Great round-up of the various bikes on Zwift. Great help! I'm in level 12 and just bought the Giant TCR Advanced as this is my real-life bike. But I will definitely look to purchase the Specialized Allez sprint and the Cannondale Evo. Like the videos and the racing. Keep up the great work 👍🏻
I had it for a while but the second I got to lvl 20 it went, seemed like the bike I used last in all my Zwifting so a bit forgettable but it is quite fast.
New subscriber here! I’m with you bro, 3 stars should be 3 stars. Love the review, I’m going with the specialized allez s and will pick up sets of wheel as well since I have about 985k drops. Thanks again a man! Keep it up! Love the channel
....and the prices and other stats might change at any time! Really appreciate you chasing the mystical beast of objective comparisons in Z! Also just to put the other video into perspective, the Zwift Aero appears to be slower than only the top 2 bikes in this vid in lap time. The top 3 bikes in the early unlock video all put in lap times within the top 5 in this one. This kind of uncertainty and weirdness is actually amazingly lifelike-no joke.
Man, thanks for doing these! One thing I think would be neat at the end is to compare these to the Tron bike for data. Maybe a new or experienced Zwifter would be better off just climbing constantly for the Tron challenge and unlock it ASAP rather than messing around earning levels/drops? Who knows?
Great content!! Specially for the corona-noobs like me :) The differences (20s over a 40m course) look almost insignificant if we compare to other game effects, such as drafting of powerups. So I think I'll choose for the look and the bikes I have in real life. Quick question, were you able to perform several tests on each bike (or at lest some of them) to check the results remain consistent, and are not affected by something else?
I treat zwift bikes the same way as I treat real life, I rely on test data like this to gain any advantage I can find to keep up with faster people! I know this would be exceedingly difficult to do but it would be interesting to know how many more watts a rider would have to put out on the baseline Zwift Carbon with Zwift 32's to keep to match the fastest times from bikes like the Venge, S5, Madone, Allez Sprint etc. Massive props for the time and effort you put into this, it's much appreciated.
@@chrispritch yeah it would definitely be time consuming and require trial and error upping wattage in maybe 20-25w increments to get an idea. If anything it would be useful just to get a zwift carbon with 32's baseline and the wattage required for that on the figure 8 vs. your fastest setup of the S-Works Venge with the 858 and Super 9.
You forgot the Specialized Venge (Level 18) and the Specialized Tarmac Pro (Level 11). Which is a real shame, since ZwiftInsider considers the Tarmac Pro to be the best climbing bike in the whole game.
hi Chris. Love your videos. just came across this 1 today. wondering what wheels would ya pair with the specialised allez sprint over crit city race course or would the canyon aero be a better bike for the course? I'm at level 16. have the dt swiss, zipp 808s at moment but have drops to buy enve wheels. thanks Chris keep up the good work 👍
I'm surprised the Trek Emonda does not make the list. Available at level 12 and is the 6th quickest bike up Alpe du Zwift and not too slow on the flat test either. Also not that expensive.
Thats my bike in real world, red, and I just made 12. I may have to check it out. Was about to go home tonight and look at the EVO but I do want my RL ride.
Hey Pritch, what do you think of the specialised tarmac? Aero 2 weight 4, a decent climber? I unlocked it completing the California challenge. Cheers for the channel man 👍🏼
So, here's an idea for a future video. Not all of us have a nice fast road bike to strap to our trainer. In my case I'm running a hardtail MTB on my Wahoo Kickr. Which basically means I'm spinning in my top gear on the flats in Zwift. Maybe a video on how to get the most out of Zwift when you've got a MTB strapped to your trainer. Based on my limited experience so far (lvl 7) it seems like it is better to attack climbs than to ride flats when you're running MTB gearing in Zwift.
Great content Chris! Do you believe the results between the bikes would be consistent for mere mortals not able to push 360 watts for 45 minutes? Ie would the ranking be the same at, say, 200 watts?
