Zwift’s Big Spin 2025 kicked off March 3rd, and with it the much-loved prize spinner. This year’s big prize is the BMX Bandit, the first-ever BMX-style bike in game. Knowing I needed the bike in my garage in order to test it, I put the bot to work, and unlocked the Bandit on our first try. Lucky!
Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop: “Rip through the pack on this throwback special that’s perfect in the dirt, the pump track, the streets, and everything in between.”
The bike is rated just 1 star for aero and weight, meaning it’s not going to perform particularly well on flat or climbs. And you can’t upgrade the wheels, since there is only one special BMX-sized wheelset in game. But you can pair it with Fire Socks and have fun laying down rubber all over Watopia, which is what I’ve seen lots of Zwifters doing in the past few days!
While riders will intuitively know that using the BMX Bandit in races against road bikes isn’t a good idea, we also know it’s fun to pull a “funny bike” out for the occasional Zwift group ride or recovery spin. So we put it through our typical speed tests, to see just how fast (or slow) it is.
Here’s everything you need to know about the performance of the new BMX Bandit bike in Zwift.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The BMX Bandit isn’t the best aero performer, but to be fair, it’s probably quite a bit faster in game than it would be in real life!
It turns in a time of 52:02 on our flat test course. Compare that to a time of 51:39.5 for the Zwift Steel road frame, and you’ll probably agree that the Bandit’s performance is a bit optimistic. Which isn’t a bad thing. Because if it was slower, nobody would ever use it!
In terms of overall ranking, the BMX Bandit’s aero performance on flat tarmac places it behind all in-game road bikes, but ahead of all in-game gravel bikes. It is 37 seconds behind our “baseline” Zwift Aero frame + 32mm Carbon wheels on our test course, which is two laps of Tempus Fugit totaling 34.6km.
Climb Performance
Can you imagine climbing Alpe d’Huez on a BMX Bike IRL? At least on Zwift you can change gears!
The in-game BMX Bandit turns in an Alpe du Zwift climb time of 53:05, meaning it is slower than all of the road, TT, and gravel bikes in game. It is 3 minutes and 37 seconds behind our “baseline” Zwift Aero frame + 32mm Carbon wheels on our test course up Alpe du Zwift, but it does come in over 2 minutes ahead of the mountain bikes.
Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady.
Conclusions
Like last year’s Big Spin bike, the Atomic Cruiser, it’s probably best to treat the BMX Bandit like you would if it was in your real-life garage. It’s a novelty frame that will grab eyes and stir up nostalgia, but you definitely don’t want to ride it if you’re looking for speed!
So pull it out of your garage on recovery days and fun group rides, pop a few wheelies, nail a rad bunny hop, and remember that bikes are fun.
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
A Wide Rim Optimised Corsa Speed TLR time trial tyre is also set to follow “in the coming months”.
A perfect and cohesive profile
Vittoria contends its Wide Rim Optimised tyres allow for a highly aerodynamic profile on 25mm-wide rims. Vittoria
Vittoria says the combination of its Wide Rim Optimised tyres and a 25mm-wide rim offers “a perfect and cohesive profile which minimizes micro-turbulence”, thereby reducing drag and improving performance.
According to the brand, the difference can be as great as five watts at 55kph, compared to a 28c tyre on a ‘standard’ 19mm-wide rim.
It also says the change in tyre profile affords slightly better grip and puncture resistance, although it notes they’re slightly heavier and less comfortable than its 28 or 30c tyres.
According to Vittoria, the Wide Rim Optimised tyres offer a boost to speed, grip and puncture resistance. Vittoria
It’s fair to say the concept of using Wide Rim Optimised to manage the airflow off tyres is well established in road cycling.
During his time at Zipp, for example, Silca’s Josh Poertner coined ‘the rule of 105’ – which states the rim should be 105 per cent of the width of the tyre for optimal aero performance – although that ‘rule’ concerned the external width of a rim, not its internal width.
Vittoria says the Wide Rim Optimised versions of the tyres will cost as follows:
Vittoria Corsa N.EXT Wide Rim Optimised: €71.95 / $91.99
Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR Wide Rim Optimised: €95.95 / $106.99
Vittoria Corsa Pro Speed TLR Wide Rim Optimised: €95.95 / $106.99
These new tyres can be used on rims with narrower internal widths, although the tyres will size up smaller than 29mm wide, Vittoria says. All three of the tyres are tubeless-ready and compatible with hookless rims.
Vittoria claims a Corsa Pro TLR Wide Rim Optimised tyre will weigh 290g, around 15g more than a standard 28c version, with a Corsa N.EXT Wide Rim Optimised coming in at 310g.
Is there more here than meets the eye?
We first spotted 29c Vittoria tyres at the 2024 Tour de France, on Jonas Vingegaard’s Cervélo R5.
Given Vittoria already had 28 and 30c tyres in its ranges, you could be forgiven for thinking the addition of a 29c option was a slightly odd turn of events.
We suspect Vittoria created these 29c tyres to help its pro teams comply with the latest UCI technical regulations. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
The issue was complicated, though, by the fact that the latest international standards (issued by the ETRTO and ISO) stated the minimum nominal tyre size for a 25mm internal width rim was 29c.
Following the incident, the UCI (the sport’s governing body) issued a statement reminding teams that its technical regulations “imposes compliance” with the relevant ISO standards in this area.
While most teams using 25mm-wide rims simply switched up to 30c tyres, or paired their 28c tyres with narrower rims, we spotted a set of 29c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres on Jonas Vingegaard’s Cervélo R5 at the 2024 Tour de France.
At the time, we speculated Vittoria had created this to satisfy the demands of its pro teams – and it looks as if we were right.
MET’s all-new range-topping Revo helmet has been awarded five stars in Virginia Tech’s coveted testing programme.
Using MET’s new in-house wind tunnel to help influence its design, the Revo is claimed to be 23.5 per cent cooler than the brand’s Roam lid.
Designed to meet the stringent NTA 8776 safety certification, it should better dissipate crash forces compared to mountain bike helmets with an EN 1078 rating.
The NTA rating was devised to replicate the increased forces riders of electric bikes or electric scooters may experience in a crash.
The Revo is a good-looking open-face lid. MET Helmets / Ulysse Daessle
Simply, it proves an NTA 8776-rated helmet is safer than one with an EN 1078 award.
Costing £169.99 / $230 / €200, the Revo isn’t cheap, but it’s filled with a host of premium features to help justify the cost.
These include MIPS Air padding, a Fidlock magnetic buckle and a 360-degree adjustable retention cradle.
Safety first
The Revo received five stars in the coveted Virginia Tech test. MET Helmets / Ulysse Daessle
Any helmet awarded the EN 1078 standard is suitable for cycling, skateboarding and skating.
But there are tougher tests brands can opt in to, such as NTA 8776.
For NTA testing, a line is drawn around the helmet’s circumference close to its lower rim – anything above that line falls within the test’s remit, anything below it doesn’t.
NTA 8776’s line is around 10 per cent lower than EN 1078, meaning the lid offers more coverage and is more robust overall.
The increased testing stringency means a safer helmet for the rider. MET Helmets / Ulysse Daessle
To ensure the lid stands up to the NTA testing close to the line, the whole of the helmet has to be reinforced.
But it doesn’t stop there.
According to MET, compared to EN 1078, helmets with an NTA 8776 certification must endure a 21 per cent increase in impact speed, a 43 per cent improvement in impact energy dissipation and see impact speed testing upped by 21 per cent.
These are all positive things for the lid-wearer.
Increasing testing stringency by passing a tougher test means MET is almost entirely replicating Virginia Tech’s six-impact testing protocol, boosting safety.
The Revo is also fitted with the MIPS AIR liner. This moves the MIPS friction-reducing material from between the cradle and comfort pads to the comfort pads’ backing.
Any helmet with MIPS must pass the brand’s own safety testing – further boosting impact force dissipation and rider safety.
This could be how the new Revo gets its five-star rating.
Blowing in the wind
How the new Roam compares to the MET Revo.
Investing a great deal of cash in its own wind tunnel – dubbed The Tube – MET has managed to increase airflow and ventilation on the new Revo by 23.5 per cent compared to the Roam.
