Oct 1, 2020: added Canyon Aeroad 2021 in the #2 slot, which moved all bikes below it down a notch. For gradual climbs, take a rough average based on how steep it is. 191,700 Drops to purchase, must be Level 4+. This attempt was a sub 60 minute effort so maybe this was a qualifier? Are the in-app star ratings not accurate when you actually put them to the test? ie – I use my Tarmac Pro for everything because of ANY climb, whether that’s Epic KOM or Petit KOM, but would I be better off with a ‘flat-course’ bike on certain stages? But I wouldn’t rank it above anything listed here, no. Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. Read more about that in Fastest Bike Frame and Wheelset for Climbing Alpe du Zwift. Here’s a post summarizing some of our findings. On the other hand, suppose I’m doing a route like the Watopia reverse Hilly. We then ranked tho… But the Pro is lighter than the SL7. As mentioned here, 8 seconds on the total climb is the difference between the two…still going to run them though….#marginal_gains. Post below! So you’ll want to think through your strengths as a rider when choosing your frames and wheels for races. Have you seen Zwift’s Getting Started Guide? Learn more. ENVE SES 3.4. It’s the ultimate customization for your avatar, it’s FAST, and it’s a testament to your climbing abilities! When I went to wheels to change my current set the top five were not offered. Moved the Tarmac Pro down two slots after some re-testing. Easier said than done, perhaps. I keep read contradicting information about the Tarmac you receive on completion of the Tour of California challenge. Depending on the course. This list needs editing. I got my Lightweights on my 13th climb up the Alpe. Hi Eric, thanks for the useful insight. Earn Your Über Pretzel Badge! Your choice of bike frame influences your Zwift speed significantly. 184,600 Drops to purchase, must be Level 6+. Long time user, first time commenter. The 3.4’s turn in nearly the same Alpe times as the Giant SLR 0, but they outperform the SLR0 on flat/mixed courses so we gave them the edge. Tarmac pro as frame for sure , and then? The star ratings are accurate, they’re just not very granular (if that makes sense). These climb 1 second slightly slower than the Bora Ultra 35’s, but they vastly outperform the 35’s on flat/mixed terrain so they made the cut. Removed 7 and #8: Cervelo R5 and Chapter2 Tere, and 9 and #10: Trek Emonda SL and Specialized Tarmac. Zipp 202 didn’t make the cut for a climbing wheel? Differences between options will also be magnified or minimized by your own power levels, drafting abilities, and more. For 2020, the biggest stage of the race is Stage 5 with 9,350’ (2,850m) and 53miles (85km). Not a great trade, in my book. This is the way of the Alpe. For more information on why cooling is important for indoor riding, and how to do it best, read Staying Cool on Zwift. Have you testet the Ridley Helium? The frames above are separated by just 4 seconds on a climb up Alpe du Zwift at 300 watts with a 75kg rider using the stock 32mm carbon wheelset. This is tough for most riders as a single-day event. The amount of Drops you earn can also depend on the amount of climbing and effort you put into each session so hit Zwift hard and you’ll see your bank balance jump accordingly. This isn’t an exact science, but we’re pretty confident in our findings thus far. That said, the Tron bike is still one of the fastest on flat/mixed routes. If not, is the ToC Tarmac good for something else or not really worth completing the challenge for? fastest climbing wheels on zwift. Found a ton of interesting info on your site! . I watched this youtube for a test showing that safety bike frame with lightweight wheel is the fastest, faster than tarmac pro (level 11) with lightweight wheel. Has value if your going for the specialized collection but not much else. Zwift workout Power Pyramid v1 in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. They’re just an approximation. So you’ll want to think through your strengths as a rider when choosing your frames and wheels for races. Lighter items perfor… This would include big Zwift mountains like Alpe du Zwift, the Epic KOM, or Innsbruck’s KOM. 191,800 Drops to purchase, must be Level 22+. You should do that then. Zwift Insider makes a small commission on purchases made from these links, so please shop through them to support our efforts. Added Tarmac SL7 in #4/5 slot. If you’re looking for the perfect pic of your avatar, then you’ll probably know … In fact, at least 16 frames perform better up the Alpe when paired with the Lightweight Meilenstein wheels. This made it easy to spot which wheelsets performed best. i mean, with LW wheels i wille be able to keep the peloton on the first 10k? Apr 24, 2019: removed the Safety Bike from the #1 slot, since it has gained weight and is no longer a fast climber. It would probably be the next wheelset on the list, if we made the list longer! Comments to the frame? Had neglected to test this up the Alpe when it was released back in July. Notes: All tests were performed with a 75kg, 183cm (6′) rider unless otherwise noted. Posted by Eric Schlange | Nov 16, 2019 | Frames & Wheels, Racing, Speed Tests | 30. Problem is, it may take one try… or 25. The Tarmac Pro puts in precisely the same climb