Speed Hacks by Katy Hill: 2023 Zwift Academy Finalist

Here are some top tips from our newsletter editor Katy Hill, who joined the club in 2019 before racing her bike competitively a few years later.

She was a finalist in the 2023 Zwift Academy series where she competed for a place on the CANYON//SRAM Generation squad.

🎯 Pick Your ‘Hero’ Moment

Group rides are basically a series of unspoken auditions.

You want to look strong, but only when it counts. No one really remembers those who pull hard on the flats. But pushing the pace on a climb is how you earn legend status (or at least a “strong ride, mate” at the café).

Save your legs, and your pride, by taking shorter pulls on flats or descents. You can absolutely milk the excuse: “My coach said endurance only today.”

Bonus points if you don’t even have a coach.

If all else fails, throw in the odd “accidental” wrong turn. If people think you’re a navigational liability, they’ll ask you to rotate off the front. Perfect.

🐢 Patience Is a Performance Enhancer

Starting strong is overrated. Begin at the back and stay there.

Remember: you only have so many efforts in your legs. Spend them like they are champagne at a wedding.

When the group rolls out, use every light and intersection to your advantage.

Take your time clipping in, sip your bottle, adjust your sleeve — whatever it takes to casually roll off last without looking like you’re trying but not so far you have to sprint to rejoin (rookie mistake).

No lights? No problem, you’ll have to get creative.

A well-timed Garmin fiddle, a dramatic snot rocket or waiting for the team car (okay, maybe not that last one) is usually enough to shift you to the side so you can drop back and slot in neatly at the rear.

🕶 Be Aero or Be Average

You don’t need to remortgage your house to be aero. Ask yourself this: am I a bullet or a human parachute? Tight kit? Check. Elbows bent, head down, hands on the hoods? Double check.

Yes, it feels weird. Yes, you’ll look like you’re trying to impersonate a praying mantis. But guess what? That awkward position saves more watts than weeks of interval sessions.

It also looks fast, which is half the battle anyway.

🍬 Sugar: The Legal Performance Enhancer

No fuel = no firepower. Want to smash the final sprint instead of fizzling out like a cheap firework? Carbs. Jelly babies, rice cakes, Ribena, Haribo, gels, bars. Whatever makes your inner child smile.

Pro tip: don’t wait until you feel like collapsing. Little snacks, little and often. And no, smashing a full English before or after the ride doesn’t count. It’s the snacks during that keep you from bonking.

🔧 Tyre Pressure = Free Speed (and Comfort)

There’s no “one PSI fits all”. Your perfect pressure depends on your weight, tyre width, road surface and how much you like your fillings rattled.

Lower pressure often means more grip and comfort, which equals confidence in corners (and fewer sketchy moments). Use an online tyre pressure calculator and feel smug forevermore.

✨ Clean Bike, Fast Bike

It’s not just for Instagram, a clean drivetrain can save up to 20 watts. That’s like showing up with new legs. Keep the moving bits shiny, give your chain some love and a little lube goes a long way.

Bonus: your bike will last longer and people will stop judging you at the café stop.