Here, 23 vents with deep, internal channelling are key to keeping cooling air flowing over your head.
Air is funnelled in from the front of the helmet, getting directly blasted onto your head to cool it, before exiting out of the rear.
As a bonus, the outermost upper front vents double up as storage for your sunglasses, but the lower ones remain open to continue their purpose of cooling.
Even more features
The helmet has plenty of vents to help with cooling. MET Helmets / Ulysse Daessle
The main buckle uses a Fidlock attachment for speedy fastening.
A full-circumference retention cradle – with three vertical positions – should increase fit adjustability and comfort.
The height-adjustable visor – which is flexible – also has a quick-release function so it detaches in the event of an impact.
Thanks to a polycarbonate wrap – that extends over the helmet’s lower rim – the EPS foam is less likely to get damaged.
The MET Revo is available in three sizes, from small to large, catering for head circumferences from 52cm to 61cm.
How did you get into cycling? I used to attend spin classes in the gym. When COVID hit, myself and five others formed a group and decided to take our indoor cycling outdoors, and we’ve been doing it ever since.
How many years have you been racing on Zwift? Since COVID
Are you part of a Virtual team? Yes. The team is called ESRT and a fantastic team at that.
What do you love most about racing? Getting out of my comfort zone and surprising myself (I’m stronger than I think I am).
What is your favourite style of race (e.g. points, scratch, iTT, TTT, Chase, duathlon)? My favourite race style is TTT. I love the teamwork, the collaboration, the inspiration I get from the ladies in the team.
What is your favourite Zwift women’s race series? I love the woman’s mini races. Women across the globe, all backgrounds and experiences coming together as one. Pushing each other and supporting each other.
What is your most memorable racing experience, inside or outside or BOTH Having technical issues on Zwift which resulted in me joining the pen after the race started. Being at the back and really having to work the legs and heart whilst not losing motivation. Eventually seeing other riders and catching up one by one. Whilst I didn’t come first, it was memorable because I could have given up before I started. I could have given up on not racing anyone for the first few km but I didn’t. Perseverance and riding my own race.
What is your favourite food to eat post race? Whatever is the nearest thing.
What advice would you give to a woman entering her first Zwift race? Someone once told me “You lose every race you don’t enter,” and that has stayed with me. There’s no losing in entering. It’s OK to be nervous, but remember to have fun.
Any upcoming race you are looking forward to? Iceni which is due to start in March. I’m really enjoying the ZRL races currently in Zwift.
Where can people follow your racing adventures? Natasha Booth on Zwift!
Cane Creek’s new aluminium GXC stem sports simple, smooth lines, low weight and impeccable finishing, with a price of £69.99 / $69.99.
Nothing ruins the look of a steel or titanium bike more than having to fit a bland black stem of alloy or carbon persuasion. Coordinating this simple finishing piece with a bit of polished goodness has always been a tough ask.
With only a few options available, such as Thomson’s angular Masterpiece at a higher price, the GXC’s smooth lines and simple design make it an attractive solution.
Cane Creek’s highly polished stem is a thing of beauty. Warren Rossiter / OurMedia
The GXC comes in 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100mm lengths, and weighs between 96 and 120g, depending on the size.
Cane Creek is leaning towards shorter lengths and suggests it’s aiming the GXC squarely at the gravel/adventure end of the drop-bar bikes spectrum.
The GXC stem is made from forged 6066 aluminium that’s machined and polished to a mirror lustre with subtly etched logos. The hardware is all stainless steel.
The finals for Zwift Academy 2024 have finished, and Zwift partnered with GCN to bring you a series of four episodes documenting the process at pre-season training camps. Who will come out on top and earn a pro contract?
The first, second, and third episodes were released in previous weeks. Today is the final episode!
In episode 4, it all comes down to the final challenge. How will they perform? And which two will earn the life-changing pro contracts?
Watch Episode 4:
(As a reminder, there are 8 finalists this year. To learn a bit about each rider, see this post.)
The 2025 Strade Bianche takes place today (Saturday 8 March). Both the men’s and women’s races include multiple sectors on Tuscany’s characteristic white gravel roads, which give the race its name.
Both finish with the spectacularly steep climb to the Piazza del Campo in Siena, with ramps up to a leg-busting 16 per cent gradient.
Weather conditions can define the race. When dry, plumes of chalk dust make for spectacular television pictures as the peloton rolls over some of the most iconic terrain of the season. If wet, as last year’s racing was, it can turn racing attritional for the riders, caked in pale mud.
For 2025, the number of gravel kilometres has increased again: 50km over 13 sectors for the women’s race and 82km over 16 sectors for the men’s, so expect even tougher racing. At 136km, the women’s race is a kilometre shy of last year’s distance, and the men’s course is 2km shorter at 213km.
Here’s how to see the action – wet or dry – live on TV, streaming online or on catch-up.
The women’s route includes 13 gravel sectors. RCS Sport
The women’s race starts in Siena at 9.45am CET. The earliest the race is expected to return to Siena for the finish is 1.30pm.
There are 24 women’s teams of six riders taking part in this 11th edition. This includes the 15 Women’s WorldTour teams, plus nine wildcards.
Last year, the race was won by Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx Protime), who went clear of home favourite Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) on the final climb in Siena. Kopecky isn’t defending her title, but a star-studded field including Borghini, past winner Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) are bidding to succeed her.
The men’s race starts in Siena at 11.20am CET, with an earliest finish scheduled for 3.33pm. All 18 UCI Men’s WorldTour teams will be on the start line, plus seven wildcard teams. That makes a total of 25 taking to the start line, with seven riders in each team.
82km of the men’s route is on gravel. RCS Sport
Tadej Pogačar, winner in 2022 when he broke away with 50km to go, bettered himself last season with a staggering 81km solo venture to win alone. Victory again in 2025 – and who would bet against it? – would leave him tied with Swiss legend Fabian Cancellara for the most wins (three).
Pogačar’s rivals include Tom Pidcock in the colours of new outfit Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Ireland’s Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost).
How can I watch Strade Bianche 2025 live in the UK?
UK residents are still dealing with the shock of Eurosport’s closure, where live cycling could previously be accessed for £6.99 a month. That’s since risen to £30.99 a month, after Eurosport’s coverage was rolled into TNT Sports by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
Coverage of the women’s race starts at 10.30am UK time, with men’s race coverage from 1pm and scheduled to continue until 4.30pm at the earliest. Both races are being shown on TNT Sports 3, which is available via the Discovery+ app, EE TV, Sky and Virgin Media.
How can I watch Strade Bianche 2025 live in the US?
FloBikes streams Strade Bianche in the US, with costs starting from $12.50 when signing up to an annual plan. It’s also available on Max (formerly HBO Max), which is part of the Warner Bros. Discovery group – monthly subscriptions start from $9.99.
Coverage starts for the women’s race at 5.45am ET and the men’s race at 8.05am ET.
How can I watch Strade Bianche 2025 live in Australia?
SBS will be covering the women’s and men’s racing live and on-demand. No subscription is needed.
How else can I watch Strade Bianche 2025?
There’s live terrestrial coverage in many European countries. Italian national broadcaster RAI is a race partner and official broadcaster, and will be showing the race live and on-demand, with coverage of the women’s race on Raiplay starting at 11.45am CET. The men’s race will be shown on Rai2 from 2.05pm.
If you’ve got a VPN, you may be able to register, log in to its website and watch live for an authentic Italian commentary and feel.
Today (March 7) kicks off a 10-day sale promotion on the Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE. It begins with $100/$100/€100 off, but affiliates (including Zwift Insider) can share an additional discount code for another 5% (-$60/£55/€60) discount.
That discount code is POWERUP. If you’ve been considering buying the full Zwift Ride package, this is the best price we’ve seen in a while. US, EU, and UK-based Zwifters can click below to order now!
Note: if you purchase Zwift Ride via the link above, Zwift Insider will be paid an affiliate commission by Zwift to help support this site. Thanks!
