TSOZ Closer Look: New York Expansion and Power Segments

Zwift’s Fall 2025 “This Season on Zwift” press release included an announcement every Zwifter loves to see: new roads! Specifically, Zwift is expanding the New York map, and using it to introduce a new “Power Segment” feature. Let’s dive into the details…

The Big Apple Gets Much Bigger

This release adds 31km of roads to Zwift’s New York map, making it the largest single expansion we’ve seen on Zwift in years. (Neokyo added ~30km to Makuri Islands in late 2021, and Watopia’s Southern Coast expansion in 2023 added 19km.)

It’s an especially impressive addition when you consider that the New York map currently only has around ~20km of roads.

Zwift has created 20 new routes (16 bike and 4 run) using the new roads, but it’s unclear whether all 20 routes will be released when the expansion first launches.

Details on the actual roads/maps are scarce, as are teaser images. But we know the expansion will take Zwifters out of Zwift’s futuristic Central Park, into the city, and out to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park via New York’s subway network.

New Feature: Power Segments

New York’s new roads will include a new feature: power segments! These are a new take on Zwift’s timed sprint segments, where instead of sprinting across a particular distance, you hit a start arch and sprint for a particular amount of time.

The first power segments will be located within the new subways of New York which connect the older roads of Central Park to the new roads of Prospect Park. Here’s a preview image:

The goal is to hold the highest power possible across the segment. So hit the start arch and hammer until the timer hits zero to try and average the highest watts possible!

Zwift is presenting these as primarily a challenge of personal achievement, so when the leaderboard pops up, it will first show how your current result (in watts, not seconds) compares to your last 90 days. It will then show how you rank against the global community.

I’m hoping results show both pure wattage and W/kg, as both are interesting metrics for different reasons.

Power segments will launch in New York, but hopefully we’ll find them soon on other maps. Zwift says “Power Segments will eventually roll out to other Zwift Worlds over time.”

Power Segment Possibilities

Power segments may be primarily a personal challenge, but what else could they be used for apart from quick sprints during free rides? A few ideas:

• Points Races: how wild would a race be if you earned points for having the highest watts or W/kg (or both) across a segment? Heck, make it really interesting and award points for lowest power through the segment. See who can hold onto the pack with the least effort.
• Route-Based Workouts: these have been talked about for a long time, but power segments could add a new, power-focused dimension to the idea. Routes could be turned into workouts with lots of structure, but no ERG.
• Custom Segment Placement: what if ride organizers could place their own power segments on routes – any length, any location? Imagine the wild events that would ensue.
• Race Gates: what if organizers could put a minimum power requirement on a power segment in a race, so riders had to meet that minimum average power or be booted from the event/hidden from others? Enforced spiciness.

When?

The New York expansion launches October 27. The final two stages of Zwift Unlocked (an all-new double XP tour starting October 6 and mentioned in TSOZ) will take place on new routes in NYC.

Wrapping It Up

Zwifters love new roads, and the New York map has always felt ripe for expansion, with many unrideable roads spurs heading into the heart of the city. What will we see when Zwift expands their “100 years in the future” NYC map to include another iconic park? Only time will tell. Personally, I’m hoping the new roads are flattish, making the map more suitable for group rides and rolling races.

While we don’t have any more imagery or map details to share for New York’s expansion, those will certainly be teased by Zwift in the coming weeks. I’ll try to share them out here on Zwift Insider whenever possible.

I’m also excited for power segments, which are a fresh idea that could be leveraged for new types of challenging rides and workouts. (They may also be a sneaky way to get Zwifters to put out more max efforts, which will upgrade Zwift Racing Scores to improve ranking accuracy…)

Your Thoughts

What do you think of Zwift’s New York expansion plans, and the new power segments feature? Share your thoughts below!