In what has now become a tradition, Zwift HQ today revealed a bagful of new features, both in hardware and software, coming down the track as the Northern Hemisphere Peak Season ramps up.   The Zwiftcasters run through the shiny new things - some of which are being implemented immediately and some which will be scattered before Zwifters hopefully before there’s snow on the ground.   There are a number of real crowd-pleasers, including a revamped HUD and new roads in Watopia, but there’s more - it’s quite a packed programme. Hear what we think of what’s coming!  

After the most thrilling finish to a Grand Tour for many years, perhaps ever, Simon and the Zwiftcasters assess the effect Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is likely to have on the sport in the future. In one of their favourite metrics - bums on saddles - already huge progress is being made. But what more needs to be done? The Zwiftcast’s man on the ground Dave Towle files a personal report and we discuss the Tour and its aftermath. One of the longest running inside gags on the podcast - Simon’s non-ownership of a certain virtual bike - looks like it could be coming to an end (Simon thinks) as Zwift implement an auto-enrol function for the Everest Challenge. Is it a Simon Switch or an Idiot Switch? The Zwiftcasters discuss. Zwift is finally opening up its API to selected partners with a service aimed at tri-athletes the first to benefit. While the whole API thing sounds a bit nerdy, in fact the implications for everyday Zwifters are extremely significant. Simon, Shane, Nathan and Eric speculate on how fast changes may happen and what the possible nature of enhancements to the user experience may be. The Zwiftcast ranges across the latest Zwifty news with coverage of UCI certification of trainers; enhancements to the women’s racing calendar and even a small bone HQ has thrown to runners. In Correction Corner, the Zwiftcasters chew over the revised figures HQ delivered on the proportions of Zwifters at certain levels. There was amazement at the first version of these stats, which didn’t pass the Zwiftcast sniff test. The new version makes much more sense. And how do you get to be a Zwift club with 1,000 members in 60 countries? Be more SISU seems to be the answer. Dave chats to one of the founders of one of the most successful clubs on the platform. We hope you enjoy listening.  

The Zwiftcast hosts discuss the really significant implications of what looks very much like a price war on trainers as Australian manufacturer Jet Black unveils a gob-smackingly good value - and fully featured - trainer at Eurobike. Simon chats to Shane and Eric about the consequences, with the Zwiftcasters pausing to take a humorous side-swipe or two at the extraordinary offering from Elite, bucking both pricing trends and design conventions. Simon also catches up with Dave and Nathan for an extended and joyful conversation about Mark Cavendish’s incredible win at Le Tour. Mark, a great friend of Zwift, finally took his record breaking win on Stage Four. Elsewhere Simon parses an interview Eric Min granted D C Rainmaker, the first time the Zwift CEO has spoken at length since resuming his top leadership role at the company. Simon provides commentary and analysis on a very interesting chat, with more analysis and reaction from Dave and Nathan. The chief designer of the Zwift Ride, Graham Stoney reveals some of its development secrets in an extended interview with Simon and Shane and Eric speculate on might be coming next from the Zwift hardware team. And finally, an in-depth chat with Mr Helpful, the Zwift staffer James Bailey, who volunteers his encyclopaedic knowledge of the more arcane bits of the Zwift platform to help questioners in the Zwift Riders FB group.

After a very long coffee stop, the Zwiftcast returns to resume the familiar mix of Zwifty chat and gossip. Simon, Shane and Nathan are joined by friend of the pod, Eric Schlange of Zwift Insider and special guest Dave Towle. Quite a lot happened in Watopia and the wider Zwift world over the last two years or so. Simon picks out the big stuff and we put those through the Zwiftcast grinder. There's a great chat with Olympian cyclist and now highly rated coach, Kristan Armstrong on how to get the best out of the new feature on Zwift, The Grade.  Simon spends a few minutes explaining why the pod went away, why it's come back and where it's going next. And we conclude with a look at the competitive scene on Zwift with the long called for retirement of Zee Power in Zwift-owned racing events as well as the curious appeal of a Beat The Bots ride. Welcome back Listeners!  

Simon, Shane and Nathan are together for the final time as the sun sets on the Zwiftcast. And they ask: Is Zwift’s Age of Dominance over? Wahoo surprised the whole indoor training sector with the bombshell announcement that it was buying RGT, for some time the only like-for-like competitor with Zwift. The Zwiftcasters consider several aspects of the deal . . . . will it spur the big Zee to greater urgency in its development of new features? What might it mean for the rumoured TrainerRoad deal? Could Wahoo’s undoubted power and expertise pose a serious threat to Zwift’s growth?  And does Zwift have the bandwidth to handle its first serious rival AND the launch of its own hardware? There is certainly plenty for the Zwiftcast Trinity to consider. Elsewhere Simon talks to a host of Zwift OGs . . . the Zwifters who were around right at the beginning, helping to build the community, establish racing and pioneer online coaching using the platform. Simon does “Where Are They Now?” spots with David Lipscombe, Julynn Washington, James Gill and Christian Wiedemann. All are still Zwifting and many have strong thoughts on what they’d like Zwift to be doing - and their words are given greater topicality and relevance by the Wahoo deal. Elsewhere, after the old Mining Town got nuked, then re-instated, Simon asks Shane and Nathan what else in Zwift they’d like to see nuked.  There’s also speculation around the new Gravel Mountain route and a final goodbye. Simon would like to thank each and every single Listener over the years and the scores of episodes, especially for the many private and public messages received after he announced that the Zwiftcast was riding up over the hill and into a slowly setting Spanish sun. Thanks for listening!

Well, that was a hot mess, wasn’t it? Simon, Shane and Nathan chew over the whole #freeLuciano debacle as a packed episode 104 hits your podcatchers. In the longest Zwiftcast ever, the trio also take assess the likely importance to the platform of Club Functionality, now it’s available to all Zwifters. Simon interviews Eddie from HQ, who we christen the King of Clubs. Zwift is coming under pressure on disabled and differently-abled athletes as Zwifter Andy Shuttleworth starts a campaign to highlight the lack of representation in game. There’s news from inside HQ of what they plan to do on what is acknowledged to be a hot topic. Is Zwift about to take over TrainerRoad? Only a very few people know for sure and it’s not Simon, or Shane or Nathan. That doesn’t stop them speculating on the likelihood and the wisdom of the move. Zwift is making its most serious attempt ever to stop sandbaggers in their tracks in the racing sphere. HQ’s Flint McGinnis explains why the approach of Category Enforcement has been taken and how the scheme is expected to develop. The Zwiftcasters look at the fairytale story of Academy Winner Jay Vine surging to victory in the e-sports World Champs while Simon goes off on one on the coverage.  And finally, there’s a dose of schadenfraude, as the chaps ask what went wrong at Peloton and whether there are lessons for Zwift to learn. We hope you enjoy listening.

In a packed and busy episode, the emphasis for the Zwiftcasters in the New Year is very much on new things. Will we hit a new Peak Zwift, beating last year’s over 49,000 concurrent riders? Simon, Shane and Nathan enter their guesses. The new Zwift Bike was announced, well leaked, by Zwift in a strange way over the holidays. The Zwiftcasters discuss this, but more importantly, the features we now know about. They are excited. There is a new Home Screen coming to Zwift, but contain your excitement because it’s a slow roll out. The Zwiftcasters have had a preview and they very much like what they’ve been playing with. There is brand new functionality coming to Clubs and the podcasters reckon it will be a huge development as the community gets new - and simple - ways to organise their own events. Elsewhere Simon talks to Mike Hanney about the new Zwiftaliser, the invaluable tool for diagnosing connection and other issues for Zwifters. And there is a new set of tests scheduled to start the long awaited clampdown on the sandbaggers. Along the way Simon, Shane and Nathan find more Zwiftiness to explore and debate. It’s a long one - you’re gonna need a bigger pot of chamois cream! We hope you enjoy listening.

With many Zwifters now having had the chance to ride Neokyo, it’s time for Simon, Shane and Nathan to deliver their verdict. They’re joined by veteran Zwifter Sarah LaRocque and Zwift Insider chief bidon washer Eric Schlange, and all contributors have plenty to say about the new extension. He Must Not Be Named now has a regular ride on Zwift. L****e Arm****ng remains a highly polarising figure, but the Zwiftcasters debate whether it’s right now, after the passage of much time,  to welcome him onto the platform. How long will YOUR expensive smart trainer last? The fate of massive mile muncher Tim Searle’s Kickr may have much to teach us. And still with tech, Simon, Shane and Nathan assess the prospects of a promised “revolutionary” new smart trainer. OS deprecations might sound boring and technical - BUT it may mean your computer will no longer run Zwift. Shane explains why it’s a good thing. And Simon talks to Eric Schlange later in the pod about his “crazy” idea for Zwift Insider to become the repository of verified Zwift World Records. Zwifter Chad Tavernia may have a claim - with his seatless outdoor imperial century, which he’s now matched with an indoor ride of the same distance - and still no saddle. We hope you enjoy listening!

Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the big new idea from Zwift  . . . .This Season on Zwift offers Zwifters a taster of what’s coming up in the coming weeks and months. This is a big change of direction from HQ, which has previously kept future plans close to its chest. We now know we are getting a neon-fest of an extension to Makuri Islands. We know that there’ll be a new way to interact with the game with a much improved Home Screen. And we now know that Clubs is due to get a big jolt of new functionality. The Zwiftcasters discuss the upcoming new features and analyse the implications of what’s a big decision for Zwift in how it relates to its community. Game creator Jon Mayfield has given a rare interview to a Cycling Tips podcast and as always, when Jon talks, it’s worth listening. Simon, Shane and Nathan pick over Jon’s thoughts on his new role at the company and his thoughts on innovation in indoor cycling. The Zwiftcasters discuss possible new moves from putative rivals this winter before moving on to discuss Zwift’s burgeoning relations with the UCI and ASO and how those manifest as the big new sponsorship of, and revival of, the women’s Tour de France plus the staging of the official e-World Champs to be run on Zwift next February. Shane goes into rant mode about Zwift’s roll out of Strava’s Local Legends on the platform. He is not impressed! And finally the podcasters discuss the arrival of He Who Must Not Be Named on the platform - for real. Should the community embrace him? We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan celebrate the 100th episode of the podcast which has tracked the progress of Zwift, our favourite virtual cycling platform, from the very earliest days. As a new indoor season dawns, the podcasters are in reflective mood, analysing what Zwift has got right, how sentiment in the community has ebbed and flowed over the past six years and how real friendships, including amongst the three podcasters, have been formed as we sweat over our trainers and talk turkey about riding a bike indoors. We hope you enjoy listening.  

The three amigos are back together for the first time in a few Eps to chew through all the latest Zwifty news, chat and gossip. . . . in an episode recorded as Nathan nervously kept an eye on a tornado headed towards his studio! Simon, Shane and Nathan kick off with a review of the first interview from Zwift’s newish in post Chief Product Officer, YC, before meeting the Zwifter who accomplished the magnificently mad ride of 100 miles standing up. Prominent Zwifter Chad Tavernia goes one better chatting with Simon, promising to repeat the feat inside. Good luck with that Chad! The Zwiftcasters move on to discuss what can only really be described as a pretty chaotic game update in July - and Shane switches on rant mode.  Auto-categorisation is a solution to sandbagging in racing long advocated by many Zwifters and now, thanks to Martin Carew at WTRL Racing, a nascent system is being tested in earnest. Simon checks in with Martin for a progress report. The Zwiftcasters round off Ep 99 with a chat on the latest tech, including Elite’s Rizer device and Zwift’s decision not to attend the upcoming Eurobike show. With an off-piste diversion into Speed Walking plus a little bit of news for runners on the platform, the boys wrap it up for this one. We hope you enjoy listening

Welcome to this Zwiftcast Special Episode, an extended interview with the company’s first Chief Product Officer. YuChiang Cheng, known to all as YC, was appointed in January and the move was hailed as “critically important” by Zwift’s CEO, Eric Min. YC was put in charge of what seemed like almost everything . . . .from game design and art, engineering, research and development through content programming and live operations, plus a bit more. It was clear that YC, whose background includes the development of the 28 million-player World Tour Golf game, was going to be hugely influential in Zwift’s continued growth and development. So what does he have planned? Was the rapid deployment of the much-requested Return To Home feature soon after YC joined a mere co-incidence or a sign of things to come? Is Zwift working on a brand new platform architecture? Will new features roll out faster? So many questions. Simon sits down with YC to see if the Zwift community can get some answers to these and lots of other questions. We hope you enjoy listening.   00.00-02.10: Intro, including rules of engagement 02.30: What was your last decision in your last meeting? 02.50:Give us your 60 second career resume? (SPOILER: It’s longer than 60 secs)  04.45: How did the opportunity at Zwift come about? 06.46: Do you ride a bike? 08.00: Have you identified areas where Zwift needs to change the way it works? 10.00: The Press release on your arrival stressed “accessibility” and “innovation”. What did that mean? 13.58: In seeking to widen accessibility there’s a feeling that the hard core cyclist will lose out to the casual fitness crowd. You are prioritising growth over development. How do you respond to that? 17.20: The last couple of updates have included “crowd pleaser” features. Is that your doing? 19.50: Is the company developing a Zwift 2.0? A new games engine?  21.50: So is Jon Mayfield, in his new role, working on a new game engine?  22.15: The golf game you were involved in featured performance improvements in exchange for payment. Will this ever be the case on Zwift? 23.10: Zwift Running has not been a conspicuous success. Is Zwift’s future multi-sport? 24.00: Why is hardware development so critical? 25.55:  Zwift is neither agile nor nimble. Do you feel the need to address this? 29.10: Has recruitment of talented development people improved? Why not offshore development? 32.20: Tell me about your working relationship with Jon Mayfield? 34.30: We see a number of big projects announced - then grind to a halt. Why? 37.50: Pace Partners, as an example, were a huge hit. But development of them has been glaciallly slow. Why? 40.15. Racing: At pro level, it serves Zwift marketing well. At community level, tools, features and functions are slow to roll out.Fair point? 43.30: Why are some Zwifters on very high end machines seeing low frame rates on Makuri? Is this directional, or a glitch? 48.00 Will Zwift ever lock down certain features to its own hardware? 51.00: Zwift hardware. When are we going to see something? 51.20: What has surprised you, both upside and downside, since you joined Zwift? 52.35: Golfers or cyclists. Which is the most demanding community?  53.00: Does Zwift have a proper dialogue with its community? 55.10: Thanks and goodbye.       

