<![CDATA[Nathan Krake: Zwift]]>https://www.nathankrake.com/s/zwifthttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Aqsf!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc4a7a767-9341-4425-b242-155e9d39c634_600x600.pngNathan Krake: Zwifthttps://www.nathankrake.com/s/zwiftSubstackWed, 24 Jun 2026 09:21:16 GMT<![CDATA[Zwift Won’t Let Kids In. So How Does It Plan to Build a Champion?]]>https://www.nathankrake.com/p/zwift-wont-let-kids-in-so-how-doeshttps://www.nathankrake.com/p/zwift-wont-let-kids-in-so-how-doesWed, 24 Jun 2026 01:59:27 GMTWhilst listening to Episode 3 of The Wattage Cottage podcast and more specifically, Zwift’s goal of establishing a junior development program, I realised that there is a quiet contradiction sitting beneath Zwift’s boldest announcement in years, and it’s worth holding up to the light.

In the same era that Zwift stopped accepting new under-16 riders — its kids page now turns away parents asking to set up accounts for younger children — the company has unveiled a junior development team with one of the loudest goals in the sport..

..to put a North American rider on the top step of the Tour de France within a decade.

The squad, built with Canyon and Pedal Mafia and run by veteran director Roy Knickman, will field under-19 men and women from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Under-19 means some of these prospects are fifteen. Fifteen-year-olds the platform itself currently won’t allow access.

L-R Mathieu van der Poel, Philip Roodhooft (GM Alpecin–Premier Tech & Fenix–Premier Tech), Christoph Roodhooft (Directeur Sportif Alpecin–Premier Tech) & Zwift CEO Eric Minn

Set those two facts side by side and a strange question falls out: how do you develop the next generation on a platform the next generation isn’t allowed to use?

The honest answer begins with a definition nobody has actually resolved yet. Is Zwift even social media? Australia’s world-first under-16 ban, in force since December 2025, doesn’t catch everything. It exempts online gaming, fitness and health apps — which is why Roblox and Steam stay open to kids while Instagram and Facebook slam shut. Zwift will argue it belongs firmly in the first group: it’s a smart trainer with scenery, not a social media feed. Probably right. But not airtight. Zwift has chat, clubs, group rides and “ride-ons” — a thumbs-up that behaves an awful lot like a “like,” the precise sort of feedback feature regulators have started flagging. And nobody at the platform gets to decide the question; eventually a court does. So Zwift sits in a grey zone partly of its own making: selling community and connection in its marketing, while needing to insist, when it counts, that it’s only a game.

Which leads to the tough question — is this team development, or is it marketing? The people building it don’t seem to draw the line. Canyon’s founder openly framed the project as a chance to learn about delivering value to sponsors in a “social-first” era. The trade press talks about building a fanbase before anyone has won a race. None of that is sinister; it’s how modern sport runs. But it’s worth saying plainly: a development team can race in the real world without a single rider ever opening an app.

The athletic mission doesn’t need Zwift. The brand mission does.

So what is the payoff that the company is really chasing — a generation that grows up inside its ecosystem and never leaves? — which is exactly the lifelong loyalty that under-16 laws are being written to interrupt.

There’s geography in it, too. The pipeline points squarely at North America, the one major market that has stayed out of the under-16 fight, while Britain drafts its own ban and Australia — a historic factory of junior cycling talent — pulls kids off social platforms entirely. Does Zwift realise that they need to develop this funnel whilst North American laws still allow it?

And the clock is the magnifying glass. Tadej Pogačar is the youngest Tour de France stage winner in the last 10 years, winning his first stage at the 2020 Tour de France (Stage 9) at just under 22 years-old. A ten-year goal means the rider who might stand in Paris around 2036 is twelve to fifteen years old today: the exact cohort the world is busy logging off. The regulations are tightening, not loosening.

Tadej Pogačar winning his first stage at the 2020 at the age of 21

None of this makes the ambition wrong. A well coached, structured, parent-supported path into sport may be one of the healthiest things a kid can do online — the opposite of the doomscrolling, bully-infested environments these laws were written to stop. But Zwift can’t have it both ways indefinitely. Sooner or later it has to say what it is: a game that develops champions, or a platform that markets to children. The Tour goal is bold and admirable. The honesty about why is the part still missing.

