Rebel Routes – Manual Navigation on Zwift

Our newest Rebel Route covers the newest roads in Watopia (Titans Grove) and the oldest (Hilly Route). That means you’ll get to hammer two short KOM climbs with some recovery in between!

The idea for this route came from Shawn McAfee, who you may know through his Zwifty videos. Thanks, Shawn!

About Rebel Routes

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides that are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation. See all rebel routes >

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

Downtown Titans is a medium-length route at 24.6km (15.3 miles) long, and it begins and ends at the downtown Watopia start/finish line. Select the Hilly Route to get started.

Take a quick left onto Ocean Boulevard, then the next left to head toward the desert where a right-hand turn takes you into Titans Grove. This rollercoaster of a road will have you twisting and turning up and down through the giant sequoia trees and even a lost valley with living dinosaurs! But to see the dinos you’ll have to climb the timed KOM first. Top the leaderboard and grab that jersey, then descend to the dinos, wave hello, and continue your rollercoaster road to the end of Titans Grove.

A right turn out of Titans Grove takes you back toward Ocean Boulevard where you will turn another right to head down into the ocean tunnel. Right again to head toward downtown Watopia, then a left to get onto the Hilly Route.

When Watopia first launched (around May 2015), the only road on the island was the Hilly Route. So enjoy yourself – you’re riding a piece of Zwift history! Hit the short forward KOM and see if you can grab that leader’s jersey, then descend the backside through the statues, past Hank’s Gas Station, and over the 360 Bridge.

Soon enough you’ll hit the cobbles of the Italian Villas, where you’ll want to wind up those legs because you’ve got a sprint section coming up. Can you grab the green jersey?

Cross the JWB and hit the ramp in the Esses – another rollercoaster ride toward the final stretch of this route. Once you descend into downtown Watopia and cross the finish line you’re done. Nice work!

Profile

This route’s highlights are the two KOMs, as you can see below. Climb up to the top of the Titans Grove KOM, then recover as you descend down to the Ocean Boulevard flat road. Then it’s up-up again to the Hilly KOM, a descent, and rolling/flattish roads to the finish.

Getting Started + Lead-In

Start by choosing the Hilly Route. This will spawn you just before the downtown start/finish, which is where our route begins. There is no significant lead-in to the start of this route.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete Downtown Titans after selecting and starting the Hilly Route.

1. Left to Ocean Blvd
2. Left to Desert Flats
3. Right to Titans Grove
4. Right to Epic KOM
5. Right to Sequoia Circle
6. Right to Downtown
7. Straight to Downtown
8. Left to KOM
9. Straight to Italian Villas
10. Right to Sprint
11. Right to Downtown

Route details:
Distance: 24.6km (15.3 miles)
Elevation Gain: 254m (834′)
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!

Our newest Rebel Route covers the easternmost roads of Watopia (Fuego Flats, Titans Grove, and most of Ocean Boulevard) in both directions. It also includes one section of road which is only ever ridden if you’re doing The Uber Pretzel or navigating freely (more on that below).

Here’s an animation of this “figure 8ish” route:

About Rebel Routes

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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 medium-long route begins with a lead-in of approximately 2.4km (1.5 miles) from your spawn point to the desert rock arch. This arch will be your finish line as well, 51.7km (32.1 miles) from now.

Hit the flat, fast Fuego Flats desert, climb out of Saddle Springs, then hang a right into the Titans Grove Nature Preserve. This rollercoaster through the redwoods is a great section of road for sightseeing, but if you’re trying to keep your speed up it’s a real challenge, as the road continually rolls up and down while twisting through (and beneath) the trees.

When you come to the end of the Titans Grove road, turn left toward downtown Watopia, then another left onto Ocean Boulevard. This takes you into Ocean Boulevard’s underwater glass tube. You will turn another left at Sequoia Circle, then left once more to head toward Fuego Flats.

Here’s a noteworthy section of ride: this short climb from Ocean Boulevard to the Titans Grove turnoff is only available if you freely navigate your way here, or if you’re riding the grueling Uber Pretzel route. Many routes take you on this road in the opposite direction, but if you’re wondering why the road feels unfamiliar: now you know!

Now it’s time to hit all of our roads in the opposite direction. After climbing up from Ocean Boulevard we’ll pass the Titans Grove exit, but stay on the road to Saddle Springs and Fuego Flats. This takes us all the way through the desert and past the start pens, then it’s time to turn left for a ride through Titans Grove.

