Train smart this winter with these Zwift setups

Now that summer is officially over (did it ever even start this year?) and the nights are drawing in, your thoughts are probably turning to winter training: how will you stay fit over the darker months so you’re ready for jersey weather again next year? Indoor training is a time-efficient way to structure your off-season to make some gains, and Zwift is the biggest indoor training community there is.

Sign up for Zwift and try free for 14 days

What is Zwift?

Zwift is a massively multiplayer online cycling platform. You can ride, train and race with thousands of like-minded individuals, experience different worlds, conquer famous climbs, ride state-of-the-art bikes and join and create online clubs. You can try Zwift for free for 14 days and pretty much any indoor trainer (with the addition of a speed sensor) can get you into the game, but using a smart trainer is the way to get the best out of the platform.

What’s a smart trainer?

Prior to smart trainers, manual adjustable resistance trainers were around for a long time, normally using a control mounted to your bars to adjust the resistance. Since the advent of indoor training apps like Zwift, smart trainers have been able to communicate with your computer or tablet and adjust the resistance at the wheel to replicate what’s happening on the screen. In Zwift that can mean gradient changes as the road dips and climb, or adjusting the resistance to hit a power target in an interval session. The two-way communication makes the whole experience much more immersive and realistic.

> How to get started with Zwift

A decade ago, when Zwift was launched, that functionality would have cost you around £1,000, but these days there’s a wealth of choice at a range of different price points, meaning it’s never been so easy to get into smart training. Let's look at some options, starting with Zwift's newest and coolest bit of hardware.

The ultimate upgrade? Zwift Ride Frame (from £749.99)

Zwift Ride smart trainer: use code ROADCCZ10 for 10% off!

Looking to commit to a full indoor programme this winter? There’s nothing better for that than a dedicated smart bike setup. The new Zwift Ride is available as a full setup with a Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One trainer for £1,199; that’s a whole smart bike for the same money as some direct drive trainers.

If you already have a compatible Zwift Ready smart trainer like the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One (see below for more on that one) then you can add the Zwift Ride Smart Frame for £749.99 to complete your setup. Check the product page to see what other trainers are compatible.

The Zwift Ride has a number of advantages over an outdoor bike on a smart trainer. The singlespeed drivetrain is quiet and hard-wearing, and all the controls you need to interact with Zwift are built right into the bars.

You get virtual shifting in the game of course, with easy-to-find shifters. It’s designed to be incredibly adjustable, too, and will work with nearly any rider.

It’s simple to set up: just find your height on the supplied chart and set the bike up using the suggested settings for a starting point, then tweak to get it just right. All you need for any adjustment is the Frame Key, which mounts in the frame so it’s always to hand. If there are two people training in your household it’s easy to swap between setups. You can even buy a second seatpost if you prefer a different saddle!

The best thing about a dedicated setup is how efficient it is. Only have an hour? Everything’s always set up and ready, so nearly all that time can be spent training. Make sure you keep everything else you might need handy too: some dedicated sweat towels and water bottles just for your indoor setup will mean you’re not scrabbling around to find stuff when training time is tight!

The mid-range workhorse: Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One (from £449.99)

Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One: use code ROADCCZ10 for 10% off!

A direct drive trainer replaces your bike’s rear wheel. Direct drive trainers are quiet, usually don't need any calibration, and give a great ride feel.

The KICKR CORE has a maximum resistance of 1,800W and it can simulate a gradient of up to 16%. Normally with a direct drive trainer you’d pull the cassette off your wheel (or buy a second one) and fit it to the trainer, then adjust your gears to get everything running smoothly. The Zwift Cog does away with all that faff: it’s a single sprocket, and the trainer uses virtual shifting that is controlled in-game, using the Zwift Click controller that you add to your bars.

> Read our review of the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One

The Zwift Cog has a number of advantages. It’s low-wear on your drivetrain, and there’s no spannering needed to get your trainer working, and the Cog will work with pretty much any drivetrain. Because shifting is virtual you get basically the same ride feel from any bike, so that dusty old racer at the back of the garage could be pressed into service as your Zwift bike, saving your nice bike from the rigours (and sweat) of indoor training. Whatever bike you use – even a singlespeed – you’ll get access to 24 gears, and you can see your gear in-game too.

You can upgrade more and more trainers to Zwift Cog

See the Zwift Cog + Click upgrade kit at zwift.com

If that all sounds good, and you already have a smart trainer, then the good news is that the new version of the Zwift Cog is compatible with an increasing number of ‘Zwift Ready’ trainers. The standard version of the KICKR CORE, of course, but also the KICKR V6 and the KICKR MOVE, as well as the original Zwift Hub trainer. Other trainers using the Zwift Cog are coming soon from Elite, JetBlack and Van Rysel; check out this page to see what’s available, and what’s coming.

Build your pain cave

The KICKR CORE Zwift One is the perfect basis for a great Zwift setup. It’s available on its own for £449.99, or you can get it for £579.99 with a year’s Zwift membership saving you £50 over the annual subscription price. Even if you’ve set it up with an old frame you’re happy to sweat all over, you’ll definitely want a fan to keep you cool in the heat of a race. Something like the JetBlack Trainer Fan works really well: it has a wireless remote, so if you realise five minutes into your event that you’ve forgotten to turn your fan on you don’t have to overheat for the rest of the race! The Zwift Play controllers are a really useful upgrade over the click controller, giving you access to steering and braking as well as easier-to-locate shift buttons.

The budget option: Wahoo KICKR SNAP (£249.99)

See the Wahoo KICKR SNAP at zwift.com 

The KICKR SNAP is Wahoo’s least expensive smart trainer and it’s a great way to get into smart training on a budget. The wheel-on design means you just add your whole bike, and adjust the roller against the rear tyre to generate the resistance. Out of the box it’s compatible with quick-release wheels in 700c/29” and 650b/650c sizes, and if your bike has a 12mm through-axle at the rear there’s an adapter available. All that means it’s compatible with a big range of bikes, and it’s simple to set up. The 4.8kg flywheel makes for a realistic road feel in Zwift, and the KICKR SNAP can generate up to 1,500W of resistance, and simulate a 12% climb.

Any downsides? Well, tyre wear is an issue, and you might need to swap a lightweight racing tyre out for a more durable trainer tyre. A wheel-on design is a bit louder than a direct drive trainer (more on those in a moment) so it’s a good idea to invest in a decent mat, like the Zwift Training Mat that will soak up some of the vibrations, and also protect your floor.

With the money that you’ve saved over a more expensive setup you might also be able to splash out on a nice desk like the JetBlack Trainer table to get your laptop or iPad in the perfect position. You can stick some gels on there too!

What’s the best smart Zwift setup for you?

If you want to get into smart training on Zwift then there are setups that’ll suit nearly anyone. Which one will work best for you will depend on your budget, how much time you’re going to spend riding indoors, and how hard you’re going to go. Make no mistake though: those gains you can get from a structured winter indoors are real, and if you want to be the best rider you can be next Spring then it’s an investment well worth considering, however much you spend.

Sign up for Zwift and try free for 14 days

road.cc Zwift code ROADCCZ10 for use on select trainers for sale on zwift.com. One use per customer while supplies last. Cannot be combined with other offers. Offer void where prohibited. Cannot be redeemed for cash.