Zwift has announced the latest feature designed to keep riders together during these uncertain times.
The indoor training app has been trialling a new Zwift Clubs feature, which gives users the chance to ride together and stay up to date with the riding companions in the virtual world.
Clubs, which is currently in the initial launch phase but will be rolled out fully later this year, will feature club events, leaderboards and an activity feed for club members.
Zwift CEO Eric Min said: “ I imagine that Zwifters will see some discussion about the new Club functionality within the community pages, so I want to make sure that the community understands the planned roll out.
“I’m incredibly excited by Clubs, especially for the additional tools and control it will provide to our community.”
The feature is currently only available to Zwift’s beta testers and has been rigorously trialled internally, but it should officially launched at the end of this year.
A new tab will appear in the Zwift Companion app where members can see their club-mates activities, any upcoming events and compare stats.
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Zwift has seen a surge in users in recent weeks due to the global lockdown sparked by coronavirus.
To help riders stay in touch with their friends, Zwift has been hosting dozens more races and groups rides, including many with pro riders.
Meanwhile rival apps have also been stepping up their support of riders trying to stay fit and social during the current crisis.
TrainerRoad has released a new group workout feature complete with video chat, while The Sufferfest has rolled out lockdown specific indoor training programmes and has extended its free trial.
Road Grand Tours, which recreates real life roads and iconic climbs, has also gone completely free.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
