How do I choose a segment to ride on Zwift?

If you're looking for a way to choose a different course on Zwift, there is a different article for that. This article is specific to choosing a different segment (ex: Hilly vs. Flat) of the default course you're riding, not choosing an alternate course (ex: Watopia vs. Richmond).

To choose a different course, read the following KB article:

• How do I ride any course on Zwift?

If you prefer to ride solo on the same course that other riders are on (riding solo on Watopia while the default course of the day is already Watopia), you'll want to read the following KB article describing my solution to do that:

• How do I ride solo on Zwift?

The New Zwift Courses and Segments

• Watopia Course (11 segments, 3 NEW Volcano routes!)
• Richmond Course (5 segments)
• London Course (5 segments)

With the new Ocean Boulevard and Mountain Route extensions recently released on Watopia Island, you have some options to choose a Hilly, Flat, Figure-8 or Random course layout. The choices will move you along the new routes, depending on your preferences.

Watopia Course (6 segments, elevation calculated from Strava)

• NEW! Volcano Circuit (2.8 mi/4 km, elevation: 56'/17m)
• The Pretzel (44.9 mi/72.25 km, total elevation: 4375’/1333m)
• Hilly Route (5.7 mi/9.17 km, total elevation: 329'/100m)
• Mountain Route (18.3 mi/29.5 km, elevation: 2201'/671m)
• Mountain 8 (19.9 mi/32.02 km, elevation: 2221'/671m)
• Figure 8 (18.4 mi /29.8 km, elevation: 770'/234m)
• Flat Route (6.4 mi/10.29 km, elevation: 177'/54m)
• NEW! Volcano Circuit (same as normal Volcano Circuit, but anti-clockwise)
• NEW! Volcano Flat (7.7 mi/12.3 km, elevation: 151'/46m)
• Group Riders Nearby
• Surprise Me

• Volcano Circuit is a new 2.8mi/4.2km lap around, and inside of, the new Watopia volcano. This one has a built-in lap counter to count the laps as you complete them. In an organized lap-based event that uses this course the lap counter will count down to the finish.
• The Pretzel is similar to the Mountain 8 route, with the exception that your ride takes you even higher, up to the high-altitude radio tower at the very top of the mountain and back down through the back side of Watopia, for a very tough ride that for many, takes over an hour to complete without any redundant loops.
• Hilly Route is the "classic" Watopia Island we've always had since Day 1
• Mountain Route
• Mountain-8 is a new set of turns that will loop you through the new (as of Zwift v1.0.10738, released on 3/17) Mountain Route, through the Swiss village, up through the snow and back down in a Figure-8/butterfly pattern to maximize your training for a sub-1-hour loop (thanks Eric Min for this one!)
• Figure 8
• Flat Route follows the Ocean Boulevard extension which takes you under water, through a richly-rendered aquatic expansion of Watopia Island and around a few winding, but mostly-flat roads that reconnect to the classic Watopia route at the end.
• Volcano Circuit CCW is the same as the "Volcano Circuit" route above, but will run a 2.8mi/4.2km lap in the opposite (anti-clockwise) direction.
• Volcano Flat is roughly 8mi/12.5km across a flat loop through the new volcano, which includes most of the "Prefer Flat Roads" route minus 'The Esses'
• Group Riders Nearby allows you to stay with the pack or group you're riding with, regardless of which twists or turns they make. When they go left, you go left. If they decide to go straight, you go straight.
• Random or "Surprise Me" is exactly that. It will choose the route and turns for you at random, to make your ride very unique each time you ride it. No ride is ever the same!

Richmond Course (5 segments, elevation calculated from Strava)

• Prefer Flat Roads (3.1 mi/4.98 km, elevation: 38'/11m)
• Prefer Hilly Roads (5.6 mi/9.01 km, elevation: 414'/134m)
• 2015 UCI World's Course (10.1 mi/16.25 km, elevation: 467'/142m)
• Follow Riders Around Me
• Surprise Me

• Prefer Flat Roads strives to keep you as flat as possible, with very little climbing around Richmond. This is a modifier version of the 2015 UCI World's course that avoids the Libby Hill and 23rd Street climbs for a relatively easy, flat ride.
• Prefer Hilly Roads takes you through and around the Richmond UCI World's course and includes the steep descent and dual climbs up Libby Hill and 23rd Street. Good on the legs!
• 2015 UCI World's Course is brick-for-brick identical to the real-world, 2015 UCI course that the Pro peloton rode, although you get to decide if you want to do the full 16 laps on that course or not. Bring plenty of gels and water if you do!

London Course (5 segments, elevation calculated from Strava)

• London Loop (9.2 mi/14.80 km, elevation: 499'/152m)
• Classique (3.2 mi/5.14 km, elevation: 62'/19m)
• London 8 (12.6 mi/20.27 km, elevation: 780'/238m)
• PRL Full (107.8 mi/173km, elevation: 8189'/2496m)
• PRL Half (42.9 mi/69km, elevation: 3130'/945m)

• London Loop is a 9.2 mile loop that takes you through the city of London before dipping under the Thames River to head out to Surrey Hills for some fresh air and steeper climbing. It bypasses the Classique course entirely.
• Classique will take you through a brief warmup ride from the starting area to the cours before bringing you through the remainder of the 5.5km loop for as many laps as you can handle.
• London 8 is the whole enchilada (but not the Burrito, no pun intended!) and includes all 12 miles of tarmac on the London course. Take this for the longest ride and best tour of the course.
• PRL Full is a 160km (100+ mile) route that does many "London Loops", followed by an iconic finish going through the Prudential Ride London finish arch on The Mall.
• PRL Half is a shorter, 64km (40+ mile) version of the PRL Full course. Mini-Me, if you prefer.

When you log into Zwift, after pairing up your bike sensors and HRM, you'll be presented with the following drop-in menu of options, where you can choose to ride along with a friend by clicking on their name, or by choosing a specific route from the dropdown menu, to pick one of the above routes.

Good luck, and #RideOn!