Thank you a lot for your videos. New to Zwift and this helps a lot. Getting the tarmac pro and the allez Sprint :) Can we get a spreadsheet with all your results across the different videos? I had to watch several videos multiple times now that you release more and more videos on the topic. It would also be great to include the bikes that you forget in the videos there :)
Can't decide between specialised venge or trek madone!? I'm guessing because the venge didn't even make this list ( even though its rated the same) that it's rubbish?? Any suggestions? Forgot to mention... Do you know how the felt FR performed compared to these?
Good stuff, are any of the level 1-10 bikes better than the top 3 in there? As if there's a bike that's available sooner that's quicker, I'll probably stick with that. At the moment I usually ride a Canyon Aeroad, as I have an endurace IRL, but race on the Allez Sprint as it "feels/seems quicker" when I race on it. Currently saving up for a Cervelo S5, but might get the Madone if that's actually quicker.
Is the allez sprint faster than the zwift aero bike? I ended up buying the zwift aero bike based on it’s rating online. But Chris didn’t even test it. Or maybe the results were just bad?
I got to level 25 recently, Ive been waiting a long time for it to buy the Cervelo but don't have enough drops as spent it on a good MTB due to all your Jungle rides 😫
Chris, enjoying the videos helpful and entertaining. I have a question/comment. I'm 185.5cm and 89kg my FTP is 296 last i checked. I'm getting dropped on most climbs, My questions is I guess Realistically If I don't lose weight i'm always going to get dropped on climbs in races or explode trying to stay with the pack.
What wheels would you recommend using with the allez Sprint, within the same level range? It would be really helpful to know because I can't trust the rating system.
after getting the Tron bike i just use the Tron for everything except Alp De Zwift where I swap for the Volcano reward bike Trek Emondo with Zipp 202's? (think thats the right one)
What is faster on the figure of 8 course when using the Enve 3.4's...the Trek Madone or the Specialized Tarmac? I know the Tarmc is the best for climbing. But I can't see a video that compares "flat rolling" bikes to "climbing" bikes.
@@chrispritch Cheers. I am currently a lvl 22 rider. Alternating between the Madone and the Tarmac. Trying to workout an approx estimate of when I should be switching from Madone to Tarmac based upon course elevation.
The time difference between the two bikes, if I've calculated correctly, is only 0.44 percent. So it's no wonder they both get 3 stars for aero and weight.
Interesting comparisons, in races how much does this effect people? Would love to see a comparison of the Trek Madone vs Cannondale Synapse in a race category head to head I.E Cat D 2.4w/kg cat C power etc on a crit circuit? Thoughts?!
Chris Pritchard Cycling News good point... also draft inclines etc... if you remove all that it’s basically the same test as the figure of 8 on a sliding scale?
I use to go off the star ratings but not anymore now you've shown they're meaningless. From now on it'll be the Pritch rating for me. Would like to see the same bikes tested with a top wheelset to see if that improves them and by how much
Im a Zwift newbie in level 9. And as you can imagine, as you can imagine, I have no money or a lot of bikes to choose from. But. I’m thinking on getting the Canondale Evo. Or should I wait and get the Zwift Aero or the Chapter2 ?
Get wheels first, the Enve 3.4. Then get the Tarmac Pro once you hit level 11. Best climbing bike in the game... such a shame he didn't remember to test it here. Level 13 you will want to buy the Zipp 808's, followed by the Specialized Allez Sprint at level 14. Wheels are more important that frames, don't ignore them.
If using as a dedicated zwift bike that won't see outdoors go for low-end/heavy but modern setup with at least 8 speed cog, double (not triple) crank, and Claris shifters.
I’ll hit that sub button and hang around for the TT bikes. I am curious to see if we will get an update on the lol 18 venge. Currently lvl 14 and am saving for that, or may wait for the cervelo at lvl 25 and get the Allez in the mean time.
