Update (February 10, 2025): Zwift updated this challenge with an expiration date, saying it must be completed by February 28.
Zwift launched Cardio Crusher, their first “mini Challenge”, on September 9th. And today, the next mini Challenge showed up in game. Named “Route Chaser: The Grade”, the challenge is to complete five different Watopia routes that each include all or part of The Grade climb.
The selected routes are:
- Mayan 8
- 26.2km, 249m elevation
- ZIMetrics Difficulty: 13.7/100
- Elevation Evaluation
- 27.7km, 410m elevation
- ZIMetrics Difficulty: 16/100
- Radio Rendezvous
- 23.5km, 736m elevation
- ZIMetrics Difficulty: 19.6/100
- Snowman
- 44.1km, 577m elevation
- ZIMetrics Difficulty: 24.6/100
- Power to the Tower
- 44.7km, 1497m elevation
- ZIMetrics Difficulty: 36/100
Note our ZIMetrics difficulty ratings for each route; they get more challenging as you move through the challenge! In fact, our estimates say Mayan 8 will take 43 minutes to complete at 3 W/kg, while Power to the Tower is estimated at 113 minutes at 3 W/kg.
Challenge Rewards
Your reward for completing all five routes? Boosted fitness of course. Because any ride is a good ride, right?
But also, you may earn a route badge or two, as these are all fairly new routes. You’ll also get a 1000 XP bonus!
Joining the Challenge
To sign up for this Challenge, first click its card on the home screen (the big banner at the top, or the smaller card under “Challenges”:
IMPORTANT: to finalize your sign up, you must also click one of the routes on the Challenge’s homescreen:
Clicking a route from this screen will take you into Watopia to ride that route. You don’t have to ride the route at that time, but now you’re officially signed up for the Challenge.
You’ll know you’re signed up because the card will show your challenge progress:
Getting Creative
Once you’re signed up for the Challenge (see instructions above), you can get creative about how you complete the routes. Do them in workouts, do them in events, do them as free rides. You do you!
Here’s a 200IQ move from Zwifter “Jenny” in the comments below: she got credit for both the Cardio Crusher Challenge and this Route Chaser Challenge by doing one of the Cardio Crusher workouts on one of the Route Chaser routes! (But again, make sure you’re signed up first. If the card on the homescreen shows a progress bar, then you’re good to go.)
FTP Tests on The Grade
The Grade is a climb that can be ridden at whatever pace you’d like. But did you know it was created as an FTP test that steps outside the bounds of typical structured FTP tests?
Instead, The Grade pits you against the mountain in an all-out effort to the top. Get to the top as quickly as possible, and when you ride through the KOM arch a sign will show your detected FTP. The game will also update your stored FTP if it’s an increase.
For more info, read Review: Zwift’s New “The Grade” FTP Test >
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
If I’ve already completed these routes, and got the route badge to show for it, will I need to do it again for this challenge, or will I be awarded 4/5 (in my case) for these upon starting the challenge?
Same here…. Done all 5 of these routes already!
Was going to do Power to the Tower tonight for the badge, but might do the Navig-8 if I’m not able to start this mini-challenge yet.
My update from Tuesday still hasn’t happened – so no idea if this is going to show up for me or not yet – might go and logon now to check if the update has happened – I think the “rolled out” updates system is poorly managed.
The 1.75.0 update got paused due to some issue
Right – well, that’s annoying ! Can’t see anything official… @Eric Schlange, do you know anything? It’s 48 hours since the update started out and I’ve got nothing!
https://forums.zwift.com/t/game-update-v-1-75-october-2024/634202/5
its called roll out. its ALWAYS been like that. sometimes you get it immediately, other times you get it the next day.
You would need to do them again.
Yes, of course you are going to have to ride the courses again. Why? As the article states you have to join the challenge and then ride the courses for them to count as progress towards completing the challenge.
The article purposely leaves out that the challenge is retro-active.
It isn’t just to be clear.
lol -“THEY” just hate been told the obvious and down vote your plain and simple answer.
never has there been a challenge where you get prior credit. if you want to complete this challenge you must do the [5] routes from when it opened. (in your case) you have to do those routes again.
The challenge isn’t showing up for me. Do you know if it is a phased roll out or something?