Well, was it worth the wait? Yumezi has landed - the first new map, and the first new world in Zwift , for quite some time. Eagerly-awaited, much-delayed but now finally here, what does the community make of the new Tarmac with a strongly Eastern flavour? The Zwiftcast abandons its usual format for a special episode soliciting opinion on probably the most beautiful world yet to be released by Zwift. Simon, Shane and Eric Schlange from the Zwift Insider have their say, but perhaps more importantly the Zwiftcast flies around the world to hear from prominent members of the Zwift community on their reaction to Yumezi. We also speculate on how the Makuri Islands might develop in the future. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan round up all the latest from Zwift. The podcasters look at what they believe to be a big first: Zwift has changed its mind over a plan to hide riders’ weight and height after an outcry from the racing community. Amidst other signs that Zwift may be extending its plans to consult the community on some planned changes, the Zwiftcasters discuss the significance of the decision as well as the thinking behind the initial plans. After a round up of the Zwift news, including an easy way to ride without the Heads Up Display, the saving of the Zwift Hub site by friend of the podcast Eric Schlange of Zwift Insider, and how an early precursor of Zwift was laughed out of the Dragons’ Den, the chaps move on to discuss an innovative move from sports superstore operator Decathlon. The company has rolled out an advertising campaign championing prisoners’ use of Zwift inside a jail in the Belgian cycling heartland of Oudenaarde. The idea came from advertising creative and avid Zwifter Frederik Clarysse. He explains how the initiative came about. Andrew Cotter - and his dogs Olive and Mabel - became global online superstars during the pandemic. Andrew, a sports commentator, is a keen Zwifter and Simon discusses how the platform has provided a valuable escape during the pandemic and lockdown. Finally Shane reveals that he is again the target of lawyers . . .after seeing off the Peloton briefs last year, now a German IP expert is after our Aussie friend - over 10 dollars worth of T shirts! We hope you enjoy listeing.

We’ve wanted it since Jarvis. And now it’s here. The Zwift universe celebrated this week as HQ finally delivered the ability to do a second or subsequent session - without exiting the game. Simon, Shane, Nathan and, as it’s a red letter day, special guest Eric Schlange, discuss the advent of the most requested feature of all time. Senior games guy Wes Salmon is on the Zwiftcast too - to discuss another sizeable development in the game this week - the tweaking of our virtual pelotons. The changes to pack dynamics, or blob behaviour, should make the Zwifting experience, smoother, more natural and more visually appealing. The regular crew and Eric discuss all the implications. r Simon also took the opportunity to quiz Wes on Sticky Draft - and his explanation may confound a few Zwifters who see it as nothing but a nuisance. In fact, it’s essential, as Wes explains. The podcasters run the rule over two big new appointments to the Zwift board - and read the runes on what their skillsets and experience may yield up about Zwift’s intentions. Simon also talks to a big new hire at Zwift, Lisa Bourne, whose brief includes, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Along with some chat about game events and participation, the podcasters once again debate the utility of The Fence - this time in light of Wes’s belief that the recent changes to pack dynamics may improve its performance. Concluding with a discussion about the disappearance of Zwift Transparency and the always-difficult subject of weight verification the Zwiftcasters get a bit serious before reverting to type as Simon complains his training plan is too hard :;) We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan reconvene to consider the state of the Zwift nation. Once the pressing matter of “leg posts” is dealt with,  the podcasters move on to discuss the content of Simon’s interview with Zwift’s new hire Mark Cote, the company’s director of programming and content. One of the many strands of Mark’s expansive new role, which he explains in some detail, is to improve the communications between community and company, a move that the Zwiftcasters believe will be welcome. There’s been yet another Strava shake-up on Watopia and the other Zwift worlds with a whole load of segments vanishing from the public view. Simon chats with Zwift Insider’s head of everything, Eric Schlange, on what it all means, how it came about and why it might be time for a re-think of how segments are made and managed. The podcasters range across a cornucopia of Zwift business including signs of Zwift restricting some hardware on some platforms for some users and the reasons why more women seem to be getting public sanctions for cheating in racing than men. Zwift has recently launched another of its social impact campaigns, this time celebrating the contribution Black athletes have made to the sport. Simon chats to one of the inspirational voices of the initiative, ex-racer and Zwift staffer Rahsaan Bhati. And in and amongst all that there’s lots of other Zwift-related chat. We hope you enjoy listening.

A new episode for a New Year - and 2021 has dawned with, as usual, lots of Zwift news and developments for the Zwiftcasters to discuss.The trio start off with an exploration of the possible reasons why Simon’s very favourite pacer bot may have had an identity change. Coco is now Cara! But why? Simon has a theory. The podcasters move on to discuss the big new Peak Zwift - with more than 46,000 users on the platform concurrently the growth of Zwift over the past year can now be quantified, using this public metric. Up from a mere 16,000 concurrent users at the same point last year, Simon, Shane and Zwift celebrate the achievement whilst also exploring what it all means. Just in time for the Tour de Zwift’s six remaining stages, the game’s developers think they may have found a possible bug which could explain why some users (previously described by the chaps as “potato-owners”) have hit problems riding big events. Are potatoes off the hook? The Zwiftcasters chime in. A high profile departure from Zwift of a respected event organiser seems to have focussed some attention on the event management system - is a new hire at Zwift, combined with the drama of the departure, an answer to some of the gripes Event Organisers have? And Zwift Power has been having a tough time recently - Glen Knight, one half of the service’s inventors tries to shed light on what may be happening. Plus all the usual other Zwift news and chat! We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan link up for another chat about all matters Zwift. And this episode the Zwiftcasters are preoccupied with one question: Where Is Zwift Going This Winter? They attempt to answer the question by examining the most recent information given out by Zwift CEO Eric Min who gave an interview to Bloomberg and revealed a few snippets during his Thanksgiving Day Ride. The Zwiftcast trio try to assemble the pieces of the jigsaw to see if they can come up with a big picture - but they freely admit, there might be some missing pieces that could change the final image! Simon interviews sports cardiologist Professor Graham Stuart, from sportscardiology.co.uk to look at some of the myths and truths around a subject of endless fascination to the Zwift community - Heart Rate. The chaps move on to discuss the first ever e-sports World Cycling Championships held on Zwift and how they saw the coverage, the racing and the introduction of a brand new metric. Finally Simon, Shane and Nathan hoover up a few other bits and pieces including Coco Cadence’s vocabulary, the slightly surprising revelation that only 25% of all Zwifters are American and whether the Shift Smart Trainer gadget might pull a few Peloton-ites in a Zwifty direction. We hope you enjoy listening.

As the world waits - and much of Europe closes its doors - Simon, Shane and Nathan try to be upbeat in trying times and consider the Two Big Hits in Zwift right now. Pace Partners, or pacer bots, are a big success with Zwifters and senior games guy Wes Salmon, from HQ, talks to Simon about scope for development and some ideas being tossed around to make Coco, Dan and their pals even more bestie friends for Zwifters. The podcasters chuck in a few of their thoughts. Ray Maker, or DC Rainmaker, is one of the most respected voices in sports tech and Simon pulls out two big talking points around indoor cycling from Ray’s annual keynote address to the industry. The Zwftcasters have their say too. And whilst the success of the WTRL racing series may have been predictable, it’s made it no less overwhelming for the organisers. Simon talks to part of the leadership team, Martin Carew, about the headaches as well as the benefits of the TTT event that’s taking Zwift racing by storm. There’s just time for a bit of Zwift-related banter and as ever, the Zwiftcasters take up the challenge. We hope you enjoy listening!

Zwift CEO Eric Min guests on the Zwiftcast on Episode 90 to discuss some of the big changes that 2020 has brought to the platform. In an interview which is focused on this tumultuous year and on the consequences of the big new fund raise, Eric explains some company thinking. A flood of new users as the pandemic hit has caused Zwift to accelerate its plans to simplify the platform for new users. Simon grills Eric on what the consequences of this policy may be for existing users. Eric also discusses the decision to place Rowing on pause and his thinking around pricing. Eric also talks about what new investor Ilkkaa Paanen, the CEO of games company, Supercell, will bring to Zwift. Simon, Shane and Nathan reflect on Eric’s thoughts and speculate on how the new thinking may be implemented. Elsewhere there’s an interview with Zwift’s Jacob Fraser talking about the new Zwift Racing League. Oh, and swooping Australian magpies! We hope you enjoy listening.

The Zwiftcast is back from its summer break - with a huge catch up as Simon, Shane and Nathan reflect on recent developments on the platform. Steering is the headline grabber, with a number of respected voices in indoor cycling describing its arrival on the roads of Zwift as a game-changer. Are they right? The arrival of the long-awaited Pacer Bots are welcomed by Simon, Shane and Nathan, who are all anxious to see more of them, more often and doing more stuff! The Academy programmes have just launched and with a big change to how they’re run, plus the addition of a Run Academy, Simon talks to the new coaching company devising the programmes and the associated supporting content. The e-Worlds will happen on Zwift and the Zwiftcasters have a wide-ranging discussion, taking in the undoubted huge publicity value of the e-sports events while addressing concerns from both the wider and the racer community. Would Shane and Nathan make it as recruits to the new Zwift ambassadorial programme which pays experienced Zwifters to solve other Zwifters’ tech issues? The boys play a silly game to find out. We hope you enjoy listening!

La belle France est arrivee! Simon, Shane and Nathan  celebrate the arrival of brand new roads in Zwift. The inaugural Tour de France Virtuel, itself a landmark in the history of the platform, has co-incided with lots of new Tarmac - always a good moment for Zwifters. The Zwiftcasters pick out their favourite bits as well as giving their overall impressions of the new roads to ride. We have an interview with Zwift marketing grand fromage, James La Londe to get some insight into the importance of the vTDF and later in the episode, ASO, the owners of the Tour de France talk about why this deal made sense to them. Simon, Shane and Nathan play a silly game - assigning marks to the various new road painted slogans that have sprouted in Zwift - with the award of a Yellow Jersey and a Lanterne Rouge. And we have an interview with Freddie Ovett, the Israel Start Up Nation rider who has lit up the racing so far in Stages One to Four. Getting the narrowest of second places on St 2 and a great win on St 4, Ovett discusses Zwift, Power Ups . . . . and his dad. The Zwiftcasters chew over the big improvements in race coverage, with new broadcast tools getting their debut in the vTdF. And of course there’s always room for more teasing of Simon over his continuing Tron Bike Fail. We hope you enjoy listening.

Could we be about to get a series of new roads to ride? Simon, Shane and Nathan assess the impact on Zwifters of the (as yet officially unconfirmed) news that Zwift is to stage a virtual version of Le Tour de France, complete with the IRL planned start and finish stages in Nice and Paris. Perhaps more excitingly, there is speculation that the talk of a “marquee climb” may be a new TdF climb, rather than the existing recreation of L’Alpe D’Huez. If so - and it’s still an “if”, which one might it be . . .Simon boils down the likely choices and the Zwiftcasters decide which one of those candidate climbs it might be. Taco Cat has made a name for himself with his occasionally bizarre, and very frequent, posts in the Zwift forums online . . . .Simon tracks down Taco Cat to his lair to find out more about his owner, Craig Hulce. Despite an uninvited guest in the form of a large and very noisy jackhammer directly outside Zwiftcast Central, the podcasters push on to discuss the recent Race for Heroes and how successful and entertaining the charity event was. Could this be a pointer towards the chase format figuring more strongly in Zwift racing? Zwift CEO Eric Min has been named as the 30th most influential person in cycling . . . . did Cycling News’ Power List get this right?. . . . .the Zwiftcasters discuss. Pride Month has seen a whole series of events across the platform spreading the inclusivity message and Zwift has backed the initiative with a substantial donation to Athlete Ally, an advocacy group. Simon talks to the organisation’s executive director Hudson Taylor. Finally the Zwiftcasters wrap up the episode with a tech round-up, including a plea to Strava to sort out the “long straight line” quirk which would, for example, make linking rides in Paris and Nice not possible on Zwift. We hope you enjoy listening.

The Zwiftcasters are back - coinciding nicely with a game update and Simon, Shane and Nathan have lots to discuss. Simon chats to Steven Milliken, one of the founders of the WTRL race series which is making team time trialling into a massive thing on Zwift. The promoters’ difficulties with data privacy have now been resolved and Steven discusses how the small team manage the huge demands from Zwifters wanting to time trial together. The Zwiftcasters follow up Steven’s interview with discussions on how people who donate large amounts of time to the community may be able to get their costs covered. We have a new Power Up in game - the Steam Roller and the chaps discuss how this might best be used. Simon talks to Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, the standout rider from the Tour For All race series. Ashleigh has some fascinating thoughts on how Zwift racing can advance the cause of women’s racing. In a fun spot, Simon asks Shane and Nathan to turn interviewers and find out why he’s spent the last few weeks stranded in Girona. The role switch experiment is not entirely successful! In the final feature Simon talks to Tri coach Phil Ellison about how changes made to the coaching regimes as a result of Lockdown are likely to become permanent because they’ve been so successful. There’s a few other bits of Zwifty chat - including the continuing saga of Simon’s lack of a Tron bike. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Natahn return for more chat on the latest in Zwift. This epsiode, Steve Beckett, Zwift's Chief Marketing Officer, is a special guest, with lots to say on Zwift during and beyond the crisis, plus thoughts on Family Subs, Club Functionality and community racing. The podcasters range across the new Boost Mode in game; how Private MeetUps could be revolutionary and the current Tour For All. There's also an interview with Guy Voisin, the head of cycling at Eurosport on what changes he'd like to see in game to make racing  a more appealing TV proposition. We hope you enjoy listening.  

