The best Zwift routes for your group meetup

One of the great features of Zwift is the group meetup function. If you want to get together and ride with friends virtually, this funciton allows you to organize a ride on a specific time and date. Although Zwift only opens a few worlds per day, when you create a meetup you can access to all the Zwift routes. The hardest part about creating a meetup is always figuring out what route you should ride (and, sometimes, a time that works with everyone’s schedule). Here are a few route options for different types of group rides.

Organizing a ride

Before getting into routes, here’s a quick walk through for organizing a group ride. First, be sure that all the participants you want to invite to the meetup have already added you on Zwift.

Open the Zwift Companion App on your phone. Click on “Events” on the bottom left then tap on the group group of three people on the top left. Next, click on “Create Meetup”. Make sure the bike icon on the top is selected. Choose a time and date, a route (we’ll get to that), and invite your friends to the ride. You can also customize your meetup so that everyone stays together—the group will move as a peloton regardless of the difference in power. This is a great option if you want to ride with someone who’s much stronger than you or someone who is newer to cycling.

Zwift also gives you the option to generate race results, which is good for the more competitive meetups. Be aware that if you turn this option on, those who are late to the ride will not be able to join.

Finally, if you select meetup-only view, only the cyclists who are in the group will be visible to you on the Zwift route you’re riding.

Routes

Sand and Sequoias—Watopia (20.2km, 174m of elevation)/Tempus Fugit—Watopia(17.2km, 25m of elevation)

Good for: Casual rides

Tempus Fugit is the flattest route in Watopia, allowing you to spend a bit more energy chatting in the dialogue box or on Discord. Sand and Sequoias has a bit more elevation, but the climbs are short and very manageable.

Related: 5 ways to virtually recreate a group ride

The Uber Pretzel—Watopia(128.3km, 2,379m of elevation)

Good for: Groups who want to empty the tank

Have a block of free time and want to recreate those hard outdoor weekend rides? The Uber Pretzel is the route for you.

Tire-Bouchon—France (61 km, 431m of elevation)

Good for: A bit of everything

This route covers all of Zwift’s France map (apart from Mont Ventoux). There are climbs, rollers and flats to be explored.

Road to Sky—Watopia (18.5km, 1045m of elevation)

Good for: A pure climbing ride

There’s lots of fun to be had on the switchbacks of Alpe du Zwift. This is the most direct route to the mountain. Take on the challenge as a group, race up to the top or work together to see if you can climb Alpe du Zwift in under an hour.

2018 UCI Worlds Short Lap—Innsbruck (23.7km, 494m of elevation)/ Achterbahn (47.4km, 989m of elevation)

Good for: Road race simulation

The 2018 UCI Worlds Short Lap route features one major climb followed by some speedy flats that run through downtown Innsbruck. If your group wants a more challenging route Achterbahn hits the climb and the sprint in both directions.

Tick Tock—Watopia (16.9km, 53m of elevation)

Good for: An intro to Zwift

This route winds through the flat dessert and into the cool underwater tunnel. With only 53m of elevation new Zwifters won’t have to work too hard to keep us while they figure out what all the on-screen data is telling them.

Mighty Metropolitan—New York (21.1km, 307 m of elevation)

Good for: Morning rides

It feels appropriate to start off your day with a ride in the city that never sleeps. Though the course isn’t an exact replicate of Central Park (see: the giant glass(?)roads) the little touches in this world are fun.

London Classique—London (5.4 km, 19m of elevation)

Good for: Crit-style competitive group rides

This route is only 5.4km long, but it’s popular with those looking to hammer it out against some friends. Make sure to make your ride time-based rather than distanced-based when organizing a group to ride this route.