Join our weekly meetups and ride with us on Zwift!

Get ready for the 2020 season! From your home, you will have access to a virtual platform and find another tool to train and get in shape for spring and summer tours!

But first of all, if you haven't heard of Zwift - it is an online, interactive training and racing platform. Pedalling on your smart trainer, connected to Zwift, drives your avatar around a virtual course. ... You can join group rides and races, compete with pros or just join in on rides around the world.

If the weather is awful, if you don't have the time to ride during daylight hours, or you are in a region that restricts outdoor access, ie COVID-19 - then Zwift is the answer.

Riding Zwift with GTP will not only help to improve your performance and fitness, you also meet other people, sometimes other GTP guests who may be on your tour. You will also have the opportunity to prepare for our tours, our guide will be there to offer help and advice to you during each virtual ride, making sure that you are ok and that you can ride perfectly in Zwift. Zwift training will give you a level of confidence to reach your goals in the real world and on our tours! And combined with GTP staff, it will be fun and before you know it, when we meet in real life, we will already know each other!

If you are new to this virtual world, here's a step by step on the process to becoming a Zwift rider and join us on our weekly rides!

Wondering how to start with Zwift?

- Prepare your Bike

You’ll need your own bike for Zwift. Most cyclists use modern road bikes, but mountain and hybrids are also welcome.

- Connect to Smart Trainer

Your bike attaches to the smart trainer which provides the resistance for climbing and descending - you experience the rolling hills and big climbs on Zwift.

GTP use the Elite Direto X turbo smart trainer.

- Download Zwift and Create an Account

Start with a free 7-day trial . Some smart trainers will also provide a free 30 days Zwift membership. Give it a try and ride - you'll love it!

- Follow the Grand Tours Project Account and Click on Meet-up

Search for Grand Tours Projects on your Zwift account and follow us. We will automatically invite you to our virtual meetup events.

Currently, we have two rides a week, with a duration of 1 hour each ride. Join us every Monday at 1.00 p.m. (CET) and Friday at 10.00 a.m. (CET). Soon we will be doing some rides in the evening (CET). We normally ride at a pace of 2/2.5 to 3/3.5 w/kg.

- Ride, Chat and Ask

During our rides, a GTP member will always be guiding the group, the ride leader’s beacon will set the pace, making sure everyone is comfortable with the speed and intensity of the ride. In addition, we will answer any questions about riding technique, bikes, GTP tours, almost anything - in real-time.

There are many options to ride: Watopia and other interesting worlds; cities; past world championship race routes; to rolling through virtual environments of real places... and all in the comfort and safety of your own home!

If you still want to know more, take a look at the most frequent questions that users have asked Zwift when they are thinking about starting ...

Are Zwift workouts any good?

Although Zwift is great for just jumping on the trainer and free-riding for fun, it's also a powerful training tool with an abundance of workouts and structured, discipline-focused training plans to help you take your fitness to the next level.

Do you need a smart trainer for Zwift?

No but it is recommended. You can use a normal trainer too. To use Zwift on a non-smart trainer you must have an ANT + or blue tooth speed sensor preferably with a cadence sensor on your bike. A power meter will work too. You will also need an ANT + dongle if you are using a computer to connect to your speed sensor.

What trainers work with Zwift?

Our top six smart picks for getting up and riding with Zwift.

• Tacx Neo 2 Interactive Smart Trainer
• Wahoo KICKR Smart Turbo Trainer
• Elite Volano Direct Drive B+ Trainer.
• Wahoo KICKR Core Smart Turbo Trainer.
• Tacx Flux S Direct Drive Smart Trainer.
• CycleOps H2 Direct Drive Smart Trainer.

Can I use Zwift with rollers?

While many people find them difficult to use or even impossible, rollers are a great way to work on your bike handling skills while Zwifting. When paired with a supported Power Meter, any classic set of rollers should work on Zwift. For a more immersive experience, we do also support a few “smart” rollers.

We hope this blog has been helpful for you and we will be waiting for you every Monday and Friday to ride and train together!