A special episode featuring the very best of the Zwift Community in these lockdown times. Simon talks to BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin about the overwhelming response to her charity ride on behalf of the NHS. Louise tackled an imperial century - in the company of more than 1,500 other Zwifters. Simon also chats to Jason Dyck, the Canadian coach who organised what’s thought to be the first ever group ride for para-cyclists on Zwift. It was a resounding success and will now become a weekly fixture. And finally Simon gets to know a little bit more about Netto Smith, the South African Zwifter who’s become a bit of a star because of his joyful videos riding Zwift in Lockdown. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan reconvene for Episode 83 - and to celebrate a minor victory; the return of the famous First Attempt Very Intens Strava segment on Zwift. Simon has a little insight into how it happened. Lionel Birnie, one of the co-hosts of the popular Cycling Podcast joins Simon for a chat about the recently updated Meetups in the game and to discuss what the prospects may be for a return of IRL bike racing this year. The Zwiftcasters spend a few minutes riffing on the behaviour of pro riders in Group Rides on Zwift, ranging from the exemplary . . . to the not so good and the chaps have a few thoughts on how things may be improved. Monica Schlange, writer for Zwift Insider, is recovering after her monumental Route Hero achievement. Simon talks to Monica about the best bits and the hardest bits. Do we even need to see The Fence back? Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss whether self regulation on Group Rides has settled into something acceptable. And the podcasters round off this episode with awards made on the Zwiftcast Pants Podium . . .jeans, track pants and all day pyjamas . . . . who’s wearing what and why? We hope you enjoy listening

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with another of the weekly round-ups of all matters Zwifty The podcasters kick off with a brief discussion on the Ineos Weekend - and the loss of the legendary First Attempt-Very Intens Strava segment, thanks to the ride logging app’s clean-up. Owen Newbury talks about his awesome scheme to project Zwift on the side of his house, then the chaps have a light hearted discussion on whether Zwift CEO was “caught” sandbagging before Zwift Insider’s Eric Schlange gives his reaction to the early tests of the measures. There’s further discussion of the Ineos events and streams before an interview with Keith Jardine who was taken by surprise when the police were called to him Zwifting in his garden shed. Finally Simon talks to acclaimed ride leader Sharron Yaxley on passing her 100,000kms on Zwift milestone. We hope you enjoy listening

Another week - another Zwiftcast. Simon, Shane and Nathan unite to discuss the boom times on Zwift as the platform provides welcome relief from the burden of the virus. The headline feature on this episode is the long-awaited Solution to Sandbagging. This is a short term fix which Zwift hopes to implement within days (for testing) and weeks (for a full roll out) The approach sees four types of warnings/sanctions applied to Sandbaggers . . . listen to a full explanation of the system from senior game guy Jordan Rapp. The Zwiftcasters move on to discuss the measures Zwift is putting in place to prioritise the stability of the platform as truly enormous numbers flood the events which are proving so popular as Zwifters look for a challenge to distract them from the concerns caused by the pandemic. One of the biggest rides has been with Mark Cavendish - and Simon talks to a Zwifter who got picked out of 3,500 riders for a live Insta chat with the Manx Missile himself. Later the podcasters speculate about the cryptic clues on a new feature outlined in the latest update and wonder whether some interesting development work on enhanced Power Ups described by Jordan may offer further hints. Simon also gets behind the story of one particular Event on the Zwift schedule. The Bike Breaks Shop Ride is an IRL institution. Now transferred to Zwift, this ride is proving a source of much needed comfort and support for a bike business which has been hammered by the travel ban across Europe. And finally, the Zwiftcasters talk about the implications of other platforms muscling into the online eSports area and whether they’re making a good job of it. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with the second of the new cycle of weekly Zwiftcasts - and there sure is a lot to talk about. Special guest Wes Salmon from HQ appears twice to give us a ton of detail on both the return of The Fence and why it went wrong, plus the thinking behind the limited launch of the much-awaited Clubs feature. We also have another honoured guest, Brad Sohner, the genius behind the funny and uplifting Tour de Quarantine, which now has a Zwifter in the mix. Elsewhere the Zwiftcasters range across the very busy period on Zwift, with a few changes that come under the “let’s be nice to noobs” category, plus the turbo trainer famine and why rowing won’t be coming to Zwift anytime soon. And of course, the podcasters make room for discussion of Peak Zwift. It seems we have a winner ;) We hope you enjoy listening

In a worried world, Simon, Shane and Nathan try to look at the positives whilst recognising some of the serious matters facing Zwifters. Episode 79 marks the first of the weekly episodes during the virus crisis. Simon kicks off with a Zwiftcast plea to HQ- let’s turn the Unemployed Badge into  a Work From Home Badge . . . it just seems kinda better right now. The podcasters move on to discuss the remarkable figures in the game as new Zwifters pour onto the platform in huge numbers. Simon is confident of victory in the Zwiftcast’s Peak Zwift Guessing Game. But could a limiting factor end up being a trainer shortage? There are signs it may happen although an update from Elite on the unprecedented measures they’ve taken to ensure supply provides some hope for those keen to get their hands on a smart trainer. The chaps discuss and dismiss the several calls for Zwift to be made free - and Dick, if you’re listening  . . .we don’t mean to be mean! In a packed episode Simon talks to a Dad and Lad team who’ve been on Zwift for years - and looks at how the company is dealing with another huge influx, the number of kids getting signed up under the company’s excellent Kids Go Free scheme as parents look for healthy diversions in the home. Simon, Shane and Nathan take a look at the news that Zwift has undergone a management re-organisation, with lay offs, and what that may mean for Zwifters. There’s lso a feature on Group Meetups - part of the game which has come into very sharp focus in the crisis. . . . .with lots of advice to HQ on how it may be tweaked. And finally, the podcasters seem to have gone challenge crazy - listen to find out who has now challenged who to what! We hope you enjoy listening and we hope you stay safe.

The Zwiftcasters are working from home! But then we always do :) Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together to discuss how the extraordinary events of the past weeks have been impacting them personally, the sport they love - and the cycling game that is providing both escape from, and therapy for, a troubled world. That doesn’t mean we are ignoring the virus - that’s impossible. And we hope Listeners understand that we can’t not talk about what everyone is talking about. In the light of the huge surge of Zwifters onto the platform, many of them new, the Zwiftcast has re-opened Peak Zwift Guessing Game. Tune in to see how big Simon, Shane and Nathan think the surge will be. The importance of online communities in these difficult times is elevated and the chaps discuss how the Zwift Community is responding, with increased participation in events and lots of special guest riders, in the form of pro riders, turning up and helping to foster a sense of togetherness. And we have the full extraordinary story of how Zwift staff negotiated their way through a locked down quarantine zone in the UAE to bring some relief to pro riders stranded in their hotel rooms by the virus. These are difficult and distressing times.  . . .but remember: you never feel worse after a bike ride. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan convene for another hour-plus of Zwift chat. The podcasters begin with their reaction to the big refresh for the Richmond course and conclude that it’s a huge improvement. Throughout this episode Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the biggest and most significant aspects of last episode’s interview with Zwift CEO, Eric Min. Amongst the subjects forensically analysed and discussed are the pace of development on the platform; Eric’s unusual comment about “digital destinations” and the state of play with  trainer manufacturers’ innovation. Simon also chats to Ella Harris, the NZ winner of the Zwift Academy who is now making a name for herself winning IRL races. We hope you enjoy listening!

Simon sits down with Zwift CEO Eric Min for the now traditional “ask me anything” annual interview, covering a huge range of topics from the health of the company to, yes, the possibility of a velodrome. The conversation provides deep context and background on why some things happen, and why others don’t . . . . plus quite a bit on the pace at which things happen, or don’t, on the platform. We hope you listen to the whole of the interview, but if there’s one subject in which you are particularly interested, maybe you’d like to skip to that first. So here is a log of where to find the topics covered. 00:00Hello and a word on transparency 01:45 Zwift’s new London office 02.45 What’s made Eric happy in the last year? GENERAL ISSUES 04.30 Pace of development for Zwift 05.40 Peak Zwift and growth 07:15 Fun is Fast marketing campaign 09:40 Is eSports a massive, risky bet? 15.20 More on pace of development, specifically Game Development 19:50 Zwift’s new Hardware division COMMUNITY ISSUES 27:15 Trainer Difficulty confusion 29.30 Juniors’ Racing 32:00 Race Categorisation/Sandbagging 38:30 Is eSport in danger of diminishing general user experience? 43:00 Family Pricing Plan 45:30 Zwifting for people with disabilities or different abilities? 47:20 Is Zwift listening to the community? FEATURES 51:15 Steering 52:45 FutureWorks 54:00 Ghost Rider/PB Bot 56:25 World Switching Expansion 57:15 Workout Mode 60:15 Allow Saving Without Exiting Game 62:15 Hang out after end of ride 63:35 Velodrome 64:55 Can remote racing ever be credible? 68:15 What’s the next new map? COMPANY 69.30 When will Zwift be profitable? 70:25 Future of running 73.05 Effects of lack of direct competition for Zwift 75:45 Marks out of ten for Zwift’s potential 77:55 Zwift’s carbon footprint

The Zwiftcasters welcome in 2020 with the first episode of the new decade - and kick straight off with a discussion of what’s become a landmark in the Zwift calendar - Peak Zwift. You can hear which one of the Zwiftcasters, along with special guest guessers, got it right. The podcasters go on to discuss whether the second January in Tuesday really will be Peak Zwift this year. The game has a few initiatives upcoming which may see the current record broken. Stay tuned. Is the update which restored  climbing cadence on Zwift from 80rpm back down to 70rpm a victory for the Zwiftcast? The boys are claiming it! The Tour de Zwift is a huge event - more than 120,000 Zwifters took part last year and this year’s event has been eagerly awaited. The podcasters discuss the importance of these events to the community. We also have a feature with Zwift’s VP Media, Nina Caplin, who explains the aims behind the series of live streamed shows which run alongside the TdZ this year. And we have a velodrome? Actually, we don’t. We have a running track. Simon talks to Zwift’s Mr Running, Stephen Cousins on how important the 400m track is for our running colleagues - and whether they might one day let the cyclists in! We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan convene for the final Zwiftcast of 2019 in both reflective and expectant mood. There’s plenty of looking back on what brought the podcasters Zwift joy in 2019 and a little on what they’d like to see for 2020. There’s also reaction to Zwift’s pre-Christmas present of a new map - it’s short, but it’s fun. Crit City looks designed to appeal to the e-Sport crowd but should also please anyone who races on Zwift. The Zwiftcasters give their initial verdict and speculate on what they’d like to see added. We hope you all enjoyed listening in 2019 and will join us again in 2020. Happy Holidays!

This is a special episode of the Zwiftcast, dedicated to those who run on the platform. Some of you might ride too, but the focus here is wholly on running. Mike McCarthy is one of the original Zwift execs who was a very early hire to the company when it was first set up. Known as talented and successful cyclist, at Zwift Mike concentrated on a senior Business Development role, but recently he has been made VP of Running. It’s fair to say Running has got off to a slow start on Zwift - so what does this appointment mean for Zwift’s Second Sport? I hope the wide-ranging interview provides some answers. Hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and special guest co-host Ray Maker, also known as D C Rainmaker, are together in person in Amsterdam to discuss all the latest Zwiftiness. The three podcasters are gathered for Ray’s annual Winter Open House event where sports tech geeks get together over a few beers to discuss what’s hot and have fun. Simon spends some time amongst this well-informed and enthusiastic crowd asking two questions: What’s Zwift doing well and where could it improve? Elsewhere in this episode there’s a nice long chat with The Girl, Ray’s life partner and now business partner, on how the family and the blog is settling into life in Amsterdam. Simon, Shane and Ray discuss the implications of Ray’s scoop story about Zwift starting its own hardware division and Ray gets to join the Zwiftcast’s Guessing Club on Peak Zwift. The trio discuss just how much work remains to be done for eSports on Zwift to be successful and, after an interview with Peter Lago from Elite on whether the Italian company is a bit behind the pack in the Smart Bike race, the episode wraps up with Simon talking about his recent big decision: to get an e-Gravel Bike. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan reconvene to discuss and analyse all the latest Zwift news and chat. The podcasters get things going with a new take on the age old Kickr vs Neo debate, updated to the KickrBike vs NeoBike dilemma. If you have 3k plus to spend on a smart bike this will be of interest to you . . . . .Shane is one of the very few people in the world with saddle time on both, so what’s his verdict? The Zwiftcasters move on to consider the demise of VirtuoGo, one of the rivals to Zwift. It has just announced that its number of subscribers is too low to be sustainable so the issue for discussion is: Can any of the rivals live with the well-funded, well-established, heavily-promoted Zwift? Next it’s the Rumble in the Jungle - no significant game update would be complete without some Zwifters having a bit of a mona. Is the long-is lists of complaints about the increase in rolling resistance justified? The podcasters try to put it all in perspective. Meanwhile, Simon has a problem with the stand-up/sit-down threshold changing to 80rpm . . . . has Zwift got this one right. Along with a few more tidbits of Zwift stuff - including a review of the Keep It Together Group Ride functionality bu experienced Zwifter Christian Nistri - this is a busy edition of the podcast for Zwifters. We hope you enjoy listening.

