What is the worst Zwift World, and why is it New York?

I couldn’t read all of this negativity (and so I stopped reading all the responses - there might be some positive discussion up there as well) without thinking… how lucky everyone here is to be able to complain about something most people in the world can’t experience. Thanks Zwift (and Wahoo, and AppleTV, and AT&T U-verse, and Apple iPhone, and AT&T Wireless, and all the infrastructure necessary to be able to do what we do!)

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:point_up_2:Yes, New York is fine, I like the rolling hills.

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Yeah, I’m a fan of the rolling hills as well. Trolling only slightly: If you’re just pushing a constant effort riding either on flats or an endless climb, couldn’t you basically just stare at the Merckxian brick wall instead?

There are some new glass roads branching off from both sides of the KOM towards Midtown, is there an expansion coming soon?

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Except for Innsbruck…and Richmond.

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I noticed that too! I wasn’t sure if they had been there all along or not :smile:

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I’m pretty sure the actual roads have been there for just a month or two. The gate-type structures where the new roads join the old ones have been there for longer.

I think the “problem” with NY is that it’s too compact. An expansion would help.

But I’m surprised Zwift hasn’t been sued yet for the obvious ADA violation associated with the steep grades on the elevated path.

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New York has some great potential even if it is a bit sub-optimal in its current incarnation. If they would finish the ghost roads we see part of now - we would have access to ride by/over the Times Square area (and see the empire State in the background, etc.). Also, with extending the glass bridges we could easily access James Braddock and Riverside State parks - both of which would add a complete new dimension to cycling in the NY World. They need to update this world - not shutter it.

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New York has some great potential even if it is a bit sub-optimal in its current incarnation. If they would finish the ghost roads we see part of now - we would have access to ride by/over the Times Square area (and see the empire State in the background, etc.).

There are big chunks of both the London and Paris riding experiences that are quite realistic in the sense that they are visually similar to rides/races in the real-world cities they are modelled on. I visually recognise, for instance, the section of Picadilly where you pass the Ritz Hotel and Green Park on your way to Hyde Park corner and the turn that leads down to the river.

I don’t get that in New York. The entire world is built around Central Park, and around an entirely imaginary system of glass skyways. Many of which are impractically steep. There are so many places in the real New York area I’d love to see represented in Zwift. Riding over the Brooklyn Bridge. Or racing up Fifth Avenue. Taking a tour into the New Jersey hills, or heading out onto Long Island.

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We need recreations of bike messenger routes from Quicksilver and Premium Rush.

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I’m no racing snake, but it surprises me how little Grand Central is used for events, the reverse KOM is fairly typical of my closest real life “proper hills” that take less than 10mins to climb. A vastly underused circuit IMO.

The ZRL race this week in NYC was great fun to watch, especially with the sprint points ramping up each lap. I think it was the park perimeter loop?

I would love to see this world expanded upon so we can go through times square, shoot over to the statue of liberty, cross the Brooklyn bridge, etc…

I see I’m late to this thread, but I agree NY is a bit dull and the sky routes aren’t as exciting as they probably thought when they were designing them. But for sheer “what the **** is this even doing here” it’s Richmond every time.

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I really like the KOM in New York. It’s probably my least favourite world (all are obviously great), I just don’t like the constant rolling terrain with very little opportunity to get into a rhythm.

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I haven’t ridden NY in a really long time, and if I didn’t still have some route badges to get from there, would likely not go back. That said, I’m oddly looking forward to the Tour’s Stage 8, and doing a couple turns in there. Maybe I’ll decide I like it (not betting on that), or maybe at least that I don’t dislike as much as I think I do. We’ll see next weekend.

Nope, still don’t like it.

I can see how NY could make for great racing. If you know the courses, there are fantastic moments to attack your group. That could be really exciting. And since I still have 4 more badges to get in NY, I’ll go back again, someday. But probably not until next year’s Tour de Zwift when I’m sure there will be another stage where either NY is the only option, or they’ll choose one of my remaining badges for a route, and I’ll do it just for that. But free-riding NY? Not going to happen.

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A sentiment (the wording of which I’m butchering) on the ZwiftCast:

“The Zwift NYC map just feels like you’re riding around a road with distant images of skyscrapers pasted on the background. Neokyo is like riding through alleys and streets.”

Neokyo is NYC done right.

Disclosure: I’ve got all the NYC route badges and have zero desire to ever ride it again.

EDIT - I commented below … I’ll give it a shot again for the rolling surface routes (similar to Watopia’s Titan’s Grove), but skip the sky-road.

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I much prefer Central Park instead of Nokyo.
The elevated streets don’t do much for me and I’m not sure why but racing the Gotham Grinder or the 6 train is nice.

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Maybe it would be nice to have Bologna, NY, Richmond, Innsbruck and Yorkshire to be part of the same “World”.

i know it’s heresy, but i like NYC. it can be a little boring with the looping, and i totally agree with the neokyo comment on zwiftinsider, but the rolling terrain is awesome. the esses in watopia is the only other “rolling” section i can think of (maybe titan’s grove counts, too).

if you’re just trying to sit on the trainer and hold a pace, i can see why rolling is annoying – but to me, rolling means i have to pay attention and adjust to the road like i do outside.

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