Think I rather do a Robopacer for 50km to get that 1000xp than 5x up the Grade and 2x up the Radio Tower as a bonus 😂
smart veteran call 😎🤣
True true. The XP Bonus for these challenges could be a bit higher
Agreed!! Only 1000XP? Waaaay low on the reward side, 1000s of meters climbed, many hours on the bike, again, lots on climbing and punishment for only 1000XP. Easiest way to get 1000XP… 1 ride of 5klm per week,…. 500XP a week X2, done! Should be substantially more of a reward. Plus,…. I already did these routes when they came out. Incentive is low.
Love, love, love, your ZI Metrics difficulty ratings. Such basic and useful information when planning rides. Why didn’t Zwift do that ages ago. Thank you!
How much time do we have to complete all 5 routes ?
These new mini challenges aren’t time limited. They’re like the Tour Italy challenge, etc… just sitting there for you to do whenever you’d like.
Do these challenges last only for a limit time? Just wondering how much time we have to complete them. Thanks.
Answered above. 😁
I won’t be repeating any of these routes as I find the grade an absolute bore!
Your gonna love ZRL then this coming week!
Thanks for your pointless comment! Bet you’re fun at parties….
Well, that escalated quickly. Rather ironic too I might add. I found your first post pretty pointless. Who cares that you won’t be repeating any of these routes because you find the grade an absolute bore. 🤷
What’s ironic is you taking time out of your day to comment on something you don’t care about! Thanks for your input though!
you are just one of “those” guys….
Hahaha Glyph Heights ZRL was BRUTAL!
Did the Pinarello race on Mayan 8 today after signing up. Did not seem to get credit for that part of the challenge.
Same here…
You wont. to get credit towards the challenge, you have click on challenge badge on your start up screen. You will have 5 courses that are part of challenge to pick from. You get credit when you complete the course you selected.
Riding any of these courses as part of another event will not count towards completing this challenge.
wait until 5th of November to do the Mayan8 and get 1.5x XP during ToW
Are you automatically signed up?
Nope.
I just finishen “ Power to the tower”. I Got the badge, but there is no progres in the “Route chaser” Challenge?
I Think you have to click the route inside the Challenge screen and not in the route screen!
Well i Will just do it again, no Big deal 🥵😬😄
Same here, did click the challenge screen but went back and started Radio Rendezvous through a workout and did not get awarded with route completion for the challenge. Zwift should be clearer on how to complete the challenge
Agree that Zwift’s info isn’t very clear on exactly how they need to be completed. I did the same as you – chose the route through the workout screen after signing up for the challenge.
I signed up last week for the Route Chaser: The Grade challenge. Today I selected the Elevation Evaluation route via the “FOR YOU” list of routes. Got the badge added to my Achievements list, but it wasn’t credited to the challenge. Looks like a bug to me.
When I click on the route from within the Grade Challenge, it opens up there as a ride to complete. So I don’t get how to click on the route first, eg Mayan 8, and then complete with another group event. Can you please clarify this.
when you click on the challenge, you should have the 5 courses that are a part of it. Click on the course you want to ride. You don’t have to go in order. You can ride it at any pace you want, you just have to finish the course you selected in one go for it to count as finished.
If you still are struggling to figure it out, I suggest re-reading the well written article and take your time this go round.
Thanks😊.
Do you have to ride the routes as a free ride and choose from the challenge website or can you also join an event or organize a MU?
How long will this callenge be open? Until when do these 5 routes need to be completed?
There’s no end date to these challenges. Zwift could theoretically pull them at some point, but they have no plans to do so.
Can ypu complete the routes in a workout and get credit? I did Mayan 8 yesterday in and ERG mode workout but it didn’t give me credit after.
I did Elevation Evaluation yesterday on the Kitchen Sink workout (last workout in the cardio crusher challenge) and I appeared to get The Kitchen Sink crossed off one challenge to complete that one and Elevation Evaluation crossed off the other challenge for the same ride. I had already completed Mayan 8 by selecting it from the challenge page previously though which I assumed set the challenge going, then the others can be completed in other ways such as through a workout.
Nice one, Jenny. Double credit – that’s a 200IQ move!
😁Thanks. It was pretty satisfying. Also contributed towards the Everest challenge too!
Thanks 😁. It was pretty satisfying. Counted towards the Everest challenge too for elevation gained!
It appears you need to select the route through the challenge then start a workout when the ride begins. I got credit for both Mayan 8 and Power to the Tower that way.
I wonder how hard it would be to make these challenges so they can be “reset”, I.E. so they can be done more than once. I like the idea of having them, hopefully Zwift will continue to post one each month…..
Cool idea, assuming there aren’t fresh challenges to tackle.
