It can be a little confusing though, since Zwift will also have your avatar sit up at slow solo speeds. Zwift uses the visual cue of sitting up (riding with your hands on the hoods instead of the drops) as an indicator that you are in the draft. Additionally, if you need to modify your power output to stay in the draft, the response (your avatar moving in response to your power change) is not as immediate as it would be in real life. On Zwift, there are very limited cues as to when you are in the draft or not, and resistance does not decrease when drafting. Limited and delayed sensory feedback: outside you can feel when you’re in the draft: the air resistance decreases and you don’t have to work as hard to keep the pace.There are no brakes in Zwift, so your front to back position in the pack becomes a matter of putting down the right amount of power at the right time. No brakes: when you ride outside, you can tap your brakes to maintain the proper distance off the back tire of the rider in front of you.This means sometimes the game places you behind someone you are trying to avoid, or doesn’t place you behind someone you’re attempting to draft behind. Unless you’ve got a Sterzo Smart in a steering-enabled event, there is no steering on Zwift pavement. No steering: outside you can steer in and out of a draft.That said, drafting in Zwift takes some getting used to, even if you are familiar with drafting in real life. Zwift HQ has done a commendable job with their drafting algorithms to create something that works well in small and large packs for a variety of riders. The draft effect in Zwift is enhanced in larger groups – see our tests of 4-rider drafting for more info. But when a decline hits, it will take even fewer watts to stay in the draft. Using the above power numbers, the front rider will pull away on an incline. We found a rider could stay in this 300-watt draft at 225 watts while on relatively flat ground.Ĭhanges in pitch effect these numbers, as gravity comes increasingly into play. Using power emulators on a closed course, we had one rider sustain 300 watts while another ride drafted behind. ![]() ![]() Incredible! Drafting Power Savings in Zwiftīased on our (admittedly limited) tests, drafting in Zwift behind a single rider gets you a power savings of approximately 25%. Scientists studied the draft affect of a large peloton (121 riders) and found that wind resistance in the “sweet spot” of this large group was only 5-10% what a solo rider would experience. Riding in a large pack will reduce wind resistance even more, resulting in greater power savings. The goal of drafting in Zwift is to conserve energy, just as it is outdoors. The amount of energy saved by drafting is no “marginal gain”–it is literally the difference between winning and losing in every bike race.Įstimates vary, but the number most often thrown around outdoors is a 30% power savings when drafting behind just one other rider.Įxample: you could put out 210 watts while drafting and maintain the same speed as the rider ahead of you who is putting out 300 watts–assuming you’re both the same size, weight, CdA, etc. Here’s everything you need to know about drafting in Zwift. Unless you plan to always ride by yourself, drafting is an essential skill for the cyclist–both indoors and out.
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