TrainerRoad already had PC, Mac and iOS apps, and now they’ve added Android, making them one of the (if not the) most connected cycling training platform on the market. It’s able to connect to your sensors (HR, Power, Cadence, etc.) and trainers (Wahoo, Tacx, BKool, etc.) via Bluetooth, ANT+ and ANT+ FE-C, letting it use data from just about anywhere and control any smart trainer.
You’ll need to be running Android 5 Lollipop or later, and it’s currently a beta release, but if you’ve got a non-Apple, non-Windows smartphone or tablet and been waiting for a way to let it make you suffer, look no further…
If your device is one of the newer ones and has ANT+ built in, you’ll simply need to download the appropriate drivers to let your phone/tablet connect with any ANT+ cycling sensors. If you’re running Bluetooth parts, you should be good to go outta the box. Or, use an ANT+ computer dongle with the appropriate USB adapter for your phone.
The beta release includes VirtualPower, which calculates your power based on a trainer’s speed using their database of trainers and known resistance numbers; and PowerMatch, which lets the app control the resistance matches what your powermeter reads to what your non-smart trainer is doing so that your indoor and outdoor rides are perfectly matched. Control for the recently introduced Kinetic Smart Control trainers is coming, but other brands should be compatible in this release.
You’ll have access to their full list of workouts, and the full release (coming soon) will add the ability to sort by power zone, duration and intensity level.
Not sure what TrainerRoad is? Basically, it’s a subscription based training program that provides all sorts of workouts and lets you adjust the intensity to match your skill, or have it automatically match the intensity to your FTP, then use on-bike, on-person, and smart or regular trainers to provide feedback so you know you’re training at the right intensity to make gains. Check our review of the system for a complete run down.