Zwift Ride Usage Stats
Zwift hasn’t revealed sales numbers since releasing the Ride back in in June of 2024, so I reached out to see what they’d be willing to share in terms of user stats. While they declined to share precise sales numbers for obvious reasons, they did offer up two fun stats:
Zwift Ride owners have already logged over 41 million kilometers on Zwift
Zwift Ride owners find it easier to navigate the platform and as a result award 82% more Ride Ons than the average Zwifter
Zwift Ride Reviews
You can find lots of customer reviews on the Zwift Ride homepage (4.9 stars out of 5), but I wanted to look elsewhere, so I dug through the Zwift subreddit. Here are just a few of those…
“I love mine, it’s been a real game changer for my fitness, just so easy to use.”
“If you’re lazy and want a permanent available option, it’s awesome. If you have multiple riders with different sizes, it’s also great. But the always available is enough for me.”
“Is it worth it? In my case, every single penny. I love it.”
“I only own a heavy mountain bike and it’s a pain to move around if I want to train. With the Zwift ride I can just hop on.”
“I’m a beginner cyclist (started in August). I got the Zwift Ride for winter training since I have zero knowledge on bike maintenance and thought a Zwift Ride would be the best easy option. And it is. It’s quiet enough, easy to assemble or change seats/pedals or your “settings” how far the reach is etc. Would definitely recommend, as you can skip all the hassle a normal bike would require. I absolutely love riding on mine.”
Lastly, I found a helpful review titled “Zwift Ride 500 mile update”. Here’s how it starts:
“I’ve ridden the full Zwift ride set up 500 miles. I’ve used it for free rides, structured workouts on both ERG and Zwift protocol shifting, as well as some racing. May get some hate for this, but this set up is significantly better than my Tacx Neo 2T with carbon road bike frame and Ultegra group.”Read the full post >
Virtual Shifting: flawless, instant, silent shifting via the handlebar controllers includes in-game gearing and shifting customization
Easy Adjustability: use the integrated Zwift Key to easily adjust saddle tilt, height and fore/aft as well as bar height and fore/aft
Real Feel: resistance changes to match in-game gradients, and ERG mode capability helps ensure you hit the right power numbers for your customized workouts
Always Ready: with its small footprint and easy one-time setup, you don’t need to bother with moving your bike on and off the trainer
Specifications:
Power Accuracy: +/-2%
Max Power: 1800W
Max Grade: 16%
Rider Fit Range: 5’-6’6” (152–198cm)
Max Rider Weight: 265 lbs/120 kg
Product Weight: 78 lbs (frame + trainer)
Wrapping It Up
Click the button below to shop for the Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE over at Zwift.com. And don’t forget to use the POWERUP discount code for an extra 5% off!
Quite a mix of events this weekend, from a long ride celebrating a teammate who left us too soon to a popular chase race for International Women’s Day to some marquee Zwift events… there’s something for everyone. Ride on!
BMTR Flat 100 – Celebrating Michael Lander
Good Cause Popular Endurance Challenge
BMTR’s popular weekly imperial is a regular feature in our notable events posts, but this Saturday’s ride is particularly poignant as the team celebrates the life of Michael Lander, a “BMTR Sweep Leader and friend to all” who passed away recently.
Four pace options available, and each option has its own route selection. The ride will be livestreamed so Michael’s family and friends can join the celebration.
Jump into the biggest women’s peloton of the weekend and celebrate International Women’s Day! This is a chase race on Douce France (24.2km, 137), so slower groups will be released ahead of faster groups, with time gaps set so all the groups come together near the end of the race for an all-out finish!
The Zwift Games also kicked off this week, and racers everywhere are taking part thanks to various categorization options, free routes, and big competition.
Here’s a popular long ride with two pace options: B group at 3-3.3 W/kg, or C at 2.5-2.9 W/kg. Both groups will be riding 100km on Watopia’s Navig8 route. Choose your desired pace, listen to the ride leader, and get that endurance work done!
(Both categories have a leader (yellow beacon) and sweepers.)
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
Is it for a good cause?
Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Specialized has launched its new Air Trak, Fast Trak, Butcher and Eliminator mountain bike tyres, each of which comes with some seriously competitive pricing.
Tyres are nothing new to the Specialized brand, having launched its first – the ‘Touring Tyre’ – back in 1976 and for the most part, here at BikeRadar, they’ve always reviewed well.
Yet still, it seems, many riders will gravitate to tyre specialists such as Maxxis and Schwalbe rather than the ‘big S’.
Once you’ve clocked the prices of the latest offerings, you may be persuaded otherwise.
With the new cross-country tyres costing £40 / €50 / $TBC and their trail and enduro rubber starting at £50 / €60 / $TBC, maybe it’s time people paid more attention to Specialized rubber.
Specialized has announced a range of new tyres in this announcement and we’ve also covered the launch of its new road and gravel tyres.
It’s designed for hardpack trails and uses two rubber compounds – firmer T5 for the fast-rolling centre and grippier T7 for the more pronounced shoulder treads.
Firmer T5 rubber is used to create the low-profile centre tread, while softer T7 rubber makes up the shoulder treads for better cornering traction. Specialized
Options for the Air Trak include the 60 TPI Flex Lite or Grid Lite casings, and a choice of 2.2in or 2.35in widths, and only to fit 29in wheels. Both options feature sidewall protection.
Comparing the Flex Lite and Grid Lite casing options, both in the 2.35in width, there’s nearly 100g difference (585g versus 680g) according to Specialized’s claims.
The claimed low weight and fast rolling speed should make this a popular race tyre on the World Cup circuit.
Pricing starts at £40 / €50 / $TBC, which is impressive.
Fast Trak cross-country tyres
If conditions get unsteady under foot/tyre, the Fast Trak could well be the tyre of choice. Specialized
The new Fast Trak tyre is said to be 5% faster-rolling than its predecessor, thanks in part to the shorter centre knobs, made from Specialized’s T5 rubber compound. This is also said to help shed 55 to 110g in weight, depending on the casing.
The fast-rolling lower-centre treads are designed to work with the ‘block-in-block’ shoulder knob pattern in mixed trail conditions and offer decent, all-round traction.
Like the Air Trak, the Fast Trak uses dual-compound rubber to ensure it rolls fast and offers decent corner grip. Specialized
Like the Air Trak, the Fast Trak uses a dual-compound, with stickier T7 rubber used on the shoulder treads to boost cornering traction.
There are 60 TPI Flex Lite and Grid Lite casing options to choose from, both of which offer additional sidewall protection to help prevent awkward pinch flats and tears.
The Fast Trak is a light, fast-rolling option for mixed-conditions cross-country riding and racing. Specialized
Both tyre casings are available in 2.2in and 2.35in options.
Fast Trak tyre pricing starts at £40 / €50 / $TBC.
Butcher trail and enduro tyres
Specialized claims there’s now more of the tread in contact with the ground, which should boost traction. Specialized
The Butcher has long been a staple of the Specialized line-up and is now the subject of some important updates.
In a bid to boost performance, Specialized says it has upped the amount of tread contact with the trail by 12%, while continuing to use the brand’s stickiest T9 rubber compound throughout the entire tyre to enhance traction as much as possible.
Specialized says the T9 rubber offers the best balance of durability, damping and grip.
The Butcher only comes in the stickiest T9 compound, in either the Grid Trail or Grid Gravity casing. Specialized
The lighter casing option, the 60 TPI Grid Trail, features ‘bead-to-bead’ and sidewall protection, which should mean it can take a fair bit of abuse before losing any air.
In the width you’ll most likely see being used (2.4in), the Butcher T9 Grid Trail weighs a claimed 1,048g.
What’s key, though, is the tyre will only set you back £50 / €60 / $TBC. For trail riders and enduro racers who have a habit of killing tyres, this is notable, especially when you consider equivalent tyres from Maxxis and Schwalbe are likely to be £15 to £20 more expensive.
Specialized is also offering the Butcher T9 in the Grid Gravity casing, which is tougher still.
This is aimed at electric mountain bikes and aggressive riders, thanks to the two-ply downhill casing and sidewall apex protection, which should make it a tough tyre to kill.
Designed to handle the rigours of trail and enduro riding, the Butcher is a well-priced tyre that has always performed well in the past. Specialized
The 29×2.4in Butcher T9 Grid Gravity tyre tips the scales at a claimed 1,307g.
