Keep Streaks alive without a subscription?

So I’m logging on to Zwift once a week, via Android, and doing a 1.5 mile ride outside as my warm up going to my local trail head.
On ZCA, it appears that I am increasing my weekly streak, now up to 82, but it appears that I no longer get the weekly 500 XP.

At least, I no longer see the screen showing my XP bar increasing.

Was this a change that occurred when they made Garmin and Wahoo rides count?
I’m on Zwift with Android but I’m not currently subscribed.

its a bug, if your first ride of the week is an “outdoor” ride then you don’t get the XP bonus or the streak screen when you finally do a ride on Zwift.

I am not subscribed, too. Riding outdoors all time, using Garmin Edge, all activities are in ZC - I get no XP, weakly streak is gone.
I thought it’s normal when not subscribed?

Yeah, that’s my understanding, if you’re not subscribed you won’t keep your streak.

That’s the way it should work, IMHO.
Why would there be a streak for something you are not subscribed to?

I’m not subscribed.
I’m using the free 25k each month.
I log into Zwift using my Android phone.
I pair a speed sensor on my MTB and ride to the trails.
I’m Zwifting but the game doesn’t know, or typically care, where my physical location is.

I’m not using Garmin or Wahoo
I’m Zwifting.

I guess I’m asking, did they eliminate the XP bonus for Free Accounts?
My streak is starting active each week, as it should.

do you have evidence that you ever received xp bonus for free accounts

Hi @Tim_Camden_C
I asked the team about your report because the way you’re recording outdoor activity is not the expected workflow (i.e. recording a ride on a Wahoo/Garmin GPS-enabled head unit).

An active subscription is required to maintain a Ride Streak using the expected workflow as noted in our Tracking Outdoor Activities in Zwift FAQ.

Q: Can I get credit in Zwift for completing rides outdoors?
A: Yes! With an active Zwift subscription, after connecting your Garmin® or Wahoo account to Zwift, cycling activities over 2 kilometers, or 1.25 miles, completed with a Garmin or Wahoo device are counted in Zwift—you’ll even earn XP!

So - as others have noted - you should not expect to maintain a Ride Streak at all unless there’s an active subscription. What you’re reporting is a bug.

I think back in May, when I closed and saved the ride it would show the streak screen and the 500 XP points.
Maybe I’m not remembering correctly.

Shuji, I’m Zwifting.
Speed sensor paired and Zwift is running on the cell phone.

I’m not claiming an outdoor ride to be recorded on Zwift.

I’m actually Zwifting outdoors.m

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Your description is very articulate - I understand how you’re pairing to the Zwift app and using it outdoors.

The paid subscription is still required to maintain a streak. It appears you found a bug that’s allowed you maintain your streak, and it should not have.

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Actually, all last Summer, I Zwifted once a week, a short 1.5 mile ride and kept my streak active and accumulated XP and even leveled up.

it looks like you can maintain or add weeks to your weekly streak by cycling outdoors or indoors whether you have a paid subscription or not. the difference being that riding indoors gives the 300, 400 & 500 xp bonus if you are a paid subscriber. but not if you are on free 25km.

Part of my job is to keep an eye out for bugs, even if only one person is running into an issue.

This issue hadn’t caught my eye previously, and it sounds like this bug has been around a while. My apologies to you and anyone who may have raised it before and we missed seeing it.

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did you pay last summer to keep your streak active

No, I have never Zwifted in the summer because it is too hot in the garage.
My streak is 82 so it worked last year.
I remember commenting last year that if Zwift had kept the XP bonus for the first 2 rides per week, I probably would have kept the subscription active in the Summer but with all the double XP events and even the streak bonus, the value of XP is less.

Also, I’ll be to level 100 this year so XP will really become pointless to me.

I guess XP and ride streak will be another thing that I lose interest in.

I’m not sure this is a bug.

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I did 10Km of an XP Express event yesterday using some of my free 25Km for the month while not subscribing and I didn’t get a streak screen while saving, showing a new streak and no obvious indication I got the usual new streak 300XP.

Again using free 25Km while not subscribing in May last month, the streak screen showed for the first ride each week and I received the bonus 300/400/500XP.

@shooj did say that you must have an active subscription to maintain the streak.
That you are continuing the streak without an active subscription indicates that there is a bug.

Looking back at the original announcement for ride streaks in Dec 2023, there was no differentiation between subscription and free account.

See post

I don’t think it’s a bug
It was working the way they designed it and they recently changed it.
That’s fine.
I was just seeing what was different.