TINKERERS REJOICE: BIKE UPGRADES COME TO THE ZWIFT DROP SHOP

Zwift, the global online fitness platform for cyclists, announces the launch of the Bike Upgrade System, adding more value to the Drop Shop economy.

‘New Bike Day’ is the highlight for almost any cyclist but the next best thing is a shiny new upgrade, a well-earned reward that might just help them get an edge over their riding buddies. Now you can spend your hard-earned Drops tuning up your bike in Zwift - making your favourite top-end ride even better or fine-tuning each of your bikes for specific terrain. 

Following this update, Zwifters will now see that every frame in their garage will display a sequence of upgrades, specific to that bike frame. Five stages of upgrades are possible, each improving a specific aspect of your bike’s performance. To progress to the next upgrade, Zwifters must equip the frame and complete the requirements to earn the opportunity to purchase the upgrade using Zwift Drops. From the launch, there will be five bike upgrade variants:

1. Aero Improvements

2. Weight Reduction

3. Improved Drivetrain Efficiency

4. XP Boost (5%)

5. Drops Boost (5%)

In addition to the new Bike Upgrades update, Zwifters will now have the opportunity to unlock three new Halo Bikes from Specialized, Pinarello and Cannondale. Pinarello has introduced the Pinarello Espada to Zwift’s roads. The Pinarello Espada, designed by Fausto Beroglio, a Time-Trial bike made for one effort against the clock for Miguel Indurain. Specialized has introduced the Project 74 bike to Zwift, conceived by Robert Egger to honor the founding of Specialized in 1974, forged by the desire to "Innovate or Die". The Project 74 bike was a challenge to think outside the UCI box and beyond the double triangle. Lastly, Cannondale has unveiled the R4000 Roller Blade, a visionary concept bike from the mid 1990s, features four inline skate wheels instead of a regular front wheel. Each bike has a story of innovation and cycling history available to earn for every Zwifter.

Like the Zwift Concept Z1, these bikes will require a significant amount of effort to unlock, giving them huge prestige and street credibility. Of course, they will also have the performance to live up to the billing! To unlock the opportunity to purchase one of these new bikes, Zwifters need to fully upgrade (completing all five stages) three bikes from the same manufacturer.

To read more about Bike Upgrades and the upgrade system here.