Zwift announces updated Ride V2 indoor smart bike, plus new in-game roads, bikes, events and cross-platform integrations - BikeRadar
Zwift has also announced a new version of its Ride smart indoor bike, the Ride V2. Speaking of fantasy bikes, Zwift has also revealed two more ‘Halo bikes’, from Cervélo and Canyon. Zwift says this event will introduce “a new tactical challenge”.
Zwift has revealed its latest seasonal updates ahead of the upcoming autumn and winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.
As well as returning races and events, such as the Tour of Watopia and Zwift Racing League, Zwift has revealed plans to expand its main hub world, Watopia, and improve integration with the popular fitness-tracking platform, Whoop.
Zwift has also announced a new version of its Ride smart indoor bike, the Ride V2.
The Ride V2 uses the same basic design as its predecessor, but offers a host of upgrades aimed at helping more riders get a better fit on it.
When Zwift launched the original Ride back in 2024, it brought smart indoor bikes to a much lower price point than was previously available.
With an eye on simplicity and, presumably, keeping costs low, the original Ride lacked the same wide-ranging adjustability that most smart indoor bikes offer – with only a single, fixed crank length and seatpost setback available.
Zwift later released a multi-length crankset as an aftermarket option for the original Ride, but the Ride V2 now features this as standard, along with a new seatpost offset range of 50mm (on top of what’s available with the saddle rails).
The new crankset offers 160-175mm options.
These changes, plus a slightly more compact frame, mean the Ride V2 can now accommodate a wider range of riders, from 146 to 198cm in height.
Despite the upgrades, the Zwift Ride V2 is priced the same as the current model, at £1,099.99 / $1,299.99 / €1,199.99, including the Wahoo Kickr Core 2 smart trainer.
Zwift also confirmed that riders with existing Ride V1 frames would be able to upgrade to the new seatpost, if desired (pricing TBC).
Zwift’s original and most popular virtual world, Watopia, is set to receive another update.
“Roughly 18km of new roads” are being added, connecting Jarvis Island in the North to the Mayan Jungle in Watopia’s central area.
Zwift says the new area will be inspired by Santa Catalina Island – a rocky island off the coast of California.
As well as a ‘flat bypass’ around the Epic KOM, the new environment will include two “crit-style circuits” designed for racing.
Riders will be able to explore the new “archipelago island chain” when it launches as part of stage 4 of the Tour of Watopia, on 26 October.
As of today, Zwift says Whoop users will be able to “get a fuller picture of their training”, with Zwift providing additional “insights” and adjusting recommended training sessions based on your ‘Whoop recovery score’.
On ‘red days’ (Whoop-speak for ‘you’re tired’), for example, Zwift will adjust the recommended training session to ensure riders “still get a meaningful session without overreaching”, and vice versa.
Zwift also says activities on its platform will begin to sync to the Whoop app “later this fall”.
Zwift has put a lot of effort into adding new bikes to the Drop Shop in recent months, and the platform says it has no intention of slowing down.
There’ll be a Kona-themed drop coming in October, which will presumably focus on triathlon / time trial bikes and wheelsets, and, following that, Factor bikes and Black Inc wheels will be making a long-awaited debut on the virtual indoor cycling app.
Exactly which models will be available has yet to be confirmed. However, if you’ve been lusting after a Factor ONE but your budget doesn't stretch to the real thing, perhaps you’ll soon be able to live out that fantasy in the virtual cycling world.
Speaking of fantasy bikes, Zwift has also revealed two more ‘Halo bikes’, from Cervélo and Canyon.
Zwift hasn’t named specific models, but a pixelated image on one bike looks almost certain to be Cervélo’s legendary concept bike, the ‘Baracchi’ – which the company founders, Gérard Vroomen and Phil White, made for Italian pro Gianni Bugno in 1995.
Canyon’s made a number of concept bikes over the years, including, most recently, a road bike with an integrated computer aimed at improving rider safety, so perhaps it will be one of those.
As with existing Halo bikes, you’ll need to fully upgrade three bikes (meaning complete all of the associated riding challenges) from the brand, at which point you’ll be able to unlock the Halo bike for 10 million Drops.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the commitment required, Zwift revealed that so far only around 9,000 Zwifters have unlocked a Halo bike – meaning they remain a fairly exclusive upgrade.
Perhaps more attainably, Zwift says it will be adding the “iconic Zwift x Pinarello paint scheme” to the game this season, but pricing has yet to be revealed.
There’s also the usual suite of races, events and app updates coming this fall.
As previously mentioned, the Tour of Watopia – Zwift’s premiere double XP event – returns this fall, starting on 5 October 2026.
There will be six new route badges to unlock and an “ultimate challenge with an ultimate unlock” for completing every part of the Tour.
Zwift’s racing scene also continues to be a key focus for the brand, with more formats and more ways to race coming soon.
‘Zwift Racing’ will offer “always-on” racing across time trial, criterium and ‘Epic’ formats (‘Epic’ races are ones that offer longer distances and a greater challenge than standard races).
The first series is being hosted in partnership with Shimano to promote its new Dura-Ace WH-R9370 wheels.
There’s an in-game Dura-Ace cap to be unlocked by participating, and riders can unlock the new wheels in the Drop Shop now.
Completing an event will also give riders the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win one of 100 real Dura-Ace caps, or even a Dura-Ace C50 wheelset.
In an effort to make racing more accessible, Zwift will also be offering ‘Road to Zwift Racing League’ introductory rides, which coach riders through racing formats and the process of finding a team.
A new ‘Race of Truth’ format will also be added in season one of the Zwift Racing League, which is a mass-start points race without drafting. Zwift says this event will introduce “a new tactical challenge”.
Last but not least are a few updates to the Zwift app itself.
The homescreen and companion app are both set to receive a makeover, with a simplified view and more focus on your fitness progress and ‘what’s next’.
Zwift is also adding a new feature called ‘Watt Lock’, which will give riders the ability to toggle on ERG mode during free rides, via the in-game Action Bar, in order to lock yourself onto a target power output.
According to Zwift, the idea is that “now Zone 2 days, stay Zone 2” – rather than drifting up or down in response to the actions of other riders or terrain.