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Review: ROUVY makes your virtual training more real (BONUS: Beat our TT time & win!)

rouvy virtual indoor cycling training app uses real road video footage and GPS to create realistic riding simulations with your smart trainer
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When it comes to indoor training, options range from full virtual worlds to graphic-laden UCI race footage. Heck, there are even a few studio workouts still out there. In between all that is ROUVY, which puts your virtual avatar on real roads, with finely tuned resistance technology to make it feel like your animated doppelgänger is riding for real.

They’ve even added real races on real World Tour race routes, hosting pros in simulated, multi-stage Vuelta a España competitions that followed the routes of the actual IRL race.

rouvy la vuelta stage 13 time trial virtual indoor cycling race challenge to beat Bikerumor rider and win prizes

And that’s where we joined in, putting one of Bikerumor’s riders on the start of the virtual Vuelta’s stage 13 time trial. Even better, we partnered with ROUVY to offer prizes for anyone who beats our TT time…with bonus codes and more for anyone who enters our challenge! Here’s a teaser:

More details on the Challenge below. But first, we had to set things up and do a few practice rides. Here’s what we think…

ROUVY’s virtual trainer app is like riding real roads

rider setting up rouvy indoor cycling app on home computer for cycling training inside

Or, at least, a very realistic digital representation of it. The addition of an avatar gives you something to watch as you pedal along video of real roads. They offer a free 14-day unlimited trial (keep reading to see how you can get a code to double that to a full month), so there’s no downside to giving it a whirl. And setup is super easy.

rouvy cycling trainer virtual riding software app platforms

Pick the device you want to watch, and they have a ROUVY AR (Augmented Reality) app for it. From desktop to tablet to phone, Mac to PC to iOS to Android. There’s even an Apple TV app. Download the app, create an account, and choose your avatar. You’ll input basics like height, weight, gender and FTP…and that’s about it.

You can customize your rider by male or female, skin color, and a few other attributes. Honestly, once you’re “in game” the details are minimally visible, but still fun. A couple of jerseys are available (see below to get an ultra-limited in-game LaVuelta/Santini kit!), and you can choose between road and TT bikes. Any of these selections can be changed later.

rouvy indoor cycling training app start screen to select the type of ride you want to do on an indoor bike turbo trainer

Fair warning, launching the app on desktop will go fullscreen immediately. Once you’re signed in and setup, you’ll see this screen, where you can:

  • Connect sensors
  • Download a route (more on this below)
  • Select and join a challenge
  • Choose between cycling and running
  • For cycling, choose between Training and Time Trial modes
  • Watch other racers and find a partner
  • Select the option to join a race

That last one is at the bottom left, and clicking on Race will show you upcoming races you can join, or give you the option to create your own race.

 

rouvy routes options screenshot

ROUVY’s routes are based on real roads, and they recommend downloading them in advance because the files can be quite large for streaming at decent quality.

So, if you want stutter-free 1080p or 2k viewing while riding (and especially while racing!), just download the route the day before. Delete old route files if you’re running out of disk space.

If you click on “Change Route” on the initial setup screen, you’ll go to this page (above) and be able to scroll through all of the routes in alphabetical order, or narrow it down by category, distance, grade, etc. You can also favorite routes to make them easier to find later.

rouvy indoor virtual cycling training app screenshot showing rider stats and position

Once you’re riding, you’ll see your stats in the top left, with power output and watts per kilogram, heart rate and “virtual” speed. It also displays your power output and effort directly above your avatar so you can watch it in real time without hunting for specs all over the screen.

Another cool feature is being able to see the position of other riders on the same course. These are other real, live people riding the same course at the same time you are. Their distance from you and power-to-weight output is shown as a list on the left, and their relative position is shown on the elevation profile along the bottom of the screen. It’s a healthy motivator to catch…and not be caught.

rouvy virtual cycling routes for indoor training match up to real world race routes
Our rider, Silas, is an IT guy, hence the insane setup with green screen and multiple monitors. Don’t worry, you could literally race ROUVY on your smartphone.

