Colorado-based custom frame builder Mosaic has unveiled the new RT-Zero, a bike intended to take the brand’s titanium craftsmanship to a whole new level.

Mosaic’s expertise is something I’ve had first-hand experience of, having had a custom Mosaic RT1 1TR built last year. The new RT-Zero takes all of Mosaic’s engineering, fabrication and design knowledge and elevates it to a new level.

Mosaic claims the new RT-Zero frameset is its most ambitious R&D initiative to date.

It’s a design that has become a proving ground for advanced titanium construction and integration, with the aim of taking Mosaic’s refined aesthetics to a new, higher standard.

The RT-Zero sets the standard for the future of Mosaic’s bike design and is the result of a three-year design project.

• Best titanium road bikes in 2025 for smooth and luxurious riding, as reviewed by BikeRadar
  

The Zero Ops project

The Zero Ops project took the brand’s most popular model, the RT-1, as its template. The design team, led by Mosaic founder Aaron Barcheck, were then let loose in a ground-up refinement of every element, without constraints.

Barcheck explains: “With the RT-Zero, we wanted to experiment with new ideas and new product designs that could eventually lead to improved performance characteristics in our existing product line.

“This Zero Ops project, as we’re calling it, is a great way to bring new ideas to one of our existing frame models, the RT-1, while at the same time pushing our own design boundaries without having to immediately focus on the commercial viability of the product.”

New ideas with traditional fabrication

The RT-Zero’s standout feature is the new fully integrated carbon seat mast with a custom D-shaped profile.

Mosaic claims that not only does this enhance the look of the RT-Zero, but it has performance benefits, too. It says the carbon mast brings added tuneability, enabling it to customise the ride characteristics more than with traditional titanium tubing.

The carbon seat tube/mast also brings significant weight savings.

Mosaic also says it would have been relatively easy to use 3D-printing technology to create the new pieces required for the integration of the seat mast, not to mention the dropouts, head tube and bottom bracket shell.

Instead, it backed the in-house quality of its CNC-machining and proven fabrication techniques.

3D printing has become a buzzword for titanium bikes and we’ve seen many of Mosaic’s rivals utilising additive printing technology.

Barcheck has strong opinions on the validity of 3D printing for a brand that produces full-custom geometry as the norm.

“Honestly, I’ve just not been turned on by any of the 3D printing stuff out there,” he says. “So, I really wanted to do this project without 3D printing anything and instead stick to using more traditional bike-making methods.”

That means all the pieces that enable the carbon mast to join with the titanium frame – even if they look as though they were 3D printed – were made using CNC machining and combined with TIG welding.

Barcheck continues: “With 3D printing, you have to ask yourself, what is it really doing for what we’ve found is essentially the same cost?

“And if it’s not more cost-effective or transformationally different, then it’s not something we want to pursue just because it’s the latest hot trend. That’s especially true since doing it the way we’ve always done things allows us to continue to deliver made-to-order custom geometry without long turn times.

“Plus, anything that can be done in-house allows you to have a higher level of quality control, which translates to a better product.”

A fine-looking machine

The results are stunning, with certain elements of the bike looking as if they were 3D printed.

Take the carbon seat mast integration or the new one-piece titanium CNC dropouts that integrate with the flat-mount.

The new oversized head tube junction allows for full internal cable routing, as seen on the RT1 ITR, and the refinement of the design on the RT-Zero should see it trickle down to the standard RT1 within the next year.

The RT-Zero’s new bottom bracket shell adopts the increasingly popular T47 threaded standard.

The tubing used in the RT-Zero is Mosaic’s Ultra-Butted titanium; it’s based on Mosaic’s signature double-butted tubesets but pushed out to even thinner walls. Mosaic claims this will retain the celebrated Mosaic ride feel while reducing the overall weight.

Very limited edition

The RT-Zero’s groundbreaking design is going into production, although initially, the Zero Ops project bikes will be limited to only 25 framesets. Mosaic has stated that the innovations seen on this halo project will influence the future of the company’s core road models, such as the RT-1.

The framesets will be offered in a multitude of minimal paint finishes to showcase the natural titanium, combined with precision anodising and hand-polished elements.

Barcheck justifies the limited run and high price of the RT-Zero because “This is the most premium product Mosaic has made to date”.

He adds: “Maybe we only sell 25 of these ever. But selling $11,000 framesets is not the primary end goal. We’re not planning to become that company.

“We do these types of projects and the R&D that comes with them as a means to improve our other bikes. What will make sense to bring from the RT-Zero to the RT-1 remains to be seen, but it’s safe to assume it will continue to drive aesthetic enhancements and increased tunability and performance.”

Pricing

Frameset pricing will be set at $11,000 and will include the frame, fork, ENVE one-piece bar/stem, carbon seat mast, and Mosaic Carbon Topper and RT-Zero finish.

Complete bikes will be offered with component brand partners for wheels, accessories and groupsets. Based on component selection, complete RT-Zero bikes will be available for in the range of $20,000 to $24,000.

Polish company 7Anna, which owns Rondo, Creme Cycles, NS Bikes and Octane One, has officially filed for bankruptcy. 

In a statement released on behalf of 7Anna, the brand’s founder Szymon Kobyliński explained the last two to three years have been “incredibly difficult”.

“[T]he entire team has put in a superhuman effort to fight and navigate such a brutal environment. The problems began a year and a half ago when our largest client, who sold our bikes in Western Europe, went bankrupt. This left a huge hole, but we kept going. The following season, we had problems with our bank, which withheld funding from partners for several months. As a result, our bikes were not released until after the season,” wrote Kobyliński.

This was followed by the bankruptcy of one of 7Anna’s largest suppliers, which meant it was left without “top-of-the-line bikes”. Then, Kobyliński says, hackers stole “a huge sum by redirecting a transfer from our client to a fake account in Portugal”.

“Literally two weeks later, our largest client received a large shipment of bikes but didn’t pay for it and simultaneously cancelled the contract for subsequent deliveries. All of this coincided with the deadline for repaying our bank loan. We couldn’t take so many blows at once and needed help and time to reorganize,” Kobyliński added.

Founded in 2001 by Kobyliński and his wife Anna, 7Anna created several brands. NS Bikes launched in 2004, followed by Octane One in 2008 and Creme Cycles in 2017. 

7Anna launched Rondo in 2017, which has become known for its unusual road and gravel bike designs, such as the Rondo Ruut.  

Rondo’s marketing manager, Aneta Romanik, wrote on LinkedIn: “The past few years have been an enormous challenge for 7ANNA Group Sp. z o.o. and our team, but we’re still fighting for the future of our brands – Rondo, NS Bikes, and Creme. 

“Filing for bankruptcy is a formal step – it does not mean the end of our operations, but rather gives us space for reorganization and talks with investors.”

Kobyliński’s statement also echoed Romanik: “We’re not giving up. We’re still operating, servicing our bikes, supporting you, our customers, and paying attention to every detail. For now, nothing changes – stores, service, and warranties are operating as usual. We’re not disappearing – we’re continuing the history of brands that have often inspired the industry. Every bike that left our company carried with it passion and uniqueness.

“This is certainly not a bed of roses – we know that many of our trading partners are feeling anxious, but we assure you that we are doing everything in our power to ensure that our brands survive and continue to inspire. We believe that the capital we have built – as one of the few Polish brands recognized globally in its segment – will be appreciated.” 

7Anna is not the only cycling company to endure extreme financial difficulty in recent years, with many brands facing similar turmoil.

In October 2023, Wiggle and Chain Reaction were put into administration. In 2024, Orange called in administrators, while GT has reduced the size of its workforce.

This year, Brompton’s profits crashed and YT Industries entered self-administration, citing “a brutal discount war for survival”.

The new Insta360 Go Ultra might be the action camera that gets me excited about video capture again.

I’m not a connoisseur of action cameras. I used the first few GoPro generations, but was never bowled over by the less-than-user-friendly experience. I also tried Garmin’s long-forgotten Virb, which was easier to use but had less than optimal recording quality capabilities.

After those less-than-satisfactory experiments, I haven’t been impressed enough to step back into the ride-recording fray.

