UPDATE: the new roads have been released! Learn all about them here >
Zwift just shared “This Season On Zwift” – a roadmap of upcoming features releasing before the year ends. At the top of the list was the big-ticket item that always grabs our attention: new roads. And not just any new roads: new Watopian roads!
Let’s dig into what we know about this planned expansion of our favorite virtual cycling paradise.
Watopia’s New “Coastal Expressway”
Watopia’s new tarmac is being described by Zwift as a “coastal expressway” since it runs next to the ocean and is, as Zwift describes, “flat and fast.” It “brings cyclists from Fuego Flats to the Mayan Jungle, bypassing the Epic KOM” and adds 19km of new tarmac to Watopia.
It may not seem like much, but Watopia is hugely popular, so any new roads here are big news. And with so many roads already in Watopia, any substantial addition brings with it many opportunities for fresh connections and challenging new routes!
Note: while Zwift says this is the first Watopia expansion since 2019, I’d say the last expansion actually happened in December 2020 when several connector roads and 4 fresh routes were added.
Zwift shared this map showing a simplified version of the new road:
Indeed, if you visit the Jungle Circuit tunnel you will see where the new road (perhaps) will soon join up with the existing Jungle Circuit:
No sign of such a road on Fuego Flats, though.
The new roads are flat and fast, and make several key connections, enabling more Zwifters to enjoy the varied scenery in several distinct environments along Watopia’s coast.
Hurray for New Routes!
This expansion road will bring 8 new routes to the game, the longest being 48km long.
Before this expansion, Watopia had a total of 75 routes. Remove the 14 run-only routes, the 19 event-only routes, and the Repack Rush oddball, and you’re left with 41 free-ridable routes. Adding 8 more to that list increases the number of free ridable Watopia routes by almost 20%, which is a solid jump!
Here’s a wild idea: Zwift says the new roads “make several key connections.” So maybe we’ll see more than just a single road from Fuego Flats to the Mayan Jungle… perhaps an alternate route for climbing to (or descending from) the radio tower?
When Can We Ride It?
From what Zwift has said, it sounds like October’s Tour of Watopia will be our first chance to ride the new roads. Zwift says, “This year, Stage 5 will give Zwifters a chance to experience the latest Watopia expansion!”
We haven’t seen a ToW schedule yet, so we’re not sure when stage 5 will happen. But ToW begins Oct 2, so our guess is stage 5 won’t roll around until the end of October.
Share Your Thoughts
Are you excited about Watopia’s new “coastal expressway?” What other connections or cool routes could a road like this open up? Share your thoughts below!
I think “first Watopia expansion since” means Watopia got expanded. The other new roads and routes expanded the riding and options, but not Watopia itself.
While these roads themselves might be “flat and fast”, unless there’s a turnaround somewhere, it looks like any route using them would have to include the jungle’s dirt roads which are neither flat nor fast. If they put pens somewhere on these new roads, it might make people wanting to do the AdZ happy because it would minimize (though not eliminate) the amount of dirt riding needed to do to get to the climb.
Yes sadly unless it avoids those terrible surfaces I’ll be avoiding them just like the jungle
Just hang a U-turn before you get to the dirt.
I’m hoping for a fork after coming across the water from Saddle Springs which turns you right towards the Bridge, that could lead to some very interesting routes without involving much/any in the way of mixed surface and also limited (but some) amounts of climbing
Or pave the dirt road so it’s road riding all the way to the alpe?
Looks like we are going to need a new map!
Yup. Stay tuned!
That guy with the massive map on his garage wall must be annoyed right now.
Hopefully, it is MASSIVE enough to add some garage-made doodling to it…😁👈
I am but I’m calling it nostalgia! 😉😊
Please keep us posted Eric
Opens up the “South” side of the island for future expansion…I think an alternative way down from the Alpe would be kinda cool…still do not want to climb it but I do like downhills😉
8 over 41 seems more like 19.5%
Ha. Correct. Updated.
Might need a road between the epic KOM bypass and the new road for a Circ de epic
There seems to be a new road at the end of the decent on the Tick Tock route just before the bridge. It also shows on the map above. What is that?