and flat times as the Cannondale Evo, but the Evo has a lower price and level requirement. Also moved the SuperSix EVO up a slot so it’s tied with the SL7, since their numbers match. Nearby Zwifters Disappearing from the Screen – A Story ... How to Race on Zwift (Setup, Strategy, and More), which frames perform best on flat/mixed routes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eyckiQYPc, Shop for a trainer using our Smart Trainer Index. Post by on 26th February 2021 in Uncategorized on 26th February 2021 in Uncategorized I’m close to halfway there (completing the ToC) but have enough drops to get the Tarmac Pro when I… Read more ». I was curious on this too?? Roval CLX64. Ah, I see this was answered already. Was wondering if people had done similar and what the best frame wheel set up they used. They just barely didn’t make this list – they’d be the next wheelset on the list, if we made it longer. fastest climbing wheels on zwift 16309 post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-16309,single-format-standard,bridge-core-2.6.5,qode-page-transition-enabled,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-title-hidden,qode-theme-ver-25.0,qode-theme-bridge,disabled_footer_bottom,qode_header_in_grid,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.5.0,vc_responsive Lighter items perform better on climbs, while more aerodynamic items perform better on flats and descents. If you ride on Zwift, you have probably seen the cool looking bike with glowing wheels. The Cannondale at lvl 36 seems to have a good rating with four and three stars, suggesting it’s a superb all round or hilly course choice, but that’s not reflected in the measurements. Below you will find the 9 fastest wheelsets for longer, steeper climbs. Are you in the Drop Shop, or your garage? Nobody really knows how often the spinner lands on the Meilensteins, but they’re definitely a prize worth winning. Got mine after 20th and almost want to give up as it’s only good for long steep climb event such as ADZ. Each piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic (CdA) values, making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics. Tarmac is about 70 seconds faster than the Shiv S-Works up the Alpe. Added the new Specialized Tarmac SL7. And while it may not be the fastest up the Alpe, it’s not far off. Below you will find the fastest draftable frames for climbing Alpe du Zwift. Office Open Weekdays 9am-3pm (2pm Fridays) Posts. This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Any cyclist worth their chamois knows the fastest bike on the flats isn’t the fastest bike on the climbs. Question: Is is posible to lose weight by riding without a helmet/shades/gloves up the Alpe, or any other climb for that matter? The massive Alpe du Zwift provides a perfect testing ground for us, and the prize spinner at the top even gives you a set of … That means selecting wheels with the most stars for weight. I think it’s fairly straight forward. Want a look at the complete data?Check out our Zwift Speed Test Charts for Wheels >. It includes 8 stages over 8 days and 50,853' (15,500m) of climbing through the western cape of South Africa. This made it easy to spot which wheelsets performed best. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (. Cheers! This list is based on our recent speed tests of 100+ rides up Alpe du Zwift, a 12.2km, 8.5% monster of a climb. Got questions or comments? One of the newer bikes on this list, the SuperSix EVO was built to climb fast but be aero at the same time (read more about it here). Feel free to sift through our detailed charts! currently going up the AdZ frequently doing Intervall workouts. Eric Schlange, Webmaster But compared to your body weight a few hundred grams will not make a big difference :). We tested all wheelsets using the same power levels, rider weight, and bike frame. Only 8 seconds separate the Meilensteins from the Bora Ultra 50’s up the Alpe at 300 watts with a 75kg rider on a Zwift Aero frame. Luckily for us, we can get them free by just riding up the Alpe! #2: Lose Weight. Cannot be purchased, must be won via the Alpe prize wheel. A solid choice for the ladies! I got the Lightweight wheelset at the 18x up the Alpe, but have heard of people going 25+. Each piece of equipment has unique weight and aerodynamic (CdA) values, making them perform in ways that mirror outdoor physics. You may still have an issue though. This bike is called “Concept Z1” and is usually referred to as the Zwift “tron bike”. Btw, I could never hang with group A riders after the 2nd half of a 30 miles round. Got questions or comments? Is there an SWorks Tarmac? Hey Eric sorry if asked before but… what’s quicker to climb (without drafting) the Tarmac Pro or a Shiv S-works? I weigh 95 kg and have an FTP of around 350 watts. I’d be very curious to see the time differences of these Alpe runs (and the flats!). [email protected], Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. the Tarmac SL7 got a better rating than the Tarmac Pro, so why should be the Pro faster ? He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. This is the big question everyone asks. The Tarmac SL7 and SuperSix EVO turn in identical climb and flat times, so they’re ranked together here. The next fastest frames are just behind those listed above–see the detailed data charts. I hope you can do a new comparison test on a more tough roller routes such as NYC Perimeter Park to see where else can we slower rider can make better use of this Meilenstein wheels. All the TT bikes are pretty heavy, so lightweight road bikes beat them up longer, steeper climbs. The “which bike frame or wheelset is fastest” question isn’t as easy to answer as you might think. 