Tips for Racing on RGT Cycling
How to be get better results & master the differences between Zwift & RGT
While Zwift may be the most dominant game in cycling eSport, RGT Cycling is steadily becoming a popular platform for organized races. Series like the Echelon Racing League, USA Crits, British Columbia Cycling and the Canadian Collegiate Cycling Association are using RGT Cycling’s platform to host races that would have taken place IRL, were it not for the pandemic, and with good reason.
RGT Cycling’s physics engine approximates racing on the open road much better than Zwift’s. On RGT, races don’t default to FTP tests and tiny gaps don’t end your race like they do on Zwift.
This doesn’t mean that racing on RGT is easier than on Zwift. RGT races are more cerebral and tactical, and require knowledge of both the platform and your own fitness.
Here are some key tips to help you make the transition and to improve your results on RGT Cycling.
Zwift Tactics Don’t Work on RGT
As a general rule, if a tactic works in Zwift but doesn’t work in real life road racing, it won’t work in RGT Cycling.
Early gaps almost never stick. And you can’t rely on power-ups to open up gaps at critical moments in the race or to give you an extra boost of power in the sprint, because RGT doesn’t have them.
Don’t Go Too Hard at the Start
RGT races have the same frenetic starts, but there’s no need to go deep into the red for one to two minutes like you do on Zwift.
RGT’s physics engine mimics the gradual acceleration of riders from a standing start by throttling your power back every so slightly at the start. “Winding the trainer up” to a full flight sprint might be necessary on Zwift just to make the front 25–30% of riders, but on RGT a 4-6 w/kg surge, four seconds before go time, is more than enough to make the lead group in even the biggest and most competitive fields. RGT will throttle down anything else. Making the selection is another matter that I’ll get into below.
Gaps are Different in RGT
A 20m gap in RGT is about the same as a 5m gap in Zwift, in terms of the effort required to close it.
This is probably the most substantial difference between racing on Zwift and RGT.
If you’re used to putting in a short hard effort once your Close-the-Gap-o-meter reads three to five metres on Zwift, you’ll find yourself repeatedly shooting off the front or the past your break-mate if you do this RGT.
On RGT, you don’t need to start worrying about losing the wheel until the gap reaches about 10m. Even then, a very short 3 - 4w/kg effort is enough to quickly zip it up. A few quick pedal strokes will usually do the trick. On flat courses like Canary Wharf, I don’t even start worrying about a gap until it reaches 20m. Unless I’m on a bell lap, in which case I want to be sitting on the strongest wheel.
RGT Makes You Work Harder Than Zwift To Move Up To The Front
If you’re sitting at the back of an IRL crit and want to move up right away, you’ll probably need to stick your nose into the wind and go around the pack, putting in a big effort to do so. RGT’s physics engine forces you to do the same thing
This is a crucial difference between Zwift and RGT, especially on flat, criterium courses.
While Zwift will shuffle avatars around to let you reach the front when you put in an attack or increased effort, RGT steers your avatar around the others. This subjects you to the same aerodynamic punishment, and energy expenditure, that you’d face on the road. So
Be Aware of both the Watts You’re Saving & the Watts You’re Wasting
RGT lets you know exactly how many watts you’re saving by sitting in the draft — something helpful that Zwift doesn’t do. This is very useful information when it comes to measuring out your effort.
In addition, RGT also lets you know when you’re working too hard in the draft, or that your avatar is braking, by turning your power number red. This is a sign to ease up on the pedals.
Like in Zwift, RGT displays the real-time watts-per-kilo that the riders around you are putting out. However, those numbers don’t take the draft into account.
If you’re deep in the draft, take note of what the riders around you are doing and ratchet your effort back until your power number is white. If you’re well sheltered, saving 150–200+ watts, you’ll be surprised to find that you can practically soft pedal without losing position.
Watch your power when heading into sharp corners. If it turns red, it means that your avatar is braking and that you’re working harder than you need to. More on this below.
