There are three Zwift courses for you to explore. There’s Watopia, our fantasy cycling paradise; London, with city and country roads; and Richmond, inspired by the 2015 UCI World Championships. The course changes daily and only one is available at a time. Be sure to check the course calendar to see where you will be riding. Routes within each map differ in distance and elevation. Choose a flat road, or tackle one of the mountains for a fun challenge. Learn how to navigate in Zwift and make your riding more enjoyable and thrilling, and take your fitness to the next level.
To point you in the right direction, first download and open Zwift Companion App, your remote control for the ride. Navigation is incredibly easy with the companion app, and you get chat and map features too. You will need to be on the same WiFi network to connect the two.
Following a pre-planned route
Want Zwift to handle the navigation for you? A pre-planned route is the way to go. Launch Zwift, pair your devices and choose any route in the drop-in screen. Each route indicates distance, elevation and location. Once you begin your ride, Zwift takes control and keeps you on course. Do as many loops as you’d like. You can also diverge, and we’ll get to that below.
What’s my starting point?
Depending on your route, you’ll start from a different location. There are multiple ‘starting points’ in each world. The green arrow icon indicates your starting point. Typically, you’ll start just outside the lap and archway. Note: This feature applies only in regular free ride mode, and not events.
Changing directions and going off course
See something that catches your eye? Or want to stay with a group of people you just met? Diverging from the route is easy. As you near an intersection, an illuminated sign appears by the roadside. Turning options pop up at the bottom of the screen.
Using your keyboard, press left, up or right to make your selection.
Similar navigation options appear with Zwift Mobile Link. Doing nothing keep you on your pre-planned route.This option will not be available for group workouts, rides, and races as those routes are pre-planned.
Making a U-Turn
You can also make a U-turn at almost any moment. Using ZML, press the U-turn button. You will slow down to 15mph (~21kph) to make the turn. You cannot make a U-turn under 3mph (~5 kph), and a U-turn may be delayed if riders are trying to pass you. You can also hit the down arrow on your keyboard to initiate the U-turn.
Some routes do not have a reverse option (see our courses and routes article). Also, in order to avoid foul play, there’s a cool down timer on PowerUps to prevents you from earning multiple PowerUps within a short period of time.
For more information on how this works with jerseys and segments, see the Segments, Jerseys, and Time Limits article.