Hit the Titans Grove reverse KOM hard if you’d like (it’s short, and you’ve only got about 9 miles left!), wave goodbye to the redwoods, then turn right to head down toward Ocean Boulevard.

Ocean Boulevard will take us back toward downtown Watopia, but we’ll hang a right before we get there to head back to where we began. You’ll stay on this road all the way to the desert finish. Got legs left? Go all-in for the final Fuego Flats sprint to the arch. You did it!

Profile

This route is basically flat roads, with the Titans Grove rollercoaster thrown in twice to mix things up. It would make an interesting race course, as climbers may be able to get away in Titans Grove, but could be pulled back in on the flats by a hardworking bunch.

Getting Started + Lead-In

Start by choosing the Tempus Fugit route, or any route that puts you near the desert start pens. The route begins at the desert sprint arch, giving you a lead-in of approximately 2.4km (1.5 miles) from your spawn point to the official start point.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete the Eastern Eight. Start by choosing the Tempus Fugit route, or any route that puts you near the desert start pens. The route begins at the desert sprint arch.

1. Straight (Right) to Epic KOM
2. Right to Titans Grove
3. Left to Ocean Blvd
4. Left to Ocean Blvd
5. Left to Epic KOM
6. Left to Desert Flats
7. Right to Desert Flats
8. Left to Downtown
9. Left to Titans Grove
10. Right to Epic KOM
11. Right to Sequoia Circle
12. Right to Downtown
13. Right to Desert Flats
14. Straight (Left) to Desert Flats

Route details:
Distance: 51.7km (32.1 miles)
Elevation Gain: 340m (1115′)
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!

This Rebel Route is our most challenging yet. The goal: to ride up every timed KOM segment on Watopia (no official routes do this, at least not yet). As such, this is KOMonster version 1. When a new KOM segment is added to our favorite virtual cycling paradise, we’ll have to create version 2!

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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!

Route Description

This big route was designed to cover every KOM on Watopia in the shortest distance possible. Clocking in right at 100km, completing this ride also means finishing a metric century on Zwift.

The route begins at the downtown start/finish banner, and we hit the Hilly KOM forward first, before continuing on up and over the Epic KOM reverse.

Descend the Epic KOM and turn toward the desert, then hang another left into Titans Grove where we’ll climb Watopia’s newest KOM segment. Once that’s done we get a bit of recovery as we make our way back to downtown Watopia and over to the Volcano to climb the Volcano KOM.

That’s four KOMs down. Four more to go!

After the volcano, take the land bridge to the Italian Villas and hit the Hilly KOM reverse. Then head out to the desert again and into Titans Grove for a go at the reverse Titans Grove KOM.

Out of Titans Grove and up the Epic KOM forward… we’ve only got one more climb left. But it’s a big one! Descend the Epic KOM, turn toward the Jungle, then climb the Alpe. The route ends when you cross the finish banner at the top. Nice work!

Profile

As expected, the route is quite pointy. At 25.7 meters of climb per kilometer of distance, this route is the 7th climbiest in game, just behind Bologna Time Trial and just ahead of Four Horsemen.

Getting Started

When freeriding, select the Hilly Route. This will get you started in the right direction, but you will have to make many manual turns to finish this ride.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete the KOMonster:

• Straight to KOM
• Left to Sequoia Circle
• Right to Jungle/Epic KOM
• Left to Epic KOM
• Straight to KOM Descent
• Right to Desert Flats
• Left to Titans Grove
• Left to Ocean Blvd
• Right to Downtown
• Right to Downtown
• Right to Volcano Circuit
• Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
• Straight to Volcano KOM
• Straight to Volcano Circuit CCW
• Straight to Italian Villas
• Right to 360 Bridge
• Straight to 360 Bridge
• Right to Ocean Blvd
• Left to Desert Flats
• Right to Titans Grove
• Right to Epic KOM
• Left to Epic KOM
• Straight to KOM Descent
• Straight to Jungle/Alpe
• Right to Jungle/Alpe
• Right to Alpe du Zwift

Route details:
Distance: 99.8km (62.1 miles)
Elevation Gain: 2570m (8433′)
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!

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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!

Route Description

This perimeter route is just like Bigger Loop except it adds the radio tower and Alpe du Zwift climbs. Suggested by Zwifter Jeff Cottrell, the goal of this route is to ride the entire perimeter of Watopia.

We begin at the downtown start/finish and proceed to Fuego Flats, starting off nice and flat before we hang a left and head up the Epic KOM. And it’s not enough to finish the Epic KOM–once you ride through the banner it’s another left onto the much-hated radio tower climb!