Again, this tyre won’t break the bank, at £55 / €70 / $TBC, which is great news if you like skidding a lot or have a habit of tearing tyres.
It’s worth noting, Specialized only lists the Butcher in 29in, so only those running a 29in rear wheel will have the option of slapping it out back.
Eliminator trail and enduro tyres
Specialized is offering the Eliminator in a single, fast-rolling T7 rubber compound and the dual T7/T9 compound, depending on your preference. Specialized
This revised rear tyre now features squared-off leading edges of the tread blocks in a bid to boost braking and climbing traction in technical terrain.
Specialized offers the choice of either the faster-rolling, single-compound T7 rubber, or a dual-compound option with T7 rubber through the centre and tackier T9 used on the shoulder treads.
Because it’s designed to be used on the rear, Specialized offers the Eliminator in 27.5 or 29in sizes. Specialized
Like the Butcher, it’s available with the 60 TPI Grid Trail or Grid Gravity casings.
Unlike the Butcher, though, you can get the Eliminator in the 27.5in size because it is, after all, a rear tyre.
With prices starting at £50, the Eliminator should offer decent performance for a great price. Specialized
Specialized claims the Eliminator Grid Trail T7 in 29×2.4in size weighs 1,004g, while the same-size tyre in Grid Gravity T7/T9 (there isn’t a single-compound option in this casing) is 1,330g.
Pricing for the Grid Trail T7 tyre is £50 / €60 / $TBC, while the heftier Grid Gravity dual T7/T9-compound tyre is £55 / €70 / $TBC.
Specialized has revamped its line-up of gravel tyres, with a redesigned Pathfinder and Tracer, as well as a new tyre, the Terra, to replace the Rhombus.
We gave you a glimpse of the new Tracer when we spotted it on Sofía Gómez Villafañe’s Specialized Crux at the Arizona Belgian Waffle Ride, and it has now been released officially.
The Pathfinder will make gravel racers sit up and take note, too. It is one of the most popular gravel tyres out there and well-suited to fast, hardpack surfaces, but the new tyre comes with some bold claims.
Elsewhere, Specialized has launched new road and MTB tyre ranges, too. You can read more on those via the links below.
Specialized has switched to different size options for the Pathfinder TLR (and the rest of the range). Specialized
The Pathfinder, which is Specialized’s gravel tyre designed for hardpack surfaces, has been updated with a new tread pattern.
This is claimed to be 19% more efficient than the old Pathfinder Pro 2BR, although it’s worth noting that Specialized doesn’t offer a comparison to the faster S-Works Pathfinder 2BR.
The tyre uses a blend of Gripton T2 and T5 compounds (the latter for the traction-giving knobs on the shoulders), while Specialized says the modified knob layout helps save 25g in weight.
That said, the new tyre is available in sizes 700×35, 40 and 45c – neither the Pathfinder Pro 2BR nor S-Works Pathfinder 2BR were available in those sizes, so a direct comparison is impossible. A size 700x35c is said to weigh 380g.
The 60 TPI casing is claimed to be optimised for gravel riding, with four plies under the central tread and three at the sidewalls. This is said to contribute to the tyre’s claimed 14% improved puncture resistance versus the old Pro casing.
Specialized Tracer TLR
The Tracer TLR is Specialized’s new all-round gravel tyre. Specialized
The Tracer TLR is designed for “mixed-terrain gravel” – Specialized’s version of a one-fits-all gravel tyre.
The biggest ‘update’ is to the tread pattern, where Specialized says the broad-set knobs (which are made from the grippier Gripton T5 compound) improve grip and traction.
These knobs are packed more closely together at the central portion in an effort to reduce rolling resistance and cut weight by 65g.
The Tracer TLR is made of the grippier Gripton T5 compound throughout. Specialized
However, it’s unclear which tyre Specialized is comparing the Tracer TLR to, given the Tracer name is new to the brand’s gravel line-up.
It has the same 60 TPI casing layout as the Pathfinder TLR and weighs a claimed 460g in a size 700x40c (700x45c and 50c sizes are also available).
Specialized Terra TLR
For rougher courses and singletrack, the Terra TLR is said to be the best bet. Specialized
Finally, the Terra TLR replaces the Rhombus in Specialized’s gravel tyre line-up and is designed for gnarlier adventure-style riding.
The Gripton T5 tread pattern is more pronounced for additional grip on looser surfaces, although the brand says it’s 65g lighter than the Rhombus Pro 2BR.
The Terra TLR replaces the Rhombus. Specialized
Once again, this is a hard claim to quantify given the Rhombus Pro 2BR was available in 700×42 and 47c sizes – the Terra TLR is available in 700×45 and 50c widths.
The Terra TLR also features a 60 TPI reinforced casing.
2025 Specialized road and gravel tyre prices
As we’ve covered elsewhere as part of this wholesale launch from Specialized, the gravel tyres are well-priced against some of their competition.
For example, the Pathfinder TLR costs £45 ($55 / €50), compared to a Continental Terra Speed (£69.95 / $66.95 / €64.99).
Here’s the full pricing overview for the road and gravel line-up.
Specialized has updated its road tyre line-up for 2025, claiming the new tyres are faster, grippier and more puncture-resistant than ever before, with the RapidAir TLR billed as the lightest production tubeless road tyre in the world.
The new RapidAir TLR tops the line-up as a dedicated race tyre, with an updated S-Works Turbo TLR replacing the S-Works Turbo 2BR. The Mondo TLR all-season tyre is unchanged (aside from dropping the S-Works branding), but this now also comes in a tube-type version, as well as tubeless.
Specialized has dropped a whole bunch of new tyres as part of this launch, so while we’ve covered the new road rubber, here, there are also fresh mountain bike and gravel tyres, too, including an updated Pathfinder. Hit the links below for those:
Back to the road, and all the new tyres are priced competitively compared to their key rivals. We’ve included a table of all the prices at the bottom of this article.
Specialized RapidAir TLR
Expect to see the RapidAir TLR used by sponsored pro riders this season. Specialized
Specialized says the RapidAir TLR is 33 seconds faster than the preceding S-Works Turbo RapidAir over 40km.
While the brand hasn’t specified at what speed this can be achieved (nor any other test parameters), it claims the tyre’s new tread pattern and “clean” sidewall design are enough to save 3 watts in rolling resistance and 2 watts in aerodynamic drag.
The tyre retains the brand’s turn-up casing design, whereby the central portion features two plies of 120 TPI (threads-per-inch) material, which are folded back to offer greater protection and support for the sidewalls.
The RapidAir TLR is said to save 5 watts across its design. Specialized
Specialized says the thinner casing at the central portion is the key to the tyre’s low rolling resistance and suppleness, alongside the use of its fastest Gripton T2 compound. The Gripton T5 compound is used on the shoulders for cornering grip.
The tyre is said to weigh 220g in a size 700x26c, which Specialized reckons makes it the “lightest production tubeless road tire in the world” [sic].
There’s also a 700x28c model, but no option for fans of even wider tyres. The RapidAir TLR is compatible with hookless rims.
Specialized S-Works Turbo TLR
Underpinning this is the S-Works Turbo TLR, which is pitched as the brand’s all-round race tyre in place of the outgoing S-Works Turbo 2BR.
Compared to the older tyre, Specialized says the tread pattern has been tweaked to reduce rolling resistance by 10%, and it claims 20g has been shaved from the tyre (in an unspecified size).
Gripton T2 and T5 compounds have been utilised in a similar manner to the RapidAir TLR, but there’s a three-ply 120 TPI casing underneath, sandwiching a cut-resistant central strip.
The S-Works Turbo TLR is an all-round race tyre, similar to the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR or Pirelli P Zero Race TLR. Specialized
These combine to offer greater puncture protection and durability, according to the brand (with an inevitable rolling resistance trade-off). The tyre is also hookless-compatible.
The S-Works Turbo TLR is available in two sizes – 700×28 and 30c – both in black and tan sidewalls. These weigh from 265g (700x28c in tan), with black sidewalls weighing 10g more in the same size.
No updated Mondo, but there’s now a clincher version
The Mondo TLR is the brand’s top-level ‘endurance’ tyre. Specialized
The tubeless Mondo tyre has remained unchanged, aside from dropping the S-Works branding and gaining a ‘TLR’ moniker. This is unsurprising, given the tyre launched less than two years ago.
