Zwift: How to Select and Ride Specific Routes

How do I ride a specific route on Zwift?

To ride a specific route on Zwift, you must select your desired world and route from the 'Just Ride' menu before starting your activity, or utilize the Zwift Companion app for pre-ride planning and immediate selection upon logging in.

Understanding Zwift Routes and Worlds

Zwift is an immersive virtual cycling and running platform that allows users to train and compete in various digital environments, known as "worlds." Within each world, there are numerous pre-defined "routes," each with a unique profile, distance, and elevation gain. Understanding this fundamental structure is the first step to mastering route selection.

• Worlds: These are the large virtual environments (e.g., Watopia, London, New York, Makuri Islands). Worlds rotate on a schedule, with Watopia always available and two guest worlds offered daily.
• Routes: Specific pathways within a world. Each route has a distinct name, distance, and elevation profile (e.g., "Flat Route," "Mountain Route," "Volcano Circuit"). Completing a route for the first time earns you a "badge."
• Route Badges: These are digital accolades awarded upon completing a specific route from start to finish. They provide a clear goal and track your progress through Zwift's vast network of roads.

Pre-Ride Checklist: Ensuring a Smooth Experience

Before you even think about selecting a route, ensure your Zwift setup is optimized. A seamless connection and proper calibration are crucial for an enjoyable and accurate experience.

• Check Device Compatibility and Updates: Ensure your Zwift application is updated to the latest version on your chosen device (PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Apple TV).
• Verify Internet Connection: A stable, strong internet connection is paramount for Zwift to function correctly and for your ride data to sync.
• Pair All Sensors: Confirm that your smart trainer, power meter, heart rate monitor, and cadence sensor are properly paired and transmitting data to Zwift.
• Calibrate Your Smart Trainer/Power Meter: Perform a spindown or zero-offset calibration according to your device manufacturer's instructions. This ensures accurate power readings, which are fundamental to your Zwift experience.
• Charge Devices: Ensure all battery-powered sensors are adequately charged.

Step-by-Step Guide to Selecting and Riding a Route

Selecting a specific route can be done primarily in two ways: directly within the Zwift application before you start riding, or by using the Zwift Companion app.

Method 1: Selecting a Route in the Zwift Application (Pre-Ride)

This is the most common method for choosing your route before you begin your session.

1. Launch Zwift: Open the Zwift application on your preferred device.
2. Login: Enter your Zwift credentials if prompted.
3. Access the Home Screen: After logging in, you'll land on the main Zwift home screen.
4. Check World Availability: Observe the "Worlds" section. Watopia is always available. Check the rotating guest worlds to see if your desired route is within one of the currently available worlds.
5. Select Your World: Click on the image of the world you wish to ride in.
6. Choose Your Route: On the right side of the screen, you will see a list of available routes for that world.
   • Browse Routes: Scroll through the list. Each route displays its total distance and elevation gain, along with a small map preview.
   • Click to Select: Click on the specific route name you wish to ride. A checkmark will appear next to it, confirming your selection.
7. Select Your Activity Type (Optional): Below the world and route selection, ensure "Just Ride" is selected. If you have a specific workout planned, you would select that here, but for free riding a route, "Just Ride" is correct.
8. Click "Ride": Once your route is selected, click the prominent "Ride" button to enter the virtual world and begin your ride on the chosen route.

Method 2: Using the Zwift Companion App (Pre-Ride or In-Game)

The Zwift Companion app offers enhanced functionality for route selection and in-game control.

1. Launch Zwift Companion: Open the Zwift Companion app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Login: Log in with your Zwift credentials.
3. Access the 'Routes' Tab (Pre-Ride): From the Companion app's main dashboard, navigate to the "Routes" tab. Here you can browse all available routes across all worlds, regardless of whether they are currently active in the main Zwift game.
4. Mark as Favorite (Optional): You can "star" routes as favorites for quicker access later.
5. Select World and Route for Ride On: When you launch the main Zwift application, ensure the Companion app is also running and connected. The Companion app will often mirror the main Zwift screen, allowing you to select your world and route directly from your phone before clicking "Ride" on your computer/device.
6. In-Game Route Change (Limited): While riding, you can change direction at intersections by using the Zwift Companion app's directional controls (swipe left/right) or by clicking the directional arrows on the main Zwift screen. However, this is more about navigating within a route or onto a different path during a ride, rather than selecting a completely new pre-defined route from the start screen. To switch to a different pre-defined route mid-ride, you would typically need to end your current ride and start a new one with the desired route selected.

Maximizing Your Route Experience

Beyond simply selecting a route, consider these tips to enhance your training and enjoyment.

• Understand Route Profiles: Before selecting, look at the route's elevation profile. Is it hilly for climbing practice, or flat for high-intensity intervals? Choose routes that align with your training goals.
• Chase Route Badges: For motivation, focus on completing routes you haven't ridden before to earn new badges. This encourages exploration and adds a gamified element to your training.
• Utilize the Companion App's Map: While riding, keep the Zwift Companion app open on a separate device. Its map view provides a more detailed overview of your current position, upcoming turns, and the overall route layout.
• Plan Ahead for Guest Worlds: If there's a specific route in a guest world you want to ride, check the Zwift schedule (available on Zwift's website or through the Companion app) to know when that world will be active.
• Consider Group Rides: Many group rides on Zwift are tied to specific routes. Joining a group ride is an excellent way to experience a route with others and benefit from drafting.

Troubleshooting Common Route Selection Issues

Occasionally, you might encounter issues when trying to select or ride a specific route.

• Desired World Not Available: If the route you want is not in Watopia, it might be in a guest world that isn't currently active. Check the Zwift world schedule.
• Route Not Appearing in List: Ensure you have selected the correct world first. If you're in Watopia, for example, routes from London won't appear.
• Accidentally Started Wrong Route: If you click "Ride" too quickly, you might start on the default "Watopia Flat Route." Simply end your ride, return to the home screen, and re-select the correct route. Your previous, short ride will still be saved.
• Route Not Registering for Badge: To earn a route badge, you must start and finish the entire route, often including a lead-in segment. If you join a ride mid-route or deviate significantly, the badge may not be awarded. Ensure you select the route from the start screen and follow the turns.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Route Management

For the dedicated Zwifter, there are additional considerations for route management:

• Custom Workouts vs. Routes: Remember that if you select a workout, Zwift will often place you on a generic, flat route to facilitate the workout. If your primary goal is to ride a specific route, ensure "Just Ride" is selected, not a workout.
• "Route Hacker" Tools: Some third-party websites and tools can help you track your route badge progress, find the shortest routes for XP, or plan your badge-hunting strategy. Use these at your discretion.
• Understanding Lead-ins: Many Zwift routes have a "lead-in" segment – a section you must ride before the official route start. This is often not explicitly shown on the route profile but is part of the overall distance you need to cover for the badge.

Conclusion: Master Your Zwift Journey

Riding a specific route on Zwift is a straightforward process once you understand the platform's interface and the distinction between worlds and routes. By following the outlined steps and leveraging the Zwift Companion app, you can precisely tailor your virtual cycling experience to meet your training objectives, explore new virtual landscapes, and conquer every badge Zwift has to offer. Ride on!