This article originally appeared on Triathlete
As the saying goes, “look good, feel good” – and it’s no different in Zwift’s virtual cycling world. There are hundreds of different styles that your avatar can wear with the click of a button – whether it’s high designs, more subtle colors or repetition of your favorite team – there’s a set for everyone. Now, fashion choices are often a very personal decision, and with so many sets on offer, it can be hard to narrow it down to the top 10, but fear not, we have done the hard work for you. The kits below are divided into four categories: team sets, challenge sets, unlock sets and special mentions. (And if it all sounds like a foreign language, hold on tight, we’ll explain it all as we go.)
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Team set
Cycling teams are, like in real life (IRL), an important part of the Zwift racing scene. The emergence of the highly competitive Zwift Racing League (ZRL), presented by WTRL, has further strengthened the presence of teams at Zwift. Over 10,000 team members meet every week to run, showing true camaraderie, even though most teams have never met each other IRL and come from all corners of the world. If your team is widespread enough in the racing scene, you get the chance to have a custom jersey in the game. The ones listed below represent the top four:
Team RAVE
An amazing bunch of women who are all about fun, energy, racing … and raving! Their set seems to encapsulate everything they stand for. An amazing pink-to-orange-to-blue fading with a unique dark red color spot on the left, middle and back. The arrows really make you think of a team with lots of energy that is always moving forward and bringing some real pizazz to the pack. The shorts are classic black with a little bit of pink and orange details in the sleeves to tie it all together. All in all, it’s an amazing set that lets everyone know that the RAVE girls are here to party!
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Team Socks4Watts (S4W)
At the start of the first Covid lockdowns, a group of top women formed S4W and continued to dominate the weekly WTRL-TTTs (team time trial). The team has grown to now field 11 male and female ZRL teams. And their set also has it all: a unicorn riding a Tron bike, subtle glitter on a deep blue sleeve, and matching pink cuffs around the neck and shorts that really tie the color palette together. But best of all is the cheeky swear word that is almost there that must have gotten past Zwift HQ: #AeroAF.
Team SARIS NoPinz
The caveat here is that this is the author’s race team, but all prejudices aside, who doesn’t like a tall, pink bike set ?! Ever since T-Mobile back in the day, for EF Cycling now, a hot pink kit has been the field’s must-have look. The crisp white offset with the hot pink is a delight to the eye and makes it hard to miss any of the team as they crush the Zwift Premier League races. When it comes to cars, red equals fast; in cycling it is pink.
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Team DIRT
DIRT stands for Dad’s Inside Riding Trainers and has been a regular feature on the Zwift stage since 2018. This set is unique and fully represents a team that mixes family time with Zwift time. Beneath the large mustache mascot is the piece-of-resistance: a baby bottle sticking out of the jersey pocket. It’s a set that says, “I’m serious about cycling, but I know where my priorities lie.”
Challenge set
Zwift is all about the challenges: They keep you motivated, keep you in shape, and most importantly, you will usually find a brand new set in your Zwift Garage when you are done. Below are my two favorite challenge sets (and unfortunately, if you missed the challenge, it’s very difficult, almost impossible, to get these in your garage at a later date):
Specialized Mix-Tape Challenge
In 2019, to coincide with the release of a specialized mix-tape collection of bikes and accessories, Zwift ran a series of group rides and workouts. Each tour was combined with a great musical soundtrack and, best of all, a truly amazing set: a midnight blue-to-purple barrel with swirling black streaks representing the bands on an old-fashioned band. To me, this set just screams fat! The black shorts give a touch of elegance and tie so well with the black block on the inside of the sleeve.
Neokyo Route Badge Challenge
It was probably one of the most exciting moments in a Zwifter’s life, and it happened in November last year: new paths were released. This time it was a new night city called Neokyo, and with it came a cute new set – a kind of neon, Japanese-inspired, pixelated mash-up of a shirt with pink, green, blue and red, all accented by a bold yellow pull through the middle. What could be just a little too much for the eyes is reassured by the solid black shorts. It’s loud, it’s definitely, but it’s eye-catching.
Unlock set up
These sets are the ones that become available only when certain levels or distances are achieved in the game. Everyone has access to these, but it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to unlock the best ones.
Century Kit
To make it clear, this involves driving 100 miles at once in Zwift. The set is black on black on black – and boy, does it ooze slenderness, confidence and a little bit of bragging that, yes, you’ve actually ridden a century. It has a very understated gray Z on the back with a nice little “Ride On” at the bottom to support the fellow riders out there who are not quite of the same caliber as your huge distance-crazy performance.
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Retro Z cycling jersey
This is officially called the Vintage 3 Jersey and unlocks when you reach level 8, so it is by far the most accessible sweater on this list. This one is modeled after the Z-Vetements cycling jersey from the 1980s, a true icon of its time, worn by legendary riders like Greg LeMond. Described as completely radical, divided opinions, but its 80s cartoon style with bright yellow, pink and blue colors is truly memorable.
Special reviews
That Triathlete Magazine shirt
You can almost be confused with a world champion when you wear the TriMag jersey in the game. Its sleek tri-colored lines on the classic block of black and white look very sophisticated. Add the matching trim to the shorts and you have a great look for any type of trip you are heading out on. With ‘Triathlete’ written in bold on the back, there is no doubt about which sport you represent – just be sure to wear socks!
(Note: You can join Triathlete monthly Zwift tour to unlock your own Triathlete Shirt. Simply join us on our hour-long tour on the first Tuesday of each month, starting at 9.00 MT. Here is a recent workout we did, led by American ITU racer Matt McElroy).
Canyon-SRAM 2022 Pro Kit
This set certainly deserves special mention, it is one of the most eye-catching and fresh-looking sets in the women’s field, and the digitized set looks great in the Premier Division racing league. Inspired by the elements, this sweater has glimpses of pink, blue and some bright neon green triangles on the shoulders. Although this set is only available to those who ride on the professional women’s team, it is still a set to be admired, albeit from a distance.
Anna Russell is a prolific Zwifter with an avid eye for avatar fashion. When she’s not riding, she also comments and produces for Zwift and Zwift Community Live. You will find her on the virtual roads almost every day while her three young children sleep.
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