]]><![CDATA[12 hours to ride up as many climbs as possible]]>https://www.nathankrake.com/p/12-hours-to-ride-up-as-many-climbshttps://www.nathankrake.com/p/12-hours-to-ride-up-as-many-climbsFri, 19 Jun 2026 11:47:47 GMTIt’s a 36 hour virutal cycling event in which participants attempt to ride a distance of 400km and 10,000m and all of it uphill!

Discord Channel:
RAZ410 Voice Chat: https://discord.gg/y8Zjzr2e5

More Information:

Head over to NathanKrake.com for information and links to join the events:
https://www.nathankrake.com/p/raz410

Zwift Event Links (in UTC time):
FRANCE MAP
9:00 AM Ventoux KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620680
11:00 AM Petit KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620761

WATOPIA MAP
11:30 AM Alpe du Zwift KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620769
1:00 PM Epic KOM, Radio Tower KOM, Titans Grove KOM Reverse - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620776
2:15 PM Epic KOM Reverse - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620778
2:45 PM The Volcano KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620779
3:15 PM Titans Grove KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620786
4:00 PM Mayan Mountainside KOM, ITZA KOM & The Grade - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620792
4:45 PM Zwift KOM Reverse - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620803
5:00 PM Zwift KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620806
5:10 PM Jarvis KOM Reverse - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620810
5:25 PM Jarvis KOM - https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620813

SCOTLAND MAP
6:00 PM Sgurr Summit North & South KOM https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620819

LONDON MAP
6:15 PM Fox Hill, Leith Hill, Box Hill & Keith Hill KOM https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620822

MAKURI ISLANDS
7:15 PM Temple KOM, Castle KOM https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620848
7:30 PM Temple KOM Reverse https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620850
8:00 PM Rooftop KOM https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620851

INNSBRUCK
8:15 PM Innsbruck KOM https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620852
9:00 PM Innsbruck KOM Reverse https://www.zwift.com/events/view/5620853

So if you want to come and join me, click an event link and join in. You don’t have to complete the whole thing, just come along for a ride and chat..

]]><![CDATA[Why am I Cycling & Live Streaming for 12 Hours?]]>https://www.nathankrake.com/p/raz410https://www.nathankrake.com/p/raz410Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:31:54 GMTHey everyone, this weekend I’m live streaming for 12 hours whilst I attempt to cycle up as many climbs on Zwift as I can…. and I need your help!

Flamme Rouge Racing is hosting its annual charity ride event - the RAZ410.

What’s the RAZ410?

I’m glad you asked!

It’s a 36 hour virutal cycling event in which individual participants attempt to ride a distance of 400km and 10,000m and all of it uphill!

Why?

To raise money for charity of course.. including

You decide how you tackle it, how much you do or how long you go for, but just so you know, there are 41 climbs to cover, so start getting ready!

So, I need your help!

Now, I don’t know if I can do all of that, but I am going to attempt to ride and climb continuously for 12 hours whilst I live stream it in glorious HD and I need you to jump on your bike and come and join me.

Even if it’s for part of a climb, every bit of help will be welcome!

I’ve created a number of meetups for as many climbs as possible and the links are below (don’t worry, even if you miss a meetup start, you can simply find me and ride with me - easy peasy I think..)

The Zwift event meetups are listed below. So if you miss one, you can join the next one.

When is this happening?

I’m starting Saturday, the 20th (this weekend) at UTC 9:00 am, which is:

  • Pacific Time, 2:00 am

  • Central Time, 4:00 am

  • Eastern Time, 5:00 am

  • British Summer Time, 10:00 am

  • Australian Eastern Time, 7:00 pm

Yep, that’s right - this is going to be an all nighter here in Melbourne, Australia!

The link to the live stream is below as well as a link to the FRR discord channel and other resources if you want to find out more.

Resources & more information

Get a head start on the donations by clicking the BuyMeACoffee link. Every cup you buy will go towards helping kids and families and I’m going to need as many cups as I can to get me through this ;)

Zwift Event Links (in UTC time):

FRANCE MAP

WATOPIA MAP

SCOTLAND MAP

LONDON MAP

MAKURI ISLANDS

INNSBRUCK

So if you want to come and join me, click an event link and join in. You don’t have to complete the whole thing, just come along for a ride and chat..

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