Rouvy - everything you want to know

mrb123

I use it on a Samsung Galaxy tablet mirrored to a TV using a Chromecast. Seems to work pretty well.

Last winter I just had the tablet which was fine but having the TV in the set up is a definite improvement.

Having access to the premium routes isn't essential as there are hundreds of others to choose from but I do have a premium subscription as it was pretty good value if you paid for 12 months up front. You can also have other family members on a premium subscription at no extra cost.

mrb123

I'm also not sure if the "career" feature would work with a standard subscription because some of the levels require you to complete premium routes before you can progress.

super_davo

I've used it on a Hudl 2 tablet, I've used it on my Xiaomi A1 phone, but at the moment I'm using it on a Mecool M8s Android TV box. That to me is the best solution, because it feels far more realistic on a large screen, and for c£25 I can have something permanently plugged into to the TV in the garage with a USB port for an Ant+ dongle. Makes it truly "jump on and ride".

I've just got a £6.99 subscription, and I've been advancing through the career feature (just about to complete Elite) and there has been nothing I've needed to be on Premium for yet. I think the main reason to do Career is that it forces you to use all the different bits you probably would skip over - e.g. I just gravitate towards the AR climbs in the Dolomites, career has made me do different things like workouts and challenges. The workout was interesting - very much like TrainerRoad controlling all my power on ERG, but with better visuals.

k3vinjam3s

rdt wrote:

Couple of questions re Rouvy:

- what sort of Android devices are people using it with, ie. phone or tablet? Is it actually usable on a phone screen (handlebar mounted) or are you mirroring/connected to a big screen also?

- what subscription level is recommended? ie. worth paying up for the 'premium' routes?


Not used it myself, just interested in learning a bit more about the options available to me...

I just use my samsung s7 edge and mirror it to a firestick and tv in my home gym. Works well. But ive found downloading the routes works best.

I havent subscribed yet but probably go premium as its not much more.

k3vinjam3s

Does anyone ever have any problems mid ride where the gradient just seems to get easy and resistance almost stops. I was on one AR route and it happened at top of a climb. 8% went to what felt like 2 or 3%. It didnt last long so thought it maybe a glitch with that route. But it happened again on a different one and ended up cancelling the ride as it was supposed to be 10% and felt like nothing. Was wondering if it was a software or hardware problem. Using a cycleops magnus and linked to my phone via bluetooth. Was on a challenge route so wasnt happy having to abort but didnt want to go on putting out less than 200w flying up a 10% climb.

thegreatdivide

super_davo wrote:

In terms of whether to continue using Rouvy, for Android there's only really Rouvy and Trainerroad at the moment.

Zwift have an Android app, but it's very limited. No Ant + is an absolute killer for me.

Rouvy is a decent option for me because it's one of the cheaper packages, and it works nicely on an old TV and cheap Android TV box. I find the concept of Rouvy more engaging than Trainerroad so I use it more, hence it's giving me better results.

If you're on the iOS ecosystem or have a PC with a decent graphics card there are lots of other options. If you have nothing then an Apple TV box can run most of the big packages. I would definitely use Zwift along with 90% of my club if I didn't have an aversion to buying anything made by Apple. I suspect I'll crack and get a new laptop specifically for that use case at some point in the next few months.

Get over your aversion. Zwift on Apple TV is a superb way of running it. Unless you’re going to shell out for a high end gaming laptop or dedicated gaming box like an Alienware, an Apple TV will match (or beat) a low to mid range laptop. It only costs 180 quid. It’ll also power up Zwift and sync to a turbo a flash.

super_davo

thegreatdivide wrote:

super_davo wrote:

In terms of whether to continue using Rouvy, for Android there's only really Rouvy and Trainerroad at the moment.

Zwift have an Android app, but it's very limited. No Ant + is an absolute killer for me.

Rouvy is a decent option for me because it's one of the cheaper packages, and it works nicely on an old TV and cheap Android TV box. I find the concept of Rouvy more engaging than Trainerroad so I use it more, hence it's giving me better results.

If you're on the iOS ecosystem or have a PC with a decent graphics card there are lots of other options. If you have nothing then an Apple TV box can run most of the big packages. I would definitely use Zwift along with 90% of my club if I didn't have an aversion to buying anything made by Apple. I suspect I'll crack and get a new laptop specifically for that use case at some point in the next few months.

Get over your aversion. Zwift on Apple TV is a superb way of running it. Unless you’re going to shell out for a high end gaming laptop or dedicated gaming box like an Alienware, an Apple TV will match (or beat) a low to mid range laptop. It only costs 180 quid. It’ll also power up Zwift and sync to a turbo a flash.