My camera tech experience since then has been limited to having various cameras strapped to me or my bike by our videographer experts over on Bike Radar’s YouTube channel.

• Read more: What are cycling cameras and why should you own one?

Insta360’s new Go Ultra has got me excited about action cameras again. Not just for its clever camera design, but also because of its excellent app with built-in, easy-to-use editing capabilities.

The Go’s super-compact dimensions set it apart from the X series cameras Insta360 is known for.

The Go Ultra camera looks at first glance to have similar dimensions to a GoPro; the clever part is that the camera can be unclipped from its magnetic locator in the base unit, which Insta 360 calls the Action Pod.

The camera is no bigger than an average-sized wristwatch and weighs only 53g.

What’s new with the Go Ultra?

The new super-compact camera comes with a 1/1.28-inch sensor, 220% larger than the previous Go camera. It also gets a new 5nm AI chip, the most advanced yet for a Go camera. Insta360 claims it can deliver “ultra-smooth, ultra-crisp 4K 60fps video”.

This is combined with Insta360’s PureVideo feature, which uses AI algorithms to reduce visual noise and enhance low-light brightness.

The base unit, or Action Pod, connects to the tiny camera via Bluetooth, enabling you to monitor and control recording from a distance on the 2.5in flip touchscreen.

Like the previous Go 3S, the tiny camera element has a magnetic base, although here the magnet is larger and more powerful.

Included with the camera is a magnetic pendant that the camera locks into, meaning on-bike POV video is easier than ever to capture.

Also included is a hat clip with a magnetic base built into a clip that can be attached to a helmet peak, giving another option for POV video.

Action cam mount adaptors are also included in the package.

Plenty of add-ons

Lots of accessories are available at launch, too, with a flexi-strap mount (£13.99 / $14.99) giving lots of bike-mount options and a new angle-adjust cycle mount on the way.

The accessory I find most useful is the new Ring remote (£41.99 / $44.99), a tiny single-button Bluetooth remote that’s attached to a small Velcro strap. Insta360 intends it to be worn like a ring to remotely operate the record function on the camera.

For on-bike users, it’s the perfect size to strap to a handlebar so you can activate the camera while riding, without having to take a hand off the bar.

The Standalone Camera has a claimed run time of 70 minutes on a single charge, and 200 minutes when combined with the Action Pod.

I haven’t managed to get close to 70 minutes, but I’ve only tried the camera on full-fat 4k at 60fps with all the AI stability controls maxed out. So, I’d suggest those claims are for lower resolutions and fewer AI aids in motion.

However, when you do run the tiny camera out, you can simply lock it into the Action Pod and it’ll recharge to 80% after 12 minutes in the base unit.

While the Action Pod isn’t waterproof, the camera is rated to IPX8, so it can be fully submerged down to 10 metres underwater, so it should cope easily on a soggy bike ride.

The Go Ultra also makes the switch to microSD storage; the previous Go 3S only had internal storage. This gives the Ultra Go up to a potential 2TB of storage.

Smart connection and a smart app

The camera connects to the free Insta360 phone app (available on iOS and Android), via a private Wi-Fi connection. The app’s editing software brings multiple cuts, transitions, a wealth of other effects, music and the ability to overlay cycling data from a Strava account in real time.

The user-friendliness of the Go Ultra has impressed me so far, and it could very well be the gateway to getting me excited about action cameras again.

Pricing details

The Insta360 Go Ultra is available now. The standard bundle includes the camera and Action Pod, along with a quick-release safety cord, magnetic easy clip, magnet pendant, USB-C charge cable and a lens guard.

The standard bundle is priced at £389 / $449.99 / €429.

There is also a Creator bundle package, which includes the standard bundle plus a mini two-in-one tripod, quick-release mount and a Pivot stand, priced at £429 / $499.99 / €479.

Key specifications

• Aperture: F2.85
• 35mm equivalent focal length: 14.27mm
• Weight: camera 53g, Action Pod 109g
• Size: camera 46×45.7×18.3mm (1.8×1.8×0.7in), with lens guard: 46×45.7×22.4mm (1.8×1.8×0.9in),
  Action Pod (touchscreen closed): 70.4×48.8×33.3mm (2.8×1.9×1.3in)
• Photo resolution, 50MP: 8192×6144 (4:3), 37MP: 8192×4608 (16:9), 12MP: 4096×3072 (4:3), 9MP: 4096×2304 (16:9)
• Video resolution, highest video quality: 4K60fps, highest video frame rate: 1080p@240fps
• ISO range: 100–6400
• Shutter speed, photo: 1/8000–120s, Video: 1/8000 – to the limit of frames per second
• Battery capacity, camera: 500mAh, Action Pod: 1450mAh

With a number of factors influencing what size tyres you should have on your bike, working out what tyres will fit can be difficult.

Bikes these days come in an array of different wheel-size diameters, from 700c found commonly on road bikes to 27.5in found on mountain bikes.

Width has also changed a lot, with wider tyre sizes on all types of bikes proving more popular thanks to their bump-absorbing nature.

Of course, you can always replace like with like, but if you want to try running a different tyre, or maybe just the same tyre in a different width, there are a few things to consider.

In this guide, we’ll run through everything you need to know about bike tyre sizes and delve into the unique size specifications of road bike tyres, mountain bike tyres, gravel tyres and commuter bike tyres.

How do I find the size of my current tyres?

The size of a tyre should be printed on its sidewall.

The definitive tyre size is the ETRTO number, which will be embossed on the sidewall of all tyres.

It consists of a tyre width measurement in millimetres, a dash and then the tyre bead diameter, also in millimetres. For example, 25-622 means the tyre is 25mm wide and will fit a 700c wheel, while 65-584 means the tyre is 65mm wide and will fit a 650b wheel.

Because ETRTO numbers are not commonly understood, most tyres will have a metric size such as 700c x 25mm, or an imperial size such as 27.5 x 2.60in embossed on them too, sometimes both.

A tyre’s size may be printed in black, and quite tricky to read, so outdoors or under a bright light is the easiest place to pick it out

What defines the size of a bike tyre?

There are two parameters that define bike tyre size:

• Tyre diameter
• Tyre width

The tyre diameter, or to be more specific the tyre bead diameter, is defined by the size of the wheel that it has to fit on. We’ll cover this in more detail.

Tyre width is also a factor to consider. There are more options here, as well as some variability in the width the tyre ends up when it’s mounted on your wheel rim. We’ll come on to this.

Tyre and wheel diameter

Confusingly, there are multiple ways in which tyre and wheel sizes are designated.

Road bike tyres are typically sized using the traditional European measurement system. Usually, a road bike will have 700c rims and fit 700c tyres.

Mountain bikes, on the other hand, usually have tyre and wheel sizes designated in inches, reflecting the US roots of the sport.

Typical mountain bike wheel sizes and tyre sizes are 29in, 27.5in and, historically, 26in.

29in wheels and tyres have the same bead diameter as 700c; 27.5in is the same diameter as 650b.

The 26in wheels that dominated mountain bikes for years are now more-or-less obsolete.

Like road bikes, gravel bikes have metric-sized wheels, but they tend to be either 700c or 650b.

What about ETRTO tyre sizing?

It gets even more complex, because there’s also an ETRTO sizing that’s typically printed on the sidewalls of tyres, defined by the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation.

This is controlled by an ISO international standard and ensures that any tyre of a designated diameter should fit on any rim of the same designated diameter.

The ETRTO number is expressed in millimetres:

• For a 700c or a 29in wheel and tyre, the ETRTO diameter is 622mm
• For a 650b or a 27.5in wheel, the ETRTO diameter is 584mm
• For a 26in wheel, the ETRTO diameter is 559mm

With this in mind, there are actually a limited number of wheel and tyre diameters readily commercially available. A tyre of a specified diameter should fit a rim of the same diameter, although, as we’ll come on to, the width of the tyre and rim are also significant factors to consider.

When it comes to tyre size, the wheel/tyre diameter will be combined with the tyre width to give you the full ETRTO number. For example, a 25-622 tyre will have a nominal width of 25mm and a diameter of 622mm (to fit a 700c wheel).

Despite the ETRTO standards outlined above, manufacturing tolerances mean the fit between the tyre and rim can be tighter or looser than expected.

