"There's never been a sillier thing I've ever done in my life than pedaling towards a white wall." With those words, my friend effectively discouraged me from using a bike trainer a few years ago. They conjured up an image of an Alcatraz-style exercise, where insubordinate prisoners were required to crank a specific number of times as an additional punishment. The crank was located in a corner, and of course, there was no view of the Bay Area or San Francisco.
After a few years, I realized that 'there must be an app for that.' And indeed, instead of a blank wall, we now have a wide range of choices. A few words about them below.
But first – why a bike trainer at all? For those in the know, the advantages don't need much explanation. For the rest, I'll keep it brief: because it's difficult to maintain (or improve) fitness on a bike in the off-season. Because of the frequent lack of safe outdoor training. A climb with a 1,000-meter elevation gain? A mountain road in January will be icy, and darkness falls as early as 3 p.m. This turns a training session into another burden instead of a pleasure. And that's something we don't want in amateur sports. Add to that the possibility of rain or frost. Plus, riding in poor off-road conditions requires different equipment than riding in the summer. And that's an additional investment. Definitely more expensive than a bike trainer.
Smelting Cave
When asked what he likes most about his home, the Airbnb CEO replied: a home gym. Sure, not all of us can afford such luxury in our apartments. Believe it or not, an exercise bike will make the room it's in one of your favorites. Although, not necessarily your spouse's or life partner's. The reason? Getting out for a bike ride has never been easier than now—it's just a matter of the next room.
Its setup and configuration are crucial. Firstly, airflow – I don't think I need to explain why? An hour on the trainer can burn 1,000 calories, so you'll be warm even with an open window – a fan is also useful. Some trainers have a built-in fan – you'll feel a stronger breeze on descents. Of course, a mat under the trainer will protect the floor from sweat drops – and there will be plenty of them during a serious workout. Hence the name of the room, in cycling jargon, "smelt cave." What else should such a cave have? Anything that energizes you during your workout – light, music… or maybe scenery? I find those the most appealing. Check out the gallery at the end of this post.
On a coffee ride to the next room
Let's return to apps that are supposed to turn "pedaling to the wall" into "the coolest room in the apartment." By the way, we've already written more generally about cycling apps on our blog . What are we choosing? Group coffee rides, individually tailored training plans, challenge routes lasting several days or weeks. Plus, competitions at various distances with other participants, social rides with friends. Or riding the most scenic bike routes in the world. The possibilities are endless. How does this work in practice? We place a tablet in front of the trainer or connect a smart TV or projector. From that moment on, we forget about the white wall and enter virtual reality. And would the Apple Vision Pro be any good in this application? I doubt it; after all, we're in a melting pot, and Apple goggles don't have wipers, or any other features.
Trainer plus applications
And now a few words about Zwift . It's a great first app. It's worth starting with a basic workout, during which you'll see on-screen tips to get you started – how to properly behave on the trainer. Position relative to the handlebars, crank rotation, heart rate and breathing control – all of this is important for a safe and effective workout. Zwift allows you to follow training plans planned for several weeks. You'll improve your fitness, strength, and riding technique. Zwift is controlled via two apps – one displays virtual reality on a TV/projector/tablet. The second (Zwift Companion) is conveniently located on your smartphone, mounted on the handlebars. You can then see how much time is left until the end of the interval. You can control the trainer during strength training, and, most importantly, you can see how many watts your leg is pumping out in real time.
Zwift is a highly engaging app thanks to the companions we meet along the way. These are real people from all over the world. Each competitor displays their performance in watts per hour. This effectively represents the "horsepower under the hood." Finding a worthy sparring partner is therefore simple, and then... well, exactly. A planned workout that was supposed to last only 30 minutes turns into over an hour of fun. That is, if a friend from the other side of the world gets involved and doesn't give up on the racing.
Alpe d'Huez on Friday at nine o'clock
Zwift also allows you to train together – you just need to plan a route, generate a link, and send it to a friend. What's next? At the agreed-upon time, we meet for a ride together. Drafting in Zwift is acceptable and noticeable, and breaking records together on the trainer provides additional motivation.
Zwift doesn't represent the real world—the routes are partly created in a fantasy universe (so-called Watopia) and partly inspired by real-world locations (Innsbruck, London, Alpe du Zwift—inspired by Alpe d'Huez). Furthermore, Zwift also works for runners, who can be encountered on the road alongside cyclists.
The author of this text is Mikołaj Małaczyński, the founder and head of Legimi. By entering antymateriaczytazlegimi here: legimi.pl/code, you'll get a 14-day free trial of the book and audiobook service!
Preparing for the race - we go together at 10:10 PM for an hour-long ride
At the appointed time, we set off for the coffee ride. As we pass another rider, we can send them a thumbs up, which they'll see and hear in their headphones, "Ride On!"
The race is underway. Each competitor's current W/kg level is displayed on the list.
The climb up Alpe du Zwift—9% grade—doesn't look too bad. On the left, I see my personal best for this section. Heart rate 155—I can still push harder, there's room for improvement. Especially since my Canadian friend is ahead of me!
Only 6.4 km behind us, the timed section begins, good for comparing your form with previous runs
Summit reached. The whole thing took 84 minutes, but there was a break along the way to… refill our water bottles. Next time, we'll beat that record!
Views, views… on the trainer
The second app I highly recommend is Rouvy . Many of its operating principles are similar to Zwift, but the key difference is the photorealistic routes, recorded with 360-degree cameras. In addition to the route profile, simulated by the trainer's load, we gain a visual experience. And this is the highlight, believe it or not. We finally escaped the white wall to have an interesting, changing perspective before us. For me, Rouvy is an opportunity to "finger-tap" the biggest climbs of cycling competitions. That is, Passo di Stelvio, Passo dello Spluga, Alpe d'Huez, the ascent of Cap di Formentor. Along the way, we'll see roadside shops, people, cars—everything we'd see in real life.
The atmosphere of a place can be contagious. Especially when it's dark and wet outside, and we're gliding through Taiwan, the South African coast, or a redwood forest in California. I happened to stop at the driveway to Tre Cime in the Dolomites and save a pin on Google Maps showing a charming lake. There are campers parked next to it, and a restaurant with a stunning view from the terrace – maybe we'll go there someday?
Rouvy is renowned for its faithful representation of routes, even in terms of load. I dream of riding the Stelvio in real life and comparing times. Apparently, they're comparable, of course, in neutral winds and conditions. The app itself allows us to complete segments with a virtual partner. They can be computer-controlled, or they can drive at the same speed as our historical best time on a given route. This clearly shows where we're performing better or worse than before.
The core, or the trainer
My friend Piotr recommended the trainer I use. It's the Wahoo Kickr Core. The manufacturer recommends its own app for it – a combination of Zwift and Rouvy. The result? We have real route profiles, but no views – the surrounding world is computer-generated, and in my opinion, less visually appealing. However, the trainer's realism is top-notch, so we work the gears more than with previous apps. The Wahoo RGT also allows you to create your own route based on a recorded real-world ride (GPX) and create a simulation. Perfect if you want to practice a section for a competition.
There are, of course, more apps. I focused on these three because I spent anywhere from a few to several dozen hours using each. This allowed me to get to know them better and understand their specifics. The end of the outdoor season is approaching. I know that the trainer, combined with Zwift and Rouvy, will be an interesting way to continue my training.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a gallery from Rouva:
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