That said, the addition of the TLR designation signifies the arrival of a new clincher version – where the tubeless tyre has a blend of Gripton T2 and T5 compounds, this uses Gripton T5 exclusively.
There is now a clincher version alongside the tubeless-ready tyre. Specialized
This fortifies the central portion of the tyre against punctures and offers greater grip at the higher pressures one might run in a clincher setup. It’s underpinned by a 120 TPI casing, like the TLR version.
The tyre also features bead-to-bead puncture protection, plus an additional strip down the centre tread.
We’ve weighed a Mondo TLR at 317g in a size 700x28c (7g more than claimed). This is available in three sizes – 700×28, 32 and 35c.
The clincher version is available in sizes 700×26, 28 and 32c, and weighs a claimed 260g in the narrowest size (290g in a size 700x28c).
2025 Specialized road and gravel tyre prices
The new tyres are well priced compared to the majority of the market.
The S-Works Turbo TLR costs £60 ($80 / €75), which compares to a Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR at £84.95 ($98.95 / €87.95), for example.
Here’s how all of the road and gravel tyres are priced.
You can now purchase the Zwift Ride smart bike with £100 / $100 / €100 off on the Zwift website.
Zwift is selling its innovative smart bike frame with a Wahoo Kickr Core, which means you’ll have pretty much everything you need to unlock your complete indoor cycling setup.
But it doesn’t stop there. You can apply BikeRadar’s unique discount code BIKERADAR5 for an extra 5 per cent off. This will bring the price of the Zwift Ride down by a further £55 / $60 / €60.
But you’ll have to hurry. The BIKERADAR5 code is only valid from 7 to 17 March, so you have 10 days to save some extra cash.
What is the Zwift Ride?
The Ride is Zwift’s take on an exercise bike. Zwift
The Zwift Ride is Zwift’s take on an indoor smart bike. Instead of creating one large unit like the best smart bikes, the Zwift Ride combines a metal bike frame with the existing Wahoo Kickr Core smart trainer, a Zwift Cog and Zwift Play controllers.
When the Ride launched last year, Zwift said the modular design helped it reduce the cost and complexity of its first smart bike to make it easier to start cycling indoors.
Smart bikes can cost well over £2,000, but the Zwift Ride has an RRP of £1,199.99 / $1,299.99 / €1,299.99.
When you apply our BIKERADAR5 discount code to the sale price of the Zwift Ride, that price drops to £1,044.99.
Zwift was also keen to make the Ride look like a bike. This might sound like a strange thing to say, but Zwift’s senior product manager, Graham Stoney, explained to BikeRadar that “People do not want a black piece of gym kit. They want something that will sit in their home and they’ll go ‘I like the look of that’.”
This is also what’s behind the colour. When presenting test groups with a range of colours, white was the most popular across genders.
All adjustments can be made with one tool. Zwift
To make Zwift Ride easy to live with, all adjustments can be made with the Frame Key. This tool is stored in the top tube of the Zwift Ride’s frame.
Zwift says this makes the bike “perfect for sharing with multiple users”, because they can easily adjust three measurements: saddle height, bar height and reach.
The bike uses a chain rather than a belt drive, so the feeling of pedalling should be more like your outdoor bike than some other gym bikes. Zwift says the use of its Cog keeps noise to a minimum.
The Zwift Ride is also fairly lightweight and has a small footprint. This means it won’t take up too much space and can be easily packed away once you’ve finished your indoor training session.
Hutchinson has announced two new tubeless road tyres, one of which is claimed to be “the “fastest tyre” it has ever made.
The new Blackbird Race tyre follows a little less than a year on from the original Hutchinson Blackbird, which was also claimed to be the French brand’s “fastest ever” tyre.
Hutchinson says the Blackbird Race takes ‘the DNA’ from the Blackbird, but uses a refined casing and compound that sees the weight and rolling resistance cut significantly.
Alongside the Blackbird Race, Hutchinson has also announced the Blackbird All Season tyre.
The Blackbird All Season is – as the name suggests – designed to be a fast ‘all-season’ road tubeless tyre, offering improved mileage and durability, as well as better grip in cold and wet conditions.
Blackbird Race
The Blackbird Race is Hutchinson’s “fastest ever” tyre. Hutchinson
According to Hutchinson, the new Blackbird Race was “developed in conjunction with Intermarché-Wanty” (the WorldTour team it sponsors).
The headline improvements are a 10 per cent reduction in rolling resistance compared to the existing Blackbird, and a cut in weight from 286g to a claimed 240g for a size 700x28c tyre.
In terms of weight, that compares favourably to its key competition on paper.
A lighter casing means lower weight and reduced rolling resistance. Hutchinson
Hutchinson says it achieved this reduction in weight and rolling resistance partly by cutting the weight of the “rubberised fabric” used in the casing by 22 per cent, and by reducing the thickness of the “central cross section of the tyre” by 23 per cent.
Hutchinson doesn’t say whether this reduced casing thickness will mean a concurrent reduction in durability or puncture protection.
However, it does claim that the “versatile nature” of the Blackbird Race means “it will be the tyre of choice for the vast majority of Intermarché-Wanty’s races throughout the year”.
Clearly, then, it won’t be reserved for time-trial duties or short road races.
The Blackbird Race uses a new rubber compound on the tread. Hutchinson
The Blackbird Race also gets an updated tread compound dubbed “Mach Tread Ultimate”.
This builds on the Mach Tech 3.0 compound found on the previous Blackbird tyre and promises improvements to both rolling resistance and grip.
The Hutchinson Blackbird Race will cost £69.99 / €79.99 and is available in 700×28 or 30c sizes (with black sidewalls only).
Hutchinson says wider sizes are in development and that the Blackbird Race is compatible with hookless rims.
Blackbird All Season
The Blackbird All Season is designed for wet and cold conditions. Hutchinson
Hutchinson says the Blackbird All Season completes “the Blackbird ecosystem”, with it “offering a fast, performance tyre that suits all conditions”.
The brand says a “bi-compound tread” is used to achieve this, with the Mach Tech 3.0 compound used in the central area and a new Safetread compound on the shoulders of the tread.
According to the brand, Safetread “maintains grip levels even in incredibly cold and wet conditions”.
The thickness of the tread is also increased by 24 per cent compared to the original Blackbird tyre, up to 2.1mm, which extends the claimed lifespan of the tyre from 4,000 to 6,000 kilometres.
Hutchinson uses its Gridskin tech on the sidewalls. Hutchinson
Hutchinson says the sidewalls of the Blackbird All Season are reinforced using its Gridskin technology, which is a “snakeskin like knitted sidewall fabric previously only seen on limited edition Hutchinson tyres”. This is claimed to improve the tyre’s resistance to pinch flats and sidewall cuts.
Combined with a polyamide puncture-protection strip beneath the tread, Hutchinson says its “puncture protection is unmatched for a performance tyre”.
On the scales, Hutchinson claims a 700x28c Blackbird All Season weighs 340g, which is competitive with its key rivals.
The Blackbird All Season will be available in tubeless and clincher form. Hutchinson
The Hutchinson Blackbird All Season is available in clincher or tubeless form, in 700×28, 30 or 32c sizes, and with black or tan side walls.
The tubeless version costs £63.99 / €69.99, while the clincher option is cheaper at £43.99 / €49.99.
Only the tubeless version is compatible with hookless rims.
Blackbird Ecosystem
The original Blackbird will remain in Hutchinson’s range of performance road tyres. Scott Windsor / Our Media
Hutchinson says that rather than replacing the existing Blackbird tyre, these two new tyres complement it.
The brand says it “now offers a range of high speed performance tyres to suit all racing and riding conditions”, and suggests each tyre for the following riding styles:
Blackbird Race: “uncompromising race tyre” that prioritises speed over all else
Blackbird: “a balance of high-performance and everyday liveability”
Blackbird All Season: “a performance tyre that can safely handle wet and cold conditions without sacrificing speed”
Ever wondered what it’s like using Zwift on a VR headset? In this week’s top video, one Zwifter tries using Zwift on the Apple Vision Pro and shares his thoughts.