I know it is, I've seen it in use. But if Zwift can write software to run on an Apple TV they can write software to run on an Android TV and other devices that have similar specs but cost 25% of the price.

Until they do that, they don't deserve my money (and more importantly the money of the hundreds of millions that prefer Android over Apple).

Something like a Ryzen 5 laptop sidesteps the issue because it will run Zwift really well and fill plenty of other uses too.

jgsi

The huge American Apple affluent userbase sways what Zwift management does obeying what their investors require - profit, but big profits.
Essentially ignoring the Android base that exists in Asia -- despite what their marketing shizz states about being inclusive and global.

Spokesrider

I've been using Rouvy with a Kickr Snap since the first of the year, and find it to be just what I wanted. I'm a traveler, not an athlete, so the virtual routes with video are the only thing I use. At my age I can no longer afford to let myself get out of condition during rainy spells or long winters, and I find that the Rouvy/Snap combo is something to look forward to every winter evening.

It would be nice if Rouvy eventually had enough routes that one could put together a cross-continent ride by connecting them together.

Some of the existing videos are a lot better than others, and some are synchronized with the hills a lot better than others. I wish there was a place to discuss camera gear, gps computers, and mounts so I could contribute some of my own routes once the weather is suitable in my part of the world. Could this forum be that place? My experiences with an action camera on my bicycle last year didn't produce anything as good as some of the videos I see on Rouvy now, so I'd like to know how some of the good ones are done. The information that Rouvy provides seems to be lacking a lot.

Spokesrider

k3vinjam3s wrote:

Does anyone ever have any problems mid ride where the gradient just seems to get easy and resistance almost stops. I was on one AR route and it happened at top of a climb. 8% went to what felt like 2 or 3%. It didnt last long so thought it maybe a glitch with that route. But it happened again on a different one and ended up cancelling the ride as it was supposed to be 10% and felt like nothing. Was wondering if it was a software or hardware problem. Using a cycleops magnus and linked to my phone via bluetooth. Was on a challenge route so wasnt happy having to abort but didnt want to go on putting out less than 200w flying up a 10% climb.

I've never run into anything like that with my Kickr Snap. 10 percent climbs never ever feel like 2 or 3%. My only complaint is that there is a bit of a lag, which I suspect has more to do with the recording equipment used by the contributor, so that the top of the gradient doesn't appear until I'm maybe 50 yards (or even more) beyond the peak of the hill as seen on the video. But some routes don't have much of that problem.

StillGoing

I've had no issues since switching to a Neo from a Direto.

mrb123

Excellent development on Rouvy. They seem to have acquired a UK video company which mean there are now a load more UK based videos on there. Loads of stuff from some of the better sportives such as sections of the Fred Whitton, Etape du Dales, Hell of Hexham etc.

The quality seems superb from what I've seen so far.

itboffin

Just started my trial period today and on the short 2017 TDF prologue stage i was impressed with the setup, video quality and easy of use, so far the best of all the major players I've tried which is everyone except Zwift. Shame my legs weren't play ball.

I especially liked that picking my turbo model seems to have all the settings spot on

super_davo

Problem with the UK stuff e.g the Fred Whitton rides are they are very up and down, steep gradients either way, which is great when you're riding it for real, but doesn't make for the best turbo training experience. Trying to keep a reasonable power target is very difficult when you're basically shifting from your top gear to your bottom every couple of minutes.

The new videos are very obviously shot from a motorbike during sportive events which means there are lots of real cyclists on the video. Often the motorbike hangs behind them for a bit, zips past loads, then goes slow for a bit, all of which has nothing to do with how you're riding. So the presence of the cyclists in the videos IMO detracts from the realism, rather than adding to it. The videos like the AR Dolomites routes where the roads are basically empty other than the CGI riders work much better as the riders are racing you i.e if you go fast you pass them, if you go slow they pass you.

I'm optimistic about the purchase of the video company because the camera tech produces good quality videos - so when Rouvy start filming themselves for their needs the results should be great. But I'm definitely not blown away by the back catalogue they've put up so far.

itboffin

I just rode half of the Ventoux route, i can see how empty roads will make it feel more realistic and the video footage whilst good needs to be stabilised i.e. not rocking from side to side like a gopro camera would, otherwise i'm still impressed and enjoying it so far. I like the AR feature and the fact that you can upload videos of your own, if i have time i'll upload our club chaingang route.

itboffin

I've uploaded my first route to their site, a simple flat local out and back https://my.rouvy.com/virtual-routes/detail/35956 i'll ride it online tomorrow and see how it compares to the real thing.

itboffin

Uploaded routes are great but the gradients are out by 25-50% IMO in the beta mac app you can adjust the feel, i've not found the equivalent in the windows or mobile apps.