If you need to change a bike tyre fitted with an inner tube, that may just mean the difference between an easy job mounting a tyre and sore thumbs from prising an over-tight tyre onto a rim or off again.

For tubeless tyres, it’s more critical there’s a close fit between the tyre and the rim, particularly for road bike tubeless tyres, where tyre pressures are higher and there’s more risk of a blow-out than with an MTB or gravel bike tyre.

Manufacturers are now making the best tubeless road tyres to much closer tolerances than a few years ago to ensure safety, particularly on the latest hookless rims.

Makers of road bike wheels with hookless rims will often publish a list of tyres recommended for use with their wheels, and it’s best to consult these lists to avoid any mishaps out on the road.

Tyre width

Although there are a limited number of tyre bead diameters to fit discrete wheel sizes, there’s a lot more variation in tyre width.

To start with, mountain bike tyres are a lot wider than road bike tyres. This is one reason why you’ll likely be unable to fit a mountain bike tyre in a road bike frame, although you can in principle fit a mountain bike tyre on a road bike rim.

Road bike and hybrid tyres are typically sized in millimetres, when it comes to width.

Most gravel bike tyres are also sized in millimetres, although super-wide gravel tyres – akin to mountain bike tyres – may be sized in inches.

Mountain bike tyres are typically sized in inches too.

Road bike tyre sizes explained

When it comes to choosing the best road bike tyres for you, width is the key factor to consider.

Almost all road bike wheels are 700c (with a beam diameter of 622mm), although some bike brands fit 650b wheels (with a bead diameter of 584mm) to some of their smaller-sized bikes, so they can maintain a similar road bike geometry to larger frame sizes.

In the past, 23mm was the typical width for most road tyres, and some tyres came in a 20mm width or narrower.

Now, 25mm is the narrowest tyre that typically comes fitted to road bikes and many bikes have 28mm tyres, with clearance on some of the latest bikes for 32mm rubber and beyond.

Wider tyres can offer improvements in grip, comfort and rolling resistance. However, you should check the clearance offered by your frame before committing to a wider tyre.

One final point – while millimetres are often used to measure or refer to the width of a road bike tyre, its actual width when inflated will depend on manufacturing tolerances, the rim width and tyre pressure.

As a result, you may see the width referred to in ‘c’. For example, 25c instead of 25mm.

Common road bike tyre sizes

Here’s an overview of common road bike tyre sizes.

Mountain bike tyre sizes explained

Mountain bikes are now split between 27.5in and 29in wheels. Some mountain bikes have a 29in wheel at the front and a 27.5in wheel at the rear. These bikes are often referred to as mullet bikes, and it’s a popular setup on trail bikes and enduro bikes.

Wide rubber rules the day with the best mountain bike tyres. Typical widths range from 2in up to 2.6in, depending on the type of riding the tyre is designed for. Increasingly, wider tyres are also available.

Common mountain bike tyre sizes

Here’s an overview of common mountain bike tyre sizes, across 26in, 27.5in and 29in wheel sizes.

Gravel bike tyre sizes

Choosing the best gravel bike tyres for your bike often means weighing up wheel size, tyre width and tread pattern, to find an option that suits your riding style and the terrain you’ll be taking on.

Gravel bikes come with either 700c or 650b wheels and you’ll need to choose a tyre that will fit the wheel size you have on your bike.

700c gravel bike tyres start off at around 32mm wide, although most frames can take wider rubber and many riders now opt for 40mm or 45mm tyres. Gravel tyres can reach around 50mm if they fit in the frame.

Switch to 650b wheels and tyres are usually wider, to add extra air volume and comfort. 650b gravel bike tyres typically start at around 40mm wide and travel up towards 60mm, by which point, inches may be used to express the width.

A 650b wheel with a wider (and hence deeper) tyre will have a similar rolling circumference to a narrower tyre on a 700c rim, so many gravel bike frames can take either wheel size.

While gravel tyres may appear to share much in common with cyclocross tyres, UCI regulations for cyclocross racing dictate that CX tyres must be 33mm or narrower for competition.

Common gravel bike tyre sizes

Here’s an overview of common gravel bike tyre sizes for 700c wheels.

Commuting bike tyre sizes

Commuter hybrid bikes have 700c, 650b or 26in wheel sizes, with 700c being the most popular.

Although hybrid bikes tend to have the same-size wheels as road bikes, robustness and comfort are prioritised over speed, so they typically have significantly wider tyres that are heavier and incorporate a more pronounced tread pattern.

Hybrid bike tyres typically start at 30-plus millimetres wide and go up into the high 40s. If you go much wider than this, increased rolling resistance can make for slow progress.

Common hybrid bike tyre sizes

Here’s an overview of common hybrid bike tyre sizes for 700c wheels.

How does rim width affect tyre size?

Although we’ve talked a lot about tyre width, this is only the tyre’s nominal width (i.e. what the manufacturer has stated, rather than the actual width when measured).

A tyre’s actual width will be different when mounted on a wheel. There are two reasons for this:

• First, when inflated, a tyre may plump up wider than its stated width, due to variations in manufacturing tolerances
• Second, the tyre represents only around three-quarters of the circumference of the wheel/tyre combination, the rest is determined by the rim bed

Wheel rims are getting wider both for road bikes and mountain bikes. So, whereas 17mm used to be a fairly standard road bike rim width, many modern road bike wheels have rims with internal widths of well over 20mm.

The Zipp 303 Firecrest wheel, for example, has an internal rim width of 25mm. That adds significantly to the width of the mounted tyre, so a nominally 28mm Michelin Power tyre measured up at 30.9mm wide in our test of the wheelset.

Among the advantages of wider rims, the extra volume of the tyre means it can be run at lower pressure for a more comfortable and possibly faster ride, without any weight penalty. On the downside, you may have clearance issues in your bike frame if a tyre measures up significantly more than the stated width.

I’ve been on a roll lately, racing each week’s ZRacing event on Tuesdays at 12:10pm California time (join me!) in the B group (450-570). While I haven’t won a race in a while, these provide a good challenge with a large and varied enough field to keep things interesting.

This week’s race is on a single loop of Watopia’s Sand and Sequoias, a popular circuit that takes in both the Fuego Flats desert and Titans Grove, two distinctly different sections of road. My event was full of classic Zwift race fun: an overpowered rider staying off the front, an underreading trainer making me work extra hard, praying to the powerup gods, and even a virtual shifting “mechanical” that forced me to improvise a bit to stay in touch! Let’s get into it…

The Warmup

I got on the bike with plenty of time before the race, giving me a full half hour to wake up the ol’ ticker and spin up the legs. I was already one dirty chai and a few pieces of Neuro caffeine gum into my warmup by the time I got on the bike, so I was nicely caffeinated. I had also rubbed PR Lotion into my legs to keep the burning at bay.

My Warmup “Stack”

I rode my Cadex Tri bike during the warmup, since I’m working on upgrading it as we head into ZRL. Gotta get those minutes!

Fuego Flats (the Easy Part)

This route is 22.4km long, and the first ~10km takes you from the desert start pens and across Fuego Flats to Saddle Springs. It’s quite flat, and most racers don’t even attempt an attack here, because the pack chasing from behind is simply too fast.

The Luck of the Powerup

The race was set up to hand out one of two powerups at random at each arch: a feather or an aero. With two arches on the course, the powerups you receive could really affect your race! Everyone wanted a feather as their first powerup, to help them up the Titans Grove KOM. And everyone wanted an aero for the second powerup, to help them in the final sprint.

I got a feather through the first arch. Bingo.

We chugged along, a starting group of 26 riders working at a steady but bearable clip. I averaged 251W for this section, but things started getting spicy near the end as we entered Saddle Springs. One L. Nystrom attacked off the front, and four other riders followed. They soon built a 5-second gap, and seemed to be working hard together as we headed up the Col du Saddle Springs into Titans Grove.

This was gonna hurt. But at least I had my feather!

Titans Grove (the Hard Part)

We hung a right into Titans Grove, and the real work began. One rider from our group put in a hard effort and bridged up to a handful of riders just ahead, but I could see the breakaway had split into two groups. We reeled in the back group at the bottom of the Titans Grove KOM, but there were still three riders up the road.

