Parents of Young Kids: How Do You Spend an Hour on Zwift?

There’s racing, and then there’s the all-day sprint of parenting. Some Zwifters consistently cross both finish lines. So we asked the most time-crunched of us all: What’s your favorite way to spend an hour on Zwift?

Mike Hanney: Seek the ride you want

With one kid and a tech-job, I get up every weekday around 5:30 AM for my 60 minutes on Zwift. I ride for KISS Racing and I love to race. When I asked for some different times that could work for me, KISS added its early-morning Pacific race.

Krystle Simpson: You do dishes, I ride AHDR

After our 1-year-old son goes to bed, my husband and I negotiate who does the dishes and who Zwifts. I like the Aussie Hump Day Ride because it’s manageable after a full day’s work. I even have the option to challenge myself on the “after party” lap. My goal is top-10.

Matt Crawford: Showering by 6

I usually ride two races a week, and I like the EVR Asia Race. I’m in the garage at 4:40 AM and in the shower with my chocolate milk by 6:05. My twin 1-year-olds, and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, are just waking up. Their dad has already gotten to compete!

Julie Melville: Happy for the company

I’m blessed with a job that I love, and much of my free time is spent as a mum to my 5 and 7-year-olds. I also live to race, but where I live—in Doha, Qatar—the women’s fields are small. Luckily on Zwift there’s a huge variety of hour-long races. Sticking with the fast girls and guys is a great motivator.

Gerrie Delport: Slow and scenic

My once-a-week, early-morning recovery ride is about Zwift scenery. There’s so much detail. The volcano, and the snow-covered Zwift mountains. When my 7-year-old daughter watches me ride I have to go through Watopia’s underwater tunnel. She always wants to see the dolphins.

Melissa Hunter: Zwifting for all

My 8-year-old son has his own Zwift account, styles his own avatar, and uses one of our older trainers set up in the basement. He often only rides for about 20 minutes, but I love that he’s compelled to Zwift during our long Minnesota winters! When he isn’t riding, I like KISS races and PRL Pack rides.