Winter Training: Cycling Apps, which one suits your personality?
There are an amazing amount to cycling Apps on the market and in beta test stage but which one will keep your winter training blues at bay? It’s easy to fall in the trap of cost versus benefit and reading specification sheets, technology versus data output concerns so maybe a more fun way is to match your personality to the App? I’ve spent the year testing Cycling Apps extensively in the run up to completing my annual quest. This year it was to earn the London Classic’s medal also known as the “dinner plate”. The challenge is to complete the London Marathon, RideLondon-Surrey 100 and the two-mile event at Swim Serpentine. I had already completed the London Marathon twice so needed to get entry to both the other events and complete them (getting accepted was a challenge in itself!). For the RideLondon-Surrey 100 I put my hands in the online Apps to see if it could be done. My goal was to only use Apps to get me fit and able to complete the event and see what each one had to offer. For the swim I just thought I would turn up. What could possibly go wrong?
We will look at each cycling App I tested in turn and add in a “Cyclist Type” to help you see if it’s for you. Once you narrow it down to say 2 or 3 Apps you can usually get a free trial and test them out in the comfort of your own home or pain cave. I did also construct a large spreadsheet with all of the technical data and minimum hardware needed to set yourself up (after all I am an engineer!). I can share this with you if you need that level of detail.
The Sufferfest
Cyclist Type: “Sufferlandrian” – great sense of humour but training is about suffering and pain! This athlete wants an in-depth FTP test and result, is interested in trying Yoga, Strength & Conditioning sessions and Mental Training. They may go to a gym that has a Sufferfest studio so can integrate their triathlon training in to their gym visits.
Website: https://thesufferfest.com/
Platform: Mac, Windows or iOS
Minimum hardware: Classic turbo and a speed sensor (ANT+) for virtual watts, power meter or Smart turbo trainer
Wireless support: ANT+ and Bluetooth
Price: $10 / month or $99 / year
Disciplines supported: Cycling, Yoga, Strength & Conditioning and Mental Training
Zwift
Cyclist Type: “Miss. Sociable” Duathlete – Cyclist and Runner – wants to train in both disciplines with others in groups. This athlete wants the option to train on their own and in groups.
They want an App that enables them to cycle and run in a virtual world. Miss Sociable also wants structured training sessions and even to ability to “go pro” via the Zwift Academy. She also likes
The idea of “branding up” with the clothing and accessories from their online shop.
Website: https://zwift.com/
Platform: PC, Mac, iOS or Apple TV
Minimum hardware: PowerCal heart rate power monitor and standard turbo but it’s preferred to have a Smart turbo. For running you will need a foot pod like Stryd or Milestone.
Wireless support: ANT+ (need an ANT+ dongle and USB cable)
Price: 14.99 per month
Disciplines supported: Cycling and Running (you can row on it but it can be complicated and is not officially supported but fun to row and see your bike moving in the Zwift virtual world).
Rouvy
Cyclist Type: “Traditionalist” – likes to ride on real video tour routes. Wants to compare indoor and outdoor rides and create their own routes. Wants to know their FTP and a test for this. Has a family so can share their app with them on several platforms. Wants to use training peaks for integrated training.
Website: https://rouvy.com/en/
Platform: Window PC, iPad, iphone or android phone
Minimum hardware: Smart turbo, power meter or standard turbo with speed sensor
Wireless support: Bluetooth or ANT+
Price: Standard is $6.25 per month and premium is $10 per month
Disciplines supported: Cycling
FTP Test: 40 min basic test. First 10 mins at half predicted FTP, then 20 mins at predicted FTP and then 10 mins cool down at half predicted FTP. Hard test with no motivational tips or music.
TrainerRoad
Cyclist Type: “Statto” – This athlete wants a no-nonsense workout with lots of statistics and on-screen data with coaching instruction. They like training plan structure and the option to write their own plans or use those from their coach on the TrainerRoad platform. They like the Ramp fitness test for FTP. They also want to listen to their own music or watch their own videos or films. They also like the YouTube channel for extra information and training tips.
Website: https://www.trainerroad.com/
Platform: PC, Mac, iOS and Android
Minimum hardware: Speed sensor and trainer (virtual power), power meter and trainer or smart trainer
Wireless support: Bluetooth and ANT+
Price: $12 per month or $99 per year
Disciplines supported: Cycling
Global Cycling Network (GCN)
Cyclist Type: “Thrifty” – this triathlete does not have much spare cash and may not be able to afford a smart turbo or the online app subscription. They want a structured training session and the feel of training with others. They have internet access and are comfortable watching YouTube videos.
Website: GCN YouTube Channel
Platform: PC or MAC or anything that you can watch YouTube videos on.
Minimum hardware: Any basic turbo trainer – no need for power or cadence but may be good for a better workout
Wireless support: N/A
Price: Free
Disciplines supported: Cycling
Road Grand Tours
Cyclist Type: “Gamer” – this triathlete may be a younger athlete who has grown up with video games and wants an experience similar to this with more realism, high end rendering and realism. They are happy to try something new, beta testing products and giving feedback to the developers. They want a proper cycling simulator. Life like cornering, drafting and group riding. They are looking forward to the Control phone app in the pipeline.
Website: https://www.roadgrandtours.com/
Platform: Mac or PC download
Minimum hardware: Any trainer, power meter, cadence sensor and heart rate monitor that respect the open ANT+ communication standard are compatible with RGT. CycleOps, Wahoo Kickr & Computrainer are known to work.