It helps to know how this KOM lays out. While it’s 2.6km long on paper, the first kilometer is quite flat (less than 2%) and very draftable. So if you want to ride this as efficiently as possible (vs attacking and ripping everyone’s legs off), you want to sit in the pack and draft efficiently for this first bit.

The second portion is steeper, but still only 3-4%. Drafting still helps a lot, so sit on a wheel and just work to hold a good pack position up and over the top.

I stuck to my advice above, and was able to hang with the peloton up and over the climb, triggering my feather with about 600 meters to go. I finished in 4 minutes, 37 seconds with an average power of 330W.

Bad Shifting, Bad Powerup

But as we approached the KOM banner, something odd happened: I shifted (virtual shifting), but the resistance didn’t increase as expected! Instead, it hit… slowly… over several seconds. This odd shifting delay would persist through the end of the race.

I had hoped for an aero powerup through at the KOM banner, but alas: it was another feather. You win some, you lose some.

In contrast to the flat, easy start of the race, the 5.3km section from the start of Titans Grove to the top of the KOM required 308W average for me to stay with the group. Ouch!

The Finish

I tried to recover a bit as we descended from the KOM arch, but my delayed virtual shifting was making things a bit goofy. I also knew there was a sharp little kicker coming up, so I tried to get set into a gear that would work for hammering up and over this rise.

By the time we finished that kicker and began the true rollercoaster descent to the jungle, only two riders were up the road: L Nystrom solo on the front, with B. MacPhee chasing. I didn’t have the legs to chase, so I sat in and hoped our pack of 21 would pull them back.

B. MacPhee got caught with 3km to go, just before we exited Titans Grove. That left only Nystrom, who didn’t seem to be slowing one bit. Just as we all began resigning ourselves to fighting for second place, B. Ruhne, wearing a DIRT kit, jumped hard off the front and got away solo.

I sat in the group, unable to jump hard enough to get away. As we neared the sprint finish, A. Morvan jumped hard with an aero powerup, catching B. Ruhne just before the line. Nystrom won by nearly 20 seconds. And my feather powerup and tired legs proved a poor match against the competition. I crossed the line in 10th.

See ride on Strava >
See results on ZwiftPower >

Watch the Video:

Takeaways

This race basically unfolded the way past Sand and Sequoias races have unfolded for me. Easy on the flats. On the rivet surviving the Titans Grove KOM. And too knackered to sprint to the podium.

Zwift Racing Score

My score increased from 564 to 569 as a result of this race. Looks like I may not be long for the 450-570 group! And neither is L. Nystrom, the rider who jumped off the front ~9km into the race and stayed away to win solo by 20 seconds. He averaged 4.3W/kg for the event, which was his first race since December 2024 according to his ZwiftPower profile. His Zwift Racing Score result for this event was 559, and that includes a seed score upgrade due to some new 90-day power bests.

Generally, I’ve been quite happy with how my Zwift Racing Score-powered races have unfolded in recent months. The algorithm seems to be doing a good job. But today’s race highlights two areas where Zwift Racing Score still needs to improve:

1. Taking a rider’s historic performance into account: Nystrom averaged 4.2W/kg for over 53 minutes in a race in March 2024. He’s clearly got the fitness to be ranked higher than he was heading into today’s race.
2. Upgrading a rider more quickly based on current performance: I’m not sure how much his score jumped due to today’s result, but the fact that he can still race in the 450-570 group is silly, given what he did today, averaging 4.74W/kg for 20 minutes.

Blaming the Trainer

The most annoying bit of information is that I was testing a smart trainer (which shall remain unnamed) during this race, and while it seemed like the trainer may have been reading a bit low as I was warming up, I used it as the power source anyway during the race, while dual recording my Assioma pedals on my head unit.

It turns out that the trainer’s average power was ~15W lower than the pedals for the duration of the race. Ouch. Here’s a chart showing a small portion of the race, with my pedals in blue and the trainer in purple:

The power readings on this chart may look similar at first glance, but the Strava power curve for this race shows that the difference between the trainer’s numbers and the pedal’s numbers is the difference between a ho-hum effort and setting several new PRs for 2025 in the 10-30 minute window.

I’m not saying I lost because of an under-reading trainer, of course. But it certainly didn’t help. Occupational hazard, I guess, when you’re riding in the Zwift Insider Pain Lab!

Your Thoughts

Did you race this week’s Sand and Sequoias ZRacing event? How did it go for you?

See zwiftinsider.com/route/climb-control/

Former Israel-Premier Tech cyclist Jakob Fuglsang has said he feels a sense of relief at no longer wearing the team’s jersey, stating it’s “nicer to ride around without an Israel logo than with it”. 

The two-time Critérium du Dauphiné winner and Liège–Bastogne–Liège champion retired in May and rode his last race, the Frederiksberg Criterium, last Sunday. After the race, he spoke to Danish outlet Feltet and said: “It’s of course nicer to be without. I don’t want to get involved in what’s happening politically, but it’s definitely nicer to ride around without an Israel logo than with it.” 

The 40-year-old Dane added that he had not had any problems with planned protests targeted at Israel-Premier Tech during big races. 

“I haven’t actually experienced that. With or without Israel-PremierTech at the start, there would still have been demonstrations. You also see climate demonstrations during the Tour de France. These are big events where there is a lot of media attention. That said, it’s better to ride without,” he told Feltet. 

Fuglsang’s remarks follow former teammate Alessandro de Marchi stating in July he was “happy and relieved” not to be cycling for Israel-Premier Tech. 

De Marchi, who moved to Jayco-AlUla in 2023, told The Observer he would no longer feel comfortable riding for Israel-Premier Tech due to Israel’s continued war on Gaza.

“I would have really struggled to be there now and been in great difficulty,” said De Marchi. 

De Marchi rode for Israel-Premier Tech between 2021 and 2022. He said the team “gave me a chance to keep riding” and that he was “looking at the house I had to build and my family”. 

“Of course now I am older and able to reflect in a way I didn’t five years ago, and I appreciate that in life there are times that, though it may be hard, it’s better to follow your morals. Right now I would do things in a different way,” he added. 

Fuglsang and De Marchi’s comments come after the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement called for peaceful protests at this year’s Grand Tours. 

“As Israel escalates its ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and its violent military occupation of the West Bank, international sporting bodies have a moral obligation to take all measures to prevent genocide, or risk being held criminally liable,” the BDS movement said. 

Protests were visible at the Tour de France, with those present waving Palestine flags and unfurling banners as the Tour rode through Dieulefit on Wednesday 23 July. 

An activist from Extinction Rebellion was also arrested in Toulouse after running onto the final straight of stage 11 with a T-shirt that read ‘Israel out of the Tour’ while waving a keffiyeh scarf. 

Israel-Premier Tech was founded in 2014 and is co-owned by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams, who has referred to himself as “self-appointed ambassador at large for the State of Israel”. Adams has described Israel’s invasion of Palestine as “good vs. evil and civilization against barbarism”. 

Ron Baron, the team’s other co-owner, has described Israel–Premier Tech as a form of “sports diplomacy”.

Israel-Premier Tech declined to comment.

Now in its 16th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Team signups for the first round of the season are now open.

This page contains everything you need to know about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.

Intro to ZRL

Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is team-based racing for all abilities. It’s also the world’s largest virtual cycling competition, with over 30,000 riders of all abilities participating in each of the past two seasons!

Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spanning multiple weeks, with teams divided into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races take place every Tuesday, and the season is divided into distinct rounds with brief breaks in between.

ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.

Key Changes this Round

Each year, Zwift + WTRL collaborate to modify ZRL’s structure with the aim of engaging as many racers as possible. The vast majority of these changes are announced before the first round of each season, which means here in the first round of 2025/26, we have a lot of changes! Some of the details haven’t yet been ironed out, but we’ll tell you what we know (with our comments in italics), and update this post as we learn more.

