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 thereâs 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 âtronâ bike? Itâs the one that glows and you can change its color. This bike canât 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.
Itâs 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.
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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 donât 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. Itâs 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 youâre doing.
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Couple of other points:
- TT bikes will not get any draft effect, so donât use them if you want to draft from people. If you use a TT bike in a normal race for instance youâre 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 youâre 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 youâve selected the everesting challenge, itâs not on by default, so if you havenât selected it yet you should go select it.
- Once you get a âgood enoughâ road bike, you probably wonât notice a huge difference between that âgood enoughâ 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). Thatâs a lot of XP to get in a go and will help you level up fast.
Iâve look for the Alpe de Zwift and canât find it in the menu of Watopia??? Where do I have to go the find this ride⊠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.
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@Paul_Southworth which one will give me access to the « spinner » to win new wheel set at the end of the climb??
All of them will. The only requirement is you canât be in workout mode when you reach the top.
@Paul_Southworth thanks. Iâve 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)
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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.
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Is that true? Iâve 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 youâre in a workout or not.
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Thanks I guess it just didnât work for some other reason
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I always end my workout before going under the banner because I know I have had it not spin for me.
I donât ride up the Alpe a lot these days and I canât 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 donât lose the work out XP.