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Do a workout in Free Ride mode

"Free Ride mode" in Zwift means riding without loading a workout. This allows us to feel more like we're riding outdoors by feeling the terrain changes and drafting effects, and it requires more focus on the overall riding experience rather than simply trying to hold one number. Additionally, mastering the skills required to execute a workout in Free Ride indoors will also benefit us when it's time to start doing workouts outdoors.


Note: Free Ride is not an option when you're in a Zwift group workout (an event), but it is an option if you're joining a Meetup to ride with others.


How to do a workout in Free Ride mode

1. Evaluate the workout.

Workouts that are relatively simple with just a few steps or basic intervals are ideal for Free Ride. Most BaseCamp workouts will lend themselves to Free Ride, with the exception of a few where a lot of mental math is required due to the number of ramps, cadence builds, etc.


2. Choose a route.

For an Endurance ride with no sustained interval (such as Tempo or Sweet Spot), choose a relatively flat course. To do this, scroll down to "Just Ride" and all the way over to "Routes." You can view routes by world. Select one and then choose a route with low climbing elevation. It can be short or long, depending on your ride duration and how many laps you don't mind doing. For a longer interval, such as a Tempo or Sweet Spot interval day, try to find a route with at least one climb that fits the duration (for 20-30 minutes, Epic KOM or Reverse Epic KOM or the Grade are all good options), and for a 40- to 60-minute interval, Alpe du Zwift is a popular choice.


3. Do not load a workout.

Don't load a workout to use Free Ride. If you do select a workout in addition to a route, you'll see the workout steps on your Zwift screen; this means you will ride in either ERG or Incline mode and will not be in Free Ride. If you are in Free Ride mode, your display will look similar to this:

Note: No workout display appears when in Free Ride mode

If it's a Progressive Endurance workout or a simple aerobic workout extension, all you need to know about the workout is the duration of the entire workout, the duration of the warmup and cool down, and the duration of each Endurance segment in each power zone (such as 55-65% FTP, 65-70% FTP, and 70-75% FTP). You'll always want to know your zones and the middle of each zone; you can then watch the clock and adjust effort accordingly. Apart from this, you will be riding mostly by feel/RPE, though it's good to keep an eye on your effort, watching power and painting the blue Endurance line across the bottom of the screen.


If there are specific intervals to execute, write down the duration and power and cadence targets of each segment on a piece of paper and tape it somewhere next to you, then again just watch the clock and adjust your effort to do the intervals and recovery/Endurance intervals accordingly.


If there are intervals and the route has one major climb but repeats are needed, you can use the U Turn button to ride back down the hill for the recovery interval and then U Turn again when it's time to climb back up. To do this, click the screen to see the action toolbar and press the U Turn button.

The second button from the left with the curved arrow is the U Turn button and will simply flip your direction wherever you are on the route. You can also access this in the Companion app.

Use a Garmin in Free Ride

If you want to use a head unit to navigate the workout instead of writing it down, here are some tips:


  • Set the head unit to GPS off or indoor mode with no trainer control

  • Don't load a workout

  • Start the Garmin when you start riding on Zwift

  • You can use the Garmin's lap button to track time and average power

  • Both Zwift and Garmin record files; we recommend discarding the Garmin file at the end and keeping the Zwift file in TrainingPeaks


General tips for indoor workouts in Free Ride

  • Set Trainer Difficulty (in Settings) to 50% or up to 75% so you don't have to shift as much or if you don't have a lot of gears to use.


  • Focus on the colors of the zones on the bottom of the screen and stay in the appropriate color (blue for Endurance, green for Tempo, etc.).

  • Get comfortable with how efforts feel; use RPE to guide your efforts and be okay with being within 2-5 watts of the target

  • Use the average watts in the top left corner to doublecheck overall effort. In a progressive Endurance ride, make sure this number is maintaining or slowly getting higher; you don't want it going down.


  • You can't pause a workout or take a coffee break (unless in a meetup), so have bottles, food, fans, towels, and music ready before you start the workout. If you do need to take a break, just stop riding and hop off the bike; the ride clock will just stop when your flywheel stops turning.


The goal is to achieve as close to the workout as you can, even if it's not as perfect as it would be if you had loaded the workout in Incline or ERG mode (click here for more on Zwift's various training modes). Zwift's Free Ride teaches control, focus, and pacing. The rolling average power on the Zwift display really helps. The key is to know your three power zones and the middle of each, then try to stay within the zone, ideally in the middle, but when there's terrain variance, don't worry about it too much; just stay somewhere in the zone. Use RPE and make a point to not chase segments (sprints/KOM) or Endurance watts on these rides. Use your cadence, watch the profile of the road, use your gears, and pretend you're riding outside.

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