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Zwift virtual gears vs real gears: ratios and what equals 34x28
Which Zwift virtual gear equals 34x28: Insider Mixed Terrain ratios (secondary) and the three 2x ranges.
At a glance
Short answer: Zwift has 24 virtual gears; Insider's reported Mixed Terrain ratios (not an official Zwift FAQ table) run 0.75 to 5.49. A real 34x28 (~1.21) lands nearest virtual gear 5 (1.23). Flat, All-Arounder or Climbing ranges emulate common 2x road setups instead of the 1x24 ladder.
Who it's for: riders on Zwift Click, Play or Ride who want to know what each virtual gear means next to their outdoor chainrings and cassette.
Already own outdoor gearing numbers? Our gear calculator turns any chainring and cog into the same ratio figure used below.
What virtual shifting is
Zwift's Virtual Shifting FAQ: "Virtual shifting replaces your bike's physical gears and lets you change gears electronically while riding in Zwift." And: "Virtual shifting changes trainer resistance electronically to match your selected virtual gear. Gear changes are controlled through Zwift Ride, Zwift Click or Zwift Play, so your chain doesn't move when shifting."
You get 24 virtual gears. Zwift: "It's designed to balance gear range and spacing for a consistent riding experience." Your current gear shows in the in-game HUD. It works in free ride, but in ERG workouts "Zwift automatically controls resistance to match the workout targets." Virtual shifting is not supported when the trainer is connected through ANT+.
You need a Zwift Ready or Zwift Cog Compatible trainer. Ready models ship with a Cog and Click already fitted. Compatible models take Zwift's Cog and Click Upgrade Kit (Zwift US showed $49.99 on 7 November 2026) plus current firmware. Wahoo's KICKR BIKE electronic shifting is separate: Zwift says virtual gears will not appear in the HUD on that setup.
The four gear ranges
In Zwift's Hardware settings you pick a Shift Style and a Gear Range. Zwift Insider lists the styles as Sequential, Shimano Style A, Shimano Style B and SRAM Style, and says "Shimano styles are only available for Zwift Ride users, since you need two shift buttons on each controller." The four ranges, as named by Zwift Insider:
| Gear range | What it emulates | How you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed Terrain (1x24) | One virtual chainring, 24 evenly spaced rear gears | Default Sequential ladder; widest ratio span |
| Flat (53/39, 10-28) | Standard road double, tighter cassette | Harder top end; less easy climbing |
| All-Arounder (48/35, 10-33) | Compact double | Middle ground |
| Climbing (43/30, 10-36) | Sub-compact double, big rear cog | Easiest low gears |
The Mixed Terrain view is the simple "gear 1 to 24" ladder. Flat, All-Arounder and Climbing are meant for SRAM-style shifting (rear clicks plus a double-tap to swap virtual chainrings).
Mixed Terrain: every virtual gear
These are Zwift Insider's reported ratios for the default 1x24 ladder, not an official current Zwift spec. Insider says "according to Zwift", and the same numbers appear in a November 2023 Zwift Forums reply. Ratio means chainring teeth ÷ cog teeth: lower is easier, higher is harder. Real pairs below are within about 2.5% of the virtual ratio; only 30x40 is an exact match.
| Virtual gear | Ratio | Nearest real pair (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.75 | 30x40 (0.75, exact); easier than most outdoor bikes |
| 2 | 0.87 | About 30x34 (0.88) |
| 3 | 0.99 | About 34x34 (1.00) |
| 4 | 1.11 | About 34x30 (1.13) |
| 5 | 1.23 | About 34x28 (1.21) or 34x27 (1.26) |
| 6 | 1.38 | About 34x25 (1.36) |
| 7 | 1.53 | About 36x24 (1.50) |
| 8 | 1.68 | About 50x30 (1.67) |
| 9 | 1.86 | About 50x27 (1.85) |
| 10 | 2.04 | About 34x17 (2.00) |
| 11 | 2.22 | About 34x15 (2.27) |
| 12 | 2.40 | About 50x21 (2.38) |
| 13 | 2.61 | About 34x13 (2.62) |
| 14 | 2.82 | About 34x12 (2.83) |
| 15 | 3.03 | About 34x11 (3.09) |
| 16 | 3.24 | About 52x16 (3.25) |
| 17 | 3.49 | About 52x15 (3.47) |
| 18 | 3.74 | About 52x14 (3.71) |
| 19 | 3.99 | About 52x13 (4.00) |
| 20 | 4.24 | About 42x10 (4.20) or 50x12 (4.17) |
| 21 | 4.54 | About 50x11 (4.55) |
| 22 | 4.84 | About 53x11 (4.82) |
| 23 | 5.14 | Harder than a typical 50x11 road top gear |
| 24 | 5.49 | Hardest (Insider likens the ladder to a virtual 55x10-73) |
"Nearest" means closest by ratio, not a gear Zwift locks you into. A 50/34 compact with an 11-28 cassette runs from about 1.21 (34x28) to 4.55 (50x11), so virtual gears 1 to 4 are easier than its easiest gear and gears 22 to 24 are harder than its hardest.
