“Figure 8” Route Details (Watopia)
Watopia’s “Figure 8” route covers the entire hilly and flat routes in both directions. If you’re looking for a ride around an hour long that includes some short climbs and a nice mix of flats and rollers, this is a solid choice.
This route is popular with racers since its nice mix of punchy climbs, flats, and rollers keep the race interesting and allow for strategic attacks from a variety of riders.
Watopia’s “Figure 8” route covers the entire hilly and flat routes in both directions. If you’re looking for a ride around an hour long that includes some short climbs and a nice mix of flats and rollers, this is a solid choice.
This route is popular with racers since its nice mix of punchy climbs, flats, and rollers keep the race interesting and allow for strategic attacks from a variety of riders.
Route Basics
Length: 29.8 km (18.5 miles)
Elevation: 234 m (768‘)
Lead-In: 0.2 km (0.1 miles)
Map: Watopia
Start & Finish
Starts and ends at the downtown Watopia start/finish banner. Lead-in to start is minimal.
Achievement Badge: 580 XP
Strava Segments
Bike Selection
This route is rolling in profile, with the only significant hills being the reverse and forward Hilly KOMs. These climbs are short and shallow enough that a lightweight climbing setup does not give you even a 1-second advantage. So aero rules the day. Get the most slippery frame and wheels you can afford!
BestBikeSplit Model
Estimate ride time, IF and TSS, plan your power, and more!
Route Description
Route profile by ZwiftHub – the place to plan and track your route achievements!
Begin in downtown Watopia and head out Ocean Boulevard for a nice flat warmup before the first climb. Enjoy the ocean tunnel, wave to the whale, then head up to dry land for a dusty trip through the fishing village and a short, snaking climb up to Watopia’s main “Hilly Route”.
You’re now on the Hilly Route in the reverse direction. You’ll cross the 360 Bridge then pass Hank’s Gas Station, where the reverse KOM begins. Give that first pitch a good hard kick, then try to hold some speed for the rest of the climb, which isn’t nearly as steep.
Drop down from the KOM banner, ride through downtown Watopia again, then it’s over the Esses and a quick descent onto the timed reverse sprint over the JWB (Julynn Washington Bridge).
Catch your breath after the sprint as you hit the cobbles of the Italian Villas, then turn right and head down the snaky descent to the fishing village once more. You’re on Ocean Boulevard, but in the reverse direction. As you climb out of the ocean tube, take a deep breath and get ready: the forward KOM is just up the road!
The forward KOM is shorter and steeper than the reverse. Go as hard as you’d like, keep that power up over the flat top, then enjoy your descent. You earned it!
Over some rollers and past the noisy waterfall you’ll ride through the Italian Villas once more, hit the forward sprint section, cross the JWB, then hit the short, straight kicker into the Esses.
Keep your speed up through the Esses by modulating your power just right, then it’s one final kick to the finish in downtown Watopia. You did it!
Ridealong Video
Changelog
- April 17, 2020: this was the first route moved to our new database-driven routes system. Looking good!
- Mar 19, 2020: upgraded the page to our new, richer layout. Added more details including a full route description.
- Oct 31, 2018: Zwift’s 1.0.31423 update included a “Figure 8 Reverse” route which varied from the original reverse route which could be reached by a u-turn on the forward route. (This routing was corrected sometime in the summer of 2019.)
Great to bring all the resources to one place. Credit to the original creators and you for making it happen.
perfect, easy to understand the route better if you want to focus on special workout moments.
Great improvement. Total distance / elevation required to get the route badge is very useful
Very cool update!
Love these improvements
wow – this is awesome! like the new route details 🙂
The new format is amazing! I can’t wait to read through every course detail during the COVID-19 shutdown!
Definite improvement… I like the addition of the 2D route elevation map. Thank you.
Bravo guys! Great updates!
Wow! What an amazing job! Can’t wait to see the remaining routes 👏👏👏
Absolutley excellent!! Everything you ever wanted to know in one place 😀👌
Superb, it’s what’s been missing but understand these things can’t happen overnight, cheers
Looks awesome!!!
Great and amazing job! Thank you so much!
Fantastic update! All the questions answered in one spot.
Thanks for the effort and dedication to the members.
Love the new look. Lead-Ins, KOM’s, Sprints, and the Animated Maps are great additions.
Very nice! Thanks!
Just food for thought. Now with all this COVID 19, there is more of us that are on Zwift and some of us are trying to do every route on Zwift just like that lady that you guys had an article about, for the one that actually accomplished this though mission it will nice to earn a kit. You guys give us a different kit for different levels or when we do the Tour de Zwift, finishing every route it’s much harder so a nice cool kit will be great if some of us are doing the routes for a… Read more »
This is Zwift Insider, not Zwift. We’re just a fansite!
I love all the additional details from zwifthacks, zwifthub and bestbikesplits!
Very nice. Love the improvements. Thanks to you and everyone who worked on this one and thanks for those (routes) to come.
Really like the layout and order that the information is laid out.
The only feedback I have is to consider the page render times on a variety of devices. It works beautifully on my PC but the first animation takes over 30secs to appear on my 1GB ram tablet (which i use as a companion device).
Amazing work!
This is perfect! It’s everything I want on one page! The addition of bike selection is simple brilliant.
pretty Excited to not have to have 4 tabs open anymore lol
This is great! I am a novice rider, for health reasons. This gives me a great look at the hills before I get to one!
Keep up the good work!
Would love to see km AND miles throughout page. Especially that great route profile.
2nd time I completed with no completed route badge
Hi Eric
I am new to Zwift and used your site extensively to better understand Zwift.
You deserve a ton of Ride On’s and a few kudos.
The new presentation is brilliant. Now that I’ve done all the routes, the animated map and profile will be enough to remind me of the route. The extensive description and lead in distance are great for any beginner.
I don’t think I would have been hooked into Zwift like I have without your site.
Thanks a lot.