Zwift’s new Smart Frame rides solo, and it’s here to complete your indoor setup
Zwift takes the training wheels off with its new standalone Ride Smart Frame option
When Zwift launched its affordable Ride smart bike a few months ago, it instantly became everyone’s favourite accessory to use with the popular training platform, including me.
The main criticism of the otherwise excellent Zwift Ride was that it forced you to buy the turbo trainer as well as the smart frame, which meant that people who already had a trainer felt a bit left out.
Zwift didn’t wait long to respond to this, as the company just announced that it will start selling Zwift Ride Smart Frame as a standalone exercise bike without the turbo trainer attached.
The Ride Smart Frame offers a sleek and versatile design that caters to riders from 5ft to 6ft 6 inches, making it an ideal fit for most users.
One of the standout features of the Zwift Ride Smart Frame is its compatibility with the new Zwift Ready program.
This program expands Zwift’s virtual shifting capabilities to a wider range of smart trainers, ensuring that almost any 8-12-speed bike can be seamlessly integrated into the Zwift ecosystem.
The Ride Smart Frame is equipped with Zwift's latest Cog and Click technology, which includes in-built indexing for quieter, smoother rides.
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The adjustable front foot design further enhances the customisation options, allowing the frame to be perfectly aligned with various trainers.
The Ride Smart Frame also retains the benefits introduced with the bundled Zwift Ride with KICKR CORE earlier this year, including the integrated shift buttons that can be customised to match your preferred shifting style – be it Shimano, SRAM, or sequential.
These buttons, along with the Zwift Ride Smart Frame Controllers, give you full control over your Zwift experience directly from your handlebars.
The Zwift Ready program is said to simplify identifying smart trainers that support Zwift’s virtual shifting.
This is a significant development for those looking to upgrade their existing equipment or start fresh with a Zwift-compatible setup.
The Zwift Ride Smart Frame is now available to buy directly from Zwift US and Zwift UK for a recommended price of $799.99/ £749.99. It's not available to buy in Australia at present.
Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator for T3.com and T3 Magazine, where he works as Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, action cameras, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019.
His work has also appeared on TechRadar and Fit&Well, and he has collaborated with creators such as Garage Gym Reviews. Matt has served as a judge for multiple industry awards, including the ESSNAwards. When he isn’t running, cycling or testing new kit, he’s usually roaming the countryside with a camera or experimenting with new audio and video gear.