Common outdoor gears → Zwift gear
| Outdoor gear | Ratio | Nearest Mixed Terrain gear |
|---|---|---|
| 34x28 | 1.21 | Gear 5 (1.23) |
| 34x32 | 1.06 | Gear 4 (1.11) |
| 36x28 | 1.29 | Gear 5 (1.23) |
| 40x42 (1x gravel easy) | 0.95 | Gear 3 (0.99) |
| 42x10 (1x gravel hard) | 4.20 | Gear 20 (4.24) |
| 50x28 | 1.79 | Gear 9 (1.86) |
| 50x11 | 4.55 | Gear 21 (4.54) |
| 53x11 | 4.82 | Gear 22 (4.84) |
| Climbing 30x36 | 0.83 | Gear 2 (0.87) |
Plug your own rings and cassette into the gear calculator, then match the ratio column to the Mixed Terrain table.
Flat, All-Arounder and Climbing in brief
Zwift Insider publishes full ringxcog tables for the three 2x ranges (again "according to Zwift"); like the Mixed Terrain ladder, these are Insider's reported tables, not an official current Zwift spec. A few anchors:
| Range | Easiest (small ring x biggest cog) | Hardest (big ring x 10t) |
|---|---|---|
| Flat 53/39, 10-28 | 39x28 = 1.39 | 53x10 = 5.30 |
| All-Arounder 48/35, 10-33 | 35x33 = 1.06 | 48x10 = 4.80 |
| Climbing 43/30, 10-36 | 30x36 = 0.83 | 43x10 = 4.30 |
Those match simple chainring ÷ cog maths. The cassette tooth lists are the virtual emulation, not a claim that your outdoor cassette has a 26t or 20t cog.
Starting physical gear (before virtual shifting takes over)
Wahoo: "the gear combination you are in when you start pedaling in Zwift/Rouvy after virtual shifting is enabled in Zwift is the gear your trainer will use as the neutral set point for shifting." Advice on which gear to start in differs by source:
- Wahoo (for its trainers): start closest to a 3:1 ratio. Its examples include 50x16, 42x14, 39x13, 34x12, 32x11 and 30x10.
- Zwift Insider (reporting Zwift's guidance): "Zwift recommends the small ring in front, and a lower gear on your cassette (perhaps 3rd or 4th) which gives you a decently straight chain line." With a single Zwift Cog there is no rear choice.
Stay in that physical gear for the ride. If you shift the bike by mistake, Wahoo says shift back to the gear you started in.
Related on Pedal Brief
- Gear ratio calculator
- Zwift Cog compatible trainers
- Best indoor cycling apps
- Smart trainer 12/13-speed compatibility
- Zwift Ride vs Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT
- Wahoo KICKR CORE 2 vs Van Rysel D500
Sources and notes
Where the sources disagree
- All-Arounder chainrings (unresolved). Zwift Insider's SRAM-style update names All-Arounder as 48/35, 10-33 and prints its full ratio grid on that basis. The same site's "All About Virtual Shifting" page lists All-Arounder as 43-35, 10-33. We use 48/35 because it is the label on Insider's grid; we found no Zwift source that settles it.
- Starting physical gear. Wahoo's support page targets about 3:1 (for example 34x12). Insider says Zwift recommends the small ring and roughly 3rd or 4th on the cassette, and Insider's own preference is the big ring with about 4th. Those are different set points.
- Who published the 0.75 to 5.49 numbers. Zwift's Virtual Shifting FAQ states "24 virtual gears" and does not print the ratios. Insider's tables say "according to Zwift"; a November 2023 Zwift Forums reply by Ian_Attoe lists the same 24 figures. We found no Zwift support URL that reproduces the full table.
What we could not confirm
- An official Zwift support page with the numeric ratios. Searched and rendered on 7 November 2026; the FAQ stops at the gear count.
- Whether Mixed Terrain still matches a literal 55x10-73 cassette. That framing is Insider's; Zwift's FAQ does not use it.
- Per-gear HUD labels in SRAM Style. Insider notes Sequential shows "Gear X" and SRAM Style on Mixed Terrain shows "Gear 1-X"; we did not re-check every controller firmware screen.
- Exact cassette tooth lists inside the live game for Flat / All-Arounder / Climbing beyond the Insider tables (last updated on that page 5 February 2025 when we rendered it).
- Trainer Difficulty vs virtual gear feel. Insider's separate Trainer Difficulty article uses 34x28 as an outdoor example; that setting changes climb feel, not the virtual gear ratio table itself.
Sources
- Zwift: Virtual Shifting FAQ, Zwift Ready and Zwift Cog Compatible Trainers, Cog and Click Upgrade Kit (US store)
- Wahoo: Virtual shifting with Wahoo smart trainers
- Zwift Insider (secondary; numeric tables): All About Virtual Shifting, SRAM-Style Virtual Shifting Options, Using Zwift Trainer Difficulty to Simulate IRL Climb "Feel"
- Zwift Forums: Introducing Virtual Shifting for Zwift Hub (gear-ratio reply), Virtual gear vs real gear ratio
All checked 7 November 2026 (Europe/Copenhagen). Ratio maths match /tools/gear-calculator (ratio = chainring ÷ cog).
Disclosure: Pedal Brief may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This version has no affiliate links. We have not measured these gears on a trainer. Counts and product claims come from Zwift and Wahoo; the numeric ratios come from Zwift Insider (which attributes them to Zwift) because Zwift's own FAQ does not list them. Checked on 7 November 2026. Full disclosures.