Casey@Rouvy

rdt said:

Couple of questions re Rouvy:



- what sort of Android devices are people using it with, ie. phone or tablet? Is it actually usable on a phone screen (handlebar mounted) or are you mirroring/connected to a big screen also?



- what subscription level is recommended? ie. worth paying up for the 'premium' routes?





Not used it myself, just interested in learning a bit more about the options available to me...

Hello rdt! Thanks for the question and we hope you give us a shot! Rouvy Premium offers a variety of features; in addition to our Premium Routes for Rouvy Career advancement it allows 2 more family members or friends to access your subscription via the Family Sharing option, connect up to 5 separate devices, and access our advanced metrics page! All of these are unique to the Premium subscription and a great upgrade regardless of the type of user you are. Thanks!

Casey@Rouvy

tyke999 said:

I am using the free trial on my iPhone 8 plus...Found that although I have linked it to Strava...the data/rides are not uploading .....



Secondly when will it be available to use on a computer ?

Hello Tyke999! We've recently released the public Mac Beta and you can download it here by clicking the link - https://cdn.virtualtraining.eu/downloads/RouvyInstaller.dmg.

You can check the status of your Strava cloud link by going to your my.rouvy account in the browser, clicking the settings icon and clicking into the 'Cloud' menu. From there you can view if Rouvy is set-up to manually or automatically send your rides to Strava as well as reconnect your account. If the problem remains, please contact our help desk at support@rouvy.com

mrb123

Good to see the new 100 Climbs routes that have appeared on the site. Looking forward to a crack at Bealach na Ba soon.

Casey@Rouvy

k3vinjam3s said:

Does anyone ever have any problems mid ride where the gradient just seems to get easy and resistance almost stops. I was on one AR route and it happened at top of a climb. 8% went to what felt like 2 or 3%. It didnt last long so thought it maybe a glitch with that route. But it happened again on a different one and ended up cancelling the ride as it was supposed to be 10% and felt like nothing. Was wondering if it was a software or hardware problem. Using a cycleops magnus and linked to my phone via bluetooth. Was on a challenge route so wasnt happy having to abort but didnt want to go on putting out less than 200w flying up a 10% climb.

Hi! Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with the AR Routes, we recommend often performing a trainer calibration if issues like this persist. If you’re still having difficulties, drop us a note at ‘support@rouvy.com’.

super_davo said:

I've used it on a Hudl 2 tablet, I've used it on my Xiaomi A1 phone, but at the moment I'm using it on a Mecool M8s Android TV box. That to me is the best solution, because it feels far more realistic on a large screen, and for c£25 I can have something permanently plugged into to the TV in the garage with a USB port for an Ant+ dongle. Makes it truly "jump on and ride".


I've just got a £6.99 subscription, and I've been advancing through the career feature (just about to complete Elite) and there has been nothing I've needed to be on Premium for yet. I think the main reason to do Career is that it forces you to use all the different bits you probably would skip over - e.g. I just gravitate towards the AR climbs in the Dolomites, career has made me do different things like workouts and challenges. The workout was interesting - very much like TrainerRoad controlling all my power on ERG, but with better visuals.

Hi super_davo, interesting set-up and we’re happy it’s working for you but know that Rouvy does not offer native support for Android TV boxes. We’re glad to hear that the premium subscription is pushing you to use workouts! We’re proud of our workout platform’s variety and ease of use, even when it comes to creating your own workouts! Ride on!

jgsi said:

The huge American Apple affluent userbase sways what Zwift management does obeying what their investors require - profit, but big profits.

Essentially ignoring the Android base that exists in Asia -- despite what their marketing shizz states about being inclusive and global.

Hi! Android users have enjoyed Rouvv already for awhile now. Here at Rouvy we’re always working on new developments for our product! Feel free to sign-up for the email list or follow the blog to stay up to date! Blog - News from the world of indoor cycling

Spokesrider said:

I've been using Rouvy with a Kickr Snap since the first of the year, and find it to be just what I wanted. I'm a traveler, not an athlete, so the virtual routes with video are the only thing I use. At my age I can no longer afford to let myself get out of condition during rainy spells or long winters, and I find that the Rouvy/Snap combo is something to look forward to every winter evening.


It would be nice if Rouvy eventually had enough routes that one could put together a cross-continent ride by connecting them together.