Learn and Understand RGT’s Unique Echelon Pack Dynamics
While Zwift always keeps the peloton in a unified blob, RGT will often break it into echelons. Especially when the field is large and when the course is flat and unsheltered, like the Borrego Springs circuit.
Whenever you find yourself in an echelon situation, always be ready to put in an effort so you can hook onto the faster echelon.
If you find yourself riding alone between two echelons, you have two options. You can either soft pedal and drift to the back of whichever echelon RGT slots you into (usually the closest one) or put in an effort to pass the groups and then soft pedal until the leading one catches you.
Never allow yourself to ride solo when the group breaks into echelons for too long. If a move goes, you’ll have a harder time responding to it.
Increase your cadence to close small gaps and to launch your sprint
RGT responds quicker to increases in cadence than it does to brute increases in wattage, like shifting into a harder gear. Use this technique when closing small gaps, responding to attacks and when launching your sprint.
To quickly zip up a small 5m to 8m gap, maintaining your gear and put in a few fast revolutions. This is usually enough to regain contact with the bunch or a wheel you’ve drifted off of.
When an attack goes, keep your gear and spin to follow it. You’ll be surprised how much faster and easier this is compared to shifting and hammering to follow.
Likewise, in a sprint finish, spin up fast before shifting into a harder gear. This move usually grabs at least two places, and even more if the riders around you are stuck on shift-mash mode.
Conserve Your Energy & Go Easy Through the Corners
RGT simulates braking before corners and the concertina effect that often follows. This is something that Zwift has yet to (correctly) implement, so it can really frustrate Zwift users when racing on RGT.
Remember, RGT lets you know that you’re working too hard by turning your power number red. So if you’re cornering with red power numbers, it means you’re putting down more power than you need to.
And while you’ll never clip a pedal and crash, if you come into a corner incredibly hot or try to pedal through it with too much power, your avatar will completely stop pedaling until you’ve exited the corner. So if you’re sitting on the trainer, still bashing out the big watts, you’re wasting energy.
When it comes to racing, especially on a crit course, keep your eyes on your power as you approach the corner and modulate your effort accordingly. In fact, in you’re deep in the wheels, don’t be afraid to soft pedal or even coast. Remember, not everyone around you knows or notices that their avatars are braking, so don’t let big w/kg numbers spook you into working too hard.
To get a solid handle on this dynamic and how make it work to your benefit, do a few Drop the Pack elimination races on the Tempelhof Airport course.
From a tactical perspective, attacking after a corner yields a bigger gap than attacking before the corners.
Keep an Eye on the Chase
In a Zwift race, once you’ve put about 20–30m between you and the riders behind you, you can pretty much write them off. This isn’t the case in RGT. The physics engine privileges larger groups — just like IRL aerodynamics — so even a poorly organized five rider chase can zip up a 60m gap in just a few kilometres.
Monitor how far back the chase is, the number of riders in it and the rough average the w/kg they’re putting out. If looks like they’re gaining on you, ramp up your effort and hope that the rest of the break follows suit. And don’t forget to use the “Look Back” camera as well.
Generally speaking, breakaways in RGT aren’t “safe” until they’ve grown to at least 100m, but that’s never a guarantee.
Use the Different Cameras to Your Advantage
The default third person view is fine for most situations, but the other camera views can give you an advantage in certain situations.
Even if you’re in the bunch, occasionally use the Look Back camera to check on what’s happening behind you.
Use the first-person camera to fine-tune your drafting abilities and to make sure you’re actually sitting on the wheel ahead of you.
Switch to the drone camera in the final 500 metres of a race to get a better handle on the sprint finish.
Check Race Results on RGTDb
RGTDb is a third-party website that keeps tabs on the results of RGT sanctioned races and promoted ones with twenty or more registered riders.
RGTDb creates a results page for all registered RGT users, so you can search out your name to find your results. If you’re competing in a series, RGTDb is a great place to learn about your competitors.
And Have Fun!
RGT Cycling wouldn’t be eating Zwift’s lunch anytime soon, but it continues to grow as a platform for virtual cyclosport.