Repack Rush: https://zwiftinsider.com/route/repack-rush/
Unless it avoids those terrible jungle surfaces I’ll be avoiding them just like all the Jungle roads… I’d be happier to have a stable platform than new roads any day.
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Love new roads and this one looks like fun – until we get to the jungle. I like riding gravel as much as the next guy, but only in real life. Sure, a slow gravel surface is true to reality, but in real life the trade off is worth it. On zwift the trade off is lost and we are just riding slow, which is why nobody rides the jungle. The jungle is otherwise beautiful, fun, and is sadly going to waste. I suggest Zwift “resurface” the jungle roads to “fast sand”, like we have on Makuri island. Everyone wins! Help us Obi Won Eric, you’re our only hope…
I think they should go a step further and remove any difference in surface speed. I know that removes the use of MTB or gravel bikes but what’s the point when no-one likes riding those routes.
so agreed, the jungle used to be my favorite loop, I avoid it like the plague since they graveized it
The jungle is the pointless part of the map. I’ve only ridden it when it’s an event even then I still try an avoid it. It zwift just tarmacked it or deleted it alot of people would be happier.
I’m excited for this! Just curious: you said that there will be a max of 48km (29.83 mi)? While this is fine, I would think it’d be nice to add longer routes so no manual navigation is needed like for example: are we supposed to be getting a new Pretzel route, because that should be more like 80-100 miles (128-160km).
I’d love to see a new Pretzel route, too. Maybe Zwift will release more in the future? Just gives us more fodder for Rebel Routes, for now… https://zwiftinsider.com/rebel-routes/
That’s fine! The only thing I have against rebel routes is that it takes manual navigation so if I wanted to do a big day on the bike with all of Watopia I’d have to do manual navigation. (Unlike Über Pretzel, a route that adds the Titans Grove, minuses the second trip through the desert, adds the bypasses, and new road.)
Or…. Maybe it would be cool if we could use Zwiftmap to upload new routes to select. I know there’s Road Captain but I don’t know if I want to download a new software. Just a thought.
And I don’t want to accidentally do roads twice or loose my way.
I was trying to do a bunch of roads and got lost in the jungle and couldn’t get out, it was horrible.
Can’t wait happy days
Thanks Eric, nice review as always! Nice to get new roads, but flat stuff we have enough of tbh. I’d like to see a climbing route mid way along that new coastal route where you can head up towards the Epic KOM. Come on Zwift, there are climbers here too! While we appreciate the climb portals, Ventoux etc, some smaller CAT2-3 climbs would be better. Just my two pence worht. Cheers.
Disagree, there are enough climbs on Watopia as it is! spare a thought for those of us big guys for whom big climbs are nothing but a sweaty chore, and too often have to be slogged over in order to get to the nice fast flat bits. I’ve been up all the big climbs on Zwift, but having done them I now avoid them as much as possible. More flat roads are welcome.
I’m not a big guy but I would love to have a nice 100 mile flat route with less than 2500ft of climbing. I like climbing, but also like to just hit the flats once in awhile.
I agree. I like longish rolling rides, but long routes on Zwift tend to include double digit climbs. Surely there are plenty of us who like long roller coast rides.
Definitely need some different flat route. As a yellow beacon (part time) on club/group ride. Anything with a huge amount of climbing in the group splits and it doesn’t stay as a group ride
I’m also yellow and red leader sometimes. Then use the fence. Simple.
The most obvious connector needed with this expansion is to extend the Ocean Lava Cliffside loop to it. Make it go across the road and then drop down to the new road. That would allow for a bunch of new routes building on the existing loops around Watopia, Fuego Flats etc.
Just adding that would make event and race organizers more excited than the long flat route around the island.
Let’s hope that while the construction workers are creating these new roads, that they tarmac the jungle! As many others have commented, the jungle is now a ‘no go’ zone for many zwifters (unless it’s for an event or a climb up the alpe) such a shame as it used to be one of my favourite Loops if I had about an hour to spare, as it had a bit of everything, punchy climbs, long drags, fast descents and stunning visuals…. I’m guessing zwift have the stats to show ‘before and after’ to see how unpopular it has become but guess they just don’t care.
