Quick question, does the bike we buy on Zwift (with our drops and level we gain by riding) have a impact on our performance during a race or a workout?? Thanks in advance for your comments and respond.
Not during a workout, but there is some benefit in racing. Once you get on a reasonable bike the differences start to get really small, so thereās no particular need to go chasing after the next bike that will save you 2 seconds across an entire route.
Check out zwifterbikes.web.app to understand the differences. It uses the test data created by Zwift Insider.
@Paul_Southworth Thank you very much for the quick respond.
How can we have a bike in the bright yellow colour (fluorescent) or green or orange??
I believe you are referring to what we call the ātronā bike? Itās the one that glows and you can change its color. This bike canāt be bought with drops, it is only earned by completing the Everest challenge and climbing way past the top of Mt. Everest.
Thanks @Mike_Rowe1
They do have impact on the rides and races.
Itās why everyone goes crazy to get the Tron bike and if it was ever nerfed in performance this forum would explode. 
The other upgrade you want for hills is the Lightweight Meilenstein wheel set - you must get this by riding Alpe de Zwift lots of times until you get them from the spinner.
Even when you have them, keep riding ADZ because you get 1000XP if you get them again.
1 Like
It really depends on whether you care about a a few seconds. The Roval Alpinist wheels are virtually identical to the Meilensteins and you can buy them at level 32, and donāt need to repeat the Alpe until you get lucky. And even the DT Swiss ARC 1100 62 wheels are within a few seconds of the Meilensteins, despite being more aerodynamic. There are several others that are almost the same. Itās less important to be on the perfect/best wheels and frame than it is to not be on completely wrong equipment for the route or segment youāre doing.
2 Likes
Couple of other points:
- TT bikes will not get any draft effect, so donāt use them if you want to draft from people. If you use a TT bike in a normal race for instance youāre gonna have a bad time.
- Mountain bikes, and gravel bikes will be slower than road bikes on the road, faster on gravel/dirt. Again, if you use a mountain bike in a road race youāre gonna have a bad time.
- The Tron is a good all-around bike, and it glows, but to get it you need to make sure youāve selected the everesting challenge, itās not on by default, so if you havenāt selected it yet you should go select it.
- Once you get a āgood enoughā road bike, you probably wonāt notice a huge difference between that āgood enoughā bike, and the most optimal bike on the road.
But you will miss out on progressing to the 25x ADZ badge and you miss out on having the Meilensteins, which is some sort of achievement for some people.
And once you get the Meilenstein wheels, you also have an increased chance to get them more frequently which means 1000XP bonus (2000XP if you are accelerated). Thatās a lot of XP to get in a go and will help you level up fast.
Iāve look for the Alpe de Zwift and canāt find it in the menu of Watopia??? Where do I have to go the find this rideā¦ I would love to try it tomorrow for my morning ride. Thanks for your help
There are six routes that include this climb. Road To Sky is the shortest one.
1 Like
@Paul_Southworth which one will give me access to the Ā« spinner Ā» to win new wheel set at the end of the climb??
All of them will. The only requirement is you canāt be in workout mode when you reach the top.
@Paul_Southworth thanks. Iāve learn so much with this post. The difference between the bikes (aero, climb and TT bike) and same thing with the wheels. Plus, now I know what I have to do to get a Tron bike. Thank you to all of you (@SeattleSauve @Chris_D9 @Mike_Rowe1)
3 Likes
A very quick way is Temple Trek and then do two right turns. First at the fork in the jungle (near the start) and then the right turn at the lowest part to head to Alpe du Zwift.
The starting point for Temple Trek is further ahead than Road to Sky and cuts out a small false flat section.
1 Like
Is that true? Iāve never noticed despite having done several workouts up there. Being over an hour into the workout I must have been in too much pain to notice the lack of spinner!
You get the spinner at the top of the alpe whether youāre in a workout or not.
1 Like
Thanks I guess it just didnāt work for some other reason
1 Like
I always end my workout before going under the banner because I know I have had it not spin for me.
I donāt ride up the Alpe a lot these days and I canāt remember how long it was (2-3 years) but it made an impression on me and I just end my workout.
I try not to be in a long interval at the top so I donāt lose the work out XP.