Wireless support: ANT+
Price: Free in beta phase
Disciplines supported: Cycling
Big Ring VR
Cyclist Type: “Engineer” – The user interface is not very slick like the others and will appeal to engineers and techies. No nonsense or gaming feel just get on and ride using HD videos. Written by software engineers who like to ride.
Website: https://www.bigringvr.com/
Platform: BigRingVR can be used on Windows 7 or higher (32 and 64 bits) and Apple Mac OS X Yosemite (10.10) or higher.
Minimum hardware: ANT+ FE-C Smart Trainers, ANT+ Trainers, Power meters and sensors
Wireless support: ANT+
Price: Used to be free but started to charge in January 2018 and is not $10 per month. If using own videos, you don’t need to pay. The charge is for streamed videos/rides.
Disciplines supported: Cycling
200 High Definition video rides. 212 rides from 10 countries (more coming), 4,903 kilometres, 179,062 meters of elevation gain.
FulGaz
Cyclist Type: “Apple Fan” – Will appeal to those who love their Apple products. Bluetooth is the only wireless protocol supported so Android, PC or ANT+ lovers will not like this app. Athlete who like to ride on “real” routes in the form of HD video with GPS data.
Website: https://fulgaz.com/
Platform: iOS – iPhone, iPad and Apple TV
Minimum hardware: Bluetooth smart trainer, Wattbike ATOM.
Wireless support: Bluetooth
Price: €8.99 Per month or €80.59 Per Year
Disciplines supported: Cycling
415 Routes, 7903 Kilometres, 202363 Elevation gain – HD Video
Kinomap
Cyclist Type: “Multisporter” – Kinomap is perfect for someone who wants to cycle, run and row regularly. Some athletes use rowing to train for the swim if they don’t have access to a pool. Athletes who have access to smart Bluetooth 4.0 enabled equipment.
Website: https://www.kinomap.com/en/
Platform: iOS or Android App
Minimum hardware: Most Smart bike trainers, Bluetooth 4.0 treadmills and rowers (like Concept 2 with PM5)
Wireless support: Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+
Price: €9.99 per month or €59.99 per year
Disciplines supported: Cycling, running and rowing.
Access amazing trails from all over the globe and play videos at your own speed, based on your motions. You have an easy way to save your training history and track your progress and can monitor your strength, speed, distance, time and heart rate. Upload your favourite tracks and trails, challenge friends, family, or users to try the multiplayer option. Create playlists and post videos on social media.
New Kids on the Block and the others
There are others on the market such as those from the smart turbo manufacturers such as BKool and TACX but I did not have a chance to test them fully. They are playing catch up to the bigger players like Zwift and The Sufferfest so from my brief look not as sophisticated maybe because this is a bolt on to their core business of selling the hardware.
There are two new kids on the block called VirtuGo and CVR World Cup. VirtuGo is developing rapidly and is the brain child of three World Tour cycling professionals Michael Rogers, Daniel Healey and Bjarne Riis. This is definitely one to watch and already has athlete profiling, FTP testing and training plans built in. It’s currently free to beta testers so well worth trying.
CVR World Cup CVRcade, a gaming platform for stationary cyclists, will launch in beta on December 1 2018, courtesy of developer Cycligent Physical Esports. If that name rings a bell, it’s because Cycligent is the same company behind the CVR World Cup, a series of virtual races formerly run on Zwift, where riders compete for tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. Again a free version is available to beta testers.
Conclusion
There is a cycling App out there to suit all personality types and pockets. With so many offering a free trial you can find the right one for you. The market is however becoming a little over crowded and it will be interesting to see how it develops. I think the winners will be those that integrate more sports like running, rowing, yoga, strength and conditioning etc. I also believe that there will be a big shake up on offerings with may be buy outs from companies such a Training Peaks so that they can offer a fully integrated training package with an App to control your Smart Turbo and programmes written by your coach delivered seamlessly to the athlete.
What happened with the London Classics medal? It’s proudly displayed in my pain cave as a reminder you can complete events using online Apps if you need to. But for me getting out there on my bike, running in the mountains and swimming in the local lakes and sea is better for my mind, body, spirit and motivation.
About Karen Parnell
Karen Parnell is the owner and Head Coach of Chili Tri in Andalusia, Southern Spain. I am a keen triathlete and have competed in events in the US, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Spain and the UK. My passion is to motivate, guide and coach people to achieve their own health, fitness and race goals. I help people to meet their goals via personalised training programs, 1 to 1 coaching, nutritional advice, Strength & Conditioning, Stress Management, race day planning and motivation – a truly holistic approach. Karen is a Level 3 High Performing Coach Programme British Triathlon Federation (BTF) Coach and Tutor, IRONMAN Certified Coach and AIQ Level 3 Personal Trainer. I am also an ASA open water coach and specialise in Bike FTP testing, Stryd running power & gait analysis and Swim video analysis. I also test electronic and software based sports products for several companies. I have a degree in Electronics and during my time in engineering was lucky enough to work with companies such as Polar, Apple, Sony, LG and Samsung on health and fitness connected products. I’m still a great advocate and user of this technology and use them in my athlete testing and training room here at Chili Tri. I use technology from Garmin, Stryd, Arion, Milestone, Elite, PowerTap, Info Crank and others to capture FTP, run power, efficiency over the swim, bike and run. This data is extremely useful to help athletes reach their full potential. I also use Elite HRV to understand stress triggers and how to train effectively at lower physical and mental stress levels.
I coach both traditional and Primal Endurance methodologies using MAF and other holistic training techniques.
If technology is not your thing don’t worry we can work together on what training plan is best for you, your lifestyle and home life and of course it has to be fun! Karen has an MBA from Aston Business School and an Engineering degree from the University of Hertfordshire.