The 2019/20 indoor seasons has started with a bang, or should that be a ban? The Zwift community has been convulsed by Jeffers-gate, the fining, banning and stripping of the first officially-sanctioned national e-championship from Zwifter Cameron Jeffers by British Cycling. Jeffers’s account  was shown to have gained a Tron bike with the use of an ANT+ emulator . . . .and the news of the ban has polarised opinion. As the dust settles on a huge row for Zwift and e-sports, a row which has garnered international attention, Simon, Shane and Nathan give their positions and debate what it means for regulation and enforcement in the new world of e-Sports on the platform. Elsewhere, the arrival of Mountain Biking and steering on Zwift has seen a plethora of DIY hacks for smooth movement of the front wheel . . . . which has caught the Zwiftcasters’ eyes and what do they make of steering? Plus a change to the code in the game has made the Jungle circuit heavier going . . . if we dare mention it, the choice of bike and wheels has become even more important. And finally news of a very ambitious artistic project which captures the visual richness of Watopia in a whole new way. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan analyse what is the biggest development for Zwift since the platform launched almost five years ago - the reveal of the strategy for making eSports a reality. The partnership with the UCI, unveiled at the World Championships, grabbed the headlines, but the fascination is in the detail. And the detail is on the Zwiftcast. Simon conducts a lengthy and searching interview with Zwift’s CEO of eSport, Craig Edmondson and the three Zwiftcasters subject his answers to scrutiny and analysis. It would be wrong to think that this development only affects racers on Zwift. As Craig reveals, the platform itself is likely to change to accommodate the huge ambition of eSport. Elsewhere in the episode there’s a peek behind the curtain of the Draft House - the place that turned out to be the coolest place to hang during the rain-sodden World Champs in Harrogate. And there’s a look at how successful Zwift’s huge marketing push over the summer has been. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the latest in a busy year of course launches for Zwift as the Yorkshire UCI Worlds circuit lands in game. This is personal for Simon, with Harrogate being his home-town, making him well placed to assess how well Zwift developers have replicated a place he knows well. The verdict: Good job Zwift! Shane and Nathan lend a little objectivity to the discussion. The podcasters also discuss a huge development for the game - the imminent launch of not only steering but also an MTB course.  There's a quick wrap up of a few matters of interest for Zwifters from Eurobike, including Wahoo's acquisition of Sufferfest; what may be next for the Garmin Tacx tie-up and the launch of yet another Smart Bike - this one promising something very different from the rest. We hope you enjoy listening.

The smart bike revolution has finally arrived. Wahoo, Tacx and Stages all debut their all-in-one solution to indoor cycling. And in so doing, they lift the price tag of smart training. Are these good value, given you don't need a bike? Will they make indoor cycling more attractive to more people? Are they the game-changer long predicted as such by Zwift CEO Eric Min? Simon, Shane and Zwift Insider editor Eric Schlange try to provide some answers. Zwift also announce the launch of FutureWorks, a test bed for new game features, with steering the first innovation to be opened up to the community for feedback. Plus the launch of the MP1, the first rocker plate produced by a recognised trainer manufacturer is launched by Saris.  This episode has interviews with movers and shakers in indoor cycling . . . .and some insight on THAT big big screen wowing all who pass the Zwift stand at Eurobike. We hope you enjoy listening. 

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together for the first time in a few weeks to discuss all matters Zwift . . . with a departure or two towards a bike race in France. Zwift and the Tour in fact coincide, with the platform launching a global advertising and sponsorship campaign around the TdF. The podcasters discuss the implications and hear from Zwift exec Laurent Jannau as to whether it’s working, and why Zwift decided to invest so heavily. Ride leader Tim Searle has a review of The Fence, now that it’s been in operation for a few weeks. The Zwiftcasters round up a slew of news and moves in indoor training, including a thumping price rise at TrainerRoad. Simon and Shane predict what we might see of interest to indoor riders at Eurobike and the chaps speculate about when we might see a new extension to Watopia and a brand new course. Quite soon, they conclude. We hope you enjoy listening.

In this wide ranging interview, Zwift creator Jon Mayfield makes a number of interesting revelations. Did you know Zwift is full of hidden features, yet to be activated? Which driving game does Jon feel has close parallels with Zwift? When is rowing coming? Will Zwift Run succeed? Are we going to see wholesale changes to Zwift's UI? All these questions, and a good many more, are answered in this episode. I hope you enjoy listening.

This episode is a four-hander - with Greg Leo joining Simon, Shane and Nathan to discuss all the latest Zwiftiness. The changed line-up was more by accident than design after Simon managed to incur a self-inflicted travel disaster on his plans to head for ZHQ . . .  But as ever, there’s plenty to discuss and geographical boundaries have never held back the Zwiftcasters. The foursome kick off by discussing what to most, if not all, Zwifters was a bit of a surprise - the new Giro d'Italia Prologue TT course. Pacing strategies can work well on this part flat/part monster climb course and Shane discusses his new toy for helping out with that The chaps move on to discuss the new Zwift Terms of Service - which have put a few noses out of joint. The Zwiftcasters are pretty convinced there’s nothing to worry about for streamers with good intentions. Have you seen the Road Runner? Zwift has a new entrant into its animal kingdom and the Zwiftcasters confess they’ve yet to manage a sighting. Finally the podcasters discuss some changes to the Zwift code which will have a fairly significant effect on avatar behaviour both downhill and when the Aero Power Up is deployed. Also: is it lingerie or laundry? You’ll have to listen to figure out that puzzle. We hope you enjoy listening

Simon, Shane and Nathan re-convene to bring listeners up to date on all the latest Zwiftery. This episode starts with something of a monologue from Simon letting listeners know what’s really been going on with his “bad knee”. The Zwiftcasters move on to discuss the latest course extension and what it may mean for the future of time trialling on Zwift. They spend a bit of time getting lost in the forest too ;) Listener Graham Springett sets the trio right on their failure to appreciate the full nuances in the word “blob” but neither Shane nor Nathan can be persuaded. The Tour of Watopia has whipped up a little controversy in the community and the chaps discuss how difficult it can be to manage these juggernaut events. Both British Cycling and the UCI, the worldwide governing body for cycling, have released statements with subjects of interest to Zwifters and the Zwiftcasters add their analysis. Finally Simon talks to his clubmate Greg Hilton about atrial fibrillation, the heart condition which has been part of Simon’s medical melodrama this winter. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan convene to discuss all the latest on Zwift. Shane and Nathan give us a readout on the mood music coming from the big Zwift Week staff convention in Long Beach and the Zwiftcasters then move on to discuss the eagerly-awaited new feature for Group Rides, which is being called The Fence. Is this farewell to flyers? Next the podcasters move on to discuss the usefulness, or otherwise, of videos posted on YouTube giving encyclopaedic guides to how to cheat on Zwift. A cheats’ charter, or a useful contribution to the discussion around an increasingly important issue, as e-sports gets bigger and bigger? Finally the trio move on to give their verdicts on the Kiss SuperLeague as the men’s completion wraps up and the women’s contest enters its final stages. What have we learned? What could be improved? We hope you enjoy listening.

This episode leads with the biggest news in indoor cycling of all time – the purchase of Dutch trainer company by American gizmo giant, Garmin. Simon, Shane and Nathan, with some help from D C Rainmaker, debate what this could mean for Zwift – and Zwifters. The Zwftcasters spend a good deal of time on this – and come up with a whole raft of theories, before moving on to discuss the continuing story of World Choice on the Zwift platform and how at times, the options available to Zwifters produce what some might see as surprising results. Next : have we seen a glimpse of the Watopia extension? And if we have, is the publication of a snippet hidden deep in the code justified? The podcasters move on to discuss the burgeoning and highly exciting racing scene, with the launch of the KISS Women’s Super League series, the entry into e-racing of global telco giant Telefonica and analysis of whether the improving coverage of virtual bike racing is a tantalising sign of the possible future. Finally, the chaps shed a tear for Jarvis Island, officially now consigned to history – we’ll never see the little island again. We hope you enjoy listening

The Zwiftcasters are back after something of a break – and Simon explains the reasons for that – with a monster episode covering all the latest from the ever busy world of Zwift. This one kicks off with a look at Peak Zwift for the 2018/19 season. Which of the Zwiftcast trio backed the right horse on the highest number of concurrent users? Then it’s swiftly on to World Swap, via Shane’s battles with a rival mega corp, the President of Wahoo’s eyebrows and a full tech round-up. Zwift history was made with the launch of the first ever pro league and you won’t be surprised to hear that all three of the Zwiftcasters have robust views – are you listening Cofidis? And there’s more: the hugely significant news that Zwift has raised another 120 million dollars in funding is put through the Zwiftcast mill before the chaps consider whether Zwift are right in asking community groups to remove “Zwift” from their names. Finally – which way do you dress? Enough said. We hope you enjoy listening.

A bumper end of year Zwiftcast, not full of “Best Of” or “Year in Review” material as is traditional elsewhere – but jam-packed with lots and lots and lots of Shiny New Things. Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the flood of new features in the game, in Zwift Companion and, not least, in the real world. Zwift has announced the formation of a Super League Race Series, featuring professional cycling teams. In partnership with respected race organisers, KISS, the League will feature men, women’s and perhaps most importantly Zwifters competing on the platform, all under the official Zwift banner. The Zwiftcasters discuss this and speculate whether, with domestic pro teams now signed up, the next logical step may be World Tour Teams. Elsewhere the significance of Zwift’s partnership with arguably the cycling world’s most influential and successful national federation, British Cycling, is put through the Zwiftcaster grinder. In the actual game, Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the new Level 50 and its implementation; the wholesale re-launch of Zwift Companion, including private meet-ups and much improved data analysis as well as race results. There’s a feature on and discussion of Zwift’s new shop plus a real world, long term review of the Elite Direto from an experienced Zwifter. The Zwiftcasters discuss their attitude and ability to rest in the face of cycling injuries. Caution: may include Simon’s knee. This will be the final Zwiftcast of 2018. May we thank all the podcast’s loyal listeners for downloading and listening over the course of the year. See you in 2019.

This episode is devoted to an in-depth and wide-ranging conversation with Zwift CEO, Eric Min. Simon and Eric discuss a large number of issues of great interest to Zwifters, ranging from Eric’s management style, through the debate around an annual membership fee and even plans for a Zwift Convention. Eric has news about the immediate future pricing of Zwift and talks about why he’d like things to happen faster in Zwift – along with the reasons why they don’t. We discuss rivals to Zwift, siren voices in the community and whether Zwift Run is working. And that’s just a few of the topics covered. If you love Zwift, if you’re interested in how the company works and want to do a deep dive on everything Zwifty, you should find this a rewarding listen. We hope you enjoy it.

Simon, Shane and Nathan convene again for another hour of chat on all matters Zwifty. The trio begin by getting the full story of Shane’s YouTube ban – and how it affected him, before moving on to discuss another new extension to Watopia. “Mostly flat”, we’re told. The Zwiftcasters hope that really means rolling terrain. And it’s definitely coming – world switching. We discuss whether Jon Mayfield’s solution is an elegant and clever thing, or a bit less than what Zwifters wanted. Quite a lot is changing in the way Zwift could work, and the introduction of Double Draft or True Draft as the podcasters would prefer it to be called, could end up as really significant. Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the devil out of it, with input from racer and podcaster Greg Leo and aerodynamics expert Bert Blocken, an academic who’s modelled the draft effect in a big pelotons. The rivals to Zwift have been making some noise, with CVRCade the loudest. What does it all mean? The chaps chew it over. After a quick catch up on trainer news, the Zwiftcasters round this one off with a discussion on Zwift Interval Art. And finally, Simon has a bad knee.

This episode is dominated, as you may expect, with analysis and chat of the new world in Zwift: New York City. Simon, Shane and Nathan talk about the first “future-world” ever released by Zwift, ranging across the quality of the artwork, the number of intersections and what it may tell us about game development. The Zwiftcasters have plenty to say, some of it, possibly a little controversial. But there’s room for more in Episode 56 – with hints about what may be to come in this important period for the company and indoor cyclists. With the number of worlds on Zwift now reaching five, it’s inevitable that the question of world switching is discussed again. There’s an interview with Marge Kaufmann, who makes light of her hop-on-and-keep-going approach to completing the Kona Mission, followed up by some chat about the value, and indeed age, of some of the longer-running challenges on the platform. Zwifter Rachael Elliott has been through a tough year – but now, as she recovers from her life-threatening stroke, she’s ready to get back to competitive cycling. But it looks as though Rachael may face a barrier in competing as a Paralympian. We get the latest. And finally the podcasters discuss virtual cycling as an e-sport, in the context of what’s expected to be a big announcement from Zwift in the next few weeks. We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon, Shane and Nathan chew the fat on the latest happenings in Zwift. . . . with some speculation on where the platform may be heading this indoor season in terms of numbers of riders and runners. Shane reports back on his trip to HQ and to the other big bike show of the year, Interbike. The Zwiftcasters spend a few minutes discussing trainers – as it’s that time of year again, when many Zwifters may be considering a purchase or an upgrade. Simon talks to the CEO of Stac, a Canadian company launching an innovative “no contact” resistance mechanism. Would you name your new baby around a Zwift theme, working on suggestions made by the community? One Zwifter is doing just that – Simon chats to him. As the indoor season really starts to get going Simon revisits a well-worn subject – just what little extras do you need the most to complete the Zwift experience. Simon has one of his own (which he’s very pleased with) and he asks Shane and Nathan for theirs. The Zwiftcasters do a little live detective work as they chat – trying to get to the bottom of Simon’s observation of a regular-as-clockwork micro-glitch around 35 minutes into every session. The chaps think they they’ve found the answer. After a roundup of the latest drama and histrionics in the racing community, the Zwiftcasters consider whether the Eight Straight Days of Innsbruck has been a success. We hope you enjoy listening.

The Zwiftcasters are back on their winter schedule  . . . with more regular episodes packed with Zwiftiness. Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss when we might see New York, what we might see in it and speculate on whether it may be the best course ever. The podcasters discuss the potential implications of Zwift's acquisition of an interest in technology owned Virtu Pro who make a highly rated smart bike - could we see a Zwift-branded Smart Bike any time soon? The Academies are roaring ahead with record levels of completion. Zwift commits to their future and Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss their participation and we hear from a husband and wife enrolled on the programmes. After a newsy roundup covering Zwift's TV advertising; recent game updates; an attempt to deal with gender doping in Zwift racing and the relaunch of a Zwift forum, Simon interviews Julie Haugh, one of the most dedicated ride leaders who has perfected the art of riding slow.  We hope you enjoy listening!  