262,700 Drops to purchase, must be Level 27+. Now, it’s back to gloves though. Tarmac pro is done if same performance as the cannondale evo with the evo being half the drop price. Presume it’s the Tarmac but…?! Is there a chart breakdown of different wheelsets with different frames? Your best Zwift setup, more than ever, depends on your specific situation. Tarmac SL7: 674,500 Drops to purchase, must be Level 5+SuperSix EVO: 816,500 Drops to purchase, must be Level 36+. Zipp 454 wheels – Level 24. Push your power curve out, find your rhythm, and conquer the climbs. Über Pretzel Debrief + PRL Full Event Announcement. Removed 7, 8, and 9 because their flat performance is so bad, and you can get better climbing wheelsets at lower levels and prices. Yeah, you have to buy it from the Drop Shop! Home; About Us; News; Whats on… Sunbeams Pre-School; Hall Hire Information We hope all you riders/racers found this post useful. . More drops - drops are earned faster when on a gradient of >3% as well as the 15 seconds following receiving a ride on. Hopefully the mountain goats found this post useful. The ToC Tarmac is not worth the bother. Or the opposite, any advantage I get this way on hills will be wasted in the flat sections (even if I “hide” in the… Read more ». Smart trainers interact with the Zwift courses as you ride them and adjusts resistance to your rear wheel that mimics climbing/descending and off-road surfaces (mud, gravel etc). On mixed courses you need to avoid being dropped and go for a light one. But look at it this way: you’re going to take on the Everest Challenge anyway, so why not unlock a nice climber while you’re at it? Hi, This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. Plus, with a more aero wheel, you get to feel the wind in your hair on the way down! Zwift workout Climber's Paradise in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. The next question for racers is: what about climbing? Your choice of wheelset influences your Zwift speed significantly since it impacts both weight and aerodynamics. I got my Lightweights on the 5th time up AdZ. On flat courses you should even be able to break away (small group or alone), so a fast wheelset will definitly help. So suppose I’m doing Bologna where I spend half the time on flats and half the climb on steep climb. Hi Eric, rather new to Zwift. Shouldn’t I be able to access at least one light wheel set? Everest Challenge to unlock. According to my Zwift profile I have enough drops and I’m at level 9 but I don’t see the Cannondale EVO in my list of frames to choose from. Tarmac Pro is what you want, for climbing. Anyone has an idea what has happened? We tested all wheelsets using the same power levels, rider weight, and bike frame. or better a more aero solutions as Dtswiss to keep the group ? Very good climbing wheels and possibly the best you are likely to get before you hit the level 30+. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Thanks. According to the frametest page the Aeroad 2021 is 2s FASTER than the Tramac Pro… and so is #1 (also the heading for it says #2). Oct 7, 2019: added Chapter2 Tere in #7 slot. Zwift Classic. It is a super light bike and should perform well on the climbs, right? Do I need to do something special? The Absa Cape Epic, often dubbed 'Un-tameable', is a 600+ km beast of an MTB race. Take the perfect selfie. 170,400 LEVEL 5 . ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eyckiQYPc. Really good climbing frame for this low down the levels. Tarmac from ToC challenge isn’t anything special. We think this is a wonderful development, bringing more strategy and planning into Zwift racing and variety in the peloton. Following the Mountain 8 Circuit once again falls into this weird world of Zwift whereby the intuitive thing doesn’t happen. When I go to my garage it shows just Tarmac. Now, I wish I had registered a time on the board. Classics and Climbing. I won the Meilestein wheels yeasterday but can’t see them in my garage. The very best climbing setup is the Specialized Tarmac Pro combined with Meilenstein Lightweight wheels (which are only available with a bit of luck after you climb the Alpe). There are a number of climbs in Zwift, but I couldn’t find an ordered list of climbs ranked by climbing category. Save the drops for wheels or more aero faster road frames or gravel/MTB frames or TT frames. He lives in Northern California with his beautiful wife, two kids and dog. Nov 1, 2019: added the Cannondale SuperSix EVO in the 6th spot. Well if you can be at level 44, should have enough drops to afford it.. DT Swiss beat the LW wheels by 21 seconds on the flats! In the wheel rankings, the 808s are ahead of the 454s, and I’m pretty sure that in previous posts (and before the garage) they were one of the best wheels to have. Zwift workout Threshold Endurance in Classics and Climbing including all workout details, workout