We’ve also selected videos about Zwift Academy Finals, race wins, and climbing Alpe du Zwift.
Zwift on Apple Vision Pro – Does It Even Work? Is It Worth It? Check Out My Demo
The Apple Vision Pro was released a few years ago, yet no official Zwift VR experience exists. The ModernTriDad gives Zwift on the Apple Vision Pro a go and shares his experience with it.
Have The Finalists Got The Skills To Cut It As A Pro? | Zwift Academy 2025 Ep. 2
Join the GCN and the Zwift Academy Finalists as they tackle some technical skills to see who has the skills to race on the road.
Insane Watts for My First Zwift Win in 3 Years! (Unreal Finish!)
Paul from ViveLeVelo hasn’t won a race in his three years on Zwift. However, he is determined to change this. Watch as he provides commentary over his first win!
Will team tactics help me finally win a Zwift race?
Top e-sports cyclist Oliver Dowd hops into a Zwift race and finds himself in a breakaway. Can he work together with these riders to pull off a win?
Give Me 9 Minutes, And You Will Climb Alpe du Zwift Under an Hour
Climbing Alpe du Zwift in under an hour might be one of the most popular goals amongst Zwifters. Adam from Road to A shares tips and tricks on how to achieve this feat.
Got a Great Zwift Video?
Share the link below and we may feature it in an upcoming post!
Brompton has released a new version of its popular C Line model, which has 12 gears thanks to a peculiar derailleur and hub gear.
The bike kicks off Brompton’s 50th-anniversary year. The C Line was Brompton’s original model, invented by Andrew Ritchie in 1975, and has undergone “continuous improvement”.
The C Line is already available with either 2 or 6 speeds. But this new version adopts Brompton’s unique 12-speed system that first debuted on the P Line back in 2021.
The bike combines a derailleur and hub gear. Brompton
The system combines a 3-speed Sturmy Archer hub gear with a 4-speed cassette. This is operated by Brompton’s own derailleur.
Brompton says this hybrid drivetrain gives its bikes the widest gear range available on its folding bikes at 402 per cent. This is 60 per cent larger than its 2-speed system, and should aid anyone looking to climb steep hills.
The rear mudguard has a wheel to aid pushing. Brompton
Brompton’s proprietary derailleur weighs 60g and fits inside the compact fold of the bike.
The new C Line also comes fitted with mudguards. The rear mudguard has a wheel built into it to help you push the bike when it’s folded up.
Fresh colours
The bike is available in three new colours. Brompton
Alongside a new drivetrain, the C Line has also been treated to some fresh colours.
The C Line 12-speed comes in three exclusive colours: Flamingo Pink, Amethyst Lacquer, and Turkish Green.
Brompton describes the Flamingo Pink as an eccentric crowd stopper, while the Amethyst Lacquer is said to show off the craftsmanship. Turkish Green is a Brompton classic, said to be back by popular demand.
In its 50th anniversary year, Brompton says the C Line “has been the catalyst and inspiration for Brompton’s entire range. Sparking imagination, innovation, and the need to always improve. Today, it brings the same joy it always has, but better than ever.”
The London-based company produces over 100,000 bikes a year and over 1,000,000 Bromptons have hit the road since its beginnings back in 1975.
The refreshed C Line follows a more radical move from Brompton last year, where it released its first off-road model, the Brompton G Line.
It was revealed in January this year that Brompton’s profits had fallen by 99 per cent due to a “challenging year” for an “industry in turmoil”.
It’s been a while since I’ve regaled you, dear readers, with a thrilling tale of Zwift race loss. But the Zwift Games are upon us, and with them big race packs on fresh routes. A Zwift racer’s dream! So today I’m unpacking my story of racing stage 1…
It was the middle of my workday, and I was two espressos to the wind as the lunch hour approached. First I gave myself a front-row call-up, then I spun for around 20 minutes with RoboPacer Coco until my legs were warm and my heartrate was up. While I spun, I thought through the upcoming race…
The Makuri Madness route is new in Zwift, and I hadn’t ridden it yet. So I did a bit of online recon, ironically reminding myself of the route’s details by looking at the page I’d built weeks ago.
The route lays out quite simply: it’s 10km of flat, a 2km descent through Pain Cavern (which could be named “Recovery Cavern” in this direction), 2km more of flat road… and then the action begins. You hit the one climb in the whole race, a counterclockwise dusty corkscrew on Mech Isle, then descend the other side onto a flat run-in to the finish on the Boardwalk Sprint.
Or to simplify it even more, for “overmuscled” riders like myself: the first 14 kilometers are easy, and the last 2 are hard work.
Along with new routes, there are three things worth noting about Zwift Games races that make them different from a typical Zwift race:
Equipment is neutralized: use any bike and wheelset you’d like. They all roll the same.
Everyone gets one powerup, in the pens. And that’s all you get.
Steering is disabled: I don’t know why this is, but I think it’s a bummer. Steering makes racing more fun!
Category Choice
With a racing score of 532, I decided to join the 450-570 group. I knew that meant I wouldn’t get a great GC time (read more about Zwift Games GC strategies here), but I also wanted to see if I could get on the podium in what should, in theory, be the easiest possible group for me, on a route that suits me nicely.
For most riders participating in the Zwift Games, that’s the choice you have to make: do you pick the event/category where you have a shot at the podium (so, competing against a smaller number of riders, with lower scores)? Or do you pick the event/category that will give me the fastest GC time (a larger number of riders, with higher scores)?
Having chosen my category, it was time to race. Let’s go!
The Easy Bit
We blasted out of the start pens with 72 riders, but that quickly dropped to 57. Based on the number of aero powerups I saw flying in the first minutes of the race, clearly some riders hadn’t gotten the powerup memo:
The group settled into a tempo pace as we spun around the perma-night urban flats of Neokyo. With 57 riders in the group, it seemed everyone knew they couldn’t get off the front and stay away… so nobody even tried. That meant the pace stayed steady, with my heart rate comfortably staying in a zone 3 range of 145-160 all the way to the final 2 kilometers.
It was fun to chat with some of the riders in the pack, a few of whom were definite Zwift Insider fans. We joked about the impossibility of starting the race at sea level, then riding downhill and still being… at sea level. And we made good-natured fun of riders burning their aero powerups early.
Soon enough we were approaching the 14km mark as we crossed the land bridge onto Mech Isle. Everyone knew it would soon be on like Donkey Kong. Deep breath…
The Finish
As we neared the corkscrew climb, I positioned myself a few bike lengths from the front. This would give me the benefit of the draft, while allowing me to sag and stay in touch even if the front was too fast for me to hold.
I revved the power up, knowing the effort would only last for a minute. And as we flew up the climb and came over the top, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself comfortably near the front!
65 seconds at 477W got me a Strava segment PR over the climb and left me well-positioned near the front of the pack.
One rider “H. INOX” attacked off the front as we descended the other side, and the pack began to stretch as the front gave chase. Soon the elastic snapped, and our strung-out group of 53 became a compact group of 33 as we began to reel in Mr. INOX.
This is where riders who didn’t fancy a short pack sprint began to show their cards. One rider in green, “B. Amin (JOIN.cc)”, executed a masterful jump, bridging up to INOX quickly by going all-in with his aero powerup as he accelerated away from our group and through the draft of INOX.
But the day wouldn’t be his. No, the win would go to the next rider, one Marc Visser, who jumped with 500 meters to go. Visser (despite only having 14 races to his name in ZwiftPower) executed a perfect bridge up to INOX before powering past Amin, never to be seen again.
For my part, I jumped a bit too hard, too early. My aero powerup timing was solid, but I overcooked it and quickly went off the front of the pack! I looked up at the screen after sprinting for a bit, and the finish arch seemed so far away. 160 meters to go. I figured I would get swamped by the chasers, but nobody was coming around…
I flew past Amin and into 2nd place with 133 meters to go, but with 50 meters left, “G Mraz (OTR)” slingshotted around me with a well-timed effort to grab silver.
I would finish 3rd, just barely grabbing a podium slot. But out of 72 starters, I won’t complain!
This was a fun race, on a course that is just about perfectly suited for me. Too bad stage 1 only lasts three days!
