On April 24, 2015, Zwift launched Watopia. Here was their message to the small community of beta testers:

Together we’ve ridden 1 million miles (@1.6M km), 333K laps and climbed a total of 44M feet (@13.4M meters) on Zwift Island. That’s like climbing Mt Everest 1.5K times! We think that’s a big deal, so today we’ve launched our new course on the next isle to celebrate. Welcome to Watopia, your new home on Zwift!

As you can see, we’ve successfully moved and we’re ready for everyone to conquer our 10k course filled with fabulous vistas, bridges, and all new terrain. We’re still under construction so please be patient as we work to bring you the best ride possible (helmets encouraged!)…

See the full game release notes from Jon Mayfield posted April 24, 2015 >

A few fun facts:

• It took the beta testers 5 months to ride 1 million miles, while in December 2017 the community rode over 700,000 miles in just 24 hours in a major fundraiser event. But in 2024, Zwifters rode/ran 1.02 billion miles on the platform – that’s an average of 2.8 million miles per day!
• The “Zwift Island” referenced is Jarvis Island, the first Zwift course. The honey-hunting bear in Titans Grove is named Jarvis in honor of this original Zwift map, which relaunched in 2024 as part of Watopia.
• When first launched, Watopia had only one 9.1km route, known today as the Hilly Route. The next Watopia expansion was Ocean Boulevard on December 30, 2015. Today, Watopia is home to 116 routes (including some running-only routes).
• In between these Watopia updates, the Richmond, VA UCI Worlds course was released September 1, 2015.
• Today Zwift hosts 262 routes spread across 12 maps (in order of release): Watopia, Richmond, London, Innsbruck, New York, Bologna, Yorkshire, Crit City, France, Paris, Makuri Islands, and Scotland.

See zwiftinsider.com/tiny for current Tiny Race details.

Silca’s first electric bike pumps promise features designed to make them stand out from the crowd. However, you probably won’t be able to buy one in the US due to current import tariffs.

Mini pumps and C02 cartridges face increasing competition from a host of pocket-sized electric options from brands such as Muc-Off, Fumpa, Flextail and Topeak.

Tool specialist Silca has joined the fray with two new Elettrico models, the Ultimate and Micro.

However, the brand states that it is not currently ‘economically viable’ to sell the pumps in the US due to the impact of the tariffs on imported goods introduced by President Trump.

• Trump’s tariffs are causing chaos in the cycling industry, with Specialized and Trek hiking prices

Drone motors

The Elettrico pumps use quiet yet powerful motors, borrowed from drone technology, with Silca claiming a noise level of between 4 and 8dB – even lower when used with one of Silca’s chucks. They are compatible with any Silca chuck, such as the Schradero or Hiro.

The casing is designed to dissipate vibrations and reduce noise, making the pumps easier and more convenient to use.

Accurate and long-lasting

Silca claims the Ultimate pump’s digital display shows real-time tyre pressure with an accuracy of ~1%. You can set your desired pressure (from 3 to 100psi) at the touch of a button and it’ll inflate automatically.

The compact Elettrico Micro forgoes a digital display but has a built-in safeguard that will cut out at 72psi, the maximum pressure advised for modern hookless rims.

The pumps use USB-C for battery recharging. Silca claims the Ultimate’s capacity is equal to nine or more CO2 cartridges and charges in about an hour, whereas the Micro is equivalent to three or more CO2 cartridges and charges in 20 minutes.  

The pumps’ casings are custom aluminium extrusions that are CNC machined to both dampen noise and dissipate heat, as well as being tough enough to withstand the rigours of being carried when riding.

As with Silca’s regular pumps, a range of spares and replacement parts will be available for both Elettrico pumps.

US riders set to miss out

The introduction of tariffs in the USA looks set to prove troublesome for Silca’s latest innovation.

Silca made the following statement when announcing the release of its new pumps: “Due to the significant impact of current United States tariff policies on imported goods, these products are not economically viable for sale within the US market currently. This, unfortunately, means that Silca’s largest historical market will not have immediate access to these groundbreaking pumps. Silca remains hopeful that these trade barriers will be resolved in the future to allow US cyclists access to the Elettrico series.”