The Zwiftcasters are back with an episode dominated by discussion around the launch of the new course on Zwift, the replication of the UCI Innsbruck Worlds Circuit. There’s a feature with one of the HQ development team revealing how the artists and devs went to enormous lengths to get the detail of the real world based course spot on. Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss their reaction to the course; whether it’s the best choice for the platform in the light of its stated aims to recruit more recreational cyclists and, in a lively exchange, the trio speculate on why Zwift continue to deny the user base the ability to switch worlds easily. There’s also some philosophising about cake and icing – you need to listen! We have  an interview with Zwifter Mark Cavendish who talks in some detail about his relationship with the fame and his dislike of cheats . . .  Finally, Simon chats to Greg Leo, co-host of the new Zwift podcast for racers, In The Pens about a tough summer for racing and whether the race scene on Zwift can bounce back.  We hope you enjoy listening.

Simon and Shane mop up the things they couldn't squeeze into yesterday's coverage - including a "no contact" trainer that works by magnets; what the Zwiftcasters think about delivery timelines for all the new stuff unveiled on Day One; the anti-perpirant for your bike (sort of) and a few other oddities and curiousities that caught their eye. 

In a slightly challenging environment (Eurobike is loud) Simon and Shane wander the halls, checking out as much as they can which will interest Zwifters. Ranging from a designer Smart Bike aimed at "people who own yachts" to the new and almost ready to ship Tacx Smart Bike, via new products from Wahoo and Elite, there's plenty to chat about. 

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back for a minor landmark in Zwiftcast history, with the publication of the 50th episode. . . and as usual, there’s plenty to detain the Zwifcasters as they ponder developments in the Zwiftiverse. The trio herald the half century with a chat that clarifies which new courses are due and maybe when . . . we now know we’re getting two new maps and late summer/early Autumn is looking favourite for release. Switching gears, there’s a chat with Rachael Elliott on the progress of her recovery from her serious stroke, which left the noted Zwift and IRL racer with permanently impaired vision. Rachael is candid about her low moments, but equally positive about the effect of the support the community has given her.There’s also a chance to find out more about a special charity fund-raising effort for the Stoke Association, led by Rachael’s friend and the leading light of Zwift Power, Glen Knight. Speaking of which . . . . . Simon, Shane and Nathan spell out what we know about the temporary suspension of Zwift Power and walk through some of the complex factors which have led to the much-appreciated service going dark.Sticking with tech, with the imminent arrival of Eurobike , the Zwiftcasters talk trainers, ranging over the slow pace of development around Smart Bikes and SRAM’s acquisition of Computrainer. Shane’s review of the Wattbike Atom was less than flattering about its performance on Zwift and that leads to a discussion about the honesty of reviews and the reaction from brands whose products are put through Shane’s Lama Lab and come out battered and bruised. This episode ends with Shane and Nathan instantly signing up for another 50! Have they thought that one through? Hope you enjoy listening

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back in their usual places of the UK, Australia and the USA for a look at the ever vibrant happenings on Zwift. The Zwiftcasters kick off with a chat about the KickrClimb, or, in fact, its absence. Despite it being ever-present on the Zwift Tour of Australia, where Shane's been hanging out, it's still not available to buy. The trio move on to to discuss another rare bird - the special wheels you might get if you ascend the Alpe du Zwift, before climbing expert Simon Warren, of the 100 Greatest Climbs series of books, gives his verdict on the Zwift Alpe - and he knows the real thing like the back of his hand. Simon got to spend a bit of time with Zwift Academy Winner Tanja Erath at the Tour de Yorkshire and his report captures her feelings pre and post stage. The Zwiftcasters debate how GDPR (it's not boring honest!) might affect Zwift, with the news that on the back of the legislation, ZHQ are due to launch a development platform. Finally, Simon talks to Jillian Bearden, the trans athlete whose forced resignation from Team Fearless cause a huge ruckus on the Zwift social medias.    

Simon and Nathan are in London whilst Shane is in Melbourne as the Zwiftcast trio get together for Episode 48. It’s the first time the podcasters have had an opportunity to discuss the Alpe du Zwift, and there’s much talk of times, turns and training with all three agreeing that ZHQ got this one spectacularly right. . . . although Simon really would like a race-my-PB feature on the climb! With the KISS Crit finals being staged in London and Long Beach, the podcasters discuss the new features revealed by Zwift to spice up competition, including an elimination format. Simon has a report from the HQ of trainer company Cycle Ops, an insight into production of the company’s big selling trainer, the Hammer and why the company is so proud its Made in America.

In a special episode in celebration of Women's Week on Zwift, Simon spends time in Girona with Academy Winners and pro racers with Canyon-SRAM, Leah Thorvilson and Tanja Erith. The women are now based in the Catalonian city, which is a magnet for cyclists and home to dozens of pro riders. The Zwiftcast sets up camp in La Fabrica, a cycling themed cafe in the heart of the Old Town, and a familiar pre-ride coffee destination for the pros. There's also a tour of the apartment Leah and Tanja share with team-mate Alexis Ryan, which ends up mostly being a tour of the fridge! Just why do the three women need 5kg of Parmesan cheese? And whose is the can of 12% beer? Simon accompanies Leah and Tanja on a training ride, and afterwards in a wide-ranging discussion the trio sit down to discuss life as a pro in Girona, the season ahead, their acceptance in the peloton and their assessment of the state of women's cycling. There are also contributions from Zwift brand manager Kate Veronneau on the strength of the women's community on Zwift, the health of the Acadamy programme and The Trouble With Men. We also hear from the "Zwift Sisters" - two women who use the platform to work out together and catch up despite living on opposite sides of the world. Plus pro rider and podcaster Abbey Mickey, of the Voxwomen website, gives her take on Leah and Tanja's position in the pro peloton.    

Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss all things Zwift on the new episode of the podcast for Zwifters. This edition begins with an intriguing tease dropped by the game’s creator Jon Mayfield that “hidden areas” which are “locked to the public” exist in Watopia. The Zwiftcasters discuss. Rachael Elliott is one of the most admired racers in Zwift and a valued member of the community. Thousands of people were shocked to hear she’d suffered a serious stroke. She’s recovering – and Simon caught up with her in hospital for a chat about the astonishing reaction in the community to her ill health. Jordan Rapp is a multiple Ironman winner and former pro triathlete – he’s also now working for Zwift. Jordan will be concentrating much of his time in his new role as Game Designer beefing up the game’s Workout Mode. Simon caught up with him for an in depth chat. In front of the camera, Nathan’s streaming operation is slick and super-pro. But have you ever wondered what his studio is like in real life? Simon finds out and you might be surprised what he’s got to work with. The Zwiftcasters polish off this episode with a discussion about Shane’s first look at a rocker plate – which stirred up a little controversy in the DIY mod world.

Simon is with Nathan in Wisconsin and Shane is in Melbourne as the trio return to discuss all things Zwift. Simon has a few portions of humble pie to eat . . . . on cheese, on running and on beer, and he explains how it’s all going to get digested! With the dust settling on the launch of Zwift Run, the Zwiftcasters assess the reaction in the community and debate the revelation from Strava that a large portion of the data uploaded to the ride tracking platform now comes from indoor activities. Ben Shepherd, an Australian triathlete, is one of those who trains indoors for big events. He explains how a time-crunched life led to him using the treadmill and the turbo to get in shape for Kona and other events. There’s an interesting chat with Nathan – and some behind the scenes material for video viewers – about his streaming setup, how far he’s come and how he manages to do so much in such a small space. While kids racing on Zwift seems positive and inspirational, as personified by nine year year old Maya, the Zwiftcasters get in vent mode to air their frustrations at the seeming lack of positive forward movement in the adult racing environment. Simon chats to big gamer, Zwifter and radio presenter O J Borg about his views on the development of the platform and the podcasters finish off with a chat about their experiences of being coached. We hope you enjoy watching or listening.

Simon and Shane are in New York City for a big moment in the history of Zwift - the launch of running. The expansion of the platform was marked with a splashy launch event and as well as Simon and Shane's views, there's comment from Zwift Insider editor, ric Schlange and pro triathlete Lionel Sanders. The huge flowering of innovation and ingenuity from the Zwift community has seen designs for rocker plates mushroom. Simon rounds it all up and gets expert comment from inside the trainer industry.  Many Zwifters work (a little) while training or riding, but the staff of a cycling website have taken Zwifting-while-you-work to a whole new level. Editor of Cycling Tips website Neal Rogers talks about how the virtual lunch ride has become a forum for company bonding and brainstorming. And there's a new Zwifty podcast coming along - Simon gets the lowdown on the Training Podcast featuring big names in the Zwift world. Due to a bit of a mechanical in the production of this episode, this Zwiftcast is a little shorter than usual. We hope you stillenjoy it!

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with a packed episode, which kicks off with the Zwifcasters unanimously agreeing “it’s time” for Zwift to enable world switching. Zwift creator Jon Mayfield concurs, telling the podcast that be believes critical mass has now arrived as numbers on the platform grow ever larger. The trio move on to discuss the Tour Down Under, where a duathlon race in the Zwft pop-up drew massive numbers. . . and was rated by Shane as the blue riband event – a sign of things to come perhaps as Zwift Run develops? Graphics card giant NVidia announced its Cloud Gaming feature at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – Simon takes a look at what this might mean for Zwift along with tech expert Mike Hanney, inventor of the Zwiftaliser tool. They conclude that whist the impact on Zwifters may not be immediate, cloud gaming could be a huge development for gaming. Zwift is often used as a rehab tool, but for Dereck Bowen, it’s been a life saver. Dereck tells Simon how an ill-advised leap into a snowdrift cost him a broken neck – and how the platform has kept him sane as he recovers. There’s a fascinating discussion around Jon Mayfield’s “weekend project” – a system that links Zwift to wi-fi controlled lighting – changing the ambience in your Zwift room to match the game. The Zwiftcasters discuss the perennial problem of fliers in group rides with a thoughtful contribution from veteran Zwifter and ride leader Christian Wiedemann. And this episode rounds up with a discussion about cheese! We hope you enjoy listening or watching.

The Zwiftcasters welcome 2018 with lots of chat about the Zwift getting bigger – in both senses. The roads are longer, with the London expansion, and the roads are busier, are thousands of new Zwifters flooding on to the platform. Simon, Shane and Nathan try to make sense of it all – and look at the statistics, combining insight, public information and naked guesswork to try to assess the scale of the Zwift universe. Meanwhile the chaps discuss the Surrey Hills expansion. It may not be as visually spectacular as recent developments, but there could be some very interesting business reasons behind the new roads. The consequences of growth is a continuing theme as Simon sits down for a chat with Zwift’s VP of Events, Charlie Issendorf. Amongst other things, Charlie reveals that the Zwift HQ is seriously considering limiting entry to some events – Shane sniffs a clever marketing ruse. Charlie also reveals that a “club portal” is soon to launch, giving benefits like private rides and club kit to qualifying groups. Simon puts three of the best trainers, the Neo, Drivo and Kickr into the Zwiftcast sound lab to get a rounded picture of just how loud or quiet are the competing top offerings from Tacx, Elite and Wahoo. ZwiftQuest could be a whole new way of Zwifting – it’s competitive but it’s not a conventional race. Simon talks to ZwiftQuest pioneer Jonny Noblett. And finally the boys riff on When Good Rides Go Bad.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with the last Zwiftcast for 2017. It’s the usual mix of Zwift news and features – kicking off with a report from Belgium, where Zwift was involved in the team presentation by Lotto Soudal. Simon was there and caught up with sprinter, Andre Greipel, breakaway specialist Thomas de Gendt and Ladies rider Puck Moonen, Zwifters all. The Zwiftcasters discuss how it may be best to marshall group rides on the platform when they’re led by pro riders . . . .for whom 3w/kg is barely breaking a sweat! A new pro for next season is Tanja Erath, the winner of the women’s Zwift Academy 2017 – Simon catches up with her for a chat. Next there’s a bit of a debate as Simon and Shane amicably disagree (and Nathan carefully referees!) about two things: should we be careful about “fake news” around Zwift and should Zwift CEO Eric Min continue to offer his personal tech help desk to Zwifters? The very successful zwiftblog has changed its name to zwiftinsider. Simon catches up with the man behind the site to discus the name change and the continuing evolution of the community resource. There are an ever-growing number of clubs on Zwift – and one of the lesser known ones does much to both promote group rides and raise money for a very deserving cause. Simon catches up with Caewlin Brown, the leader of Sprint and Spin . . . . and finds out why he has a red bucket by his trainer. And that’s it for 2017 – thanks everyone for listening or watching and see you in 2018.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with another episode packed with Zwift news and gossip. Are we expecting to see new features, especially the London extension, pre-Christmas? The Zwiftcasters read the runes, before revealing what their ideal Christmas present from the Zwift developers would be. Do you sing while you’re Zwifting, or do you only have enough breath to lip-sync? The Zwiftcast launches a fun contest to find the best lip-sync Zwifters. No sooner had the price rise fuss died down than another storm rolled in across Ocean Boulevard, with ZHQ’s decision to cancel a crit race series, just as it was about to conclude. Zwift exec Emily Mullen explains the reasoning and talks about the debate over women’s racing which the decision sparked. CVR, the organisation which promotes racing and live event and is headed by prominent Zwifter, Frank Garcia, has launched a whole series of new initiatives. Simon asks Frank some tough questions about the developments and CVR’s relationship with Zwift and Zwifters. The Zwiftcasters discuss the possible reasons why Strava may have ignored virtual miles in its end-of-year round up publicity and speculate about the relationship between ZHQ and Strava. If there’s one thing the Zwift community is really good at – it’s Zwift hacks, and the latest upsurge in DIY fixes has seen several Zwifters build their own rocker plates, which permit the trainer to simulate outdoor riding more accurately. Simon rounds up the various approaches and the podcasters discuss the possibility of rocker plates being made commercially. This episode rounds off with a look at vEveresting, possibly the hardest thing you can do on an indoor trainer.

