All about Zwift's Heads Up Display

Many riders who are just starting out on Zwift will be confused about all the different data fields that there are on the screen. In the past couple of months Zwift has been updating the HUD to make it easier to use and adding more features.

Power/Cadence/Heart Rate

In the top left corner of you screen you will see your current Heart Rate, Power, and Cadence. Below that you will occasionally see a segment leaderboards page where you can see the times and names of the top 15 riders for each segment.

The main data(Stats in the top middle of the screen)

The main data shows a lot of different things, distance, speed, elevation, time, drops, and your current level as well as a progress bar to show you how far through the level you are. The new Route UI will also show up when you are following a route, if you are not following a route, the route UI will not be shown. At the very bottom of this display, you will see your route progress bar, this is how you can see how far you are through a level. You can also click menu and it will say your exact XP. When you are going through a segment, your time for the segment will be displayed there. Once you near the end of the segment, the times will expand and show you vs the competitor closest to your current time. To learn more about drops and how you can earn more, head over to this article: https://zracecentral.com/2021/08/10/all-about-zwift-drops/. Note: Zwift has added remaining distance in a previous update. The distance is now shown next to the finishing flag shown on the image below.

The Mini map

The mini map will show the upcoming terrain for whatever course you are following, it will show the upcoming hills, where you are on the elevation graph, and where you are on the roads. By tapping the map it will either zoom in or out.

The Route UI

This was implemented in the recent August update 1.16, it is a great new addition to the UI and it is very helpful when doing a route. This data will not however show the exact distance remaining in the route. It will tell you what route you are following, and a progress bar to show where you are in the route. Once you complete the route, it will say completed, then restart the route if it is a loop, if it isn’t, then it will go back to the regular display.

Hide the HUD mode

Zwift has also added a button that allows you to hide all of the data on the screen. You will not see watts, cadence, speed, distance, or any of that stuff. Only your avatar riding through Zwift. This can be very helpful to work on timing in sprints, it can also make it more challenging in races and you really have to be focused to see when riders avatar get out of the saddle rather than their WPK. It can also be helpful if you want to take better photos, or take in all of the details of the worlds in Zwift.

The riders nearby list

At first you may think that the riders nearby list just shows the riders nearby. There are a lot more things that Zwift incorporated into the list though. The riders nearby list can show who is on Zpower and who has a real power meter, it will show how many watts per kilogram you are doing, whether you follow that rider or not, if that rider is “Verified” or a Pro. More on what kinds of pros and what kinds of riders can get verified later in the article. The Riders Nearby List will also show who is using Zwift Companion, who is doing a workout, and what country they are representing. Depending on which device they are using it will show a different amount of riders.

The little phone icon is what shows whether a rider is using Zwift companion or not. The little lightning bolt next to a riders WPK shows whether they are using a real power source

Verified/Pro Badges/Big Z meanings

Zwift staff get the orange Z next to their name on their profile, this is to recognize that they work for Zwift. Riders, runners, and Triathletes can all get Pro badges or a Verified symbol if they meet certain requirements. Here is what Kate Veronneau from Zwift HQ has to say about it. “Pro badge is strictly for WorldTour Riders, the Verified Badge is for other UCI pros and verified celebrities, VIP’s, and such. We review on a case-by-case basis. It’s similar to the check mark on Twitter or Instagram. Sometimes we apply the badge because we know them, other times, riders and runners send in a request to be Verified.”

The power graph

Your last 10 minutes of power will be displayed at the very bottom of your screen. If you do not see this, click the bottom of the screen, and scroll until you find the little power graph symbol, then click the symbol. The power graph is also colored. Grey is Zone 1, Blue is Zone 2, Green is Zone 3, Yellow is Zone 4, Light Red is Zone 5, Dark Red is Zone 6 and beyond.