THE MODERN HOME has transformed into a domestic gym. Garages now double as storage for weights and squat racks; and what was once a spare room is now a Pilates studio. Equipment is no longer marketed exclusively to commercial gyms, but to anyone looking to cancel their membership and set up shop at home. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the arms race of indoor bikes. Every brand wants to be the centrepiece of your training sanctuary, with a machine you look at every day and think, yeah, I actually want to get on that.
Zwift, for years, has powered the software side of this revolution. It’s a sort of fitness multiplayer game with a strong social aspect, allowing you to venture out into a vast virtual world from the comfort of your home. The hardware, on the other hand, was always someone else’s problem.
That changed in 2024, when Zwift released the Zwift Ride, its first attempt to claim physical space in the home gym ecosystem. The Zwift Ride is a complete bike setup that eliminates the mess of cables and compromises with a plug-and-play machine designed not only for the UCI WorldTour tragic, but the everyday rider who just wants to train without turning their living room into a bike simulator.
But does it actually hold up? That’s what we found out when we put it through testing, and the verdict is clear. These are our honest thoughts.
The look
The Zwift Ride is big enough to feel solid and stable, but not so hulking that it dominates a room the way some smart bikes do. The silhouette is sharp and futuristic with shiny finishes and a simple setup that doesn’t hide any mechanics. In a garage gym, it blends in with the racks and dumbbells – which is great, because that’s where I put mine.
The specs
The Zwift Ride’s specs tell a similar story of purpose over flash. Zwift partnered with Wahoo for the resistance unit, which means you’re effectively getting the guts of a proven direct-drive trainer to go with your bike. It delivers up to 1,800 watts of resistance – far more than most riders will ever need, mind you – and simulates gradients up to 16 per cent.
Adjustability is broad and easy if you need to change the reach or saddle height. In other words, multiple household riders can share the bike without complaints. Connectivity is simple too, so you’re not wasting time trying to find a signal every time you want to ride.
The test
The first time you jump on the Zwift Ride, you’ll be surprised by how easy and seamless the experience is. After assembly, it’s good to go. Nothing is half-attached, there’s no cables everywhere, no lengthy firmware update needed.
Ride feel is another standout. The Wahoo resistance unit gives climbs a proper bite without an artificial grinding feeling. Close your eyes and it will feel like you’re going up a hill. Accelerations feel fluid and downhill momentum does carry some real relief after a tough climb. It’s also impressively quiet. You could hammer some intervals with someone asleep in the next room and they’d be none the wiser.
The world of Zwift itself remains impressive. Once you load up Watopia, you have endless loops, circuits and tracks to choose from, all with different gradients, difficulties and unique challenges. If you’re in the mood for an easy cruise, take a 20-minute ride on some flats. If you’re up for a challenge, spend an hour climbing a simulated version of Everest. Watopia makes training fun.
The verdict
For everyday cyclists who want indoor training to be smooth, quick and genuinely enjoyable, the Zwift Ride is your best option. Riders who want their indoor bike to feel like an exact replica of their outdoor setup will still gravitate towards rigs that tilt, but for the rider who wants an easy and efficient way to train at home, the Zwift Ride is very appealing.
At a price point of $2299.95, the Zwift Ride is cheaper than a lot of high-performance bikes you’d use outdoors and in the mid-tier category for smart bikes. A Zwift subscription will also only set you back $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year, which is fairly priced considering what you’re getting in return.
For me, the most impressive thing about the Zwift Ride wasn’t the tech, it was the fact I actually wanted to keep coming back to it. And that, now that I think of it, might be the whole point.
Click the button below for your chance to win a Zwift Ride and 12-month Zwift subscription.