Yes, that would be the “best” thing, hopefully Zwift will continue with the mini-challenges and have a new one each month.
Should have been a special kit or unlock some shoes
Can you do this on a group ride?
Yes, once you’re registered for it. So you have to click one of the routes from the challenge homepage first.
So i clik the route from homepage, i will be at the starting point, and then i click join event? I wish there’s a YouTube vid to explain how hehe
I haven’t looked, but do any of the routes also coincide with your of watopia? Easy way to complete a route and also get double XP. Also, if I complete the last route during a tour of watopia event do I get 2000xp?
Why signing up has to be so complicated is lost on me. You thought finding your custom workout was hard, try the new challenging getting into a Zwift-challenge challenge. Scrolling trough that awful everything-is-so-idioticly-big-you-cant-find-anything-in-one-glance-homescreen makes me lose the will to live.
“IMPORTANT: to finalize your sign up, you must also click one of the routes on the Challenge’s homescreen:”
What the heck?! Zwift should’ve made that clear in the challenge on the homescreen. I’ve ridden the first three routes, all AFTER signing up for the challenge…and have credit for none of them. I shouldn’t have to come to Zwiftinsider to get this important detail.
Grrrr….
Sorry for the bold font…I copy/pasted from the text in the article.
Has anyone ridden snowman? Its said to be
27 miles /1898 feet… I was at 15 miles/2500. I know there can b lead ins but that ridiculous… misleading. Yes I clicked on everything correctly. I’m a long time zwifter. And complete 2 of the other routes. Help
Hi, I rode Snowman earlier this week and got the route complete banner at 44.1km and 579m (27.4 miles and 1900 feet).
Hmmm…. not sure what to tell you, Martha. It’s right at 577m (1,893′) elevation when completed, so you must have taken a wrong turn. Post a link to your ride maybe?
You can search “Zwift Snowman” on YouTube and see lots of folks riding it and finishing with these numbers…
When does this challenge end
There is no end date.
If I start a route and can’t finish it, is there any credit? Do you have to fully complete each to get the 1000?
You have to finish the route in order to mark it as complete. And you have to complete all 5 routes to get the 1000XP bonus for this challenge.
It’s a little disappointing that all you get is 1000xp. I was expecting some type of challenge completion badge, but it was not to be
Ok, I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’m 1 for 2 since my last post on here. I was able to do Radio Rendezvous (again…) as part of a Zwift Academy workout. I clicked on the route through the challenge, was taken to the start of the route, left the ride, and started the Academy workout on that course. All good there.
Not so good on Elevation Evaluation, though. I did a Ladder Race on that one. In that case, I did the first 3 steps exactly the same, but then did a Tour of Watopia stage for my warm up. I made sure to end the ride instead of going straight to the event as I thought that might screw it up. Anyway, I did the race and I don’t have credit for the route within the challenge. Surely it’s not because of the extra 3km lead-in??? I really don’t want to do this route for the 3rd time…
I completed the challenge, but no XP and Badge.
How long this challenge will last ? (i have already done the first 4 routes)
Zwift hasn’t said anything about turning it off.
End of February!
How long do we have to complete this challenge ?
What a bullshit pardon my french. I did power to the tower after the challenge got installed. But not by clicking that route from within the challenge: didn’t count.
I did Power to the tower from zwift in the challenge area and it did not take me up to the Radio Tower. Wasted 2 hours and nothing to show for it.
Is this Challenger no longer active on zwift?
It’s still on my home screen of Zwift and I am doing one of the 3 remaining for me now
Saw a ‘Leaving Soon’ banner on this, and a few other challenges. How much longer is it around? I gotta finally try Power to the Tower I guess ….
Saw in the app that it’s valid until February 28th to get the bonus XP
Will I get credit for a Route Chaser Challenge ride if I do it as a banded ride with a group?
Yes, as long as you are signed up for the challenge.
It’s Feb 28, and I only have Power to the tower left. However, this challenge is not showing up anymore. My understanding was that today was the last day to complete, not yesterday. Did I really miss it? I’m going to ride it anyway, but am disappointed that the challenge seems to have expired a day early.
Oh, it’s gone early? … I was going to try and finish it when I get home tonight. Guess it’ll be Danger Noodle instead! Save the evil of Power to the Tower for another day …
Is there any way to find that challenge in the UI after it has been removed? I just completed the last route (finished around 20:00 GMT+1) and when I got back to the main screen, the challenge was gone. It was there when I started the last route. But I can’t figure out if I got the 1000XP reward…