I have noticed you have trouble not knowing how to pronounce the Chapter 2 Rere @Chris Prichard Cycling News. As it made in NZ and a Maori name, you need to roll the R's ☺
Zwift algorithm for equipment performance is pretty simple to understand as it is only based on one variable .. $ . They even nerfed the Tron bike because of this
The main thing I've learned from these comparisons; Zwift star ratings mean absolutely nothing!
Amen lol... Who the heck is making up these ratings on zwift??? Most of these bike ratings are hardly based on real bike standards.
Thank you! I started cycling on zwift 2 weeks ago, and choosing a bike isn't easy. Many thanks for your tests and videos, keep going 👌💪
I used to look at the star rating until i found a crazy British guy who did all the testing and now I use the fastest bikes and wheels. Thanks pritch
😂 😂 For a second then i got annoyed wondering who this crazy brit is!!!
Great round-up of the various bikes on Zwift. Great help! I'm in level 12 and just bought the Giant TCR Advanced as this is my real-life bike. But I will definitely look to purchase the Specialized Allez sprint and the Cannondale Evo. Like the videos and the racing. Keep up the great work 👍🏻
Great content.. You have a point Zwift need to be more specific about the bikes and raiting
I'm really surprised you forgot about the Specialized Venge (older model) unlockable at level 18
Thanks what I was half way through commenting
Bloody hell i always forget something!!!
Chris Pritchard Cycling News 🤣, it’s ok, where would you think the venge or tarmac pro would come though?
I had it for a while but the second I got to lvl 20 it went, seemed like the bike I used last in all my Zwifting so a bit forgettable but it is quite fast.
Quickly run the test and add it in the comments!😄
New subscriber here! I’m with you bro, 3 stars should be 3 stars. Love the review, I’m going with the specialized allez s and will pick up sets of wheel as well since I have about 985k drops. Thanks again a man! Keep it up! Love the channel
....and the prices and other stats might change at any time! Really appreciate you chasing the mystical beast of objective comparisons in Z!
Also just to put the other video into perspective, the Zwift Aero appears to be slower than only the top 2 bikes in this vid in lap time. The top 3 bikes in the early unlock video all put in lap times within the top 5 in this one. This kind of uncertainty and weirdness is actually amazingly lifelike-no joke.
I use vids like this to choose bikes in the shop,very helpful.Thanks, Chris!
Man, thanks for doing these! One thing I think would be neat at the end is to compare these to the Tron bike for data. Maybe a new or experienced Zwifter would be better off just climbing constantly for the Tron challenge and unlock it ASAP rather than messing around earning levels/drops? Who knows?
Great content!! Specially for the corona-noobs like me :)
The differences (20s over a 40m course) look almost insignificant if we compare to other game effects, such as drafting of powerups. So I think I'll choose for the look and the bikes I have in real life.
Quick question, were you able to perform several tests on each bike (or at lest some of them) to check the results remain consistent, and are not affected by something else?
I'm feeling the same. I will choose based on mix of performance and what I like or what I own IRL. But I want the Allez Sprint so I am good.
I treat zwift bikes the same way as I treat real life, I rely on test data like this to gain any advantage I can find to keep up with faster people! I know this would be exceedingly difficult to do but it would be interesting to know how many more watts a rider would have to put out on the baseline Zwift Carbon with Zwift 32's to keep to match the fastest times from bikes like the Venge, S5, Madone, Allez Sprint etc. Massive props for the time and effort you put into this, it's much appreciated.
Cheers nick appreciate that... Would be a good test... Not sure how to nail it though...
@@chrispritch yeah it would definitely be time consuming and require trial and error upping wattage in maybe 20-25w increments to get an idea. If anything it would be useful just to get a zwift carbon with 32's baseline and the wattage required for that on the figure 8 vs. your fastest setup of the S-Works Venge with the 858 and Super 9.