After a tumultuous week or so in Zwift-world, the podcasters are back to discuss the price rise and its aftermath. Simon, Shane and Nathan first of all lay their cards on the table and then analyse a detailed interview with ZHQ’s marketing chief, Steve Beckett, which reveals the fine detail of Zwift’s thinking on subjects that arose in the extended and passionate debate after the announcement. A consumer psychologist, from outside the Zwift bubble, gives his verdict on the handling of the announcement. There’s plenty of coverage of the whole subject given its importance both to the company and the community . . . but there’s lots more in this Zwiftcast. The Zwiftcasters hear from the winner of the Men’s Academy Ollie Jones and consider whether, in the light of the price announcement, the funding of these schemes is something to admire, or the opposite. Leah Thorvilson, the winner of last year’s Women’s Academy, is on the ‘cast for a catch up as she enters her second season. In any other week, the arrival of Zwift on Apple TV would have been a very big deal. The Zwiftcasters wonder why the announcement seemed so low key and go on to consider the merits of Zwift on ATV. Zwiftpower.com is undergoing some changes as the race results service readies itself for a crackdown on cheating. The podcasters wonder whether data confidentiality and privacy issues could leak out of the narrow world of virtual bike racing to influence, for example, a prospective employer. Pro rider Laurens Ten Dam makes a quick appearance on the Zwiftcast to talk about how he’ll be extending his popular wake up rides to lead a ride on the WBR Zwiftathon on December 2nd, where the community is targeting one million miles ridden to raise money to get kids on bikes in Africa. And finally, the chaps have some fun with a post on a cycling website which suggested that “Zwift is killing cycling”. A light-hearted end to a meaty podcast.

This episode is devoted to a conversation with Zwift chief executive Eric Min. It’s a wide-ranging look at where the platform is in terms of fulfilled potential and how Zwift is preparing for growth this winter. Eric updates Zwiftcast listeners and viewers about the number of customers and how the business is coping with churn. There’s also an illuminating discussion on what’s planned for course updates. Simon and Eric go on to chat about the Draft (nailing a few myths along the way) Racing, the Academies and Voice. In the Quickfire Questions section Eric answers many of the most often-asked questions from the community. It’s a fascinating insight into what’s planned for the platform and the business – right from the very top. If you'd like to watch the interview on YouTube just go here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOzkvS2en28&t=6s    

It's out! The long awaited and eagerly expected extension to Watopia has just been released and Simon, Shane and Nathan are on hand to give their verdicts and discuss the community reaction. There's lots more as well in this edition of the Zwiftcast, with quick catch ups on ex-Academy winner Leah Thorvilson, Zwift HQ's own world champion Mike McCarthy, the launch of a huge new race series from Zwift and this year's Academy contest reaching its next stage. Once they've dispensed with the Jungle Run - and that's no small task - the Zwiftcasters move on to discuss the dawning of Zwift as a re-seller of trainers and the launch of Group Workouts - and what that last feature may say about Zwift's future. Is the platform planning to go head to head with Peloton? Simon pays a home visit to the world HQ of the fabled Aussie HDR ride and, finally - Simon decides to voice his views on a certain squirrel! Judging from the reaction of his fellow Zwiftcasters, Scottie looks safe! Hope you enjoy listening podcast fans. 

Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the ever-changing and vibrant happenings in Zwift. It’s trainer season so the manufacturers are busy with new launches, upgrades – and keeping up with demand. The Zwiftcast trio assess the “world’s first Smart Bike” from Wattbike, in the shape of the Atom. Verdict: looks pretty tasty but with availability limited to the UK initially, Zwifters in other parts of the world are going to have to be patient. There’s news on the action Elite is taking to stem the shortage of their popular and highly-rated new trainer, the Direto and some interesting chat from the Zwiftcast hosts on the relationship between Smart Trainer ownership and the likelihood of staying subscribed to Zwift. The podcast has a new regular feature starting which should help Zwifters with their nutrition questions. Professor Asker Jeukendrup is exceptionally well-qualified – and a bike rider and triathlete to boot. We meet Asker this episode and look forward to how he can help Zwifters fuel training. A new update has just landed, and Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss its merits – as well as looking forward to what they believe will be a transformative arrival. Group Workouts are due soon and all three Zwiftcasters are very excited. Next the chaps move on to discuss what’s shaping up to be a runaway success – the Zwift Academies. With 10,000 riders now enrolled in both Academies, the Zwift exec charged with keeping everything on track, Tom Hargreaves, talks about the challenges – and discusses what might be coming next in this area. The Zwiftcasters polish off this episode with a discussion of “shenanigans” around the wild card entry for the Aussie e-crit final and the thread on Reddit which discusses Zwift – from a perspective beyond the boundaries of the mainstream Zwift community.

Ray Maker (D C Rainmaker) is the most influential - and powerful - sports tech blogger in the world. His verdict on new products is respected by millions and many make the decision to purchase or reject a product after analysis of Ray's detailed and rigorous reviews.  Ray talks to Simon frankly about the dilemmas which such influence produces and how he deals with it. Ray also talks about his relationships with sports tech companies and the need to be balanced and responsible in the face of the unexpected - like when a drone caught fire on his test bench. A geat insight into the way Ray works.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back to discuss a very busy period for Zwift news and chat. This episode is available in both audio and video versions. The chaps start off discussing customisation, outlining their avatar policies and deciding that the new customisation features are much more fun than they ought to be. . . . . for grown men and women. Was “Ponytailgate” a thing? Listen to find out what the trio think. There’s a quick rattle through all the other Zwift news, including the billionaire on the super yacht in a Zwift T shirt; the emergence of Running; the influence of the new influx of pro riders for recruitment of new subscribers to the platform and the appeal of working at Zwift as the company continues to hire new staff. Long-time Zwifter Casey Schumm discusses the prospets for Zwift Running in the podcast’s first feature on the new way to Zwift. The widely-respected sports tech blogger Ray Maker makes another appearance on the Zwiftcast, this time talking about the challenges and rewards of building a business and a new life in Paris. Simon, Shane and Nathan go on to discuss the ethics and pitfalls of reviewing sports tech products – pertinent given the imminent holding of Eurobike, the world’s biggest bike show, and an occasion when we expect a number of new products of interest to Zwifters to be unveiled. The final recorded feature on this episode is with coach Kev Poulton, who analyses the effectiveness of probably the best known interval in cycling, the 2x20. The trio round off a lively and varied episode with a serious discussion about what the advent of a large prize purse for the next CVR World Cup event in Paris may mean for virtual bike racing. . . a fascinating area to discuss. We hope you enjoy either watching or listening to this episode

Simon, Shane and Nathan talk about the post-Tour blues, how they’re coping and how Zwift has leapt into the vacuum with a big announcement. But before they get to the launch of the Zwift Men’s Academy, the chaps discuss the arrival of Mark Cavendish on the platform. . . with a little help from Cav’s team-mate, Steve Cummings and his Directeur Sportif, Roger Hammond. The big news, though, is the Men’s Academy in partnership with Cav’s team, Dimension Data. Team owner Doug Ryder tells Simon why the decision to get involved was a no-brainer and describes his excitement at the benefit both to the team’s adopted charity, Qhubeka, and the potential to find a hidden gem of a new rider. Roger Hammond is equally excited and tells Simon how Zwift may help modernise recruitment to the pro peloton. There are important differences from the Women’s Academy scheme and the Zwiftcasters discuss what they are, why they might have been made and what is their likely impact. Zwiftcast resident Coach Kev Poulton discusses the theory behind his Four Week FTP Builder programme, a training plan that’s likely to prove very popular for Zwifters. Simon, Shane and Nathan then get excited about how training plans can be compared to moving piles of sand . . . . Steve Cummings gives Zwifters a little insight into how his rehab worked on Zwift and feels the same results can be achieved as Cav starts his long climb back to race pace using the platform to stay sharp. Finally, Simon pops into D C Rainmaker’s pain cave in Paris for a quick chat about what Eurobike may hold in store and why software challengers to Zwift may face an uphill battle.

Simon, Shane and Nathan return for a truly global episode of the podcast for Zwifters. We kick off with Simon and Shane in London for the launch of the Zwift Women’s Academy , the scheme which has already produced one pro rider, and is now looking to find a second. At the launch, Zwift CEO Eric Min caused Simon’s eyebrows to rise with a revelation that the company is working on a men’s version of the academy which should be launched within a year. Simon and Shane discuss . . . . We have the first of three reports, throughout the podcast, from Nathan in Iceland where he was taking part in a gruelling 880 mile race around the perimeter of the island, working, at first, in conjunction with a Zwift team, and then – in fierce competition with them. Now back in Melbourne, Shane gives his views on the long-awaited London extension, the real life version of which he had ridden only a day or two before. Both agree that the addition of spectators holds real promise. After another report from Nathan, Simon talks to Daniel Hewitt, the engineer at Zwift responsible for, amongst other things, rider behaviour. It’s a great insight into this most complicated aspect of the game. Hill repeats are a common training technique – but why do we do them and what benefit do we get? Coach to pro riders, Kevin Poulton explains and suggests a few good sessions. The last feature in this edition is well worth a listen – Simon caught up with Nathan soon after he’d crossed the finish line in Iceland. The last few kilometers of this draining race was packed with drama. Hope you enjoy listening!

Simon, Shane and Nathan are together again – in the flesh and in person – as they catch up on all the latest news, events and gossip in Zwift. All three of the Zwiftcasters sat down shortly after the latest CVR virtual racing event, in which all were involved - with Shane racing, Nathan commentating and Simon working behind the scenes. The boys start the podcast with a quick assessment of the event and what it all may mean for the development of competitive indoor cycling. There was an historic moment in Zwiftland when a German couple who met via the platform got married! Simon talks to Lisa and Michael to get their story – and the boys follow up with some very light-hearted speculation about whether Zwift may become the new Tindr for cyclists. Probably not, they agree. The boys chat about what may be happening at Zwift HQ with the much anticipated London extension still not released and move on to an interview with ZHQ’s Eric Chon, a guy who lots of Zwifters will know, as he helps fix their issues. Simon, Shane and Nathan update listeners with what’s been happening in their bike lives, with Shane a special guest at the Zwift New Zealand and Australian tour; Nathan invited to a highly-competitive IRL race in Iceland with a bunch of Zwift execs aiming to make the top step of the podium and Simon relating the sorry tale of his big “off” and broken bike. That prompts a discussion about the real and perceived dangers of riding outside and whether London has made strides in accommodating cyclists and what lessons could be learned. There’s going to be a regular new coaching feature on the Zwiftcast with top coach to the pro riders, Kevin Poulton. We kick off with a debate about the merits of the 2x8 FTP test as an alternative to the dreaded 20 minute effort. The lads finish off riffing about Shane’s experience at a spin class and talking about the astonishing growth of the Peloton spin class company, finishing off with some speculation about whether Zwift could be making a pitch for this market. We hope you enjoy listening!

This episode of the Zwiftcast takes a long hard look at female Zwifters and Zwifting as Simon is joined by Lindsay Guerra and Veronica Micich in the role of guest co-hosts. The trio kick off with  a look at the everyday experience of Zwifting for women and whether the platform is a more egalitarian space for women than some encounter IRL. It's followed up with the first in a series of interview excerpts with Kate Veronneau, head of Women's Strategy at ZHQ, as she sets out the best ways to counter the gender imbalance in the game, with most estimates putting women in a minority of around 10%.  The trio discuss whether ZHQ's preferred tactic of boosting female participation using group rides and womens' only events is the best way forward before considering whether more aggressive methods might be useful. Inga Thompson was a legendary and pioneering road racer in the American scene in the 80s and early 90's. In a detailed interview, Inga discusses why she thinks women's cycling has moved backwards since she left the sport, and pinpoints a "lack of visibility" as a key problem. Simon, Lindsay and Veronica discuss Inga's contention that Zwift could improve this situation. Zwift Academy is now rightly recognised as a great success and the trio discuss both winner Leah Thorvilson's progress and the wider picture, with help from Anne-Marije Rook, the Women's Editor of the Cycling Tips website. Kate V is back to let us know what's new in Zwift Academy Two. 

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together, albeit on three different continents, to discuss all matters Zwift. The chaps spend a good deal of this episode applying their Zwiftcastian analysis to the many talking points stemming from the long interview with Zwift creator Jon Mayfield on the previous episode. But there's room for lots more and the podcasters range over ways to mitigate the effects of long haul travel for bike riders; the joys of procrastination and who's hidden all Nathan's cycling gear! Plus there's an illuminating interview with Zwift troubleshooter-in-chief, Lindsey Ruppert; a chat with Zwift exec Charlie Issendorf, who raises the intriguing possibility of pro racing on Zwift and an informative spot with Zwifter and coach Alan Dempsey who passes on some great tips about honing Zwift-fitness for outdoor riding. We hope you enjoy listening. 