• Teams can now choose one of two options at registration. This effectively opens up a sort of “split category” system where lower-powered teams can still be competitive instead of being outgunned by teams stuffed with riders at the top of their pace category.
  • Standard Division: Teams may include any riders who fall below the standard category limit for their division (e.g., B category zFTP max = 4.19 W/kg).
  • Development Division: Designed for teams focused on rider development, this division enforces a lower zFTP cap within each category (e.g., B category zFTP max = 3.79 W/kg). This ensures a fairer and more supportive racing environment for improving athletes.
• League Nomenclature has changed to colors rather than geographic/compass points. Hurray for simplicity! Racers will certainly be happy to replace racing in “Open EMEA-W Southern (West) Division B2” with something like “Red League B2”:
  • APAC becomes Blue colors (navy, teal, etc)
  • EMEA East becomes Green colors (green, sage, etc)
  • EMEA West becomes Red colors
  • Americas becomes Yellow colors
• A new ‘Find Your Crew’ tool will open in a couple of weeks to help riders easily find a team. WTRL+Zwift have talked about a team finder tool for years, so we’ll believe it when we see it. But we do agree that a tool like this is vital if ZRL wants new riders to join in the fun!
• Slightly modified Rules and Scoring will be announced soon.
• Most races throughout the season will feature routes for A/B teams that are longer than the routes for C/D. ZRL has returned to a goal of 40 minutes for C/D races and 1 hour for A/B, although there may be a race or two that extends beyond to test teams’ endurance.
• Instead of 3 rounds followed by the Finals, the 2025/26 season will have 4 standalone rounds and no Finals.
• Rounds 1 and 4 are 4 weeks long, and Rounds 2 and 3 are 6 weeks long.
• Rounds no longer interconnect with each other. There is no promotion or relegation between rounds, and a prize-winning team will be declared for each division after each round. Teams will be seeded into their divisions prior to the start of each round based on WTRL’s ranking algorithm, which takes into account a variety of factors, including riders’ Zwift Racing Score). We like this. Promotion/relegation never worked well, because it was not a continuous system: teams were never promoted from, say, B1 to A2, or relegated from the lower A division to B1. This simplified system re-groups and ranks teams before each round based on WTRL’s algorithm.
• Rounds are now themed, with Zwift carefully selecting existing and designing new routes to suit the theme and category durations.
  • Round 1: Coast Clash
  • Round 2: City Showdown
  • Round 3: Redline Rally
  • Round 4: Legends Route
• Bike upgrades are enabled in all races. This is controversial for sure, but we like it. If Zwift is going to build bike upgrades into their ecosystem, then its most popular race series should utilize those upgrades! Start working on your TT frame upgrade if you haven’t yet…
• Steering/braking is still disabled, but there will be steering/braking leagues in rounds 2 and 3. Inside sources tell us that most Zwifters in the US, Canada, and EU now have steering/braking hardware. Perhaps this is the year that steering/braking races become mainstream?

One thing that isn’t changing: riders are still categorized based on Zwift’s Pace Group Categories, just like previous ZRL seasons. While Zwift Racing Score is a factor in WTRL’s team ranking algorithm, it does not determine your team’s category (A/B/C/D).

Routes and Dates

Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.

Race #1: Southern Coast Cruise
September 16, 2025 (TTT)

We kick off the season with a team time trial on a route we know nothing about! Watch this space for details on the new Southern Coast Cruise route…

• 1 Lap of Watopia’s Southern Coast Cruise (26.3km, 146m elevation)
• PowerUps: none �

Race #2: Fine and Sandy
September 23, 2025 (Points Race)

Our first points race of the season takes us on a figure-eight tour of Urukazi’s lower roads on a route that is quite flat, except in the one spot where it isn’t. That dirty Mech Isle climb will be a key selection point, especially on the final lap!

• A/B: 4 Laps of Makuri Islands’ Fine and Sandy (42.5km, 309m elevation)
• C/D: 3 Laps of Makuri Islands’Fine and Sandy (31.9km, 232m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA �
• Intermediate Segments (FAL+FTS):
  • Boardwalk Sprint
  • Tidepool Sprint

Race #3: Country to Coastal (A/B) or Turf N Surf (C/D)
September 30, 2025 (Scratch Race)

Our first scratch race of the season is held on two different routes, based on category. A and B squads will race on Country to Coastal, looping around the Yumezi countryside and Urukazi harbor. C and D squads head to Turf N Surf, which takes in the same Urukazi harbor roads but begins and ends on Neokyo’s flat, permadark streets.

• A/B: 1 Lap of Makuri Islands’ Country to Coastal (33.5km, 284m elevation)
• C/D: 1 Lap of Makuri Islands’ Turf N Surf (24.7km, 198m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA �

Race #4: Jarvis Seaside Sprint
October 7, 2025 (Points Race)

Our final race for this round is on a new route whose details aren’t yet in game. We assume based on the name that it includes elements of Seaside Sprint and the Jarvis loop, but we’ll wait to update this post once we have more information.

• 1 Lap of Watopia’s Jarvis Seaside Sprint (15.3km, 131m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA �
• Intermediate Segments (FAL+FTS): TBA

Race Timeslots

Some divisions and start times get tweaked between each round, so use the table below to find a current time slot that works for your team.

Teams/Registration

Team registration opens August 19, 2025 at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration, and closes September 13, 2025 at 00:00 UTC.

ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can have up to 12 racers rostered, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can be rostered on no more than 2 teams per round.

Want to race, but don’t have a team? Here are seven ways to find a team:

1. Recruit friends onto a new ZRL team, then sign up your team at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration/.
2. If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
3. Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride (see below) where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day, starting two weeks before the first race.
4. Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
5. Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
6. Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.
7. Use the new “Find Your Crew” tool, which should be available by early September at wtrl.racing/zwift-racing-league/teamhunt/.

First-Timer Tips

If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:

1. You must create a WTRL profile linked to your Zwift account – do so at wtrl.racing/registration
2. The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
3. Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
4. Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
5. Cadence monitors are required.
6. You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team and are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round!

Race Recon Events

If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.

Find a list of upcoming ZRL recon rides at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon >

2025/26 ZRL Dates

• Round 1: September 16-October 7, 2025
• Round 2: November 4-December 9, 2025
• Round 3: January 6-February 10, 2026
• Round 4: April 7-28, 2026

Questions or Comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page for rules, team registration, results, and more. They also have a Help Center with lots of useful info, and their Facebook page is the place to go for discussion of all things ZRL.

You may also share questions or comments below!

The KICKR CORE Zwift One may now be the most popular smart trainer in the world, thanks to its competitive price point as a standalone product and being sold as the default trainer with the Zwift Ride smart frame. A couple of weeks ago, Zwift and Wahoo began promoting the trainer at a reduced price.

And now today, we’re seeing the price has dropped even further: down $85 in the US, £90 in the UK, €99 in the EU. If you’re looking for a good price on a reliable smart trainer, this is the lowest I’ve ever seen the Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One. Shopping links below (these are affiliate links – your purchase helps support Zwift Insider):

Free Play Controllers from Zwift.com

If you are in the US and purchase your KICKR CORE Zwift One through Zwift, you can check a box on the main page to get free Zwift Play controllers ($50 value) with your purchase:

This doesn’t seem to be an option in the UK and EU.

Wahoo KICKR CORE Zwift One Basics

Wahoo’s KICKR CORE is the most popular budget direct-drive smart trainer on the planet today, and it has only grown more popular since it began shipping with the Zwift Ride. With solid specs and proven reliability, the KICKR CORE’s success is no mystery: it’s an affordable trainer that meets or exceeds the needs of the vast majority of Zwifters.

A few key specs for the KICKR CORE Zwift One:

• Connects via Bluetooth or ANT+
• Accuracy: +-2%
• Flywheel: 12lb
• Max Wattage: 1800 W
• Max Incline: 16%
• Autocalibration
• Built-In Cadence
• Zwift Cog v2 Installed

Read our full KICKR CORE Zwift One review >

About the Orange Zwift Cog

The KICKR CORE Zwift One ships with the Zwift Cog installed in place of a standard cassette. The Zwift Cog is made for trainers using Zwift’s virtual shifting, and is simply a single sprocket surrounded by a housing. (You only need one sprocket since virtual shifting changes the trainer’s resistance to mimic a gear shift, instead of changing a physical sprocket on a cassette.)

