Hitting the turbo used to be a mind-numbing affair, but the last decade has seen a complete revolution in indoor cycling. The transformation is mostly thanks to immersive training apps and smart trainers that provide entertainment, accurate data and training plans to do everything short of turning your legs to make indoor training less brutal and, dare we say it, even enjoyable for a lot of cyclists.
The most popular app on the market: Zwift Subscription (Monthly)
Entirely free training app: MyWhoosh Virtual Cycling App
Augmented reality riding: Rouvy Indoor Cycling Reality App Subscription (Monthly)
Most realistic outdoor riding simulation: FulGaz Training App Subscription (Monthly)
Close to having a personal coach: TrainerRoad Online Training Subscription (Monthly)
Indoor cycling on an indoor velodrome: Bkool Cycling Simulator Subscription (Monthly)
The popularity of indoor cycling means the market is fiercely competitive, making the best turbo trainers even better and the best cycling apps featured in this guide pushing to be the ones that cyclists will stick with and take out a subscription. The pandemic witnessed a huge surge in the popularity of indoor cycling, and as a result, we saw big investments in the sector. This competition is only good for the consumer of course, and in the 2020s there are now plenty of very good apps bringing different experiences to the table depending on what you want from your indoor training. However, as we've witnessed with the news of Wahoo closing the RGT app only 1.5 years after buying it, the pandemic bubble is starting to burst.
This doesn't mean that there isn't still plenty to choose from! Below, we've picked out our favourite apps to give our honest and unbiased breakdown of the pros and cons along with our recommendations. Which indoor training app you get along best with will be a very personal thing, whether you're looking for maximum training gains, immersion, virtual racing or simply pain cave enjoyment.
Many of the apps mentioned also offer a free trial that can last anywhere up to a month, which is a great way of trying before you buy and seeing if it is indeed the software for you.
For most of us training indoors isn't a means to an end, with the idea being that structured indoor sessions will lead to outdoor improvements; if that's you, then we'd also recommend checking out our advice on how to balance indoor and outdoor riding for maximum fitness gains.
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12 comments
All the Apps.have plus and minus points.It's what YOU are after that counts.
No mention of Kinomap ?
Zwift is too Playstaiton'y for me,but great data.
Rouvy,Fulgaz,and Kinomap all decent but different search menus take some getting used too.I use Kinomap for their vast library,but their menu is hard work.Changes are coming though.
If anybody asks me which one to use I always say use the FREE 2 week trials till you find one YOU like,as were all different.I still prefer outdoor riding,but not when icy now. Mind that's an age thing 😇 Stay safe and enjoy the new ways to ride
With RGT closing down, I have recently joined team Rouvy. I wanted to give it a try because of the possibility of riding actually existing routes that I liked on RGT too. So far I am quite satisfied with the experience, the only problem is I cannot decide which ride to choose as there are so many haha.
Rouvy does it for me. I like the realistic faciort and be able to ride routhes I have eben in the past or would like to take on some day. Althought (using TAcx Neo 2T smart) subjectifvely the indoor riding for me is a tad tougher comparing to outdoors when I looked at my numbers ( HR /watts/time) climmibing Passo Pordoi it was very similar to my surprice! thats great. For a change i use Zwift too. there is always something going on and quite fun to ride on.
I used to ride on Zwift but slowly the virtual world became worn out for me. Even though I enjoyed the workout section there, I was missing a real-life element. So I switched to Rouvy and rode it whole last winter and really loved it. It was so refreshing to ride on real routes and actually check out the route of the race that I was planning to attend. I just wanted to check- is there really a family pack available for Rouvy? I could not see that option on the site.
Actually, there is a new subscription model for Rouvy and they now offer multiple accounts - you can have 2persons/19.99/month, or 5persons/32.99/month.
I've used Zwift, Rouvy, Wahoo as well as Sufferfest videos way back when. The draw back for me is that what you see is a constant reminder of what you're missing - the outdoors. I just couldn't get on with them which is why it's Trainerroad for me. Yes I have to watch catch up TV but the sessions are terrific and it is really like having a coach. And I get to watch what I want for a change!
I was enjoying MyWhoosh until I calibrated my turbo and then the app stopped being able to find the turbo as an available device. Thanks Zwift (Hub). MyWhoosh Support said they don't recommend that trainer as a device and that's that. Shame. Seems they only stick to the mainstream turbos at this juncture.
Noone ever mentions TrainerDay, but that was my next attempt and have found it great. Big caveat - I'm not interested in racing, so just use its workouts. I don't subscribe to it but its sub fees are a fraction of the others', it seems.
PS does anyone know how I can get my Wahoo bolt v1 to control my Zwift Hub trainer for the Bolt's preloaded workouts? It simply will not control the erg mode of the trainer, leaving me to regulate the wattage targets on my own, which is nearly impossible. Thank you.
Zwift has just about everything in spades. By far the most popular platform, for a very good reason, it's excellent.
Where else can you join a cycle event with thousands of riders at once online
Tonight currently there are
I hate Zwift.
Thats a shame, given as a cylcist you are both honour and contractually bound to like it.
The cycling inspectors will be paying you a visit.
I have used Bkool, FulGaz and Rouvy and generally enjoyed them all.
I do have a quibble with curation of user generated rides, in my opinion they all accept too many similar, uninteresting rides. It may be that they don't want to upset subscribers who go to the trouble of submitting material, but it's quoted earlier that Bkool have 400,000 rides. How many of these will be ridden more than once?
I've been on Bkool for three years now. I much prefer it to Zwift. Zwift has limited routes, whereas there are about 400,000 routes on Bkool and you can also upload your own. I don't agree with the review about the video quality, it is every bit as good as Zwift, plus you have many routes in video mode, for example, Mont Ventoux. On a TV screen it really feels as though you are riding it for real. Much better value in my opinion.