But our reward awaits–next we get to go screaming down the radio tower descent, and continue our descent on the Epic KOM. Then it’s over to the jungle so we can start the toughest feature of this route: the mighty Alpe du Zwift.

Once you’ve made it to the top of the Alpe, take a deep breath and enjoy a quick breather while you descend. Once you’re at the bottom, to finish the other half of the jungle circuit. After climbing out of the jungle we descend to the docks, through the fishing village, and past the Italian Villas so we can make our way around the outside of the volcano before heading back to the start/finish.

Profile

This route is actually quite flat, except where it’s not. The Epic KOM and Alpe du Zwift climbs account for ~15 miles of the 51-mile route, and everything else is either flat or downhill apart from those climbs.

Getting Started

When freeriding, select the “Bigger Loop” route to begin–this reduces your number of manual turns required to just 3. You will spawn just before the downtown start banner.

Turn by Turn

There are many intersections of this route, but since the route is very similar to Bigger Loop only 3 manual turns are required. All other turns will route you correctly by default. Here are the manual selections you’ll need to make:

• After the Epic KOM banner, turn left to “Bonus Climb (aka “Radio Tower”). 15.3 miles from start line.
• After descending through the Mayan jungle, turn right to Alpe du Zwift. 23.1 miles from start line.
• After the Alpe descent, turn right to Jungle Loop. 39.6 miles from start line.

Route details:
Distance: 82.3km (51.2 miles)
Elevation Gain: 1874m (6,147′)
Strava Forward Segment

Rebel Route Suggestions

Got an idea for a great rebel route? Share it below and maybe we’ll publish a post about it!

“The Snake” covers most of the roads in Watopia proper in both directions, which means you’ll hit 5 timed KOMs and 3 timed sprints. It’s a true “Out and Back” route, and we call it the snake because it looks like this:

About Rebel Routes

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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!

Route Description

This longer route winds through the less mountainous portions of Watopia then doubles back and retraces itself in reverse.

We begin in the desert, riding over Fuego Flats before turning into Titans Grove for the forward KOM. Then make your way down to Ocean Boulevard and over to the reverse Hilly KOM for our second timed climb.

Next we travel through downtown Watopia, hit the Esses and the reverse sprint, and make our way across the land bridge to the volcano. This is the largest climb of our route. Make it to the top, take a look around–you’re at the head of the snake, halfway through the ride. Now it’s time to retrace your path!

Ride the land bridge to the Italian Villas, hit the forward sprint, then fly through downtown Watopia and up the forward Hilly KOM. Make your way down to the Fishing Village and into the Ocean Boulevard tube, then hang a right as you come out of it to head back to the desert.

But before we reach the desert proper we’ve got to turn into Titans Grove and have a go at the reverse KOM. Then it’s back through the desert, finishing at the desert rock arch. Well done!

Profile

Even though you will ride over 5 timed KOMs, this route is actually quite flat with only 661 meters of elevation over 77.4km. The Volcano KOM halfway through is the largest climb. Since this is a true out and back route, you can see the profile mirrors itself.

Getting Started

Start by choosing the Tempus Fugit route, or any route that puts you near the desert start pens. The route begins at the desert sprint arch.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete The Snake. Start by choosing the Tempus Fugit route, or any route that puts you near the desert start pens. The route begins at the desert sprint arch.

1. Straight (Right) to Epic KOM
2. Right to Titans Grove
3. Left to Ocean Blvd
4. Left to Ocean Blvd
5. Straight to Italian Villas
6. Straight (Right) to Italian Villas
7. Right to 360 Bridge
8. Straight (Left) to Downtown
9. Straight (Left) to Sprint
10. Right to Volcano Circuit
11. Straight (Left) to Volcano Circuit
12. Straight (Right) to Volcano KOM
13. Straight (Left) to Volcano Circuit CCW
14. Straight (Right) to Italian Villas
15. Left to Sprint
16. Right to Downtown
17. Straight (Right) to KOM
18. Left to Sequoia Circle
19. Straight (Left) to Sequoia Circle
20. Straight (Left) to Downtown
21. Right to Desert Flats
22. Right to Titans Grove
23. Straight (Left) to Desert Flats

Route details:
Distance: 77.4km (48.1 miles)
Elevation Gain: 661m (2170′)
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!

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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!