All About Virtual Shifting in Zwift >

The included Cog is the orange “version 2,” which is adjustable and quieter than earlier versions. This Zwift Cog easily adjusts left to right between 10 different sprocket positions for the straightest chainline, and rubber rings and other changes to the housing make it noticeably quieter than previous Zwift Cog versions.

All About Zwift Cog: Versions, Installation, and More >

Shopping Links

Cycling tech’s many niches, from streamlined time trial bikes to fat-tired adventure bikes, are part of what makes it so fun. Perfectly embodying this spirit is this super-lightweight Brompton-inspired folding bike.

Created by weightweenie.b, this carbon fibre folding bike tips the scales at 3.935kg – nearly 50 per cent lighter than Brompton’s lightest model, the 7.45kg T Line.

Weightweenie.b is a small group of weight weenie Brompton enthusiasts dedicated to sharing their knowledge on folding bikes that break the UCI’s minimum weight limit – as charmingly niche as it gets.

Brompton-inspired frame

While the frame isn’t made by Brompton, it features the same folding mechanism as the British icon, with the bike folding into three parts, and the rear wheel tucked under the frame.

Weightweenie.b says the bike is made by CarbonDryJapan, and is currently out of production – as are many of the components.

The creator of the bike says he stumbled upon the frame through a local collector and decided to dedicate it to a 3.X build – that being a bike that weighs under 4kg.

The lugs, which house the folding mechanisms, are made from CNC-machined aluminium and are bonded to the carbon fibre tubes.

Carbon weave features on nearly every component – this is the perfect bike for pootling around the paddock at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The bike has a single brake, with a Brompton-specific Ciamillo B1 biting into the carbon rim. This is paired with an Extralite brake lever.

In recent years, we have seen lightweight component manufacturers eyeing up the lightweight Brompton space, with Schmolke releasing a range carbon parts last year, including rims, handlebars and seatpots.

While an impressive feat of engineering, weightweenie.b says this bike has been created for the soul, and as a statement as to how light a folding bike can be made, rather than something truly practical to be ridden day-to-day. That doesn’t make it any less charming.

Cycling tech’s many niches, from streamlined time trial bikes to fat-tired adventure bikes, are part of what makes it so fun. Perfectly embodying this spirit is this super-lightweight Brompton-inspired folding bike.

Created by weightweenie.b, this carbon fibre folding bike tips the scales at 3.935kg – nearly 50 per cent lighter than Brompton’s lightest model, the 7.45kg T Line.

Weightweenie.b is a small group of weight weenie Brompton enthusiasts dedicated to sharing their knowledge on folding bikes that break the UCI’s minimum weight limit – as charmingly niche as it gets.

Brompton-inspired frame

While the frame isn’t made by Brompton, it features the same folding mechanism as the British icon, with the bike folding into three parts, and the rear wheel tucked under the frame.

Weightweenie.b says the bike is made by CarbonDryJapan, and is currently out of production – as are many of the components.

The creator of the bike says he stumbled upon the frame through a local collector and decided to dedicate it to a 3.X build – that being a bike that weighs under 4kg.

The lugs, which house the folding mechanisms, are made from CNC-machined aluminium and are bonded to the carbon fibre tubes.

Carbon weave features on nearly every component – this is the perfect bike for pootling around the paddock at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The bike has a single brake, with a Brompton-specific Ciamillo B1 biting into the carbon rim. This is paired with an Extralite brake lever.

In recent years, we have seen lightweight component manufacturers eyeing up the lightweight Brompton space, with Schmolke releasing a range carbon parts last year, including rims, handlebars and seatpots.

While an impressive feat of engineering, weightweenie.b says this bike has been created for the soul, and as a statement as to how light a folding bike can be made, rather than something truly practical to be ridden day-to-day. That doesn’t make it any less charming.

Intense Factory Racing and J-Tech have developed 3D-printed brake guards to protect brake rotors and calipers in wet weather, with the team’s testing showing they offer an improvement in performance and predictability.

Brakes are one of the most important components on your bike, so it’s crucial they’re powerful, predictable and consistent. But wet and mucky condition can impact their performance: Water can cool your rotors, which causes inconsistent braking, and dirt can reduce friction. 

So brake covers like these can help downhill racers go faster by offering them more consistent braking performance – a marginal gain, but with downhill racers separated by such fractions of a second, mods like these can make a difference in terms of race results.

• Fork fairings are mountain biking’s latest aero hack – but haven’t we been here before?

Isn’t this a throwback?

Brake covers are nothing new – the iconic Cannondale Fulcrum was partly defined by its brake covers, but they’ve been largely forgotten about since. So why bring them back in 2025?

“Our brief from the Intense Factory Race Team was primarily to keep contaminants off the rotor and caliper,” says Jim Williams of J-Tech.

“We wanted to get rid of the reduction in braking performance after riding through a big puddle, or an extended section of trail where it is cold or wet, and you’ve been off the brakes for a while. Rotor guards reduce the chance of finding yourself in this situation.”

The guards were developed for Joe Breeden, who’s no stranger to wild inventions – just look at his energy-saving handlebar end caps, and a custom shock lockout for a Öhlins coil shock, both of which were made by J-Tech.

“To make the rotor covers, we 3-scanned the areas concerned, designed and prototyped parts in-house on our own machines and tested with the team,” says Williams. “We had to outsource production of the front covers as we just couldn’t fit them in our printers due to the size.”

The covers weigh around 100g each. While this slight increase in unsprung mass is a disadvantage to the bike’s suspension performance, the team feels the increased braking performance outweighs this.

The covers surround only part of the rotor. In testing, J-Tech found larger covers would impede wheel removal and could become unstable at high speed, flapping around and distracting the rider.

The front guard fits to the fork via the stanchion guard mounting points found on the EXT Vaia fork used by the IFR team. It’s affixed using top hat spacers and longer bolts, which Williams says creates a precise and secure fit. 

On the rear, the J-Tech team settled on a simple zip-tie mount to the seatstay and an interference fit with the sides of the brake caliper for more stability. 

Hot topic

The covers also help insulate the braking system, improving performance.  “There’s a temperature point at which disc brakes work optimally,” explains Williams. 

“In wet, muddy conditions, the ambient temperature tends to be lower, and water splashing up can cool the brakes further.” The insulating effect of these  covers retains heat, keeping brake temperatures closer to where they would be in dryer conditions.

J-Tech was initially concerned that the insulation effect might be too great at the rear, and subsequently incorporated cooling vents into the rear covers. 

However, J-Tech says it hasn’t tested this thoroughly yet. It will soon record temperatures in different conditions and with varying disc rotor sizes, while adjusting the venting. “From here we can work out what the optimum amount of cooling is and if we actually need any at all,” explains Williams.

“It’s early days in terms of getting the full benefits from these parts, but team riders already say that keeping water and mud off the brakes makes a huge difference to braking performance in wet conditions,” finishes Williams.

And what about aero?

But are there also aero gains to be had? Much like a wheel, a spinning disc rotor creates turbulence as it spins through the air. Could disc brake covers reduce aerodynamic drag?

Williams says that aero is certainly something that can be explored with further development, but the biggest gain from the covers is consistently powerful brakes in wet/muddy conditions. 

These rotor guards are not currently on sale but we will let you know if J-Tech puts them on sale.

See zwiftinsider.com/route/flat-out-fast/

One way to stay motivated riding indoors during the long winters is to make your pain cave somewhere you enjoy being. In this week’s top video, watch as one Zwifter shares how he put together his dream Zwift setup.

We’ve also decided to include videos about Zwift racing, using Zwift for marathon training, a review of the Zwift Cog and Click, and a comparison between Pack Dynamics v4 and 5.

Got a Great Zwift Video?

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

Josh Poertner has doubled down on his recent statements concerning hookless rims for road bikes, saying he wouldn’t use the technology or work with cycling teams that did. 

Following BikeRadar’s coverage of his original comments, where he claimed road hookless rims are “a scam”, Poertner recently posted a video on the Silca Velo YouTube channel expanding on the topic.

In the video, he says “scam was a bit of a strong word” but he nevertheless wants “to see [hookless rims for road bikes] go away”.

“Would I ride hookless road [bike rims]? No, I won’t. I don’t recommend it. I don’t want to work with teams who have it,” he says. 

