Ready for a bit of climbing? Our newest Rebel Route is a longish one taking you up the Epic KOM in both directions, with some flats in between. The brainchild of James Bailey (a longtime Zwifter/event organizer who now works as an Event Operations Specialist at Zwift), this is a figure 8-ish route with a bit of creative lead-in. Let’s get to it!
About Rebel Routes
“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.
The reward for your rebel ride? Exploring a new route, knowing you’ve gone where few Zwifters have gone before. And a Strava segment rank in the tens or hundreds instead of the thousands! They are included as a separate category on our Veloviewer Route Hunter leaderboard.
Route Description
This route begins in downtown Watopia. If you pick “Mountain Route” the game will route you correctly for the first ~6km as you leave downtown, ride through the Ocean Boulevard tunnel, then begin the Epic KOM forward climb, traveling over the suspension bridge. Just after the bridge you’ll need to make your first manual turn: a right onto the cliffside Epic KOM Bypass road.
Interesting bit of trivia: there are no official Zwift routes covering the Epic KOM Bypass in this direction. So you’re definitely on the road less traveled!
Enjoy the scenic views of the bypass road, then hang a left to head up the Epic KOM Reverse. You’ll go up and over this climb (don’t turn to the Radio Tower “bonus climb”), descend all the way back to the Ocean Boulevard tunnel, then turn left at Sequoia Circle and another left at the windmills to head toward the Epic KOM Reverse.
Similar to how we started the route, you’ll climb the beginning of the Epic KOM Reverse, crossing the bridge before turning left onto the Epic KOM Bypass road. At the end of this road turn right to head up the Epic KOM in the forward direction.
Go up and over the KOM, don’t turn to the Radio Tower, then descend all the way down to the windmills and the Marina. Wind your way to the Italian Villas, but turn left onto the Dirty Sorpressa and head toward the Volcano.
Finish up our route by taking the long way around the Volcano, heading over the Glass Bridge and back to downtown to the start/finish banner.
Profile
This route is nicely symmetrical, as we climb the Epic KOM in both directions!
Getting Started + Lead-In
The easiest way to get started is to choose “Mountain Route” from your Watopia route options. This will properly route over the suspension bridge, before you’ll need to turn right onto the Epic KOM Bypass.
Turn by Turn
Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete the Cliffside Epic Double once you’ve begun by selecting Watopia’s “Mountain Route“:
- Left to Ocean Blvd
- Straight to Ocean Blvd
- Left to Epic KOM
- Straight to Epic KOM
- Right to Epic KOM Bypass
- Left to Reverse Epic KOM
- Straight to KOM Descent
- Straight to Sequoia Circle
- Straight to Sequoia Circle
- Left to Italian Villas
- Left to Jungle/Epic KOM
- Left to Epic KOM Bypass
- Right to Epic KOM
- Straight to KOM Descent
- Straight to Italian Villas
- Left to Italian Villas
- Left to Italian Villas
- Left to Volcano Circuit
- Straight to Volcano Circuit
- Left to Volcano Circuit
- Left to Downtown
- Left to Downtown
Route details:
Distance: 52.71km (32.75 miles)
Elevation Gain: 991m (3,252′)
Strava Segment
Rebel Route Suggestions
Got an idea for a great Rebel Route? Share it below and maybe we’ll publish a post about it!
Sounds & looks horrific. Hopefully James will let us know how he gets on with it! 🤣
I did it first and then sent it to Eric!
At least no radio tower climb!
Looks painful, I wonder until such times as zwift allows us to create custom routes if it would be worth looking at RoadCaptain and pre-create the route which can be exported to file for readers to use.
https://github.com/sandermvanvliet/RoadCaptain/releases
Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_Hs37y_FwM
1: the route should be relabeled as twin peaks.
2: I really struggle with selecting the appropriate turn for the bypass when coming through the intersection for the ruins/AdZ turn off, so I’ll probably mess this one up to.
3: great route!!
I love it!
Should have at least one radio tower
It’s really easy to include it in your ride. The only harm is no strava segment
I like the looks of this route and will ride this evening. FYI, the Strava section link doesn’t currently work.
Strava section link works now I’ve ridden the route. I enjoyed it, it’s similar to the Pretzel but without the Hilly KOM climbs and the Bypass sections make it a little more interesting.
A year ago i suggested Cliffside Epic (elevation about 1100m, distance 37-40 km) https://zwiftinsider.com/route/ocean-lava-cliffside-loop/#comment-58490 It covers bypass, Epic KOM And Epic KOM Rev (from bypass to the Tower KOM summit) in both directions. Start : Jungle/RoadToSky, then U-turn Straight to bypass at the bypass end turn right to Epic KOM after summit turn left to Tower KOM, round the tower downhill than turn right to castle turn left to bypass at the bypass end turn left to Epic KOM Rev before summit turn right to Tower KOM, round the tower downhill than turn left to jungle/italian village End: left to… Read more »
Decided to rename this route to “Cliffside Epic Double”, since the two climbs up the Epic are really what’s important about this route.
What was it called before?
Cliffside Epic 8
To climb the epic KOM once and not the Radio Tower could be dismissed as an oversight. To climb it TWICE is nothing less than hill dodging verging on criminality. It’s the cherry 🍒 on top of your Bakewell tart, the chocolate sprinkles on your capachoochoo. May start a minor rebellion on this route, with at least one additional turns.
The 2 km at 14% after a 20-30 minute climb
I have a rebel route that gets to the Radio Tower fast. The Radio Tower Chase.
* Start at Road to Sky pen
* Turn left out of the pen
* Turn right up Epic KOM Reverse already in progress
* Turn right again up Radio Tower
* Finish at Radio Tower banner
Total 6.9 k 485 m of climbing.
done a similar idea doing sections of the reverse epic. Starting on jungle circuit and immediately doing a u-turn might be faster. Good idea though great for tron hunting
This is a nice route!
But be prepared for all of the people who ask why they aren’t getting either of the Epic KOM segments in Zwift or on Strava. Both of the climbs skip the actual KOM starts, and there will be people who don’t realize that, and will be upset about it. Might make sense to edit the description a little, and change “KOM” to “climb” in a few spots, to call that out?
Well, if someone wants to do both KOM in this route with a few changes they can do it. Basically instead of turning rigth to the Epic KOM Bypass select left (going straight) to complete the Epic KOM, avoid the climb tower and then turn left to the Epic KOM bypass. At its end right towards Sequoia circle (straight at the next junction) and then left towards Italian Village, and Left towars Jungle, or points 9-11 of the rebel route mentioned. Then just go straight up Epic KOM Revers, go downhill, and turn left towards the Epic KOM bypass before… Read more »
great route. Love it.
Wow! Would love to see this as an official route an include it in races. It fits nicely with Quatch Quest and Three Sisters in a pure climbing series.
But maybe it should be called Twin Brothers instead? 🙂
I made my own version of this awhile back called “Epic 8”. Wouldn’t be possible to make it a real route as it starts with a U-turn. https://pursuitcyclingforkids.com/2022/04/04/zwift-custom-route-epic-8/
Wow-“peach” of a rebel route!🙀
Great route for an enduarnce plus climbing focus ride.
@Eric Schlange Hi Eric. Did this route yesterday and there are a few amendments needed now that the Grade reaches the Epic KOM, and the climb portal addition to the volcano circuit.
7a Default: Forward to “Fuego Flats” (option to turn right to the Grade)
13a Default: Forward to “Radio Tower” (option to turn left to the Grade)
20a Default: Forward to “Volcano” (option to turn left to the climb portal)
Thanks
Mike