Zwiftcast

This April saw the launch of Zwift Community Live. This epic four-day event brought together the Zwift community in Mallorca to connect fellow Zwifters, ambassadors, community leaders, special guests, and passionate riders from around the globe. Dave Towle joins Rebecca Charlton to talk about the inaugural edition, as well as bringing us interviews with a number of Zwift community members who were in attendance including Sir Mark Cavendish.  Plus we discuss all the latest news, including Zwift outdoors, new roads in France, and much more! Ride on!

Co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are back to explore the result of this year's Zwift Academy finals. Friend of Zwift, ex-pro and the ever-entertaining Matt Stephens drops in for a chat about his role in the process and his impressions of the finals for 2025. Emily Dixon discusses the moment she won as a 17-year-old and her gratitude for what's coming next. Noah Ramsay discusses his fascinating background, giving us the scoop on his journey into the peloton. And finally, Dave is off to Zwift Community Live to rub shoulders with Sir Chris Hoy, Kristin Armstrong and many members of the Zwift community to bring us all the best chats in two weeks' time.  Grab a brew and enjoy! // 01:22 Matt Stephens delves deep into the Zwift Academy finals 18:33 Dave chats to Zwift Academy female winner Emily Dixon 33:37 Dave chats to Zwift Academy male winner Noah Ramsey 46:07 Rebecca and Dave look forward to Zwift Community Live   

In this second of two special Zwiftcast episodes in celebration of Women's History Month, co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are joined by an array of special guests. Listen along with our Watch The Femmes rides for an exclusive headphone unlock. https://www.zwift.com/uk/watchthefemmes Eric Schlange talks bike upgrades, wind tunnels and all the events latest. WorldTour AG Insurance Soudal star Ashleigh Moolman Pasio drops in for a chat about returning from serious injury and why she's supporting the next generation of women and girls from South Africa. Sindile Mavundla shares the story of the Khaltsha Cycling Academy and why it's transforming the lives of young girls. Here's how you can support their great work. https://www.khaltshacycles.co.za/projects-6 The wonderful creator of the Zwiftcast, Simon Schofield, is back to share his story as he launches a new YouTube channel to document his return to the bike after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. https://www.youtube.com/@SimonRidesOn All this and more! // 01:15 Eric, Rebecca and Dave with all the Zwift news 17:09 Ashleigh Moolman Pasio on pro cycling life and supporting the next generation of female cyclists in South Africa 30:11 Sindile and Mihle on the Khaltsha Cycling Academy 46:45 Zwiftcast creator Simon Schofield is back to share his story as he launches a new YouTube channel  

In March, Zwiftcast will spotlight incredible women's stories. Hosted by Rebecca Charlton, Dave Towle and Kate Veronneau, each episode dives into powerful stories and inspiring missions. Complete any Zwiftcast ride to unlock the exclusive Watch the Femmes headphones and show your support. In this first of two special episodes in celebration of Women's History Month the crew bring you all the latest news, including the return of Zwift Games this month and look forward to Paris Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift and the Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift 2025. Plus, the Wheeltalk Podcast hosts pop in to talk Zwift Cycling and motherhood, that's Abby Mickey, Loren Rowney and Gracie Elvin. Here's all the events talked about in the episode: Watch the Femmes Friday: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/watch-the-femmes-friday-tickets-1253948416469?aff=oddtdtcreator Watch the Femmes: https://www.zwift.com/uk/watchthefemmes Zwift Games: https://www.zwift.com/uk/zwift-games Zwift Big Spin: https://www.zwift.com/uk/the-zwift-big-spin  Ride on!

Zwiftcast co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are back together to bring you the latest fortnightly episode with news and updates galore, including the much anticipated TrainerRoad integration, news of Sir Chris Hoy's launch of Tour de 4 and the eagerly anticipated return of Zwift Academy! Director of Product Management at Zwift, Nick Kalkounis, chats to Rebecca and Dave about that TrainerRoad news, and Nathan, Shane and Eric join the crew to discuss all things topical on Zwift, including the Peak Zwift result. Dave also meets community inspirer Elaine Montoya to learn about the OWLs, the Older Women in Lycra, and chats to Eric Schlange about the Zwift Insider women's portal.  

Prepare to be truly inspired by this episode as the man known for perhaps the greatest moustache in the cycling world, Ashton Lambie has a brilliantly candid chat with co-host Dave Towle about the many wonderful strings to his bow, being married to an astronaut and plenty more intriguing facts along the way. Dave chats Zwift Community Live with Eric, Nathan and Shane, and community member Joe Baxter drops in to talk about the moment he was told he had a brain tumour and how he coped from then until now, supported by the world of Zwift cycling.  Grab a brew and settle in!