Thanks for this!! Maybe gravel vs MTB on Jungle circuit next? It seems trending at the moment. You are great!
Nice one carlo! Thank you
You forgot the Specialized Venge (Level 18) and the Specialized Tarmac Pro (Level 11). Which is a real shame, since ZwiftInsider considers the Tarmac Pro to be the best climbing bike in the whole game.
Chris's own testing found the Tarmac Pro to be the best climber.
hi Chris. Love your videos. just came across this 1 today. wondering what wheels would ya pair with the specialised allez sprint over crit city race course or would the canyon aero be a better bike for the course? I'm at level 16. have the dt swiss, zipp 808s at moment but have drops to buy enve wheels. thanks Chris keep up the good work 👍
Just hit level 14, being waiting for it because I now have the Specialized Allez Sprint, looking forward to this bad boy helping me cover the tarmac.
I'm surprised the Trek Emonda does not make the list. Available at level 12 and is the 6th quickest bike up Alpe du Zwift and not too slow on the flat test either. Also not that expensive.
Thats my bike in real world, red, and I just made 12. I may have to check it out. Was about to go home tonight and look at the EVO but I do want my RL ride.
Hey Pritch, what do you think of the specialised tarmac? Aero 2 weight 4, a decent climber? I unlocked it completing the California challenge. Cheers for the channel man 👍🏼
Any of the sub 10 unlockable bikes beat these? I know I could go back to the other vid and compare, but that sounds like effort. 🙄
😂 I had exactly the same thought as i was saying it...
Drew Zwift aero 41:15.16 would be the 4th fastest bike on this list
So, here's an idea for a future video. Not all of us have a nice fast road bike to strap to our trainer. In my case I'm running a hardtail MTB on my Wahoo Kickr. Which basically means I'm spinning in my top gear on the flats in Zwift. Maybe a video on how to get the most out of Zwift when you've got a MTB strapped to your trainer. Based on my limited experience so far (lvl 7) it seems like it is better to attack climbs than to ride flats when you're running MTB gearing in Zwift.
good job Chris, keep up the good work !
Great content Chris! Do you believe the results between the bikes would be consistent for mere mortals not able to push 360 watts for 45 minutes? Ie would the ranking be the same at, say, 200 watts?
Thanks so much for doing this Chris!!! New to yiur channel and LOVING it!! Do you happen to have any numbers on the Giant Propel?
Actually maybe I’ll need to wait til next week lvl 20-30 bikes. Hoping you’ll include the propel 😀
The zwift Aero (41:15,X) would be the 4th quickest bike here.
Unlocked at lvl 6 for ~320k
Thank you a lot for your videos. New to Zwift and this helps a lot. Getting the tarmac pro and the allez Sprint :) Can we get a spreadsheet with all your results across the different videos? I had to watch several videos multiple times now that you release more and more videos on the topic. It would also be great to include the bikes that you forget in the videos there :)
Can't decide between specialised venge or trek madone!? I'm guessing because the venge didn't even make this list ( even though its rated the same) that it's rubbish??
Any suggestions?
Forgot to mention... Do you know how the felt FR performed compared to these?
Might have been nice to see where top bike from lower level would have placed as well. Great video
Love the videos, I always check the stars for rating.
Cheers tony!! 👍🏼
Great vids!! Do you think there's any other hidden bonuses on bikes? Like the Roubaix on cobbles/dirt?
Never looked at anything else than Zwift Insider Flat and Climb percentile rating😄
Good stuff, are any of the level 1-10 bikes better than the top 3 in there?
As if there's a bike that's available sooner that's quicker, I'll probably stick with that. At the moment I usually ride a Canyon Aeroad, as I have an endurace IRL, but race on the Allez Sprint as it "feels/seems quicker" when I race on it. Currently saving up for a Cervelo S5, but might get the Madone if that's actually quicker.
Mate how can you have missed rage tarmac pro, it’s the quickest climbing bike and surely quicker than the allez?
