“Chain Chomper” Route Details (Makuri Islands)
Introduced in Zwift’s May 2021 Yumezi launch, Chain Chomper is one of the tougher routes on this map. It takes you up the Castle and Temple KOMs in back-to-back fashion, then you descend to finish at the Country Sprint.
Introduced in Zwift’s May 2021 Yumezi launch, Chain Chomper is one of the tougher routes on this map. It takes you up the Castle and Temple KOMs in back-to-back fashion, then you descend to finish at the Country Sprint.
Route Basics
Length: 13.6 km (8.5 miles)
Elevation: 184 m (604‘)
Lead-In: 2.3 km (1.4 miles)
Map: Makuri Islands
Start & Finish
Begins and ends at Country Sprint Arch.
Achievement Badge: 270 XP
Sprint & KQOM Segments |
| Castle KOM (2.5km, 2.1%) |
| Temple KOM Reverse (1.9km, 3.5%) |
| Country Sprint Reverse (0.15km, 0%) |
Strava Segments
Bike Selection
Go with an all-arounder road bike setup since there’s so much pavement. Be confident that even if the MTB or Gravel riders drop you on the dirt climb, you’ll be able to claw them back on the long paved descent to the finish line.
Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
This route breaks up nicely into 5 sections of roughly equal length: the flat start, the Castle KOM, the Temple KOM, the Temple KOM descent, and the paved descent. We begin with a short, flat warmup from the Country Sprint arch. Enjoy it while you’ve got it, because the climbing begins 2km in! 
Our first climb is the Castle KOM, which ends in the Castle area. Then you leave the Castle and hit the dirt singletrack to take on the Temple KOM, which ends at the giant mystical tree. 
Once you ride through the three, you’ll descend the backside of the KOM, which spits you out onto a paved road near the fishing village. This paved road continues to descent essentially all the way back to the Country Sprint arch. Are you ready to do it again? 
This is a route I personally don’t like due to the 2 bike changes. The reverse route of this one, the Countryside Tour is better due to the shorter tarmac end that makes a second bike change unnecessary more or less.
I don’t see why Zwift makes these tarmac/gravel/tarmac routes, who really enjoys them, I sure don’t.
I just stay on my road bike the entire time. I could use the extra resistance/ workout anyway.
I agree, just stay on the road bike and take the extra resistance.
I enjoy the gravel 👍
I just ride my rode bike regardless of the terrain. I really don’t notice that much of a difference. If anything, it just feels a little steeper.
I agree. On a smart trainer with road feel the gravel sections are really awful. These alternating sections are a bother; at least in the jungle you can just pick the mountain bike and be done with it. I’m a crap climber, so the extra resistance thing ain’t my cup of tea, so I gotta change. In MI (and elsewhere), I generally choose only the paved courses. YMMV. Ride on.
there are thousand miles of roads. if you don’t like gravel don’t ride
You want to do it when you want to become a route master or if there is an event to complete with a stage on dirt.
Moron
Rode an MTB down the hill and noted the time from someone riding a road bike at similar or more wattage. After switching to road bike at the bottom and getting back up to speed, I had gained nearly 10s. This of course ignores our weights. An FYI anyway. Risky in a race, but that’s decent time and worth looking into.
Not sure if anything has changed re the length or lead-in, but have ridden this route today for the very first time, and got the badge only after 26.4 km – at the end of (2nd) Country Sprint, just in the reverse direction compared to the first time.
has been noted on a couple route Zwift spawns you in front of the banner. Do a uturn go past the banner and uturn again then you get the badge first lap
Great site. I rode Chain Chopper on a road bike, not bad, but I do believe a grave bike might have been slightly quicker. MTB is probably over the top.
Looks like this is the next course in the November zRacing series. Tron bike the whole way? Or try to bike swap to Cervelo Aspero (the gravel bike in my garage) at the Temple climb. Swapping back to the Tron would be a challenge when getting back onto the tarmac (I’m not a PC user).
Go with theTron or a all-rounder road bike for the entire course.
This route is chosen for Stage 2 of Race Makuri. IMO, it shouldn’t be possible to change bikes in a race.
Why not? You can IRL.
Because real life isn’t dependent on quick-hacks and scripts making it quicker on a computer. Kinda detracts from the spirit of riding a bike.
Distance is wrong.