Co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle are back with a brand new episode of the Zwiftcast to talk about going full enchilada with the Tour de Zwift, and it's a jam-packed episode with guests galore. Zwift's Director of Women's Strategy, Kate Veronneau dials in from the Tour Down Under as the UCI WorldTour season kicks off, and adding even more star-factor Puck Moonen and Callan O'Keefe drop in for a chat, with a very special announcement. Plus, play along with the Zwift quiz and see how much you really know! Enjoy...

The ZwiftCast team are back to wish you a Happy New Year with co-hosts Rebecca Charlton and Dave Towle, joined by a host of special guests.  Eric Schlange joins for the whole episode to bring us up to speed on everything we need to know in the world of Zwift, plus discuss new year's resolutions and why he loves them. The incredible community member that is Cat Allen pops in for a chat about being the first woman to hit and exceed 300 thousand KM on Zwift and it's an incredibly inspiring chat. Plus It's the annual return of Peak Zwift, the prediction game that always gets the Zwift aficionados competitive in January - featuring Shane Miller, Nathan Guerra, Eric and a very special, surprise guest.

A Christmas edition of the ZwiftCast with Olympic Gold Medallist Dani Rowe MBE…plus Shane, Nathan & Eric are back! The ZwiftCast is back for a festive Christmas Eve special with its new regular hosts, British cycling broadcaster Rebecca Charlton and American cycling announcer Dave Towle.  The duo dive into Zwift's recent decision to pause the Zwift World Series with returning experts Shane Miller, Eric Schlange and Nathan Guerra, as well as Zwift's changes to the event calendar - removing a large number of events - and why this might be a good thing. Olympic Gold medallist Dani Rowe MBE joins Rebecca to chat all things pregnancy and riding, her recent move onto the Discovery+ broadcast team for the Tour de France, and about designing workouts for Zwift at different points of life. Stay tuned for her hilarious Zwift fail! It wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of festive Zwifting - we look at what's happening to keep you motivated, including the famous Rapha Festive 500. Grab a mince pie and enjoy!

After a brief hiatus, the Zwiftcast is back with British broadcaster, Zwifter and life-long cyclist Rebecca Charlton joining American cycling favourite, commentator and announcer Dave Towle as your new co-hosts. In this episode, they chat with Zwift's CEO and Co-Founder, Eric Min, to discuss Zwift's 10th anniversary, Eric Schlange of Zwift Insider joins to bring the team up to speed on what they may have missed over the past couple of months, and finally, Rebecca catches up with a friend of Zwift, ex-pro and all-round cycling legend, Matt Stephens. Join the new cast to hear how they'll be dropping in from the slipstream of the brilliant Zwiftcast creator Simon Schofield, find out why Matt is in a bathrobe for his interview and discover why there's a shared love of the pizza slice!   

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.  

This episode kicks of with a sequence looking at the community reaction to HQ's latest changes to the XP system and, in turn, Zwifters' levels. It's fair to say the latest changes were not universally welcomed, and Simon, Shane and Eric pick apart the reasons. HQ acknowledged that the changes were not well signalled and HQ's head of product Mark Cote explains what happened. Even the most casual cycling fan must be aware that Women's Cycling is on the up - fresh, exciting and growing fast. Simon talks to HQ's Kate Veronneau about the absolutely pivotal part Zwift has played in this, much of it down to the company's critically important sponsorship of the re-born Tour de Frances Femmes, avec Zwift. Kate discloses that she's been known to message journalists and broadcasters who forget to mention the “avec Zwift” part! When a listener asked Simon to chase down some stats on how many Zwifters sit at each Level, he thought it might make an interesting feature. In fact, the data that came back from Zwift was absolutely gob-smacking. The Level 100 Club is uber-exclusive, with only 0.06% of Zwifters getting past the velvet ropes to the inner sanctum of achievement. At the other end, the percentage of Zwifters just starting their journey, and on Levels 1-10, is, if anything, even more staggering. Listen to the Ep to find out more. Zwift staffer James Bailey provides a shedload of interesting insight into the new Zwift Racing Score system which should, before too long, replace the crude A, B, C and D racing categories. And Kate returns at the end of the episode to give a preview of the exciting events on the platform to mark the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. 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.