Thank you. Great info. Any word on - Canyon Aeroad 2021 frame ? unlocks at level 10.
Hmm, I'm about to unlock the tarmac from the ride California challenge so it's either that or the allez sprint then ..
The tarmac will be the better climber, but the allez sprint will be faster for anything flat/rolling
I recently completed the Cali challenge as well. The bike is pretty cool.
Still riding the Tarmac from California challenge at level 27. Love climbing.
Tarmac Pro you can buy level 11 is faster climbing than Tarmac you win by riding California... even though the frame says "S-Works"... makes no sense
Is the allez sprint faster than the zwift aero bike? I ended up buying the zwift aero bike based on it’s rating online. But Chris didn’t even test it. Or maybe the results were just bad?
Hi Chris, what about the focus izalco max is it that bad it hasn’t made the video at all or is it new and hasn’t been tested? Thanks
Great content Chris. What about tt bikes. Think they have the same star ratings? So which is best, do you just go for the known name?
You hang fire Phil TT bikes coming soon!!
Please can you show us some of the customisable bits of the bikes like colours
New to ZWIFT, I’m on level12 and just today I unlocked the Trek Emonda, I think it is because I accumulated elevation equivalent to an Everest.
same here just today lol
I got to level 25 recently, Ive been waiting a long time for it to buy the Cervelo but don't have enough drops as spent it on a good MTB due to all your Jungle rides 😫
And what about the Ridley Noah fast?
These vids are great cheers
ALU or Carbon....? I think as long as the gearing is ok it should not matter...
Just unlocked the Specialized Allez Sprint
Chris, enjoying the videos helpful and entertaining. I have a question/comment. I'm 185.5cm and 89kg my FTP is 296 last i checked. I'm getting dropped on most climbs, My questions is I guess Realistically If I don't lose weight i'm always going to get dropped on climbs in races or explode trying to stay with the pack.
Yes. Welcome to the unfair zwift physics... Beat em in a crit though!!!
So witch is better then, the venge or the sprint
How much quicker is the Specialized Allez sprint in comparison to the Zwift aero? I’m on level 18 so holding out and saved just enough for the madone!
3 seconds? But much cheaper than the aero! Crazy cheap
You really need some "eyes of an angel" music playing when go in to black and white mode! LOL
😂 😂 😂
What wheels would you recommend using with the allez Sprint, within the same level range? It would be really helpful to know because I can't trust the rating system.
Zipp 808s
"Not necessarily the fastest bike is the best bike to buy" Christopher you have gone insane and I'm joining that 70%.
hahaha.... the best bike surely is the best value, easiest to unlock and fast right??
@@chrispritch Fair dos. I'm totally not joining the 70%, what's with those guys though, eh?
The only reason I went for a Allez Sprint is I own one in the real world.
Does it make sense getting the Specialized Venge unlocked on lvl 18?
after getting the Tron bike i just use the Tron for everything except Alp De Zwift where I swap for the Volcano reward bike Trek Emondo with Zipp 202's? (think thats the right one)
Blake i think that's probably the best option!! 1 climbing bike, 1 fast road bike
Is there an e-bike frame I can buy and race with?
What about the Venge
What is faster on the figure of 8 course when using the Enve 3.4's...the Trek Madone or the Specialized Tarmac? I know the Tarmc is the best for climbing. But I can't see a video that compares "flat rolling" bikes to "climbing" bikes.
Not sure I've tested the tarmac as it's not available in the drop shop... I'll see if i can get it done!
@@chrispritch Cheers. I am currently a lvl 22 rider. Alternating between the Madone and the Tarmac. Trying to workout an approx estimate of when I should be switching from Madone to Tarmac based upon course elevation.
Have you got a time for the Tron on this course? Please sir... give me some more
I'll get one!
Nice one. Thanks Chris
The time difference between the two bikes, if I've calculated correctly, is only 0.44 percent. So it's no wonder they both get 3 stars for aero and weight.
