Get the Most From Your Virtual Rides
Tips and tricks for riding with others online
It can be incredibly difficult to find the motivation to put on the bib shorts, fill the bottles and head to the pain cave for a session of pedalling in place. You know the benefits of riding the indoor trainer all too well – excellent fitness once the roads and trails clear – but sometimes the trainer just lurks in the background. It’s there. It’s waiting.
Trainer technology has come along way in the past 20 years. There are so many products that improve the riding experience and realism of trainer riding – everything from simulating grades and cobbles to 3d virtual riding environments. But when it’s the middle of January and your last outdoor ride was months ago and your next is still a distant blip on the radar, it’s easy to forget why we’re doing these 20-minute sweet-spot efforts or five-minute VO2 max intervals. Here are some of the recent developments in the indoor training world that will keep you motivated and some tips for getting the most out of those systems.
Virtual racing With the advent of platforms like Zwift and Road Grand Tours, simulated riding environments are almost an expected part of the trainer experience. The rise of these multiplayer-style platforms has provided the perfect conditions for competition. Virtual racing is a great way for the risk-averse to compete against other cyclists without the fear of crashing. Road rash doesn’t exist in the virtual world. Virtual racing has become an incredibly popular and organized affair with multiple races happening almost every hour of the day. And just like in real life (or “irl” to use the online lingo) there are race organizers, racing series, ability-based categories and racing teams. Racers can compete against one another and see their results posted online.
Not only does virtual racing provide a fun environment to push your limits and improve fitness, it also provides an excellent winter training goal. Winning your favourite virtual race is a great motivator to power through that VO2 max workout. With virtual racing, you’ll hit the pavement in the spring with the snappiest legs you’ve ever had.
Virtual racing dos and don’ts Virtual racing is very different than outdoor racing. In some ways, it’s much harder. From the start, the pace is high and requires a big effort to stay in the front group. Make sure you give yourself plenty of warm-up time so your legs are prepared for what is to come. Virtual racing is about managing effort and being consistent. While outdoor racing has its lulls and opportunities for soft pedalling, racing via computers requires continued effort throughout the entirety of the event. Think of it as one long tempo or threshold effort. Choose your moments wisely and conserve energy. If nothing else, virtual racing will make you into a more prudent and observant racer when you get outside. A final note: be honest with your
“While outdoor racing has its lulls and opportunities for soft pedalling, racing via computers requires continued effort throughout the entirety of the event.”
weight and trainer calibration. As cheating in real life is serious business and can get you barred from races, so too is breaking the rules in virtual reality. Race smart, be courteous, be honest, and you’ll have a great virtual-racing experience.
Indoor group rides If racing isn’t your thing, you can opt to participate in one of the virtual group rides offered through platforms such as Zwift. Just like your favourite Sunday ride, you can join up with a group of likeminded individuals and cruise around the virtual world of Watopia in a peloton. Take your turn on the front and sprint for a digital town sign. You can download voice chat apps to connect with the other riders or make use of in-game text-based messaging. Each group ride has its own rider leader, personality and regulars who attend each week. You can get in with the group banter through voice chat and connect with riders from around the world.
Indoor group ride etiquette Just like club rides, virtual group rides have rules and etiquette; the most important of which is sticking to the set pace and staying with the group. It can be tempting to follow fliers up the road, but driving the pace too hard causes splits in the group and makes the ride less enjoyable for everyone else. If you’re looking for an added workout, try increasing your in-game weight settings. This change will allow you to work harder within the group while still maintaining the set pace. Unlike outdoor rides, there is no expectation to take your turn on the front, so feel free to sit in and enjoy the banter of the group.
Trainer riding no longer has to be a lonely slog in the pain cave. It has become a robust multiplayer experience that can allow you to compete and ride with friends and strangers alike. With such an immersive and communal experience available through virtual riding platforms, it will no longer be a problem of finding the motivation to get on the trainer. Instead you may find yourself choosing to spend more time on the trainer than ever before. You might even ride the trainer year-round.