Route Description

This is a long flat route which ends in a climb up the Volcano. It is most comparable to the Volcano Climb After Party event-only route, except Spiral Into the Volcano has an extra 10 miles of flat before the volcano climb.

If you follow this route on a map you’ll see how it was named: an ever-tightening counter-clockwise spiral which culminates in the spiral climb up the volcano.

We begin at the downtown start/finish in the reverse direction. Ride around the Volcano Flat to Ocean Blvd then Fuego Flats for a nice flat run through the desert which includes the longest timed “sprint” on Zwift.

Ride through downtown Watopia and around Volcano Flat a second time, but this time when we get on Ocean Blvd we’ll take that all the way back through downtown Watopia. The spiral begins!

Once more through downtown and around Volcano Flat, then hang a left at the Italian Villas to go over The Esses and back to the Volcano. We’ll loop once around the volcano (one lap of Volcano Circuit CCW), then hang a left for the Volcano Climb finish. The route ends at the top of the Volcano as you cross under the KOM banner.

Profile

This route is quite flat, with nothing more than short pitches or rollers until the final Volcano KOM finish which is 2.3 miles (3.6km) long at an average gradient of 3%.

Route details:
Distance: 55.6km (34.6 miles)
Elevation Gain: 324m (1,064′)

Getting Started

When freeriding, select the “Volcano Flat” route to begin–this reduces your number of manual turns required to just 6. You will spawn just before the downtown start banner.

IMPORTANT: you must ride down through the banner then flip a u-turn and ride through the banner in the reverse direction to begin the route!

Turn by Turn

There are many intersections of this route, but typically only 6 manual turns are required. All other intersections should be routed correctly by default, but sometimes Zwift changes the default turns when you’re deep into a randonneuring rebel route, so stay vigilant.

Here is the complete list of turns with manual turns highlighted:

1. Right to Volcano Circuit
2. Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
3. Right to Volcano Circuit
4. Right (Straight) to Italian Villas
5. Right to 360 Bridge
6. Right to Sequoia Circle
7. Left (Straight) to Sequoia Circle
8. Right to Epic KOM (manual turn)
9. Left to Desert Flats (manual turn)
10. Right (Straight) to Desert Flats (manual turn)
11. Left to Downtown
12. Straight (Right) to Ocean Blvd (manual turn)
13. Right to Downtown
14. Right to Downtown
15. Right to Volcano Circuit
16. Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
17. Right to Volcano Circuit
18. Right (Straight) to Italian Villas
19. Right to 360 Bridge
20. Right to Sequoia Circle
21. Left (Straight) to Sequoia Circle
22. Left (Straight) to Downtown
23. Left (Straight) to Downtown
24. Right to Downtown
25. Right to Volcano Circuit
26. Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
27. Right to Volcano Circuit
28. Right (Straight) to Italian Villas
29. Left to Sprint (manual turn)
30. Left to Volcano Circuit (manual turn)
31. Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
32. Right to Volcano Circuit
33. Left to Volcano Circuit CCW (manual turn)
34. Left (Straight) to Volcano
35. Left (Straight) to Volcano KOM (manual turn)

Strava Segment and Maps

Strava Forward Segment

Rebel Route Suggestions

Got an idea for a great rebel route? Share it below and maybe we’ll publish a post about it!

Our newest Rebel Route was suggested by Zwifter Gene Kruger, who rides a slightly modified version of this route. Gene named this “Three Little Sisters” in homage to Zwift’s official “Three Sisters” route which takes us over the Hilly, Volcano, and Epic KOMs.

Three Little Sisters, in contrast, takes us over the Hilly, Titans Grove, and Volcano KOMs – in that order. Each new climb is longer than the one before, and we took the shortest possible route to get from climb to climb.

Here’s an animation of this route:

The Hour Challenge

The length and difficulty of this route make it perfect for a “1-hour challenge.” Who can complete this route in under an hour? Let’s see what you’ve got!

About Rebel Routes

“Rebel Routes” are Zwift rides which are not available on Zwift’s routes list, thus requiring manual navigation.

See all rebel route posts >

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 medium-length route begins at the downtown Watopia start/finish banner. Pick the Hilly Route from the route picker and the game will start you out at the right place.

You’ll quickly hit the first climb of the ride – the very first timed KOM to exist on Watopia! The Hilly KOM is the steepest climb on today’s route, but also the shortest. Hit it hard to finish in a couple of minutes, or take it easy. The choice is yours!