Because they video tape the actual routes of big races like La Vuelta, you can literally watch race footage of the same exact course you’re riding…and see the scenery match up! It’s pretty cool, and a neat way to experience the race routes from (the “comfort” of?) your own home.

equipment needed to race rouvys indoor virtual cycling app on your smartphone tablet or computer

Equipment-wise, ROUVY works with all major brand modern smart trainers. With these, you’ll need to be able to connect to whichever device the app’s running on via Bluetooth. And any sensors on your bike, or speed sensors for non-smart trainers, will also need to be able to connect.

ANT+ works, too, assuming your phone, tablet or computer has ANT+ sensors. ROUVY can control the resistance of your smart trainer, giving it the most realistic experience, but they have ways to get you on the virtual road and sync your speed to the video playback even if you’re using a standard fluid or magnetic trainer, too.

Other cool features worth mentioning:

  • Virtual Partners – Race against your previous times with a Ghost avatar
  • 5,000+ route videos
  • 8,000+ workouts (in their separate ROUVY Workouts app)
  • Upload your own videos + GPX files to create custom routes
  • Integration with TrainingPeaks, etc.

And two more worth mentioning in detail: First, they offer multiple challenges throughout the year where you can win actual cash money and trainers, gear, etc.

Second, you can create your own virtual races, inviting as many people as you want to pack the peloton. Just pick a course, add however many other ROUVY users as you’d like, and you’ve got yourself a race!

ROUVY AR Virtual Cycling App Review

 

rouvy avatar customization for in game cyclist look

Getting started couldn’t be easier. It downloads quickly, setup UI is intuitive and doesn’t ask a lot, and then selecting a route or race is right on the main screen when you log in.

ROUVY makes it super easy to navigate through all the different options. There are more than enough routes to keep it interesting over time, some with video and some without. There is even an option to upload a route from one of your past activities, making training for that local segment or KOM easy. An array of races and challenges provide more options.

cycling avatar at start of rouvy TT stage 13 of 2020 Vuelta
Your avatar checks tire pressure, switches gears, and hangs out while you warm up. Silas in the foreground thanks to a web cam, green screen and Open Broadcaster Software.

Once in the ride, you have a small set of options. You can choose to warm up in the beginning, keeping your avatar at the start while you spin to get those muscles warm. Once ready, click the start and off you go. You can bounce between Map view and Video view if the ride you selected has a video. This gives you a nice GPS like feel and I like switching between them to get an idea of the road that lies ahead.

I do wish there were more customization off the bat for the avatar/model. You can choose gender, skin color, and kit. You only have 3 kits to choose from at first.

Also, you can choose between a TT bike or Race bike. While the bikes’ only apparent difference is the addition of aero bars and an aero helmet, there are actually performance differences… TT bikes are heavier, which slows them down slightly on the hills, and you can’t draft on them when racing in TT mode. But, they have less drag, so you’ll be faster on the flats.

screenshot from rouvy indoor cycling trainer app review
Switch between bird’s eye rider view, and this map view, to keep things fresh. For routes with no video and only GPS data, this map view is all you get.

The TT that I raced was pretty straight forward. We selected the La Vuelta Stage 13 – Muros route, which is an exact 1:1 copy of the real La Vuelta stage. This TT is mostly flat with a climb at the end. The flats consist of rollers and the road feel of ROUVY and my Tacx Neo 2T was great. Resistance changes are both quick and smooth. The video footage at 1080p was great as well. Detail is much better than expected, but there is some peripheral distortion as the objects in the video virtually pass you by.

I watched the replay of the La Vuelta Stage 13 as I warmed up for this TT and found it pretty neat to pick out areas from the race on TV as I passed them on the screen. Very realistic in this sense and fun to pick out the areas throughout the ride. There were a couple of other riders on the same course and I was able to pass one just before the climb at the end, watching as I reeled in their avatar.

rouvy virtual ride results shown after finishing an indoor training session

Once you finish the ride the stats are uploaded to ROUVY’s site. If you selected Time Trial, it puts you up on the leaderboard, and results stick around for quite a while. You can also link most of the popular data trackers and have your ride uploaded to those, or downloaded as a .FIT or .TCX file if you wish. The data on the site is very useful, but not much different than Strava or any of the other trackers, so overall a bit redundant.

