1. Growth
Unique monthly ridersi
Zwift racing follows a dramatic annual cycle: surging in northern-hemisphere winter, contracting each summer. The structural question is whether the floor is rising.
Unique riders
Events held
Events held (right axis) remain nearly constant year-round. Rider participation is the variable.
2. Seasonality
Rider participation by day of week and monthi
Total unique riders per day-of-week per month. The winter dominance is clear. Tuesday and Wednesday consistently draw the most riders.
DOW 0 = Sunday. Northern hemisphere cycling season (May–August) shows participation dropping by more than half.
3. The shape of a racer
How many events did each rider enter?i
Number of riders
4. Retention
Where do January's riders go?i
Tracking cohorts over 12 months. January is the biggest month — how many riders stick around?
Both cohorts bottom out in summer then rebound by the following winter. Zwift racing has seasonal hibernation, not linear churn.