After the first climb you’ll descend down through the statues and past Hank’s Gas Station, then turn left onto Ocean Boulevard. A right turn at Sequoia Circle takes us toward the Epic KOM, but don’t worry – we’re not tackling that climb today! Instead, we’ll turn left toward the desert and Titans Grove, then another left to get into the Grove.

Up the road a bit (just past the dinosaurs) is the start of our second KOM of the day. The Titans Grove KOM is really two sections of climbing with a small downhill in between. It’s not a steep climb, but it’s long enough to hurt if you’re trying to grab that KOM jersey!

Once you crest the Titans Grove KOM you’ll ride the rollercoaster roads down and out of Titans Grove then turn left to head back to Ocean Boulevard and downtown Watopia. Head through Watopia to the Volcano, riding around the mountain’s north side to the entrance of the Volcano KOM – our third and final climb of the day.

This is our longest climb. It’s not particularly steep, so use the draft of other riders for a little added advantage if you’re trying to make good time.

Finish the Volcano climb with a hard final kick, then circle around the top and descend back to sea level. Finish the Volcano Circuit CCW and head back to downtown Watopia where the route ends at the start/finish banner. Well done!

Profile

The KOM banners on this course come at the 2km, 15km, and 30km markers. Each climb is bigger than the one previous.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll need to make to successfully complete Three Little Sisters. Start by choosing the Hilly Route.

1. Straight (Right) to KOM
2. Left to Sequoia Circle
3. Straight (Left) to Sequoia Circle
4. Right to Epic KOM
5. Left to Desert Flats
6. Left to Titans Grove
7. Left to Ocean Boulevard
8. Right to Downtown
9. Right to Downtown
10. Right to Volcano Circuit
11. Right to Volcano Circuit CCW
12. Straight (Left) to Volcano KOM
13. Straight (Left) to Volcano Circuit CCW
14. Left to Volcano Circuit CCW
15. Right to Downtown
16. Left to Downtown

Route details:
Distance: 37.7km (23.4 miles)
Elevation Gain: 401m (1316′)
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!

Introducing Rebel Routes

Riding Watopia’s pre-planned routes is a blast, but sometimes it’s fun to go your own way. Here’s the first in a series of “rebel routes”–those which are not defined in Zwift, thus requiring manual turns. (EDIT: see additional Rebel Routes here >)

The reward? Enjoying 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!

I’m currently the Strava KOM holder on this route: who’s going to take it from me? Come and get it!

Route Description

This route covers all of Watopia’s three “flat” routes, including Fuego Flats’ new Tick Tock, Volcano Flat, and of course Watopia’s classic Flat route.

We begin on Fuego Flats at the spawn point, moving clockwise around the desert loop until it drops us off on Ocean Blvd. Take Ocean Blvd to downtown Watopia then hit The Esses to the Italian Village. Take a right at the fountain to head towards the Volcano, then a left onto the glass bridge before continuing straight onto The Esses once more.

This time when we hit the Italian Village we’ll continue toward the 360 Bridge, but hang a right before we get there onto Ocean Blvd. We’ll ride almost the entire length of Ocean Blvd, turning right after coming out of the tube so we can head towards our start/finish line. The route ends at the sprint start/finish rock arch.

Profile

At 3.92 meters of climb per kilometer of travel, Triple Flat Loops is flatter than all official routes except Tempus Fugit and Tick Tock. Still, the inclusion of the bump outside of Saddle Springs, two Ocean Boulevard upramps, the Esses (twice) and the final bump into the desert provide spots for strong riders to put in digs and gain time.

Getting Started

When freeriding, select the “Tick Tock” route to begin. You will spawn just before the desert start pens, giving us a lead-in of approximately 2.5km before the sprint finish line rock arch, which is the official start/finish line for this route.

Turn by Turn

Here are the turns you’ll make to complete this route:

1. Straight to Epic KOM
2. Straight to Epic KOM
3. Right to Sequoia Circle
4. Right to Downtown
5. Straight to Downtown
6. Right to Downtown
7. Left to Sprint
8. Right to Volcano Circuit
9. Straight to Volcano Circuit
10. Left to Volcano Circuit
11. Left to Downtown
12. Right to Sprint
13. Left to 360 Bridge
14. Right to Sequoia Circle
15. Left to Sequoia Circle
16. Straight to Downtown
17. Right to Desert Flats

Route details:
Distance: 33.9km (21.1 miles)
Elevation Gain: 134m (439′)
Strava Forward Segment

Rebel Route Suggestions

Got an idea for a great rebel route? Share it below and maybe we’ll publish a post about it!