Key Details
- Category: 3rd
- Length: 7 km (4.3 miles)
- Elevation Gain: 251 m (823‘)
- Average Gradient: 3.58%
- Watopia Climb Segment
- Watopia Descent Segment
- France Climb Segment
- France Descent Segment
- 5 W/kg: 15 minutes
- 4 W/kg: 17 minutes
- 3 W/kg: 21 minutes
- 2 W/kg: 29 minutes
Strava Segments
Time Estimates
Located just 23 miles from Glasgow, Crow Road is one of the most popular climbs in all of Scotland. One cycling guide says, “It’s a long climb—respectable times reach well into double digits—but the gradients are not overly punishing. Carry on over the top and on to Tak-Ma-Doon and the Carron Valley Reservoir, and there are certainly worse ways to spend a few hours.”
Most (including Simon Warren in his popular 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs book) prefer to climb Crow Road from the Lennoxtown side, traveling north. Zwift’s Climb Portal, however, takes on Crow Road from the Fintry side, traveling south.
Why did Zwift choose the road less traveled? Because this is the same direction it was raced in the 2023 UCI World Championships!
We couldn’t find a Strava segment that matched Zwift’s perfectly, but this one is close. Zwift’s just includes a bit more road at the start and finish:
With the relatively high speeds for this climb (leaderboards are over 30km/h at the top) is it better to go aero or even TT or do you still go lightweight?
I believe aero would win the day, although I haven’t actually tested it.
Thanks for replying Eric! I’m interested in an analysis of what sort of speeds you need to be doing up climbs of different gradients to make aero preferable to lightweight. It’s always something I find hard to gauge 😄
It’s a power climb in truth. I’m lower Cat B and 1st effort at 3.5wkg in 17’40. I may give it another go on TT bike to see for myself. Long stretches were <3%.
Bug in the system somewhere here – just after starting to head back down this climb from the top, I pressed the ‘coffee stop’ button, my avatar instantly accelerated to an insane speed and I got the 100kph achievement badge and associated points bonus. I think I was actually leaning back in the saddle and yawning as it happened. I will have to try and do it for real at some point to assuage my guilt.
Ive had this myself, I think it’s related to the character accelerating to find another person to go at their speed and will keep doing so until it finds one. Sometimes in this conditions however it will just stop, but definitely a bug!
Shame the whole hill wasn’t modelled, but grateful at least one side was 🙂