To the Jungle-haters: just switch to a gravel bike and fly by those pushing higher w/kg…feel like a hero, not a zero.
Love the jungle – hate slowwww. Yes, gravel bikes are a lot faster on gravel than road bikes. But, the other thing we don’t like – changing bikes mid ride. I rode the jungle the other day on the Canyon Grail looking for the the junction point where the new road will come in (I missed it, but Eric found it above). Teleported to a pace partner and could not figure out why I was totally gassed and getting dropped, until I realized I forgot to switch back to my road bike. No biggy, but the point is it would just be nice to enjoy all the roads the same, regardless of surface. Of course this would make gravel bikes a moot point. Ok so…
I wish I could! For over 2 years now, since I got the Tron bike (no idea if it’s connected or not) I’ve had some sort of bug whereby I’m no longer able to access the garage. That is to say, I can access it, but can’t actually make any changes 🙁 I’ve tried uninstalling and re-installing Zwift but that didn’t work…any thoughts welcome!
Are you trying whilst moving. Probably not not but just a thought
No, I’ve only ever tried at the end of a ride…
I wonder if it would help if Zwift would do something to make the bike change easier. Like you could select “bike 2” before you start riding. And if you want to switch bikes, you just press a “switch bikes” button instead of pausing the ride, clicking through the garage, etc. I do Zwift on AppleTV, and switching bikes is just annoying enough that I prefer to avoid the jungle entirely.
I can’t imagine how much engineering goes into creating ~12 miles of routing and landscaping a cyber world! Thanks Zwift, I’m looking forward to riding it!
Ride On!
Would really open up some interesting route possibilities if the new road coming South from the Saddle Springs area over the water instead of simply going wide around the coast also had a fork which joined up roughly by the bridge or ‘German Village’ area – so fingers crossed for that, could lead to some very interesting routes
this could be a good suggestion of connection. I would say that would be kind of a climb since was to join with epic kom after the bridge but would be a less boring climb. I don’t know about you guys but I feel that long bridge a little boring
As usual they’ve missed the chance to do a proper job connecting to the jungle with the dirt roads that has nothing to do with the rest. At least they could have considered connecting to the paved part that goes down to the jungle after the mill, this would have included a small climb as well. Or ideally also connecting with the Kom or the radio
I hope they’ll complete the road going around ADZ and maybe connecting to the top with a longer less brutal imaginary road.
I would have hoped they’d started the external road from the bridge above the Fuego flats which would start from titans grove but I guess this will remain a dream
There is more than one road to the top of Alpe Du huez in real life. I know because I got disorientated riding around at the top and then found myself riding down the wrong side. I had to turn back and look for the 21 corners to get back to my car. LOL
19km (11.8 miles). Whoopy Doo! Can’t say I’m impressed, I don’t like riding hills and I’m bored with the current flatter rides (2). Would it have been too much of an ask to make (a) longer flatter rides than just 11.8 miles?
I don’t need another way to climb the stinkin’ Radio Tower.
I wouldn’t mind another much less steep route up to the radio tower
I hope this expansion is a good one. Looking forward to ride it
I ride nearly only in Watopia and I would like to have new roads to discover. Watopia is still exciting after so many years at Zwift. So give us new roads, new mountains, new landscape in Watopia 😉
I’d love to know when the makeup rides happen!
For Tour of Watopia?
Make-Up Stages
Missed a stage or two? Or maybe you just want more of that sweet double XP? Make-up stages will be held from November 6-12. During those 7 days, Zwift will host events every 30 minutes covering all 5 stages.
Here’s a thought: when it said “several key connections” (yes, I am from the future a year ahead in 2024 as far as this post is concerned) it was giving us a hint of future Watopia expansions. Just look at The Grade: we got our Epic KOM connection. Maybe in a future season in the coming seasons or years we’ll get a continuation from the current end of the Epic Bypass connecting it to the coastal road. Or/and a “connector” road that loops us back around and continues the road around the Alpe. Just a thought.