Reflections and Ethnographic Insights from Ten Years of Virtual Cycling on Zwift: A Longitudinal, Lived Perspective on Community, Access, and Life Transitions

This paper presents a situated reflection on over a decade of Zwift use, combining more than 5,000km and 200 hours of personal activity with an ethnographic study of over 1,000km of community group rides during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than describing a path of athletic improvement, this work examines how engagement with virtual sports platforms is shaped by shifting routines, life transitions, health, and caring responsibilities. Group rides provided structure, support, and social connection, yet also revealed persistent barriers of access, flexibility, and technological complexity. By foregrounding the lived realities of both use and non-use, the findings contribute to SportsHCI by illustrating how participation in digital fitness is not simply related to motivation or performance, but an ongoing negotiation with everyday circumstances. This work highlights the need for flexible, inclusive, and enjoyable platform design, where community, adaptation, and fun are recognised as central to continued engagement.