Silca says it has made only 100 units available for the entire US market.

Silca Elettrico pumps pricing

• US: Elettrico Micro $119, Elettrico Ultimate $159 
• CAD: $199.95, $239.95
• EU: €139, €179  
• AU$: $179, $219
• UK: £119, £149

Shimano has reported a 15.6 per cent increase in bicycle component sales in the first quarter of 2025, with the groupset giant pointing to signs of recovery in the European market.

This follows a tricky 2024 for the Japanese company, which saw bicycle component sales decrease by 5.6 per cent last year, due to weak demand and high inventories. 

Shimano’s bicycle component sales in the first quarter of this year have brought in ¥88 billion (about £464,200,000), with Shimano citing particular interest in its GRX gravel and 105 mid-range road groupsets.

Interest in bikes continues

Shimano says “strong interest in bicycles continued as a long-term trend” through the beginning of 2025. 

In the European market, Shimano says “signs of recovery started to appear in retail sales of completed bicycles”. Shimano adds that personal consumption recovered in Europe as inflation subsided and the economy continued to recover.

Europe is Shimano’s largest market for cycling components, but the company’s outlook on smaller markets are less positive. 

Shimano says retail sales for bikes in Asia and central and South America remain weak due to “sluggish” personal consumption, while demand was also slow in Japan due to the “soaring price of completed bicycles.” 

Sales of complete bikes have also remained weak in north America for Shimano, with the brand citing a decline in consumer confidence due to changes in “trade policies”. The report makes no specific reference to Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.

• Trump’s tariff chaos: Specialized and Trek hike prices – and one British brand describes the US president’s plans as ‘naive’ 

A cautious outlook 

Across its whole business, which includes fishing equipment, Shimano saw a 12.9 per cent increase in sales compared to the first quarter of 2024. 

Although the growth is positive news for the company after a difficult 2024, its outlook remains cautious. Shimano has revised its forecast for the 2025 fiscal year, citing non-operating expenses and currency fluctuations. 

Shimano wasn’t the only cycling company that struggled in 2024.

Giant reported that its profits plunged by 62.8 per cent and, in the UK, Brompton saw its profits fall by 99 per cent. 

Giant and Brompton have both been vocal about the potentially negative impacts of Trump’s tariffs on the cycling industry – an issue Shimano has not had its say on.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Zwift Community Live was that it offered the chance to meet members of the Zwift community in real life. In this week’s top video, Kaite Kookaburra does just that!

We’ve also selected videos about using Zwift for weight loss, feature requests, the Elite Zwift Games, and the new Zwift Companion Fitness Tracker.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!

Factor has announced the release of the Monza, a new aero road bike targeted at amateur racers and riders instead of elite athletes.

Inspired by the WorldTour-spec Ostro VAM aero bike, Factor says the Monza – which takes its name from the iconic race track in northern Italy – uses a simplified design aimed at making it more practical and affordable.

Headline features include clearance for 34mm-wide tyres, a more “democratic” fit geometry, integrated frame storage and a simplified cable routing system. Factor has also designed a new set of aero wheels and an integrated cockpit designed to better serve the needs of amateur riders.

Despite these changes, Factor says the Monza is “refined, not compromised”.

As a complete bike with two water bottles, Factor says it’s only 2.5 watts less aerodynamic at 45kph than the Ostro VAM and even claims it’s ”faster than the Cervélo S5, [Specialized] Tarmac SL8 and others”.

Prices for the Factor Monza start at £6,399 / $6,799 / €7,999, for a build with Shimano Ultegra Di2. A build with SRAM Force AXS is also available for £6,599 / $6,999 / €8,299, including a power meter.

Made for more racers

While Factor claims its Ostro VAM is “the world’s fastest race bike”, it acknowledges that its singular focus on pro racing makes it somewhat impractical (and unaffordable) for everyday racers.

