especially in fast group rides or races. Bike choice definitely makes a big difference.
Others have faster bikes because they’ve earned them.
They have put in the time and effort.
New riders should have to put in the time and effort also.
It will never be a level playing field as long as new riders continue to join the platform.
Nor should anyone expect it to be.
Well… some of them do anyway