Some of the existing videos are a lot better than others, and some are synchronized with the hills a lot better than others. I wish there was a place to discuss camera gear, gps computers, and mounts so I could contribute some of my own routes once the weather is suitable in my part of the world. Could this forum be that place? My experiences with an action camera on my bicycle last year didn't produce anything as good as some of the videos I see on Rouvy now, so I'd like to know how some of the good ones are done. The information that Rouvy provides seems to be lacking a lot.

Hi Spokesrider! We’re happy to hear that you’re enjoying Rouvy on your Wahoo device! Though we don’t have such a route that connects as you’ve described, we have thousands of virtual routes and even a route editor that you can use to experiment with building your own rideable routes! We use motorbikes, stabilizing software, and other 3rd parties to build some of the crisp and clean routes you can ride today. Products such as GoPro are equipped with software or can be added onto stabilizing hardware to help enhance your own routes. Hope this helps! To discuss recording gear, join Rouvy Athletes group on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/rouvy/ There are hundreds of active Rouvy users that will help you. For the specific questions, don’t hesitate to contact our help desk.

mrb123 said:

Excellent development on Rouvy. They seem to have acquired a UK video company which mean there are now a load more UK based videos on there. Loads of stuff from some of the better sportives such as sections of the Fred Whitton, Etape du Dales, Hell of Hexham etc.


The quality seems superb from what I've seen so far.

We’re happy to know that you’re enjoying the routes! Ride on!

mrb123

Would be good if you could get all of the 100 Climbs on there. The current selection is a little lacking in the ones from Northen England and Scotland. Great to see Bealach na Ba though.

StillGoing

If using Rouvy with Apple TV, how do you get workouts up. be it from the list or created workouts?

StillGoing

Update, Rouvy doesn't do workouts on Apple TV. Waste of a months subscription.

jerryk

I've been using the demo Rouvy Mac app for a couple of months. I've calibrated my Cycleops Magnus trainer several times. Gradient feels so much harder than it would in the real world. I've seen someone mention the ability to adjust the above using this app - does anyone know where this might be?

jerryk

itboffin said:

Uploaded routes are great but the gradients are out by 25-50% IMO in the beta mac app you can adjust the feel, i've not found the equivalent in the windows or mobile apps.

Can you explain where in the beta mac app you can adjust the feel? I can't find this anywhere...

itboffin

jerryk said:

itboffin said:

Uploaded routes are great but the gradients are out by 25-50% IMO in the beta mac app you can adjust the feel, i've not found the equivalent in the windows or mobile apps.

Can you explain where in the beta mac app you can adjust the feel? I can't find this anywhere...

When you select a route, choose 'Start training' rather than 'Start race' then in the settings you can modify the resistant down from the 100% default, try the minimum 20% and work up from there, it helps that i've uploaded two routes that I regularly ride outside so know what it should feel like.

https://support.rouvy.com/s/article/Race-and-Training-mode-see-the-differences?language=en_US

Casey@Rouvy

mrb123 said:

I use it on a Samsung Galaxy tablet mirrored to a TV using a Chromecast. Seems to work pretty well.


Last winter I just had the tablet which was fine but having the TV in the set up is a definite improvement.


Having access to the premium routes isn't essential as there are hundreds of others to choose from but I do have a premium subscription as it was pretty good value if you paid for 12 months up front. You can also have other family members on a premium subscription at no extra cost.

Hi mrb123, yes, a premium subscription may be needed to progress through career mode (not necessarily but premium routes may happen on the way). Premium does offer benefits such as the family-sharing feature and optional premium routes! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your premium subscription!

itboffin said:

Just started my trial period today and on the short 2017 TDF prologue stage i was impressed with the setup, video quality and easy of use, so far the best of all the major players I've tried which is everyone except Zwift. Shame my legs weren't play ball.


I especially liked that picking my turbo model seems to have all the settings spot on

Hi! Glad to hear everything is up and running for you! Keep an eye out on the blog for continuous updates and new challenges!

StillGoing said:

Update, Rouvy doesn't do workouts on Apple TV. Waste of a months subscription.

Hi! Use of the MacAppleTV is absolutely free during the beta period. If you are paying for a subscription you can access the workouts via the Rouvy app on your Windows, Android, or iOS device.

sherer

justr had my first ride on my Kickr Core with rouvy. overall I enjoyed it, but the issue I have is that my Elemnt Bolt said I was doing 8 mpg and Rouvy had my speed last at 4 mph or lower.

Do I just need to calibrate again ? Wondeing if ive missed a wheel circumference setting off somewhere

svetty

I am thinking of trying Rouvy basic as I have a number of Tacx RLVs. Am I right in thinking that these can be ridden using Rouvy?