description, wattages/%FTP and cadences. More than that, any bike frame on the list above can beat the Tron up the Alpe, using any wheelset on our list of top climbing wheelsets. The Madone will set you back 887,500 Zwift Drops. So riders will want to think through their frame and wheelset options when racing on climbing routes. These frames are the fastest up the Alpe, but that means they won’t be the fastest down or on flat sections since climbing frames are lightweight and less aero. Go with a Specialized Tarmac Pro paired with Meilenstein Lightweight wheels from the prize spinner atop Alpe du Zwift. Leave em for us commoners! is there any indication of percentage for the Lightweight Wheelset and the other items? So Eric, which combo do you suggest for a race “tour of fire and ice”.? You have the top performers (the enlarged points, plus those nearby), then a middle band, then a low-performing band which includes a couple of outliers. 149,200 Drops to purchase, must be Level 15+. This site contains affiliate links to Amazon, Wahoo, and other brands. I got the Meilenstein’s on my 15th trip up the ADZ…I was so excited I turned around and went back up However, I did not see a noticable difference in time or uphill speed from the Enve 3.4’s with same effort. And that’s how it performs in-game, too! The 404’s perform very much like the 454’s up the Alpe (just 1 second slower), but the 454’s outperform them by a few seconds on flat/mixed courses. If you have a tough time climbing and you’re racing Watopia Mountain, use the lightest setup you’ve got. But, I love your pages – my ‘go to’ resource for all things Zwift! As a rider “weaves through road traffic” they will also have to stay on the wheel in front to take advantage of the draft. These frames are the fastest up the Alpe, but that means they won’t be the fastest down or on flat sections since climbing frames are lightweight and less aero. This would include big Zwift mountains like Alpe du Zwift, the Epic KOM, or Innsbruck’s KOM. Climbing means more resistance, and more resistance means more work. Because the stars aren’t super “granular”. Aug 7, 2020: removed Canyon Ultimate (it would have been #7). Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), This community-driven site is maintained by Eric Schlange and a team of Zwift enthusiasts. Follow on Strava, So complicated to choose! Eric Schlange, Webmaster Use an average based on the time (not distance) on the flats or descents, and the time on relatively steep climbs (8% or steeper). Zwift Climbing Difficulty. Thanks! Currently on the Tarmac Pro which is super fast up hill but would swap if the one I unlocked is lighter. Climbing the first half of the climb, the Reverse Epic KOM, the segment was timed. Because you have to get to the Alpe before you can climb it! PS: I hate to be the **** that points stuff like out but thought that someone should – always a massive fan of your site! Wheel choice for flat/mixed courses has already been discussed. I know there’s a crazy factorial number of different configurations, but it’d be interesting to see the results of the top gear kept at the constant 300w/75kg. Yes, the SL7 is more aero than the Pro. Cheers Eric. It doesn’t show in the garage as a future acquistiion but I keep reading about it in various articles. If you find climbing easy, but anticipate that today’s Greater London Flat race will be a chore, look for a bike with the most aero stars. I’ve been really lucky, then. This list is based on our recent speed tests of 100+ rides up Alpe du Zwift, a 12.2km, 8% monster of a climb which takes around 50 minutes to complete for our 75kg test rider at 300 watts steady. And as even in real life I do not use gloves I am quite upset to receive 3x gloves :(…, Everyone receives way too many gloves. 1 Zwift’s “Trainer Difficulty” Setting. So the Pro wins on long, steepish climbs. Even if it meant higher efforts on the flat? So I pulled all the info I could find together into this page. The 202s are 4 seconds slower up the Alpe than the ENVE 3.4s. Leave em for us commoners! It’s not the fastest on the flats, but it’s pretty slippery, beating most of the frames on this list in our flat tests. Claudia explains, "You do get some drafting benefits when climbing, so depending on how you want to play your cards and how good you are with 6 to 8 minute power, plan to dig super deep or let someone else set the pace and sit on their wheel for a slight tow up most of the corkscrew of the volcano climb until it's an all in sprint to win at the finish banner." A great climber with a super-cool paint job. 3rd Fastest Climbing Wheels. I have been frustrated climbing Alpe Du Zwift time and time again and never win the Meilenstein Lightweight Wheels. Unlock the Zwift Everested badge. Zwift Insider is independent of Zwift corporate (. Eric runs Zwift Insider in his spare time when he isn't on the bike or managing various business interests. For example, the Tarmac Pro with Meilenstein wheels vs TP with 404s; Ultimate w/ 3.4s vs 858/disc, etc.. Ironically, even though it takes a lot of climbing to unlock the Tron bike, it’s not a great climber. Just achieved the ToC and it said on the screen that I had unlocked the Tarmac S Works. Then I’d take the average of time savings on flats and steeps from these rankings.