Thinking about buying a Zwift Ride – a few fit & comfort questions
Hi everyone,
I recently got back into Zwift after barely using my Tacx Neo 2 Smart trainer since I bought it in 2023 (only around 450 km in total).
The main reason was that I never found indoor riding particularly comfortable. As a last attempt to improve the experience, I bought a set of 3D-printed feet with tennis balls for the Neo 2, and they honestly made a huge difference. The additional movement makes the trainer feel much more natural.
I also took the opportunity to give it another chance because the weather here has been very stormy and rainy recently. After a few rides with the new feet, I can actually see myself integrating Zwift into my training on a regular basis, especially on days when I don't have much time or when the weather is terrible.
The only thing I'm really missing now is a proper fan. I sweat a ridiculous amount indoors, so that's my next purchase. At the moment I'm leaning towards the Vacmaster, which seems to get recommended a lot.
For context: I normally ride around 300–400 km per week outdoors. I could see Zwift helping me spread my weekly volume over more days and adding some easy group rides or races during the week.
This brings me to the Zwift Ride.
The biggest advantage for me would be having a dedicated indoor bike. I really don't want to keep mounting and removing my road bike from the trainer all the time.
However, while researching the Zwift Ride, I came across a few concerns and was hoping some owners could help clarify them.
1. Bike fit
My road bike has a frame reach of 384 mm and a stack of 540 mm.
With my current cockpit setup (handlebar, spacers, etc.), my effective fit is approximately:
- Road bike: 459 mm reach / 608 mm stack
- Gravel bike: 467 mm reach / 609 mm stack
The road bike uses a 25 mm setback seatpost, while the gravel bike has a 12.5 mm setback.
I've read a few comments saying that the adjustment range of the Zwift Ride can be limiting for smaller riders.
Would I actually be able to replicate either of these positions on the Zwift Ride? If anyone has similar fit numbers, I'd really appreciate your feedback.
2. Comfort
Comfort is probably my biggest concern.
I've read completely opposite opinions. Some people say the Zwift Ride is more comfortable than riding their actual road bike, while others claim their bike flexes much more and therefore feels better.
Now that I'm finally happy with the comfort of my Tacx Neo setup, I'd hate to lose that again.
For reference, my road bike is an Elves Falath Evo with fairly large aero tube profiles, so I assume it probably doesn't flex as much as many traditional round-tube frames anyway.
How comfortable do you find the Zwift Ride for longer sessions (2–4 hours)? Has anyone switched from a regular bike on a smart trainer and felt that the comfort improved, or got worse?
I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences before making the investment. Thanks!