Interesting comparisons, in races how much does this effect people? Would love to see a comparison of the Trek Madone vs Cannondale Synapse in a race category head to head I.E Cat D 2.4w/kg cat C power etc on a crit circuit? Thoughts?!
Hey up our dave.... Not sure how you'd test that... You'd need both races to be identical pace or two bikes in the same race with identical riders on?
Chris Pritchard Cycling News good point... also draft inclines etc... if you remove all that it’s basically the same test as the figure of 8 on a sliding scale?
S works venge not in contention anymore?
How do I get that jacket you are wearing?
What does the Ribble SL compare to these bikes? I believe it unlocks at level 7.
check out the "new to zwift video" it's there!!
Tron FTW! Easily unlock it by 15
Factore One?
Can you do an update to this video with the Venge's (Level 18) lap time?
Yep... Over the weekend?
@@chrispritch Awesome! Sounds good.
What about regular Specialized Venge? Level 18 to unlock and 461,500 drops
Check out my recent FAQ.... The venge is in there!
I use to go off the star ratings but not anymore now you've shown they're meaningless. From now on it'll be the Pritch rating for me. Would like to see the same bikes tested with a top wheelset to see if that improves them and by how much
Search Zwift insider on google to find the best bikes and wheels for each level.
Im a Zwift newbie in level 9. And as you can imagine, as you can imagine, I have no money or a lot of bikes to choose from. But. I’m thinking on getting the Canondale Evo. Or should I wait and get the Zwift Aero or the Chapter2 ?
Get wheels first, the Enve 3.4. Then get the Tarmac Pro once you hit level 11. Best climbing bike in the game... such a shame he didn't remember to test it here. Level 13 you will want to buy the Zipp 808's, followed by the Specialized Allez Sprint at level 14. Wheels are more important that frames, don't ignore them.
Isaiah Hudson thank you for the tip. I will follow your advice.
Why wasnt the venge tested ?
S-Works SL 7?
How do you keep the same amount of power and cadence??? Is it a computer ?
ye I have an ANT+ simulator
Now here's a fun test: how do the fastest bikes on zwift compare to their real-life counterparts
What's a good real bike to buy to put on my trainer so I can zwift?
If using as a dedicated zwift bike that won't see outdoors go for low-end/heavy but modern setup with at least 8 speed cog, double (not triple) crank, and Claris shifters.
Emm.. Canyon Aeroad 2021 is top-1 nowadays, right?)
you're a star!
Love it!
I’ll hit that sub button and hang around for the TT bikes. I am curious to see if we will get an update on the lol 18 venge. Currently lvl 14 and am saving for that, or may wait for the cervelo at lvl 25 and get the Allez in the mean time.
I'll do my best!!
I have noticed you have trouble not knowing how to pronounce the Chapter 2 Rere @Chris Prichard Cycling News. As it made in NZ and a Maori name, you need to roll the R's ☺
Call me a conspiracy theorist but I'm guessing it how much the companies give to Zwift depends on how "good" their bike is.
Have you considered a test for the fastest bike on the jungle loop?
Yes! Vid coming soon!
Subscribed
😘
Canyon Ultimate?
It's in the 1-10 video
Apparently the Chapter 2 Rere is pronounced rare ray.
Zwift algorithm for equipment performance is pretty simple to understand as it is only based on one variable .. $ . They even nerfed the Tron bike because of this
Can't be cos the specialized is one of the fastest and the cheapest!
@@chrispritch I meant money paid to Zwift by the manufacturers
Pee me a updated version of this video for 2024
Come on people subscribe, and then go VIP, it’s less than a posh brew at a cheap brew shop on a ride out !!!!!!!
😘
No Zwift Aero bike? yeah okay...
I simply don't understand this Zwift upgrades thing.
If I get faster I want it to be me that gets faster not a cartoon bike.
Firrrest!! B