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JSTS Zwift Group Rides
When the weather or time of day isn't suitable to ride outdoors, JSTS Zwift Group Rides are a great way to still ride with your friends. These ride can be found in the JSTS Ride Schedule, and are noted with a "Pace" starting with "Zwift...". All rides are "by invitation only", so make sure you read about how to get invited to rides, and how to actually join a ride.
If you have a smart trainer, but are unfamiliar with Zwift, be sure to read this article that explains HOW TO GET STARTED ON ZWIFT WITH A SMART TRAINER. If you don't have a smart trainer, then read this article that explains HOW TO GET STARTED ON ZWIFT WITH A CLASSIC TRAINER.
Once you've covered those basics, this page covers the following topics that are specific to participating in JSTS Zwift Group Rides:
- What type of JSTS Zwift Group Rides are there?
- How do I get an invite to join a JSTS Zwift Group Ride?
- What do I do when it's time to ride?
- What extra steps do I need to perform to participate in a JSTS Zwift Group Workout?
- How do I communicate with others during the JSTS Zwift Group Rides (using Discord)?
- Who can help me if I still have questions or need further assistance?
What type of JSTS Zwift Group Rides are there?
There are 3 different types of JSTS Zwift Group Rides:
- Zwift - ALL - These are "meetups" which will follow a specified "route" and utilize the "Keep Everyone Together" feature that Zwift introduced in Oct 2019. This will ensure that everyone in the group stays within a few seconds of each other, regardless of your power output, as long as you keep pedaling. If you stop pedaling during one of these rides, you will not stay together with the other riders in the group.
- Zwift - Workout - These are "meetups" that are similar to the "Zwift - ALL" rides, but instead of the effort during the ride being based on the terrain of the route, these rides will follow a "structured workout". Since Zwift does not explicitly support private group workouts, you must follow the additional steps listed below about how to join a JSTS Zwift Workout.
- Zwift - <pace> - These are more traditional "meetups" which will follow a specified route, but will not utilize the "Keep Everyone Together" feature. All participants are expected to be able to maintain the specified pace, listed in terms of "w/kg". For example, "Zwift - 2.0 w/kg" or "Zwift - 2-2.5 w/kg". If you are unable to maintain the specified pace, you are still welcome to continue to ride in the meetup, but you may find yourself not riding near others in the group.
How do I get an invite to join a JSTS Zwift Group Ride?
JSTS Zwift Group Rides are "by invitation only", and it is really easy to get an invite to any ride. All you need to do is follow our Zwift Ride Leaders.
Make sure to follow all the ride leaders at least 48 hours in advance of your first JSTS Zwift Group Ride. Note that this is not a commitment to join a particular ride, just a way to receive the invites for the rides led by the ride leaders.If you do not receive an invite at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled start of a particular ride, please reach out to any of our ride leaders.
You only need to follow each ride leader once, after which you will receive invites for all future rides that they lead.
What do I do when it's time to ride?
You must have received and accepted an invite to join a ride. Make sure to be up and ready on Zwift at least 5 minutes in advance of the scheduled start time. If this is your first JSTS Zwift Group Ride, it is best to allow at least 10-15 minutes to get everything setup. Sometimes when you launch Zwift you will find that it needs to perform an update before you can use it (there is no choice to "update later"). An update usually only takes a couple of minutes, but if you are cutting it close, that couple minutes can make the difference between being "on time" versus "late".
You must click on <RIDE> so that you are "in-game" within Zwift, and then once it is within 5 minutes of the start time for the ride, Zwift should ask you to confirm that you want to join the meetup. Click <OK> or <JOIN MEETUP> in order to join the meetup. If you are having problems joining a meetup, feel free to utilize Discord to try and get help from the other riders before the ride starts (see Will I be able to communicate with others during the JSTS Zwift Group Rides?).
All Meetups now automatically support late join! (*And there was much rejoicing!*)
This has been a popular request from Zwifters because let’s face it: cyclists are really bad at showing up on time. Late Join for Meetups works like Late Join for events – you can join a Meetup up to 30 minutes after it begins, as long as it’s still in progress.
What extra steps do I need to perform to participate in a JSTS Zwift Group Workout?
Please follow the additional steps found on this webpage to participate in a JSTS Zwift Group Workout.
Who can help me if I still have questions or need further assistance?
Please feel free to reach out to one of our experienced Zwift Ride Leaders or our Ride Coordinator should you require further assistance.