The Cost of Zwift in South Africa
Maybe due to chance or some other ways you must have heard about Zwift, the online gaming platform dedicated to indoor cycling. Basically, think Mario Kart on bikes, but with more sweat, less blood, and fewer talking animals.
How can I get Zwift for free in South Africa?
For PC/Macs you’ll get a 7-day free trial with unlimited distance once you start pedaling. For iOS/tvOS/Android it’s a little different—you get 25km (15.5mi) once you start pedaling and then an additional 7-days with unlimited distance once you select Join Now.
Can you pay for Zwift for a year?
Yes. The Zwift 12 Month Membership allows you enjoy a full year of interactive training.
What Are the Drawbacks of Zwift?
One of the biggest issue, is that Zwift is not engaging enough because you physically stay in one spot, and the game component can feel a little nerdy. Zwift should be balanced with outdoor riding with actual real life people. For some, the in-person experience may be one of the biggest motivating factors to bike at all, which is lost in Zwift.
How much does zwift cost in South Africa?
For R215 ($14.99) a month, Zwifters gain entry to a virtual cycling world with multiple courses, group rides, and even races, which can make (sometimes monotonous) indoor riding way more fun and interactive.
What do I need for Zwift in South Africa?
Get The Gear
The gear you need for Zwift is similar to what you’d use in a standard indoor cycling setup, but with a bit more hi-tech hardware. You need a fan, a towel, some music, a water bottle, and something to blow your nose with. Then ideally you have some kind of power meter or smart trainer that measures power, very critical. Whichever data delivery method you choose, you’ll need to connect to this virtual world via ANT+ and a USB ANT+ stick, or by downloading the Zwift Mobile Link app to your smartphone, which in turn connects to your laptop via Bluetooth Smart. There’s also an iOS app that can substitute for the laptop. All this may sound complicated, but the Zwift website is full of easy-to-follow information that’s backed up by a solid tech support team.
Find Your Zones
Allen is a big proponent of using Zwift to determine your functional threshold power (FTP), a strong metric of fitness. You’ll need a power meter or a trainer that can estimate power, like Kinetic’s Smart Road Machine (pictured above, with the add-on Power Unit). FTP tests are used to identify the likely max power you can reasonably hold for an hour-long time trial, usually calculated while you put out your highest sustainable power for 20 minutes.
Choose Your Route
Once your set-up is dialed, it’s time to choose a course and get pedalling.
There are currently five worlds in which to ride: Watopia, also known as Zwift Island; a true-to-life route around London and some of the surrounding countryside; an online version of the 2015 World Championships course in Richmond, Virginia; Innsbruck, Austria, a world built around the 2018 UCI World Championship cycling course; and New York 2118, which is modelled on the roads of Central Park as they will be in 100 years along with kilometres of skyway, flying cars, and futuristic buildings.