Visser got the well-deserved victory, risking it all in a long attack. I could have possibly finished higher if I’d done the same, but I’ve always struggled with committing to an all-or-nothing attack. Chapeau, Visser.
Looking ahead, my chance at good stage results will be dropping as we progress through the Zwift Games and the climbing intensifies. But that’s alright. It’s all training!
My 3rd place finish earned me a racing score upgrade from 532 to 543, and a finishing time for the Zwift Games GC of 22:17. That time is not even close to the top times among riders with a racing score of 500-600. No, all of the top times are from riders who jumped into the advanced races to sit in the draft of the big dogs! Smart. Their lap times are in the 20 minutes range, with a few even sub 20.
I also earned a nice 2025 power curve bump in the 2-5 minute range, which basically covered the final 2 kilometers of the race. Yup… those final 2 kilometers are hard work.
Your Thoughts
Did you race Zwift Games stage 1? How did it go? Share your experience below!
Whyte’s new full-power Kado eMTB’s stats and specs are setting it up to be a top performer, but as the direct replacement for the revered E-160, it has a lot to live up to.
Closely following the E-160’s formula, the fresh Kado has a 160mm-travel fork and 150mm of Horst-link rear suspension.
It runs dual 29in wheels, but a 27.5in rear wheel can be fitted thanks to the Shape.It flip chip in the shock yoke.
The Kado RSX is the range-topper and retails for £7,499 / €8,499. Whyte Bikes
Like the Whyte E-160, this adjusts its geometry between high and low settings.
Bosch’s Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor is fitted, along with either a 600Wh or 800Wh internal battery. Either capacity of battery can be fitted to the Kado, without modifications.
The RSX, RS and S range’s frames are made from full carbon, a carbon and alloy mix (front and rear triangles) and full alloy respectively.
And, of course, the Kado follows Whyte’s long-standing mantra of trying to lower the bike’
Along with spec choices, this helps dictate the new model’s price, which spans from £4,499 / €4,999 for the Kado S up to £7,499 / €8,499 for the Kado RSX.
Toppling one of the best
The E-160 RSX is a benchmark performer. Ian Linton / Our Media
Being an encore to one of the highest-rated electric mountain bikes I’ve ever tested – the previous-generation E-160 RSX – the Kado’s got a tough job.
At the top of my list of must-haves was more space for a water bottle within the front triangle – it could only fit Fidlock’s 450ml bottle – on the size large.
Next up was a steeper seat tube angle. The E-160’s figure is a slack (by today’s standards) 75.3 degrees.
Then there was a need for better chain-slap protection to keep things quiet – the E-160 was very noisy at full chat when heading downhill.
The high-powered Bosch Performance Line CX motor offers incredible, natural-feeling assistance. Ian Linton / Our Media
Of course, the usual ‘bigger, better, more’ maxim applies beyond these must-have demands, such as battery capacity, motor performance and an increasingly affordable price, among others.
But it also did an enormous number of things really well.
The newest model, if it’s to be better than the E-160, cannot roll back any of that impressive performance.
The old bike’s descending prowess was basically second to none thanks to the low-slung mass.
The E-160 RSX is the top-spec model. Ian Linton / Our Media
Its geometry was balanced and your body’s weight evenly distributed, which meant you didn’t have to work hard to ride it.
Equally, its hefty 26.32kg headline weight – which needs to be quite a bit lighter on the new bike – was covered up by its low centre of gravity and geometry. That impressive, stable feel still needs to be present.
Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder; Whyte’s had a reputation for prioritising function over form. This was certainly true for the E-160, but there’s no reason why function and beauty can’t co-exist.
Does the new Kado manage to do any, some or all of those things? Let’s find out.
It’s a looker
A carbon frame construction gives the RSX sleek lines. Whyte Bikes
Aesthetics first – the Kado is a good-looking bike, taking design cues – such as slender, straight tubes – from its lighter-weight sibling, the ELyte.
These cleaner, neater lines are arguably an improvement over the E-160’s top-tube hump, giving the Kado a load of visual clout.
While the down tube has to be chunky to house an 800Wh battery, it’s far from monstrous, and the sleek carbon weld-free tube joins (on the RSX and RS models) help to keep bulbousness in check.
In my opinion, the Kado’s visuals are a massive tick in the box, especially compared to the E-160.
So far, so good, then!
Geometry battles
The carbon Kado’s got svelte tubes for a full-power eMTB. Whyte Bikes
Firstly, the Kado’s sizing is a giant leap forwards for Whyte. That’s not because the figures are re-writing the rulebook, but simply because the brand has added another size for its newest model.
Again, it’s not re-inventing the wheel, but including a size-small – with a 435mm reach – is a big positive compared to the E-160’s medium (455mm reach) starting point.
Another point goes to the Kado.
The Shape.It link has low and high settings, which means the bike is mixed-wheel compatible. Whyte Bikes
I’m not quite done with geometry yet.
Both bikes have Whyte’s Shape.It link, which adjusts their geometry.
On the E-160, it swaps the head angle between 64.2 and 64.8 degrees, and the bottom-bracket height by 8mm (336mm low, 344mm high).
The level of adjustment on the Kado is the same – 0.6 degrees of head angle and 8mm of bottom-bracket change – but the head angle is steeper at 64.4 degrees in the low setting, and the bottom bracket sits slightly lower at 342mm (size large, high position).
These two small changes potentially even each other out. Lower but steeper should arguably feel very similar to higher and slacker.
So, while it’s not a resounding win in favour of the Kado, it’s not exactly an own goal either.
My suspicion is the Kado will feel excellent on the trails.
Multiple frame materials and an awesome lifetime warranty
The Kado S is the most affordable model at £4,499 / €4,999 and has an aluminium frame. Whyte Bikes
The top-spec RSX model’s frame is constructed from carbon fibre from head tube to rear axle, giving it smooth, weld-free lines.
A carbon fibre front end and an alloy rear feature on the mid-range RS, helping balance cost and weight.
The most affordable S bike’s frame is made exclusively from aluminium tubes, offering the most cost-friendly option.
Having three frame-material options is an improvement on the alloy-only E-160 and potentially shaves a chunk of weight off its headline figure.
The carbon-framed RSX’s piggyback rear shock is mounted horizontally rather than vertically. Whyte Bikes
To make cable routing easier, the carbon fibre Kados have tube-in-tube routing for the brake, gear and dropper cables. This high-quality touch will make a mechanic’s life easier, something the E-160 didn’t offer.
Supporting the rider, all Kado bikes have a lifetime warranty on both the frame and pivot bearings.
That means the Kado is a potential life-long partner.
Other details include a generous helping of finned chain-slap protection, hopefully hushing noisy descents. The underside of the down tube and motor, like the E-160 of old, is heavily armoured to protect the bike from the worst the trail can throw at it.
Keeping the centre of gravity low
The motor is ‘clocked’, so its nose points up, helping the battery sit lower on the bike. Whyte Bikes
Like the E-160 that preceded it, the Kado’s battery and motor placement has been optimised to lower its centre of gravity.
Using its own in-house test rig – which gives Whyte the opportunity to see how much of an effect moving battery and motor placement around has on the centre of gravity – the team has tuned it to be as low as possible.
Over the E-160 – which had excellent handling in part thanks to the low COG – the Kado’s has been lowered by a further 12.54mm towards the floor.
Clocking the motor (turning it from parallel with the floor to having its nose up) and sticking the battery beneath it, which overlaps the two components instead of stacking them on top of one another, is the key factor in lowering the Whyte’s mass.
Again, this puts the Kado a good few points ahead of the E-160.
Battery and motor upgrade
Bosch’s top-tube controller and Purion 400 display are fitted to the RSX. Whyte Bikes
Bosch’s latest Gen 5 Performance Line CX motor is fitted to the Kado, whereas the E-160 had the Gen 4.
While torque and power figures aren’t up on the newest motor, it’s much quieter on the downhills thanks to a decoupling between the chainring and motor’s output.
Rattly descents are no more.
This latest motor is powered by either a 600Wh or 800Wh battery, both being compatible with the Kado without upgrades.
The full E-160 range (S to RSX) is fitted with Bosch’s 750Wh unit, but both the newer 800Wh and 600Wh batteries are lighter than the 750Wh they replace.
