As the Northern Hemisphere steers itself out of the depths of winter and into the metaphorical and literal light, indoor cycling platforms face an inevitable drop in users.
Keeping those users engaged, or at the very least subscribed, is part of the annual cycle of their respective business models, and in a timely move that sees the driest week of the year so far here in the UK, Zwift has today unveiled its latest attempts at doing just that.
Among these, in a perhaps ironic move, Zwift has unveiled accommodations for riders not wanting to use Zwift at all. This comes alongside improvements to the user interface, new maps, a Pas Normal Studios-sponsored gravel race series, and the current Level 100 limit is being removed.
Outdoor Recommendations, Challenges and better planning tools
Many regular Zwift users will already be familiar with the Personal Recommendations feature, which offers a simple recommended activity upon logging into the Zwift Companion app. The aim of this, according to Zwift, is to help users spend less time thinking and more time riding, by serving sessions such as workouts and Robopacer rides.
From April onwards, the Companion app will give you an outdoor recommendation too, should you want to take your training outside as the weather improves.
Zwift says this will allow you to "make the most of those sunny summer miles" and essentially maintain your training productivity as you spend less time in the heavily structured world of Watopia and into the freedom of the open road.
Separately, coming later in summer, Zwift's 'Challenges' feature is also being taken into the real world, so rides completed outdoors and uploaded from your Wahoo, Garmin or Hammerhead computer will contribute to the completion of set challenges.
Another update to the Companion app, coming in April, means users will be able to plan their week ahead, turning it into something more akin to a training planner, albeit restricted to the short term, rather than season-long planning tools such as TrainerRoad.
Notably, those using third-party apps such as TrainerRoad will see their week ahead automatically populated, so there's less of a need to bounce between apps to see their upcoming sessions.
Gravel goes indoors
If the updates above suggest that indoors is moving outdoors, then balance shall be restored by this next one.
Launching April 6th, Zwift is unveiling a new event-only map, called Gravel Mountain. It's a small world at just 5.2km, comprising a single route at the time of launch, which is entirely 'off-road' in nature.
And in a move that will likely invite ridicule from commenters around the internet, Gravel Mountain will be the home of an all-new e-sports gravel race series, sponsored by none other than PAS Normal.
The Danish kit brand with its French name is one of the biggest names in real-world gravel racing as the title sponsor of the Pas Normal team, arguably the first 'team' in gravel.
The brand's beige attire and large PNS lettering is a common sight at the startlines of Lifetime Grand Prix and Gravel Earth events, and will now be the face of the Zwift PAS Racing Series, in what is likely another first.
Paris expansion
In addition to the new Gravel Mountain map, Zwift has also announced that its existing Paris map is being expanded, with the addition of the Montmartre climb, and the new finishing circuit of the Tour de France, which was first used at the Paris Olympics.
No more Level 100 limit
Another update coming this April, which will really pique the interest of long-time Zwifters, is the decision to remove the Level 100 limit for cyclists.
According to Zwift, there are 21,000 users currently 'stuck' at Level 100. To hit this level, it requires 591,000 Experience Points (XP), which can be accrued in game by covering miles, completing routes and more. More comprehensibly, that equates to approximately 17,000km worth of cycling, and is an achievement that many Zwifters aspire to.
Once that level is achieved, XP continues to be accrued, but riders forever remain on Level 100.
From now onwards, those at Level 100 will be given a special 'tag' in game to highlight their achievement, and the limit has been removed, with an infinite number of levels now available.