This episode is devoted entirely to a conversation with Zwift creator and co-founder of the company, Jon Mayfield. Patient listeners will be rewarded with some nuggets of news towards the end of the interview. But the real meat of the conversation is about Jon the man, the programmer and the visionary.  There's also plenty of insight into how he and his team work, with some questions which the community repeatedly asks tackled and answered by Jon. The conversation is very wide ranging, looking at potential futures for Zwift as well as Jon's thoughts on racing; on real world courses; on the community; on the Zwift public roadmap (or lack therof!) the ability to change worlds; voice communications; a velodrome, or not; and yes, facial hair.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are together - in the same place, and that place is Las Vegas! The Zwiftcasters are in the Nevada desert for the very first CVR World Champs, which is virtual bike racing as never before. Whilst the event takes top billing in this podcast, it's not the only things the boys find time to talk about. In a more chatty than usual podcast, the trio discuss Frank Garcia's ambitious staging of Zwift racing as an ESport. If you don't know what this is, after listening to this 'cast, you'll be much wiser. But there's room for more than just racing. Simon talks to Any Tough and his six year old son Daniel, about Kid Zwifting, its benefits and how the game can inspire youngsters to get involved in exercise and fitness. Simon,  Shane and Nathan also mull over the E Fondo on Zwift; the film Zwift made about Mat Hayman and the advent of more data with the Zwift Ride Report. But the birth of Zwifting as an ESport at scale does dominate this 'cast, not least because of Shane's "surprise" second place. The chaps dissect the event and debate what it may mean for the development of the platform. This podcast is a little more talky than usual - perhaps not surprising as the hosts don't have to wrestle with the obvious disadvantages of being on three different continents. We hope you enjoy it.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together to discuss all the latest happenings in Zwift. The trio kick off with a discussion about Nathan’s recent visit to Zwift HQ. Whilst he can’t be specific, Nathan reveals his excitement at upcoming developments by responding to Simon’s quiz questions. Next is a feature with Frank Garcia, the veteran Zwifter and architect of the Cycligent ranking system, who talks candidly about his bid to “own” e-sports on Zwift. Fresh from a test event in the USA, where top Zwifters raced each other in front of a live audience, Frank is now taking the idea of live, validated, certified racing in front of a live and online global audience, to the next level with a big event in Las Vegas. The Zwiftcast trio chew over the implications of this – and Shane talks about his hopes as a competitor in Vegas. Monica Schlange has written movingly on ZwiftBlog about her battle with depression and how her efforts to conquer the illness with cycling seem somehow tied to the Zwift Mountain and Monica’s ambition of getting to the top. The Zwift community has pitched in to help her with a group ride to get Monica to the summit. Monica talks about cycling, the illness and what the community means to her. The FTP test is now a familiar fitness tool to many Zwifters – but is the protocol used in game to assess fitness the correct and most suitable one for beginner or casual cyclists? Dr Alex Mitchell isn’t convinced - and he comes on the Zwiftcast to explain why and talk about his fitness tool which can provide an FTP figure using a much shorter test duration than the arduous 20 minute period used by the established test. Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss Dr Mitchell’s findings. The boys finish with another brief discussion about the promise of Frank Garcia’s event in Vegas – and whether Britney Spears might be acting as Shane’s soigneur!

An episode which focuses on the pro riders using Zwift, taking in current pro riders, a new pro rider in the form of Leah Thorvilson, the winner of the Zwift Academy scheme which used the platform as a talent trawl and a former pro rider who’s discovering a new lease of racing life virtually. Shane and Nathan get the day off as Simon travels to Girona to spend some time with the Cannondale Drapac team. Whilst there, he caught up with Andrew Talansky and Taylor Phinney, huge stars on the World Tour circuit and enthusiastic Zwifters.  Leah Thorvilson has just completed her first UCI races with her new team Canyon SRAM, WMN Cycling. She talks frankly about the “horrifying” aspects of racing as part of the pro peloton but also how much she’s learning - and how fast.  Adrian Timmis raced the Tour de France in 1987 as part of the ill-fated Halfords ANC British team. Now he’s back racing, but on Zwift and he’s as competitive as ever. Adrian reflects on his experiences.  This episode is also packed with pro tips, from the pros, on how they use the platform to hone their form. Hear about “favourite” intervals from Patrick Bevin; Ryan Mullen; Tom Skujins – and what a debt Brendan Canty owes to the Zwiftcast’s very own Shane Miller. There’s also an interview with the team’s performance director, Keith Flory, explaining the value of indoor training.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back together for more Zwiftchat and gossip. The trio kick off discussing a heart-warming story about a Zwifter in rehab who was helped out by a younger rider. It leads on to a bit of a grumpfest about the slow pace of development in the game. The chaps wonder why voice in-game – which would no doubt lead to more social interaction – seems to be taking so long. Simon reveals that a chat with pro rider Taylor Phinney reveals him to be a big Zwifter – and a huge gamer, and that prompts a thoughtful discussion about how gaming techniques and features could develop the training tool aspect of the game, and even improve the feel of racing. Shane goes into rant mode – justifiably, many would say, after Simon’s interview with a Zwifter who cracked his frame on the trainer, and then had a long dialogue with Specialized, who, initially at least, claimed that their frames are not warrantied for use in turbo trainers. The chaps agree that this situation is a mess, with inconsistency between some bike brands’ marketing and their warranty policies. The chaps move onto the race scene on Zwift, with results service guru Glen Knight making an appearance to talk about improvements to the service. Simon, Shane and Nathan follow up with an interesting discussion on whether racing in Zwift has become flat and one dimensional. They agree that more gaming style features could bring beneficial changes. Simon’s final feature after his visit to the Tacx factory takes a look at the highly automated nature of the trainer company’s production – and includes the revelation that the company’s best selling trainer is its most expensive – the Neo. The chaps discuss the implications of this for Zwifters and their expectations around indoor training. This podcast rounds off with an update on Shane’s new trainer review blog and all the latest from Zwift Community Live.

A new format, Zwiftcast XL will be published quickly after big news breaks on Zwift. It will also be a place to hear our new ZwiftcastLive show, which will be first available on Nathan's ZCL channel. In ZC20XL you can hear Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the big new developments which Zwift CEO Eric Min talked about in an email interview with the NYVelocity blog. 

Thanks for making the last two episodes the most downloaded ever! And we’re back with more Zwiftchat and features. Simon, Shane and Nathan kick off with a short discussion on whether too much Zwifting makes you rusty once you get back outside. Then it’s onto dissect the implications of the rider who slipped through a glitch in the matrix and made it onto the obviously unfinished London course extension. The chaps briefly chat through the merits of the Volcano extension then move on to analyse an intriguing statement from the boss of Tacx, Simon Tacx, on their possible plans for a Smart Bike. Is Zwift becoming less social as it grows? The trio are pretty much agreed that it is and wonder if the growth in teams on Zwift is the community’s way of countering the “big city” feel that Zwift can assume at times. Damon McKay from Team TFC talks to Simon about the community benefits that team membership can bring. Simon has the first of his features from his visit to the Tacx factory – and inevitably, given some of the early difficulties with the Flux trainers, there’s a big focus on the company’s QC processes. Finally, veteran Zwifter Chad McNeeese explains his seemingly counter-intuitive decision to “downgrade” from a smart trainer to a dumb turbo – and offers hope to Zwifters who may feel shut out of the full experience if they can’t run to an expensive smart trainer. The chaps finish off with a look ahead to upcoming highlights on the burgeoning ZwiftCommunityLive channel hosted by Nathan.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back with all the latest eruptions from the land of Zwift. The trio vow NOT to talk about the imminent release of the Volcano Route, on the basis it’s bound to be released hours after the podcast is published, just like the unfortunate timing of the iOS version of the game and the podcast! But the boys do chat about whether iOS is responsible for the upsurge in Lady Zwifters, a trend confirmed by CEO Eric Min and illustrated with an interview with new Lady Zwifter, Angela Prescott. In other Zwifty news, Simon, Shane and Nathan try to put the GCN outage into perspective ; discuss the brilliant Zwift Community Live project and wonder if the relative absence of new developments in the game is an inevitable consequence of the platform’s rapid growth in subscriber numbers. Coach David Lipscomb provides an FTP 101, with some invaluable advice on how to get the best from the test that many new Zwifters undertake. Shane and Nathan have some other views . . . Frank Garcia, from Team X, introduces another superb community initiative – the Zwift Virtual Rankings. Followed up with a discussion on the now notorious #PowerUpsAreForPussies suggestion. The biggest decision many Zwifters have to make on trainer choice is wheel-off, or wheel-on. Experienced Zwifter Paul Stokes goes from wheel on to wheel off and provides a thoughtful assessment on whether the extra expenditure is worth it. Finally, the Zwiftcast trio discuss what Apple TV might mean for Zwifters.

The Zwiftcast has a new theme tune! Simon, Shane and Nathan hope you like it. The Zwiftcast trio kick off by rattling through a whole series of info-bombs related to the Zwift platform, including the news that a Virtual Bike Shop will soon be open, allowing users to spend XP points; the decision to include ANT+ on the iOS platform after all and the impact of the big new January influx of users on the platform – could Zwift now be feeling a bit crowded at times?  The main feature is a substantial interview with Ed Baker, a former Facebook exec, now with Uber, who is also one of the new private investors in Zwift. Ed is hugely experienced in helping digital businesses to grow and Zwifters will find his thoughts on this subject truly fascinating. After analysing Ed’s interview (Mark Zuckerberg rides a Kickr – who knew!) Simon, Shane and Nathan knock around the idea that you may not need to own a big, expensive piece of hardware like a trainer to Zwift in future – what might it all mean? The next feature is the concluding part of Simon’s visit to the trainer manufacturer Elite – with some interesting thoughts about Smart Bikes and the direction of trainer prices. Which leads the chaps on to talk about the continuing difficulties some users are experiencing with the Tacx Flux trainer.  Simon’s review of the Flux includes sound tests at various wattage levels, but did he get the problems others, including Shane have experienced? And when is Round Three of Shane Vs the Flux – and how might it be covered? Shane is threatening a live stream with Nathan commentating. . . . This episode of the podcast concludes with some incredibly valuable advice from pro rider coach Kevin Poulton on how to use Zwift to lose weight. Kevin, who coached popular Zwifter Matt Hayman to victory in Paris Roubaix, gives tips on which workouts will be most effective and explains some of the science behind his advice.  The boys conclude with a light-hearted discussion on changing your weight – or even failing to do so (!) – in Zwift.  

Simon, Shane and Nathan wrap up the year with a look at the new stuff on Zwift.   Before the boys get going there’s an interview with Leah Thorvilson, done just a few hours after she learned she was the winner of the Zwift Academy scheme. It’s a revealing and candid reaction. With iOS finally out, and the expected influx of new users to the platform, the trio debate the one big surprise – the inclusion of running as a secret, and unsupported, feature on the app. While we welcome runners, the trio are less enthusiastic about signs of tension in the community between experienced and new users, and Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the best way to overcome it. The new trainer from Tacx, the eagerly-awaited Flux, seems to be having a difficult birth and Simon and Shane discuss how hard it can be to get the internet to forget. Simon has two reports from Italy – and his visit to Elite’s headquarters. The trainer manufacturer has introduced new standards for accuracy, and Simon finds out how it’s done. The mysteries of the draft on Zwift are many – and one user, Andrew Williams, a lighter rider, thinks he’s falling victim to lighter riders getting the rough end of the deal after recent changes. Simon explores the matter with Andrew and long-time Zwifter Christian Wiedemann. The lads sum up the discussion with a unanimous request to Zwift to discuss and consult with the community about the draft. Simon’s second report from Elite looks at the critical issue of quality control for trainer manufacturers. The report is followed up with a discussion on how important accuracy is at the moment for the different types of Zwift users. Finally the boys discuss how likely it will be that they get to ride their bikes on Christmas Day.  

Simon, Shane and Nathan get together to discuss the latest in the land of Zwift . . . .  A matter which caused no little controversy on Zwift was Christopher O Hearn's idea for a Trip Advisor-style ratings site to assess the quality of group rides. The notion has not gone down well with ride leaders and Christopher appears on the podcast to make his case. Simon, Shane and Nathan assess its merits, or otherwise. The Zwift Academy scheme, whereby one female rider will be recruited to pro team Canyon SRAM after a months-long talent trawl on the platform, reaches its finale in the coming week. Finalist Leah Thorvilson, one of three riders to make the grade in the last casting call, tells listeners how she's feeling about the test that awaits. Trainer Road fought back this week - with a post from their CEO pleading with people to stop copying its workouts into Zwift. It's a fair point and he's quite right - but it prompts a discussion on how effective a competitor Trainer Road can remain as Zwift's social cycling model just gets bigger and bigger. Whilst Leah is in the final three of the ZA scheme, another very strong rider,Rachael Elliott, agonisingly, isn't. Despite being invited to Mallorca, Rachael had to decline. The popular Zwift power-house explains what led her to have to say No. With hundreds, perhaps thousands, of new Zwifters flooding on to the platform, the podcast asks:What Are Teams For? One of the biggest and most pioneering teams in Zwift, ODZ, is on hand to supply answers. The lads wrap up this edition with a jocular look at the long wait for iOS - now over! Enjoy.

Simon and Nathan are together, and Shane’s calling in from Long Beach, California, the home of ZHQ, for the latest edition of the podcast for Zwifters. It’s another busy episode  with lots to talk about – as always seems to be the case in Zwift. This edition starts with a good look at World Bicycle Relief day, arguably the biggest event in the Zwift calendar. Thousands of Zwifters will ride to help get people on bikes in Africa. Katie Bolling, the development director of WBR, is on the line to explain exactly what WBR does (it’s all good) and exactly how Zwifters can help the charity make an even bigger difference. Simon, Shane and Nathan talk about the recent Team Worlds event, organised by Tam Burns, and speculate whether Zwift’s prompt response when a bug caught out a few riders is a sign of a different approach to glitches – and ask whether this prompt action tempered the response of those who got caught. Nathan Stolzner has an inspiring story. Hitting the scales at almost 300lbs, Nathan is determined to get a bit lighter and fitter. But right now, it’s a battle, especially going up Box Hill on the London course. Whereas many Zwifters would gallop up in ten minutes, Nathan takes over 40. Should be change his weight to make life a little easier? The notion prompted a lively debate and Nathan S. tells us how he resolved the dilemma. The geeks will love the feature on the seemingly baffling decision by Kurt Kinetic, makes of the much-loved Rock and Roll trainer, to make their new generation trainers Bluetooth-only. Zwifters John Hampton and Duane Gran bring real insight and analysis to the area. And Glen Knight, one of the architects of the KISS Race series tells listeners about the team’s latest innovation – the very exciting Zwift OnBoard. “Think F1 for Zwft races,” says Glen. We hear from Glen,  and Simon and Nathan discuss whether this could be transformative. Titanium Geek James Gill is on to big up his in real life meet up for Zwifters, ZwiftCon and Simon and Shane round things up with a discussion on Nathan’s very successful live, coached rides. These use voice prominently and it could be a glimpse of the future when Zwift unveils its Voice Feature in coming weeks.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back – and the first few minutes of this edition are devoted to picking over some of the bones of the last episode’s interview with Eric Min, the CEO of Zwift. We talk about how soon Zwifters might feel the benefit of the huge new investment in Zwift from outside funders; and what Eric might have meant by a Smart Bike. The first interview on this episode is with celebrity Zwifter, the Paralympian Jody Cundy, who talks about Rio, Gold Medals, how much the kilo hurts – and getting famous from a hissy fit. You can see Jody’s exploits here Simon, Shane and Nathan follow up with a discussion about the celebrated art of bike hurling – and whether it ought to be represented in game. Nathan introduces the hilarious idea of a potential “OhioThrow”. You can see the Bradley Wiggins incident which the boys discuss here There’s a very exciting set of new rides and races coming to Zwift with the Dutch National Team. The originators discuss how it came about and what we might expect. There’s more on this story here Simon has been spending time on the new top end trainer from Elite, the Drivo and he delivers his verdict in a detailed review and we have an interview with Derek Boocock, the rider who completed a remarkable distance record on Zwift. Hope you enjoy listening.