If you’re looking for a wide variety of routes and realistic resistance, ROUVY is a great way to mix up your indoor training and see some of the classic courses around the world. All while getting a solid workout, too. The ability to create races and upload your own routes are nice additions.

Beat Bikerumor and you could win prizes from ROUVY!

 

beat bikerumor rouvy tt virtual time trial challenge with prizes

Think you can beat our time on the Stage 13 Time Trial?

As part of this review, ROUVY is offering Bikerumor readers a FREE 14-day extension on their 14-day trial. That’s 28 days to try it out, fully featured, for free!

And, if you can beat our time of 1:03:56.6 in the Vuelta Stage 13 Time Trial on or before January 16, 2021, you’ll be entered to win prizes like a ROUVY cycling kit, 6-month and 12-month Memberships, and more!

rouvy promo image for Bikerumor challenge contest

Heck, everyone who enters the challenge gets the free 14-day trial extension, a 20% discount code AND unlocks a special Santini x La Vuelta in-game jersey for their avatar! Plus, all participants are entered to win one of ten 6-month free subscriptions!

How to enter:

  • Create your free account (or log into your existing account)
  • Review the Beat Bikerumor Challenge rules and regulations
  • Use the links on that page to register for the Challenge, get your free 14-day bonus trial, and enter to win more great prizes!

Good luck, and happy racing!

ROUVY.com

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13 Comments
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guelfo
guelfo
3 years ago

rouvy is much better than zwift

kevingre
kevingre
3 years ago
Reply to  guelfo

Completely agree! I’ve used Rouvy for the last 3 years and love it. In fact, I finally cancelled my Zwift since subscription in Nov 2019 and haven’t missed Zwift in the least. The cost of Rouvy is by far the best value in the online training space. You can even let up to 3 people in your household use the account (with their own username, etc).

Lauren
3 years ago
Reply to  kevingre

Agree, absolutely love it. My happy and safe place 🙂 So much to explore there and so little time. Good value too. This year they are doing a lot of exciting development as well so the app will be gaining new features.

Bas Simons
Bas Simons
3 years ago

So, what about female competitors in the TT challenge? They just have to go as fast as the men and beat the same time, or is there a “handicap” factor that they can use?

Rixter
Rixter
3 years ago

Argh I buried myself trying to hit 1:13 and I made it, only to discover the target was 1:03. That’s not going to happen for me

LaurenW
3 years ago
Reply to  Rixter

Well done for having a go Rick! That’s still a brilliant time! 🙂

BH
BH
3 years ago

When are the 20% discount voucher codes issued? I’m waiting to buy a subscription…!

Lauren Wolff
3 years ago
Reply to  BH

As Rouvy Ambassador, I have available if you’d like to contact me on Strava

Michael Toyer
3 years ago
Reply to  Lauren Wolff

Hi Lauren, there are a few of you on Strava, which is you?

Lauren Wolff
3 years ago
Reply to  Michael Toyer

Lauren Wolff – BianchiGirl

Randy
Randy
2 years ago

As of January 2022 users can no longer add their own video routes to Rouvy. This is the result of a permanent decision on Rouvy’s part. The loss of this feature was not communicated properly. Many of the top route creators became frustrated and left taking hundreds of the very best routes with them. All the new routes on Rouvy are recorded by motor vehicles at high speed. The new routes are choppy and blurry while everything in the background such as cars and pedestrians moves in slow motion. The lines are unrealistic – you often find your avatar passing slow-motion vehicles in the passing lane on divided highways – you’re basically riding a dashcam video. They’ve botched the “career” by awarding coins for outdoor rides but only for those with Garmin devices. After a month you could gain career progress without Garmin if you linked Strava to Rouvy but then that stopped working. Now comparisons of career progress are meaningless. All of this with little to no communication with the user community. 1

Ferdinando
Ferdinando
2 years ago

È il secondo anno che uso questa app è sinceramente, nulla da dire
Volevo un consiglio se è possibile, meglio usare il percorso in training o time trial? Oppure è lo stesso ? Grazie mille

Simba
Simba
1 year ago

I like Rouvy very much mainly because of the wide selection of the real-life routes in their library. Basically each day of the year I can be riding a different route, so cool. And I am so happy to be able to go back to some of my favourite routes in Mallorca Spain.

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