Cycling from the living room: Online platforms like Zwift are making roller training and competitions more and more popular. How does it all work? We tested it.
Shortly before Trafalgar Square, the Australian suddenly picks up the pace. The South Korean is catching up, the Dutch driver and I are having trouble keeping up. At least I have to get out of the saddle and put real pressure on the pedals in order not to let our small group tear. A look at the display shows: My wattage jumps to well over 300 for a short time – and I actually manage to jump onto the South Korean’s rear wheel again.
Cycle race through central London
I’m in the middle of a bike race through central London. A circuit of almost eight kilometers has to be mastered five times. That’s almost 40 hard kilometers, because the pace is high – we’re in full competition mode. And that on a normal working day at just after eleven o’clock in the morning.
In reality, however, I don’t pedal on the island at all. I’m sitting on a roll in a living room in Koblenz. I immersed myself in the world of Zwift, an online platform for virtual cycling training. You can also participate in live bike races there. I’m in one of those today.
“Climbed to a whole new level”
I am seated on a smart roll next to my host Celine who invited me. Together with her partner Dominik, the 23-year-old triathlete has been training regularly with Zwift for a good two years. “Totally brought me something” she says. “Especially in the winter months, this training took me to a whole new level.”
The advantages are apparent: “You avoid bad weather and darkness, there are no disruptive traffic, no traffic lights, and no sidewalks. And somehow you don’t train alone”, says Celine. Today she wants to show me how it all works.
Roller, WLAN and a device – virtual cycling in Celine’s living room
smart reel, internet connection and end device – let’s go
In the living room there are two smart rollers that are connected via Bluetooth to two laptops that have the Zwift online programs installed. The basic principle: The rollers have a power meter, and Zwift calculates the speed of the avatar from the wattage and the weight of the athlete.
By entering the user’s body weight, the program always calculates the weight-related performance (watts per kilogram). Furthermore, using Zwift the “Functional Threshold Power” (FTP) to be determined. This is the maximum power the driver can handle for 60 minutes.
Training plans and workouts for descendants
Sounds complicated. But it is somehow quickly understood when the different training and competition options open up. Both Zwift and collaborating companies provide workouts and training plans that have been put together by professional coaches. In addition, some professional teams or individual professional athletes are now making their training programs available on Zwift for re-cycling.
If you want a bit more action and thrills – events and races are just the thing for you. At Zwift, various races are available at any time of the day. The races are short but demanding. The division into the groups is based on the determined FTP value.
Virtual race – just don’t let it go!
So I ended up in a race across London with Celine. While Celine was still struggling with her Bluetooth connection at the beginning and only had to rush behind the field two minutes after the starting gun, I slept through the start as usual. I’m going about it in a very relaxed manner – and immediately miss the leading group that storms away.
As in real cycling life, I recognize my mistake too late and can’t catch up. The slipstream also plays a role in Zwift. Anyone who loses touch has little chance of coming back. So I end up in the group of four I mentioned at the beginning, we are in the 39-strong field in places 30 to 33.
Lost connection – from the living room into a virtual race
“Close the Gap”
Each of us takes the lead from time to time, small escape attempts are countered by the others. “Close the Gap” appears as a prompt on my screen when I’m about to lose touch with my party. Or if – which happens more and more often during our ride – faster cyclists from another parallel race pass us.
The whole thing is fun, we can really fight each other live. Time flies like in flight. Sweat is now pouring down – but getting a towel out of the bathroom is taboo. I would be hopelessly lost and never come back. On the last of the five laps we really step on the gas again and, to the virtual cheers of the spectators at the edge of the track, we roll over the finish line after a good hour.
UCI hosts eSports with ZwiftWorld Championships
There’s something about this type of competition – it’s extremely motivating when you don’t have to cycle alone. The Zwift platform, which has been on the market since 2014, was particularly popular during the Corona period. The American company currently has over three million registered users worldwide – with a fee of 15 euros per month you can be part of it.
All in all, virtual cycling has meanwhile been enormously accepted in the scene. This year, for the third time, the “UCI Cycling Esports World Championships” will take place – the Esports Indoor World Championships. They will be hosted by the Union Cycliste International (UCI) in cooperation with Zwift and can even be seen live on various streaming channels.
Zwift Academy – about virtual achievement in a professional team
In addition, since 2016 there has been the Zwift Academy, which has since served as a model for digital talent search. It is the first program of its kind to give participants the opportunity to earn a place on a professional team. Female Zwift Academy participants have the opportunity to sign a contract with the UCI Women’s World Tour Team Canyon/Sram Racing to earn and male participants can get a contract with the UCI ProTeam Alpecin-Deceuninck.
Jay Vine is undoubtedly the greatest success that the Zwift Academy, which has existed since 2016, has produced. The Australian prevailed in the casting program of the online platform 2020, got a contract with Alpecin-Fenix for 2021 and got off to a flying start in 2022: He won two mountain stages of the Vuelta a Espana and signed up for a two-year contract with UAE Team Emirates, where he has since been allowed to climb alongside Tadej Pogacar.
Virtual online cycling platforms:
Zwift turns the training in your own four walls into a community event with a competitive character. Different worlds, more than 140 tracks and lots of races and group rides to keep you from getting bored.
At Bkool routes can be found as 3D animation, as 2D film material or shown on a map. A route upload makes it possible to drive very personal home routes or to prepare specifically for specific tours.
On Rouvy you drive as an animated 3D avatar over actually filmed routes. Augmented Reality (AR) is the feature that one wants to use to stand out from the competition.
The Sufferfest (Wahoo System) relies on effectiveness in training. The app has clearly structured training units and does without virtual animations. Instead, recorded professional transmissions are cut together from the TV.
RGT is actually called Real Grand Tours – realism is announced. With this app you can only drive on real routes and rely on realistic driving dynamics.