How to Adjust Smart Trainer Difficulty - Instructions | Zwift (2024)

Sometimes, your Zwift rides don’t go exactly the way you want. They can be too easy or too difficult. Follow these simple instructions to adjust the difficulty of your smart trainer on the fly. These changes won’t affect how far or fast you ride. All it changes is how climbs and descents feel.

1. Launch Zwift and go to the menu on the pairing screen.
2. Click on “Settings” and find the Trainer Difficulty slider.
3. The default position is midway between “Off” and “Max,” or
   50 percent of the grade resistance you’d find while riding the same grade in the real world. Leaving the setting unchanged helps climbs feel challenging. Descents also provide resistance, which means you almost always have the opportunity to keep pedaling.
4. Move the slider right to make climbs more difficult.
   Adjust the slider to “Max,” and your in-game climbs will feel as challenging as outdoor climbs of the same steepness. Remember that downhills get steeper, too, so you’ll “spin out” earlier.
5. Move the slider left, and climbs are easier.
   Descents will offer more resistance.
6. Click “Okay,” and you’re ready to Zwift.