Poertner, a former chairman of the Bicycle Wheel Technical Committee and now CEO of Silca, says he wouldn’t work with professional teams that use hookless rims, because “it is just a bit too risky”.

He says riders using hookless rims on their road bikes should “be super careful”, and explains why he believes the current standards for such rims don’t provide riders with enough margin for error.

If you’re on it, be super careful

Poertner reiterates that he doesn’t view hookless rims as being a problem for mountain or gravel bikes, because the tyres typically used in those disciplines are much larger and inflation pressures much lower.

With road bike tyres, though, Poertner lists a combination of factors that he says makes hookless rims potentially unsafe for use on road bikes, because of a lack of margin for error.

A key issue, Poertner says, is that there’s little consistency with how road bike tyres are sized.

Pointing to data collected by bicyclerollingresistance.com, an independent bicycle tyre test lab, Poertner says that tyres labelled as being ‘28s’ can vary in size significantly, depending on how they are constructed.

So, for example, while a nominal 28mm tubeless road tyre may be technically compatible with a 23mm-wide hookless rim (internal width), according to the latest international standards, a tyre that sizes up smaller on such rims “potentially will reduce the blow-off pressure significantly”.

A 700x28c or 28-622 road bike tyre is supposed to measure 28mm-wide when installed on a rim with an internal width of 19mm. But Poertner proposes that instead of basing tyre sizes around nominal rim widths the bike industry should move to a system such as the dD Standard, proposed by Josh Deetz.

According to Poertner, the dD Standard derives “that sidewall width number from the circumferential wrapped length of the tyre casing”, which would allow for more consistent tyre sizes across brands, and would lower the chance of riders selecting a potentially unsafe tyre and rim combination.

Why tyres need to be wider than rims

Poertner expanded on his assertion that hookless rims need to be wider than is optimal for aerodynamics, saying this is to prevent tyres from blowing off the rim. 

Poertner says this is because “air pressure on the tyre acts radially to the tyre itself.” As a result, you therefore “need that tyre to wrap around and actually be coming inward as it gets to the hook so that you have some radially inward force.”

In absence of this, Poertner says “all of the forces, as the tyre becomes smaller relative to the rim, are all acting to push that tyre off the rim – which is just not safe.”

Using a diagram to illustrate his point (see above), Poertner says that the pinching of the tyre caused by bead hooks is part of what enables hooked rims to withstand such high inflation pressures (without the tyre blowing off) relative to hookless rims.

“With hooked rims, you can generally safely get to 125 per cent of the max stated air pressure when you have a tyre that is 3mm wider than the inner bead width of the rim.”

In comparison, the ETRTO mandates a tyre must be at least 4mm wider than the internal width of a hookless rim and the maximum inflation pressure is capped at 72.5 PSI / 5 BAR. Poertner says he “would not run less than a 5 mm gap”

Why your pump might not be accurate enough

Compounding these issues, Poertner says the lower inflation limits don’t account for potential inaccuracies in the bike pumps riders use to inflate their tyres.

Poertner claims, for example, that a “typical inexpensive bike pump” will have an error band of +/- 5 per cent from the stated pressure on the gauge.

A rider inflating their tyres close to the 72.5 PSI / 5 BAR limit might therefore unknowingly be over the limit if their pump is underreporting the true pressure.

He also cites how errors such as this could, in theory, compound with tyre pressure changes experienced while riding, due to fluctuations in ambient temperature, which “just keeps pushing us closer and closer to the sun.”

Summing up his arguments, Poertner says: “I feel like it’s just too risky when you consider that there’s no real technological benefit to it.”

• This is how hot weather affects your tyre pressure (and why hookless rims need extra care)

What does the rest of the bike industry think about hookless rims?

After a few years where it appeared as if the debate surrounding hookless rims was dying down, Poertner’s comments have thrust it firmly back into the spotlight.

As he predicted, Poertner says his inbox was “full” of messages from riders from inside and outside of the bike industry asking him to clarify his thoughts on the topic.

It’s worth noting not every brand or person within the industry agrees with Poertner on this topic, of course.

Since publishing our article on Poertner’s original comments, we’ve spoken to a number of people and brands within the industry and will have more insight to share on this topic soon. Watch this space.

Drops are Zwift’s virtual currency, used to purchase virtual frames and wheels from the Drop Shop. They’re also used to purchase bike upgrades, and it’s the recent addition of upgrading that has many newer Zwifters asking: How can I earn more Drops?

We’re here to help. Below, you’ll find a complete list of tips to help you maximize your Drops earning rate.

Earning Drops: the Basics

It is unknown precisely how your “Drop rate” (how quickly you receive Drops while riding) is calculated, as Zwift isn’t sharing the formula. But we know seven factors influence your Drop rate:

• Calories Burned: This is the main factor, and it is strictly based on the power you’re putting into the pedals.
• Current Gradient: The steeper the climb, the faster your earn rate. This bonus kicks in at 3% gradients, but scales up as the gradient increases.
• Ride Ons Received: When you receive a Ride On, your Drop rate doubles for 15 seconds. This is the “easiest” way to boost your Drop rate!
• Time Near a Robopacer: Sticking close to a Robopacer can increase your Drops rate (read more).
• Your Gender: Zwift awards female riders 10% more Drops than male riders for the same effort.
• Bike Frame: Upgrade an entry-level or mid-range bike frame to a high enough stage and it will earn 5% more Drops whenever you ride it (read more).
• Current Speed: This is a minor factor, but it’s true that more distance=more Drops.

Dive further into how these factors affect your Drop rate by reading How Zwift’s “Drops” Currency Works

Additionally, certain actions in the game award big Drops bonuses, including:

• A 50,000 Drop bonus each time you level up
• A Drops bonus if you complete the Ventoux KOM and the prize spinner lands on something you already own (example: 15,000 Drops for the helmet or gloves)
• A Drops bonus on the prize spinner for certain Zwift events like the Big Spin

Comparing Two Drop Farmers

Given the factors listed above, there are two “Drop Farmer Profiles” I would recommend if you’re looking to maximize your earn rate:

• The Robopacer Groupie: This rider sticks with a Robopacer for the duration of their ride, taking advantage of the Drops Multiplier game, increased speed in the draft, and Ride Ons from friendly nearby Zwifters.
• The Climber: This rider enjoys climbing steep, long hills and the extra Drops awarded when the road tilts upward.

Based on my tests, The Robopacer Groupie is the highest-grossing approach, earning around 25% more Drops than The Climber if both riders put in the same amount of work. A 75kg rider holding 200W for an hour while staying in a Robopacer group for the duration could expect to earn ~66,000 Drops, while The Climber would earn ~50,000 Drops if they spent their entire hour heading up a solid gradient of 8%+.

(For a baseline reference, a 75kg rider who receives no Ride Ons while just “doing their own thing” alone at 200W on a flattish course can expect to earn ~29,000 Drops hourly.)

The Ride On Question

Note that the estimates for my two Drop Farmers assume they receive 60 Ride Ons during their hour of riding, weighted toward the beginning of their activity. This is an imperfect but not impossible assumption, especially if you’re in a friendly RoboPacer group or you have lots of followers who like to give offline Ride Ons.

Ride Ons are a huge factor here, though, since they double your Drops rate for 15 seconds. Because of this, riding in a RoboPacer group gives you a major earning advantage, as nearby riders often drop “Ride On Bombs” in the group.

Ride Ons received in the RoboPacer group are especially lucrative when your Drops Multiplier is at 2.5x! In our tests, 5 minutes of solid Ride Ons when you first join the RoboPacer group will earn you around ~4800 Drops, while 5 minutes of solid Ride Ons when you’re at 2.5x will earn you ~12,000 Drops!

Ventoux Spinner

If you’re a climber, it’s worth mentioning that the newish prize spinner atop Ventoux helps to close the gap between The Climber and The RoboPacer Groupie approach. If you earn 15,000 extra Drops each time you summit Ventoux, you’re only 10-12% behind The RoboPacer Groupie approach… a margin that can easily swing in your favor if you’re a friendly Zwifter who gets a lot of Ride Ons.

3 Rules

In closing, here are three simple rules for maximizing your Drops earning rate:

1. Ride with RoboPacers. If you don’t want to do that, go hit a long, steep climb.
2. Make friends who give Ride Ons.
3. Go hard.

