The indieVelo "The Swan" Route-10.7km (6.6 mi), elevation 223m (732 ft)-starting and ending at South Lake with a bit of climbing in between!
Route Description
One of the original Beta routes rolled out on The Island in 2023, The Swan is a 10.7 km (approx. 6.6 mi) route that comes with 223m (approx. 732 ft) of elevation gain and a minimal lead-in, starting and ending at South Lake with a substantial climb in between.
Starting from South Lake’s southern edge, the route goes counter-clockwise towards West A Mountain. The climb begins at the 1.6 km (approx. 1 mi) mark. West A Mountain’s KOM segment is 2.4 km (approx. 1.5 mi) long with an average gradient of 5.8%. Watch out for a peak gradient of 12.8% near the top.
The climb consists of a steady 6% gradient for the first 1.5 km (approx. 0.93 mi), a brief respite of 250m (approx. 0.16 mi) at 3%, and concludes with a 550m (approx. 0.34 mi) section that ramps up from 6% to nearly 13% for the final 100m (approx. 328 ft).
Those last 100m have many riders irremediably and frustratingly losing a few meters and getting distanced forever, especially when trying to desperately recover those seconds in the descent without taking into account the speed limit of auto braking corners (be particularly mindful of the turn at 9.9km, the scene of many last minute splits).
After the descent, only 900m (approx. 0.56 mi) separates you from the finish line at South Lake, completing the loop where you initially started.
Thanks, Luciano!
Courtesy of Beta-tester Roman Edelhelfer!
Route Profiles
Route details and description courtesy of Beta-tester Andras Beck!
Check out the indieVelo-Route Descriptions page for more useful recon information.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