There’s a load of under-slung protection, and the battery is removable. Whyte Bikes
The interchangeability gives riders the ability to balance weight and range for their own needs. Lighter riders will probably want a 600Wh battery, while heavier ones will benefit from the 800Wh.
Thanks to this design, the battery is also removable via the bottom of the down tube. Usually, the motor ‘blocks in’ the battery within the down tube, but its clocked position means it can be removed.
On- and off-bike charging, therefore, are available. So are easy mid-ride battery changes, if you run out of juice and have a replacement.
I’d say this adds up to two more ticks in favour of the Kado.
Specs and pricing
It has 29in wheels front and rear. Whyte Bikes
Sharing the three-model range with the E-160, that uses Whyte’s brand-wide S, RS and RSX terminology, the Kado’s specs are thoughtful and functional, focusing on performance rather than being illustrious, fancy or showy.
These include parts from RockShox, SRAM, Fox, Magura, Shimano, Whyte’s own parts and tough Maxxis tyres, with each model appearing to be ready to rip straight out of the box.
Prices start at £4,499 / €4,999 for the Kado S with a 600Wh battery (€5,699 for the same bike with an 800Wh battery), rise to £5,999 / €7,299 for the Kado RS and top out at £7,499 / €8,499 for the Kado RSX.
A resounding success?
This is the smallest 490ml Fidlock bottle, but there’s space for a bigger one. Whyte Bikes
On paper, the Kado looks like an exceptional performer at what is quite a modest price tag for a top-flight eMTB.
The proof is always in the pudding, however, and I’m especially excited to swing a leg over one in the future to find out for certain if it’s the E-160-beater it should be.
Let’s dive into how these leaderboards work, along with some tips for moving up the rankings and (of course) ideas for how future leaderboards could be improved.
Leaderboard Basics
It may be helpful to start by understanding that the Zwift Games leaderboards are simply showing your best finishing time for each of the 5 Zwift Games stages, and ranking it against other riders’ times.
The leaderboards do not take into account which category or timeslot you raced, whether you’ve got a heartrate monitor, whether you’re on ZwiftPower, how old you are, what team you’re on, whether you cheated and lowered your weight just before the event, how accurate your dual power recordings may be, etc.
Your Zwift Games dashboard shows which stages you’ve completed, and your global ranking (based on your best finishing time) in each stage:
Click one of the 5 “Stages” cards on the homepage and you’ll be taken to the leaderboard for that stage. Click one of the “Classification” tabs on top and you’ll be taken to those respective leaderboards:
Sprint combines stage 1 and 2
Climb combines stage 3 and 4
Epic is for stage 5
Overall combines all 5 stages
Whether you’re viewing a Classification or a Stage leaderboard, your filter options are the same. You can filter by any combination of Gender (view all or female only), Country, and Racing Score (in bands of 100 points):
Want more detail? Clicking a rider’s name or profile pic takes you to their main profile page, while clicking the stage time takes you to the results page for the particular event they raced.
Some Notes About Racing Scores Shown
There’s been a bit of confusion about the racing scores shown for each rider in these leaderboards. First, to be clear, the racing score shown is the rider’s score, apart from any seed score changes due to new power PRs, at the completion of the most recent race shown in the leaderboard. That means:
The score shown is not necessarily the rider’s current racing score. If a rider finished another scored race after the one shown, their score will probably be different than what’s shown.
If a rider raced the same stage multiple times, the leaderboard uses the rider’s fastest finishing time. The score resulting from that particular effort is what you’ll see on the leaderboard.
If you’re looking at a Classification leaderboard that uses two different stages, such as the Sprint Classification, the score shown will be the rider’s result from his fastest completion of the most recent stage. (So it only shows stage 1 in the Sprint Classification as of today, March 5, since nobody has raced stage 2 yet. But once riders have finished stage 2, the racing score shown will be from their best result on stage 2.)
One big gotcha here is that the score shown in the leaderboards does not show score increases due to new power PRs, since those are computed when your activity is saved, while the race result score is saved for the leaderboards as soon as you finish the race. So you may see riders with a result of (here’s a real example) 193, but an actual score after the event of 364 due to a big new power PR that bumped up their seed score. The race result is shown in the leaderboard, but if you click the time and see the racing score on the event results page, it will include any seed score increases.
The Racing Score filter in the leaderboards filters the results based on the rider’s racing score result for the races in question. It doesn’t look at which category (score band) the rider raced for the event. So if you filter based on a racing score of, say, 500-600, you may see riders who raced in any number of pen groupings. There are 16 different ways riders are grouped together for Zwift Games events, and riders are free to race any group at or above their current racing score:
We’re only a couple of days into the Zwift Games, but riders are already starting to figure out what it will take to be a leader in the GC. It’s all about joining a fast group.
A simple illustration: if I filter Stage 1 results by Racing Score to show riders between 500-600 (my range), the top 10 all raced in an Advanced event which supposedly is for riders at 650+. (I didn’t click past the top 10, but my guess is most or all of the top-ranked riders did the same).
Topping a time-based GC that takes into account hourly events requires a primary focus on finding and hanging with the front of the fastest group. Whether you finish on the podium or not doesn’t really matter, unless you’re one of the very highest-ranked riders. What you need is a fast pack, so your overall course time is low.
My first stage 1 race (watch it here) was with the 450-570 group, and I turned in a time of 22:17 with a 3rd place finish. It basically felt like a tempo ride, with a hard effort in the final 2km. If I want a faster time, I need to join a faster group (say, 510-650, or a 650+ race) and suffer hard to hopefully hang with the front all the way to the finish. That’s how the current leaders in the 500-600 band with sub-20 minute times did it.
The fastest groups will be found in the Advanced races, and (assuming typical levels of rider cooperation) the larger those Advanced groups are, the faster they’ll be! Glancing at ZwiftPower results (which show rider counts, making research easy) the largest advanced groups are at these times:
10:15am UTC/5:15am ET/2:15am PT
5:15pm UTC/12:15pm ET/9:15am PT
6:15pm UTC/1:15pm ET/10:15am PT
7:15pm UTC/2:15pm ET/11:15am PT
Tuesday will probably see the highest race turnouts, but that remains to be seen, and the stages only last three days apiece.
Leaderboard Improvement Ideas
I love what Zwift is doing with these new leaderboards, but of course, it’s really just a first draft. How could they be improved? Here are a few simple upgrades.
My biggest wish would be for the leaderboards to indicate my rank when filters are applied. Currently, if I apply a filter (say, 500-600 Racing Score) to a leaderboard, I have no idea where I’m at, unless I scroll through the entire list, page after page, until I find my name. The filtered results should show my name at the top or bottom of every page, along with my filtered rank, sort of like Strava does with segment leaderboards.
It would also be helpful to have my leaderboard filters saved, so as I bounce between leaderboards, the same filters are always applied.
With multiple stages used for some of the classifications, a bit of explanatory text at the top of the Sprint and Climb classification leaderboards would be in order. Something like “The Sprint Classification is based on combined rider finishing times for Stage 1 (Makuri Madness) and Stage 2 (Scotland Smash).”
Lastly, I’d like to be able to save/send a URL of a particular filtered leaderboard. This would require passing the filters in the URL.
The End of ZwiftPower?
The Zwift racing community has been talking for years about how Zwift will probably move away from ZwiftPower as the source of final race results. But truth be told, we haven’t seen much movement, apart from Zwift beginning to show race results on event detail pages at zwift.com.
With that backdrop, it would seem that providing these Zwift Games leaderboards is a big step, removing ZwiftPower from the equation entirely, at least when it comes to Zwift Games results.
That said, Zwift has a long way to go before certain racers and race organizers can move away from ZwiftPower, so it’s unclear how or when that would ever happen. We need team functionality, the ability for race organizers to customize their events (including DQ criteria), series/league functionality for grouping races, global rider rankings, and much more.
So I don’t think ZwiftPower is going away anytime soon. For Zwift Games 2025, though, the final results live at Zwift.com… and that’s big news.
Questions or Comments?
What do you think of the new Zwift Games leaderboards? Are they a step forward for Zwift racing? A step back? Or something else? Share below!
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