Training Apps to use with Kickr - cost of living crisis

harkmeadow

Hi, dusting off my very old Wahoo Kickr. Haven't used it for about 6 years...! I used to use it with Zwift, but dont want to pay a subscription. Are there any free apps / sites people use that can control the ERG settting on the trainer to create workouts.

Again, used to use Trainer Road and Sufferefest videos overlaid with Power controlled by TR and Kickr. ....but trainer road is now almost £18 a month with exchange rate!

So, I'm looking for a free solution to getting some structured training - is there anything out there?!

daniel_b

Not sure about free apps, though I thought if you had a Garmin, you could create workouts on there, and it can control the resistance possibly.

Wahoo/RGT is available (I think) for £120 for a year, which for a tenner a month is pretty good value.

For that you get Wahoo System plus the RGT virtual cycling, in a similar vein but with less gamification that zwift.

I'm lucky enough to still be on the old TrainerRoad pricing system, having been an annual subscriber for several years, but if they look to put it up to over £200 a year, I feel I know enough now about workouts to move across to Wahoo.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Check your email, you might have a 60 day free trial offer from Zwift from approx 2-3 weeks ago. Everyone gets free 25Km per calendar month, can last longer if you train on a mountain route like Ven Top (Ventoux).

Yet to try it, but www.mywhoosh.com is completely free.

WahooRGT has limited access for free members. I'm quite tempted to try their "magic roads" feature by using Strava router builder, to create a few GPX files of local hills I like to climb Mar-Oct and any hills I fancy trying next year that aren't on other turbo apps.

Join this Rouvy challenge on Strava then ends on 10th Nov and get an extra 30 days free trial, making it 44 days long. https://www.strava.com/challenges/rouvy-virtual-kom-qom-hunter-challenge

I'm not sure where things stand with free access to https://www.onelap.com/ these days, basically "Chinese Zwift" iirc.

I don't know about mywhoosh, but all others above can be "played" on Android mobile app.

harkmeadow

thanks. I'm sure when Wahoo started there were free training programs, but the years are long and legs no longer what they were. A sad state of affairs when you have a smart trainer, but have to bay £12+ a month to engage its brain!

pblakeney

A marmite solution. I use Fulgaz which is £7.17/month if you take out an annual sub. Half that as a "family member" can use your sub. Marmite cos some have connection issues.

dannbodge

Goldencheetah has a ERG mode built in, so you can do workouts using that.

gethinceri

RGT free subscription. Joinany of the series of training events which are free of charge. I can strongly recommend the RIAK events.
In addition, many of the race events will give you an awesome workout, for free.

RGT has always had, and will continue to have, a free subscription available.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO USE RGT.

daniel_b

gethinceri said:

RGT free subscription. Joinany of the series of training events which are free of charge. I can strongly recommend the RIAK events.
In addition, many of the race events will give you an awesome workout, for free.

RGT has always had, and will continue to have, a free subscription available.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO USE RGT.

This is very true, I was remiss not to mention that - although I'm not sure if any structured 'workouts' are available on the free membership level or not.

I haven't ridden on there for several months now, certainly prior to the Wahoo acquisition.
I have gone and installed the latest version of the client app and mobile app, and do keep meaning to try it again, not sure how well my fairly average laptop will handle the enhanced graphics though.
If I started using it more, say for example I left TR and went all in with Wahoo, then I would likely invest in a gaming laptop with a more beefy graphics setup.

Sadly a pc in my garage is just not viable, for practicality reasons above all else.

gethinceri

Yes, a number of the workouts are available on the free membership level.

ugo.santalucia

I've tried the free RGT version which is very very limited, but it's OK if you only want to do workouts, there are some good free ones, all on the boring London course.
I've decided in the end to go back to Rouvy, which has a lot more courses and the racing scene is a bit more interesting, especially once the Italian Pedalitaly series kick in, you get ot race hundreds of people up some proper climbs... 14 Euros a month, a bit less if you commit for 6 months

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I've not got as far as trying MyWhoosh, but I did download on my old Android mobile Mi A2, only to find it wouldn't start. I then looked in the knowledgebase and found https://mywhoosh.com/docs/which-devices-work-with-mywhoosh/ and it needs Adreno 640 or above.

My newer Poco F3 meets this (A 650) so redownloaded it and it at least got to the login/register screen!

There was a big ~1.8GB update this morning, not checked details.

MattFalle

Ifyou're good at remembering to csncel stuff, Rouvy are doing a free 14 day test - you have to enter credit card details and sign up but if you use it every day and, say, cancel on day 13, i think you should pay nothing.

also remember that should you wish to try the 14 day free trial again if you use a different email address it shouldn't be a problem.

How many times you want to try it out before maybe actually subscribing is up to you...

hpaul

I downloaded wahoo, there are a few free rides and workouts on there. OK for free. I like zwift and pace pace partners is a great feature, always available if if a suitable ride isn't. But yes it ain't free

ugo.santalucia

MattFalle said:

Ifyou're good at remembering to csncel stuff, Rouvy are doing a free 14 day test - you have to enter credit card details and sign up but if you use it every day and, say, cancel on day 13, i think you should pay nothing.

also remember that should you wish to try the 14 day free trial again if you use a different email address it shouldn't be a problem.

How many times you want to try it out before maybe actually subscribing is up to you...

My recollection is that you didn't need any credit card details when I first trialled it.