In contrast, the Monza is aimed squarely at everyday racers and riders who want to go fast but don’t want – or can’t afford – a WorldTour-spec race bike.

Factor’s engineering director, Graham Shrive (formerly of Cervélo), says the Monza is “the bike we’d design for ourselves”.

Rather than simply offering a version of the Ostro VAM from the same moulds with a cheaper carbon fibre layup, though, Shrive says the goal was to “accommodate riders for how they’re actually using the bikes, rather than dictate to them”.

It’s a similar concept to Cervélo’s latest Soloist – a simplified version of the S5 aero bike more commonly used by the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and his Visma–Lease a Bike teammates (outside of Paris-Roubaix, at least).

As such, the Monza uses a more relaxed fit geometry than the pro-spec Ostro VAM, with increased stack height and reduced reach (when the new cockpit is taken into account) to better suit amateur riders, as opposed to elite athletes.

Factor says the handling geometry is unchanged from the Ostro VAM, however, in order to keep that bike’s responsiveness and quick handling.

The Monza’s frame tube shapes have also been subtly reshaped in order to reduce the layup complexity and, ultimately, production costs.

The head tube, seat tube, seatpost and seatstays are all wider, for example, while the rear of the fork isn’t sculpted to meet the down tube to the same extent.

Practical features

The Monza also gets a number of features designed to make it easier to live with for everyday riders.

The rear dropout, for example, uses SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard. This enables compatibility with SRAM’s recently launched, 13-speed Red XPLR AXS groupset, and – we imagine – future-proofs the frame for any upcoming groupsets.

Leaks suggest a new SRAM Force AXS groupset could launch soon, for example, meaning a UDH-only XPLR version might not be far off either.

Adding a saddle bag to a bike can incur a drag penalty of up to 6 watts at 45kph, according to Factor’s testing, so Shrive says it made sense to add an integrated storage port on the down tube for storing tools and essential spares.

Shrive acknowledges this features adds weight to the frame (around 80-100g), but he reasons that since a saddle bag weighs a similar amount, it evens out in the real world, where riders need to be self-sufficient.

With the space behind the saddle freed up, Shrive says Factor has also designed a dedicated saddle rail mount for accessories such as rear bike lights or rearview radars.

Tyre clearance on the Monza is also increased to 34mm, up from 32mm on the Ostro VAM.

While 28mm-wide tyres are still dominant in the pro peloton, Shrive says bigger tyres allow for better performance on the rough roads local races and group rides often take place on.

Echoing this theme, Shrive says the new Black Inc Forty Five wheels, which have been designed alongside the Monza, present a “fast solution that’s versatile and robust, and will withstand that day to day pounding”.

Built using carbon rims with “modern” dimensions, the Black Inc Forty Five wheels use steel spokes and “readily available bearings” to reduce cost compared to the pricier 48/58 wheelset specced on the Ostro VAM.

A simplified front end

While an integrated front end is practically de rigueur for any modern aero road bike, Factor says it aimed for the Monza to be more “pragmatic” in this area than the Ostro VAM.

As such, Factor has specced a larger, 1.5in upper headset bearing from the Ostro Gravel, which affords space for a round steerer tube and “more straightforward internal cable routing”.

Factor has also designed a new integrated handlebar specifically for the Monza, rather than opting for a cheaper two-piece setup.

The HB04 cockpit features a “semi-aero profile” on the tops, to offer a better feel in the hand than the AB01 cockpit found on the Ostro VAM.

The reach and drop of the handlebar have also been reduced by 5mm on the HB04, compared to the AB01, while the drops flare out by 8 degrees from the ramps to offer improved control when sprinting or descending.

Factor Monza specifications and pricing

The Factor Monza is available in two builds, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 or SRAM Force AXS.

Alternatively, riders can purchase a frameset kit for £3,799 / $3,999 / €4,699 that includes the frame, fork, seatpost and HB04 cockpit.

There are three colour schemes available: green, blue or white (although, of course, Factor has fancier names for each).