This episode is devoted entirely to a conversation with Zwift CEO, Eric Min. It’s wide ranging – covering the latest Zwift news, developments and plans for the Northern Hemisphere indoor season and beyond. Eric talks about the huge injection of new investment into the platform – the people behind it and the changes it’s going to bring. There’s news of course expansions, the overall health of the platform, the ambitions for incorporating running and much more.

Simon, Shane and Nathan are back to discuss the increasingly lively – and populous – Zwift platform. We start this episode with a big discussion on the major success, and minor failings, of the Tacx World Champs series of races. Zwift VP of Marketing Steve Beckett answers questions on why around 10% of users had problems during the race – with Shane, Nathan and Simon, along with KISS race organisers, seeking some perspective on the event. With Zwift becoming ever busier, is it time for the opposition to walk in fear of the Zwift indoor riding bulldozer, or are they raising their game to compete? We discuss. A French academic working at a German University reveals the results of his research into how avatars in “exer-games”, like Zwift, may actually influence the performance of the user. Zwift community stalwart Eric Schlange makes a long-overdue appearance on the podcast to discuss his painstaking tests to find out which bikes are fastest on Zwift; discuss his IRL racing career and chew the fat a bit about expensive trainers. Zwifter Paul Stokes has been co-opted onto the Zwiftcast to review the new Elite Rampa trainer. What does an “ordinary Zwifter”, someone who doesn’t ride a whole lot of trainers, make of the rival to the Vortex and the SNAP? And we talk to Tam Burns, the man who’s coming back for a second bite at the cherry. After organising a massively popular mass participation race last year, when the lack of an event module made that an arduous task, Tam is again devoting time and energy to staging a big race. Why does he do it? Plus lots more Zwift-related chat on a whole lot of subjects that all Zwifters should find of interest.

Shane, Nathan and Simon are back together for the first time in a couple of episodes to discuss all matters Zwift. The boys kick off with a discussion on how “refuseniks” now seem to be flocking into Zwift; catch up on the latest Zwift on  iOS chatter and summarise how things have been going in Australia as the end of the indoor season nears. There’s a short feature comparing the noise emitted by the new Wahoo KICKR compared to the older version and a discussion on whether noise could be the new battleground in the fiercely-competitive Smart Trainer market. After hearing from Zwifter Peter Maloney about how he’d like to find other Zwifters riding on with multiple sclerosis by changing his name to indicate he has the condition, Simon, Shane and Nathan go on to discuss the tendency for people to change their real names in the game, wondering whether anonymity is a good thing or not. One of the KISS race series organisers Glen Knight is on the Zwiftcast to discuss the upcoming Tacx World Championships and Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss which nation may be favourite to take the title. Experienced Zwifter Antony Henson tests out two of the top of the range trainers, to help Zwifters who may be in the market for a Smart Trainer this season to make a decision. Is the Tacx Neo or the Wahoo KICKR the best buy? And veteran indoor rider Colin Peerman gives his verdict on the value of the best Smart Trainers – compared to the many other trainers he’s owned. Simon, Shane and Nathan round off this edition with a lively discussion on how race starts can best be regulated in Zwift.

Simon and Nathan get their teeth into a possible future for Zwift – in the form of Virtual Reality. With the Oculus Rift headset becoming more available and with Zwift already VR-capable, could this deeply immersive technology catch on in the fitness arena? Shane gives his first reactions to using the headset with Zwift and Simon and Nathan discuss some of the more obvious downsides as well as looking at the possibilities of this exciting technology. Some think the superb Zwift Academy scheme  – which aims to use the platform to identify  a potential professional female rider – has been flying a little under the radar. Not the hundreds of women who’ve been taking part in the rigorous programme of training over the summer, but perhaps this scheme isn’t as well known in the wider Zwift community as it might be. The podcast has three interviews with graduates of the Academy. Leah Thorvilson, Rachel Elliot and Bel Flint have all made it through to the final 12 riders – hear how they reacted to getting the news. Andrew Tilin is a veteran cyclist, an ex-racer and a high profile cycling journalist and author. He’s just completed an assignment investigating the appeal of Zwift for Outside magazine. Simon interviews him to discover more about his journey from cynic to convert. Scottie Weiss is a real Zwift veteran – he’s been on the platform from day one and the ex-professional rider is as used to showing the field a clean pair of heels as he is helping new Zwifters and leading Group Rides. This summer Scottie achieved two magnificent wins at the World Masters Championships in Austria. Simon talks to Scottie about the role Zwift played. And we have a little more from the sports tech guru Ray Maker, aka D C Rainmaker, who Simon spent some time with at Eurobike. This episode puts Ray on the spot and asks him to identify his favoured trainer at various price points.Ray also raises a tricky issue for US buyers – should they consider buying a trainer from European retailers who sometimes offer great deals and free shipping? “All good” says Ray, “until something goes wrong.”

Simon, Shane and special guest D C Rainmaker are at the biggest bike show in the world. These are exciting times for indoor riders and the excitement is reflected at Eurobike, where trainer manufacturers are showing their wares for the coming indoor season. D C Rainmaker, otherwise known as Ray Maker, makes a special guest appearance to discuss all the news with Simon and Shane, and concludes:”There has never been a better time to buy a Smart Trainer” The Zwiftcast tours the gigantic show, stopping for interviews with Tacx, whose Flux Smart Trainer was a show stealer; Wahoo,who launched the new Kickr;  Elite, whose new Drivo is claimed to be the most accurate Smart Trainer in the world, and Cycle Ops, whose Hammer and Magnus are also promising great things. The Zwiftcast trio discuss how trainer manufacturers have responded to the new indoor riding  world Zwift has helped create and how Zwift itself may cope with competitors in the market. We also discuss the trend for manufacturers to announce new product earlier and earlier – but struggle to deliver trainers to meet the demand at the start of the season. Shane and Ray also give their verdict on the most impressive thing they saw at the show.

Simon, Shane and Nathan discuss the incredibly active smart trainer market, with a raft of new models announced in the past couple of weeks, including an eye-catching offering from Tacx. They go on to speculate on what might be the likely effect of an expected launch of Zwift on iPad. There’s a feature on Married Zwifting, with a look at how couples balancing jobs and kids can use Zwift to maximise training, sometimes Zwifting together. Nathan’s other half, Lindsay and Shane’s partner, Von, make guest appearances – and share some of the secrets of their joint pain caves! Australian hero Mat Hayman makes a special appearance on the Zwiftcast to bring us up to date on what’s he’s been doing since that memorable win in Paris Roubaix and to let listeners know how Zwift is fitting into his training plan. There’s a feature with ZTR race organiser Christian Wiedemann who reveals the results of a fascinating experiment: He tells the Zwiftcast what happened when he went to tackle a very familiar local climb in real life after spending two years exclusively riding on Zwift. Simon, Shane and Nathan tackle the thorny issue of deliberate weight-doping. Is it ever acceptable to change your weight on Zwift? Maybe you want to keep up with buddies on a group ride – can it be right to adjust your weight down a bit to make it possible?

Karissa Minn joins the Zwiftcast to discuss what’s been happening on the FB groups – we cover: Explaining Zwift to a non-Zwifter; How Old Are Zwifters? and Inspirational Zwift users. Pro rider and Zwift ambassador Ted King answers questions posed by the Zwift community. Ted’s site Rider Rick Wood and coach David Lipscomb discuss their race-winning Virtual Coaching tactic.  David’s coaching site Ray Brown, fast becoming a Zwift legend for his huge rides, tells us how he does it. Kevin Abt, big cheese at Wahoo, answers some questions about new trainers and explains ERG mode. Michael Giudicissi tells us how he’s getting on with the 12 Week FTP Builder programme. And Shane Miller provides a quick review of the new Zwift Workout Creator.

Simon, Shane and Nathan get together to discuss the latest Zwift news, plus a series of features on matters of interest to all Zwifters. Nathan relates how he broke his collar bone racing and how Zwift is helping his rehab. There’s a feature with Tim Searle, leader of the Australian HDR ride, which is drawing huge numbers and may now be the biggest group ride on Zwift. Charlie Issendorf, VP of Events for Zwift, tells us how the new Event Module is bedding in and forecasts how it’s going to develop in coming weeks. Simon, Shane and Nathan discus the new London course, the advent of bad weather on Zwift and speculate about the possible introduction of a velodrome.. Team Sky’s Head of Innovation, Simon Jones, a keen Zwifter, talks about how augmented reality and virtual reality may have a part to play in pro rider training in the future. In part two of our interview with Charlie, we discuss the next stage in the development of the platform towards a general fitness arena, with the testing of running in the virtual environments. This episode of the Zwiftcast wraps up with a discussion on a slew of new trainers which have just been announced.

The episode features an interview with Zwift’s creative genius and co-founder of the company, Jon Mayfield. Jon has some really interesting things to say about a division between Z Power users and those with Smart Trainers/Power Meters. He also talks about how the draft in Zwift is still at an early stage and raises the prospect of introducing steering into the game. There’s a great interview with Australian hand cyclist Alex Welsh and myself, Shane and Nathan discuss the issues he raises about avatar customisation. The KISS races have now launched all over the world and are attracting huge fields in the Southern Hemisphere. I talk to Glen Knight, one of the originators of the wildly popular series and afterwards we discuss the genius of the http://www.zwiftpower.com tool. Matt Hayman’s coach, Kevin Poulton, still buzzing from his rider’s amazing victory in Paris-Roubaix, talks about how Matt used Zwift in his training – and gives his views on the value of indoor riding for training for the rest of us. There’s also a lively review of the indoor season so far in Australia with Shane and I discussing the massive popularity of the Aussie HDR group ride.

In this episode US Zwifter John Hampton joins me to discuss the latest talking points in Zwift. We cover his One True Scotsman theory; the Fort Bragg police and ask why cyclists are so fussy. Rachael Elliott made Zwift history when she became the first woman to win a race in a male dominated field. Some questioned her performance – but they were wrong. Rachael reveals how it felt from her side. Special Guest G Master is on the Zwiftcast – or at least someone who seems to know a bit about who the mysterious figure is and what he does. David Desrosiers discusses his brilliantly useful new resource for Zwifters – the Zwift Riders knowledge base. Knowledge Base The article in the kb about improving frame rate is here. Frame Rate improvements Lots of people are now completing the 12 Week FTP Builder programme – we hear from a Zwifter whose FTP has rocketed thanks to his commitment to the plan. And we’re in Belgium to hear how Zwift is being received in the land of the hardman cyclist.

In this episode, former world track champion and Zwift insider, Mike McCarthy dispenses some real wisdom on how to get the best from Workout Mode. Race organiser and all round good egg, Christian Wiedemann joins me to discuss the latest chatter on the groups. The “Queen of Zwift” Julynn Washington has completed 19 metric and imperial centuries. She’s got tips on how to get the 100. Rollers are perhaps not the most popular choice for Zwifters – but Jeremy Brazeal has lots to say in their praise. And Derek Boocock gives us some highlights from his amazing life story – and explains how Zwifting with just one lung is propelling him back to fitness after his latest brush with cancer.

I’m chatting with Chris Parker, the founder of the UK Zwifters group, about the latest on the FB groups, including the Watopia extension and swearing in-game. CEO Eric Min tells us what plans Zwift has to clean up profane text messages. Zwift staffer Steve Beckett reveals – a little – about some Zwift news due to be revealed in full at the Tour Down Under. New Zwifter Marcus Neal has a great story to tell – uplifting and positive – about how Zwift and cycling have changed his life. In a two part interview with Steve Beckett, offers some fascinating glimpses of what’s likely to be in the Events Module  and Steve is forthright about what constitutes good group riding. We also discuss the soon-to-come Mountain Route and talk a little about the “Zwift vision”. The Tacx Neo and the Wahoo Kickr,  top of the list of most desirable trainers,  go head-to-head in a Zwiftcast test and review segment. And we meet the Voice of Zwift, ace racing commentator Nathan Guerra.

Eric Min, the CEO of Zwift, speaks at length and candidly on all things Zwifty. He’s got news on how many users he thinks we will see on the platform in January. He’s got news on when we might see new courses and how they might work. A velodrome? Listen and hear Eric’s thoughts. Is Zwift getting glitchy and is tech support able to do enough? Eric answers some tricky questions honestly and straight-forwardly. Shane Miller, a prominent Zwifter in Australia talks to me about the Week on the FB groups – who’s saying what and why and are they right? Want to know a little more about Shane? Here’s a link to a feature in the Zwift blog. Meet Shane Why are only 8% of Zwifters women? Cassie Baldi comes on to the Zwiftcast to explain how she’s trying to change that state of affairs. How do you prepare for and complete the FTP test?  Jon Sharplesis the man who helped put the sports science into the Zwift Workout mode and he’s got some brilliant tips on how to make your FTP test as bearable, and more important, as powerful as possible. Find out more about Jon’s company, which he runs with the legendary Sean Yates here. Train Sharp Mick Neal, a veteran Zwifter who’s been on the platform right from the start, talks to me about what gets our goat. Not in a horrible way – but we rehearse some niggles we’d love to see the Zwift team fix. James Gill, the indefatigable organiser of the ZTR (Zwift TRaining Races) has got some great advice if you’ve fancied racing but not been sure where to start.