Questions or Comments?

What strategies have you used to maximize your Drops? Share below!

Deviate’s Kurgan eMTB mates a carbon frame with a Bosch E-drive and InTube battery, but breaks the mould with its Virtual Pivot Point-style suspension system, which features an aggressively angled swing link and a high-pivot with an idler wheel.

Born from six years of development, Deviate says the Kurgan is “the eMTB we always wanted” and is engineered for big terrain, brutal descents, and all-day epics.

Many big-hitting enduro and downhill bikes use a suspension system similar to the Kurgan’s, but it’s unusual to see it employed on an electric bike.  

This is all the more impressive given that global mega-brand Santa Cruz was unable to make this arrangement work with their Vala eMTB.

This bike discarded the brand’s famous VPP suspension system with its dual swing-links, instead replacing it with a more traditional Horst-Link design.

Aggressive suspension

The Kurgan is based around Deviate’s non-assisted enduro bike, the Claymore, but ditches the Claymore’s single-pivot suspension for a dual-link design. 

This delivers a generous 165mm of coil-sprung rear travel through the Kurgan’s carbon rear triangle, and is paired with an even longer 180mm fork up front.

The high pivot enables the Kurgan’s axle path to be entirely rearward throughout the 165mm of travel.

At 30 per cent sag, the rear wheel moves 15mm rearward (relative to the bottom bracket), peaking at 29mm further back from the static chainstay length.

The power comes from the Bosch Performance Line CX motor, delivering 100Nm of torque. The 800Wh Bosch In-Tube battery is removable from the bottom of the downtube.

The top tube is humped to create space for two water bottle cages, one of which can house a 250Wh Bosch range extender. 

A Bosch Kiox 400C display provides heads-up information options integrated into the bike’s carbon top tube.

Progressive geometry

The Kurgan uses a mixed-wheel setup, and Deviate says the geometry is enduro-focused.

Geometry is proportional, with longer chainstays on the larger sizes, starting at 441mm on the medium, 445mm on the large and 450mm on the XL. 

Although this is not as pronounced as on other high-pivot bikes like the Forbidden Dreadnought, which grows about 14mm between each size.

The Kurgan features reach-adjust headset cups to fine-tune the reach of each bike +/- 5mm. The suspension moves on fully sealed bearings, with external grease ports (great for quick maintenance).

The location of the shock pickup on the aluminium shock shuttle was finalised during development, and there are no out-of-the-box options for different geometry or progression at this stage.

Build options

There are two models available at launch: 

• Elite: £7,999 / €9,749
• Factory: £9,999 / €11,999

They’re available in UK & EU, with North American availability due in 2026.

Ebike conversion kit company Boost has released its first-ever bike, simply called the Mini-Bike. 

The new miniature city bike takes inspiration from Boost’s work on its Brompton conversion kit. Available as a pedal-powered or electric bike, the Mini-Bike can be folded away thanks to its quick-release stem and Brompton-like folding pedals.  

Boost’s chief marketing officer Matt Dowler says the Mini-Bike is designed to “make riding a bike fun again” while providing a practical way to get around.

“We all remember the sense of joy and freedom of messing about on bikes as a kid, and we’ve tapped into that with a ‘BMX-inspired’ design,” says Dowler. 

BMX-inspired but practical

We’ve seen several electric BMXs in recent years, including bikes from GT and Zooz, but Boost’s take on a bike in the 20-inch format brings greater practicality to the mix. 

The quick-release stem and folding pedals mean the Mini-Bike folds down to less than 25cm wide, according to Boost, so it won’t hinder your non-cycling family or housemates if you keep your bike indoors.

Boost has also worked on the bike’s geometry, suggesting that a lot of small-wheeled bikes can have quite twitchy steering. To counter this, the Mini-Bike’s head angle and fork trail were chosen to mimic the stability of an endurance road bike.

The practicalities continue with hydraulic disc brakes, a kickstand, mudguard mounts, rear rack mounts, multiple bottle mounts, and mounts on the fork legs.

Boost says the bike is also made with no proprietary parts and follows established industry standards.

“Being unable to repair a bike a few years down the line because parts are not available is just not acceptable,” adds Dowler.

Two models and lots of options

The Boost Mini-Bike is available as a pedal-powered bike (£600) or as an ebike (£1,250). You can convert either model to the other.

The electric Mini-Bike uses the same rear hub motor and bottle-style battery as Boost’s ebike conversion kits, which allow you to turn a pedal-powered bike into an electric bike.

Boost says the electric Mini-Bike’s motor provides 42Nm of torque and 250 watts of continuous power. It can be controlled via Boost’s free smartphone app, or with an optional wireless display (£59).

The bike’s battery has a capacity of 252Wh, which Boost claims should be good for 20-25 miles in ‘Boost’ mode or 30-35 miles in ‘Eco’ mode. 

Dowler says ebike battery safety is currently a “hot topic” and Boost has therefore “gone above and beyond” to keep customers safe. 

“We’ve partnered with BatteryIQ to use their smart Battery Management System, which offers industry-leading battery monitoring and protection,” says Dowler. 

The BatteryIQ app connects to the bike’s battery via Bluetooth, so you can see the condition of the battery. WiFi scanners are also available to monitor the battery remotely. 

The Boost Mini-Bike is available to order now, with stock arriving in stores and online in the autumn.

See zwiftinsider.com/route/power-punches/

While the bright sunny evenings of late have our minds far away from the perils of winter, now is often the best time to prepare for the clocks going back.

That’s because bike lights are often reduced at this time of year and at their most expensive in autumn time, when the shorter nights and time change bring them into demand almost overnight.

With that in mind, we’ve scoured the web for the best deals on our award-winning bike lights for those who want to be ahead of the game this year.

All of the lights in this list have impressed our team of expert testers, so we’re sure you’ll love them too.

Knog Blinder Pro 1300 – £99.99 £65.95 (save 34%)

The Knog Blinder Pro 1300 is our best overall front light, winning praise for its small profile and quality feel.

It pumps out 1,300 lumens with a powerful central beam and good peripheral illumination, making it excellent for nighttime navigation.

With over £34 savings at Biketart, the Blinder Pro 1300 is currently in bargain territory, though this is likely to change as the nights close in.

• Buy the Knog Blinder Pro 1300 from Biketart now

Magicshine Ray 2600B Smart Remote – £146.25 £117 (save 20%)

The Magicshine Ray 2600B Smart Remote is our best performance front light, impressing with its long runtime and bright beam.

With 2,600 lumens, the light is bright enough to tackle mountain bike trails when the dark sets in, while the 1hr 15min runtime should mean you get a decent ride in.

It currently has 20 per cent off at BikeInn.

• Buy the Magicshine Ray 2600B Smart Remote from BikeInn now

Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ – £55 £39.99 (save 27%)

Our best overall rear light is the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+, thanks to its easy usability and power.

It has seven modes with a flashing output of 400 lumens, which helps keep you seen from much further down the road.

At £39.99, the Strip Drive Pro 400+ represents great value, and we’d advise using it all year if you’re riding on the roads.

• Buy the Lezyne Strip Drive Pro 400+ from Halfords now

Exposure Blaze Mk3 Reakt + Peloton – £130 £110 (save 16%)

The Exposure Blaze Mk3 Reakt + Peloton is our best performance rear light, with a premium construction and focused beam impressing us in testing.

There are plenty of standard modes, and this model includes the Reakt mode, which combines a brake and ambient light sensor to keep you seen and save battery.

Exposure’s lights are quality items, and seeing them discounted isn’t too common.

• Buy the Exposure Blaze Mk3 Reakt + Peloton from Tweeks now

Sigma Buster RL 150 – £25.70 £17.99 (save 30%)

The Buster RL 150 is our best cheap rear light, and it packs in some impressive features.

It pumps out 150 lumens and has an accelerometer that can sense when you’re braking and increase the brightness for increased visibility.

We found the light lives up to its four-hour claimed runtime, and were impressed by its original value.

It’s currently on sale for £17.99 and would be a great addition to your seatpost.

• Buy the Sigma Buster RL 150 from Bike Inn now

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