Mad_Malx

If you’re a cheapskate like me you may find that many of the apps won’t run on older iPad or android devices- their operating systems are approaching obsolescence, even if the tablet/phone is still ok.

Mad_Malx

On laptop - I struggle to connect hrm when using RGT (but not zwift) and I found the graphics and timings very jumpy compared with a zwift trial.

gethinceri

Because your internet connection isn’t stable enough and/or your graphics can’t cope.
To check the latter turn down the RGT graphics settings to Low in the screen app.

MattFalle

ugo.santalucia said:

MattFalle said:

Ifyou're good at remembering to csncel stuff, Rouvy are doing a free 14 day test - you have to enter credit card details and sign up but if you use it every day and, say, cancel on day 13, i think you should pay nothing.

also remember that should you wish to try the 14 day free trial again if you use a different email address it shouldn't be a problem.

How many times you want to try it out before maybe actually subscribing is up to you...

My recollection is that you didn't need any credit card details when I first trialled it.

i tried it last week and it wanted CC details so I mugged it off as I'm too disorganised to remember to cancel

daniel_b

What about mywhoosh?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/07/a-look-at-mywhoosh-indoor-cycling-app-a-first-ride-explainer.html

Appears to have a chunk of structured training, and currently be completely free.

Mad_Malx

gethinceri said:

Because your internet connection isn’t stable enough and/or your graphics can’t cope.
To check the latter turn down the RGT graphics settings to Low in the screen app.

can't see where to do this (windows 10 app)

edit - i can see " let windows decide", "high performance" or "power saving"

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Mad_Malx said:

gethinceri said:

Because your internet connection isn’t stable enough and/or your graphics can’t cope.
To check the latter turn down the RGT graphics settings to Low in the screen app.

can't see where to do this (windows 10 app)

edit - i can see " let windows decide", "high performance" or "power saving"

I was sure there was a graphics detail option and couldn't see it earlier...

Choose your route, click ride, then when you see your avatar choose menu > options> graphics (low/med/hi)

Mad_Malx

^Thanks Gethinceri & Goat.
Apologies to Hark for diverting thread, but maybe useful for some.

Agree that the Wahoo RGT landscapes are rather limited.

feelgoodlost

Build workouts in Training Peaks and sync with your Wahoo/Garmin and then use your Kickr to control zones etc. I sacked Zwift off around this time last year and do this instead. Free and easy - plenty of training plans knocking around on the web you can copy based on your FTP/HR etc.

slowmart

https://mywhoosh.com/


It’s free for now which looks like aggressive tactics to get new users onto the platform. That said it looks half decent though and despite being a TrainerRoad user for a number of years I’ll be giving some zone 2 rides a go.

ugo.santalucia

Racing against Mohoric on Saturday on Rouvy... course looks like the last 30 km of Milan Sanremo... what are my chances?

pblakeney

ugo.santalucia said:

Racing against Mohoric on Saturday on Rouvy... course looks like the last 30 km of Milan Sanremo... what are my chances?

I predict him letting someone half wheel him to the finish to keep it interesting.
That's what Jens did on a similar ride. It wasn't me at the front but I was under no illusion.

lvquestpaddler

I'm fairly new to modern training (from a 17 year old cycleops magneto) and have paired my Kickr Snap to Wahoo RGT so far. I'm planning to try Rouvy and Zwift but one step at a time eh!? RGT has 2 free courses- Borrega Springs a basically flat "airfield" rectangular 8km loop with some sprints in it, and the much better recently introduced "Dunoon" which is a virtual gravel ride- I did 2 loops on Tuesday it's pretty hilly, and at the start you can change direction so switch/reverse the gradients and timings of them. 15km each loop, 315m of ascent and up to 11.5% gradient (saw me in my 34/32 lol) which is perfect for my trainers limits (12%?).....With Wahoo you also can access SYSTM X and their "half monty" and "4DP" fitness tests/FTP (Plan the Half Monty this weekend...) and both have steady/interval stuff for free.... So far so good and a big change from staring at a Polar HRM and a clock+timer...my two laps were 80 mins total but never felt like that at all, legs still feeling it lol.
Weird graphics mixed with what looks like real google street view footage.... but Zwift looks pure cartoon and RGT is free (for now?)

gethinceri

You will always be able to enjoy RGT for free, with a minimum of one Real Road and around 20 workouts should you choose to use them. There are dozens of events on every day, which you can join with a free subscription, many of which have 50-100 real riders. Not as many riders as Zwift, granted.

ugo.santalucia

gethinceri said:

You will always be able to enjoy RGT for free, with a minimum of one Real Road and around 20 workouts should you choose to use them. There are dozens of events on every day, which you can join with a free subscription, many of which have 50-100 real riders. Not as many riders as Zwift, granted.

The free workouts were good, but the pay for were better... I did a pay for one that left me in tatters... I was quite pleased with that one. I only seem to be able to access the London night loop with the free subscription, for some reason. Didn't do any event because when I looked they were all either flat or there was nobody in them. With Rouvy I normally get around 3 a week which are on a mixed or hilly terrain and have at least 40-50 riders in them... some have 100+

gethinceri

If you are interested in RGT events, not all are shown in the app, many more are available here:
https://rgtdb.com/
There are also plenty promoted in the Facebook User Events group, some of the series attract >100 riders per “stage”

me-109

I decided I got more value out of Zwift than I did Strava, so lapsed to Strava sub to fund Zwift. Yes, there are bits I miss, but I'm not sure what I miss is worth fifty quid a year.