As smart trainers have got more affordable, indoor training has become a crucial tool in the everyday cyclist’s armoury, with third-party training platforms such as Rouvy ramping up the immersiveness and enjoyment of slogging away on a static bike.
But for all the virtual miles logged, workout drills done and XP points accrued, the core reason most people train indoors is to improve performance on real-world roads and trails.
The benefits don’t end at improving your on-bike fitness, though.
In fact, Rouvy has a number of smart features that can help you prepare for an outdoor ride, beyond improved power numbers and enhanced endurance.
From simulating inch-perfect gradients of legendary cols, complete with real-life footage, to offering the opportunity to create your own local loops, here’s how to get the most out of the smart-training solution.
Real-world recons
Rouvy prides itself on its realism, with each route and workout on the training platform simulating a real-world location with high-definition footage rather than a gamified, cartoon-like experience.
This means users are able to tackle roads from around the world from the comfort of their own home, bringing a slice of sunshine to those winter indoor rides when it's dark and gloomy outside.
It’s not only great for some virtual tourism, though – Rouvy’s routes are the ultimate way to prepare for a stab at an iconic climb or course IRL.
The training platform has thousands of routes to choose from to practise and perfect in your pain cave, but highlights include an ascent of L’Alpe d’Huez’s 21 switchbacks, the gruelling pavé sectors of Paris-Roubaix and a scaling of Mallorca’s twisting and turning Sa Calobra.
Create custom routes to target local KOMs
Rouvy isn’t limited to the world’s most iconic riding destinations.
In fact, it’s possible to create your own custom routes that will enable you to simulate local lanes and line up an assault on your area’s most hotly contested climb.
This is thanks to the Rouvy Route Creator, which enables subscribers to turn any cycling route they’ve filmed in real life into a virtual version. This can be used to train on, and share with friends and the wider Rouvy community.
All you need is a recording from an action camera with GPS that’s mounted to a bike, motorbike or car. The platform’s cutting-edge augmented reality technology will do the rest, transforming your footage into a bespoke, 3D-model video.
So, if you’ve got a local KOM that you’re targeting or want a virtual way of completing a club ride when the weather isn’t playing ball, Rouvy’s Route Creator functionality is a great way to prepare for rides that are close to home, too.
Embark on a parcour-perfect training plan
Rouvy isn’t solely big on routes and has a suite of training plans that will help you tackle all sorts of distances and disciplines by serving up workouts that utilise your turbo trainer’s ERG mode, and maximise the efficiency and accuracy of any indoor cycling session.
It has a variety of four-week training plans to choose from, depending on your goal event’s parcours – from flat-focused Sprinter and Time Trialist plans, to an undulating Puncheur plan and an all-out Climber training schedule that’s ideal for long, alpine ascents.
Elsewhere, there are other plans that target your FTP, VO2 max and general endurance, and each can be a great addition to any training block – whether your goal is to get round your first century or smash your next sportive.
