OK, I just read Ray’s review of TRAINER APPS, and I have to say, that is a very impressive run down of the options for us Northern folk who need to ride indoors in the winter!
I am currently designing an “Ultimate man cave” and wanted to get some input for choices of training software. Here are a few basics about my setup…
Will be using at a 65" flatscreen (or maybe curved screen) UHDTV.I have a computrainer and don’t plan on buying another option here.I am coached, so workouts will be designed by him, so I don’t need “canned workouts”, but would want to be able to adjust the sessions ahead of time depending on the workout.I have a power meter (PT wheels) which I will be linking to my Garmin 800 head unit, so yeah I could just watch TV and use the CT in ERG mode, but I am looking for the ULTIMATE experience here ;-). I favor using something that has interactivevideo or 3D or whatever riding… i.e.; I don’t want to just look at numbers.I don’t have a PC (Mac), but am considering a cheap PC laptop to run the operation here if need be.
So, wise folk of ST, what would you recommend if YOU were building your dream bike training setup?
I suppose it’s an inditement of TdG’s marketing failures that we didn’t even merit a mention on the list despite being around for a couple years and actually having an active userbase.
Anyway, I recommend Tour de Giro for your situation:
-It has Mac support
-It has online riding, with frequent people online (in fact, there’s an 29-player ride going on as I type this)
-It is 3d, with support for any course you want to upload (as a GPX file)
-If you wait a week or two for the mac update (or get a PC), it also has a structured training mode that will use your CT in erg mode and let you design your own workings
-It is released now, with no waiting list
-It has full computrainer support
I suppose it’s an inditement of TdG’s marketing failures that we didn’t even merit a mention on the list despite being around for a couple years and actually having an active userbase.
Anyway, I recommend Tour de Giro for your situation:
-It has Mac support
-It has online riding, with frequent people online (in fact, there’s an 29-player ride going on as I type this)
-It is 3d, with support for any course you want to upload (as a GPX file)
-If you wait a week or two for the mac update (or get a PC), it also has a structured training mode that will use your CT in erg mode and let you design your own workings
-It is released now, with no waiting list
-It has full computrainer support
OK, that looks awesome. I will look into this… I did know about you guys, but had no idea Mac compatibility was available!
If your coach is giving you workouts I would suspect that you will be doing the majority of time in erg mode. In which case course videos are of limitted value.
I use perfpro. Well supported. Easy to create workouts. I watch Netflix or other videos.
My experience though has been that when I’m doing hard workouts…I just turn off the video.
If your coach is giving you workouts I would suspect that you will be doing the majority of time in erg mode. In which case course videos are of limitted value.
I use perfpro. Well supported. Easy to create workouts. I watch Netflix or other videos.
My experience though has been that when I’m doing hard workouts…I just turn off the video.
I agree, and have honestly been riding ERG mode on the CT for years, just watching Netflix… to me that’s probably all I really need.
However, this thread isn’t really about ‘need’, rather much more about ‘want’
My understanding is that on many of the programs (like Racemate One) you can design a flatter course and just pick up the efforts when you need to do said intervals.
I am just trying to mix things up to make it more interesting, as I am likely stuck indoors until late March.
Trying to make the trainer time more ‘fun’, and yes I know you have to suffer on the trainer… most who know me wouldn’t really question that I do that lol
The kickr will function as an ANT+ PM, but we don’t support hill simulation for it (and won’t for a while).
How is the video quality?
Since we’re a videogame rather than a video app, it’s more about the 3D graphical quality. I’d call ours acceptable. It’s not mindblowing, but it will run on older PCs with the defaults. If you turn on shadows, clouds, and the pretty water, some of the courses can look quite nice.
Really would be looking only at options that actually CONTROL the computrainer, as I will have a great TV and can just watch shows as well.
So far for options that control the CT:
Racemate One.Veloreality.ERG VIDEOTour De Giro.
Of these, Veloreality seems to have the best use on a big screen TV, and I’m not really interested in racing others on a trainer. Tour De Giro looks good in the stand alone use and will be Mac friendly.
Am I missing any other choices that actually control the resistance of the Computrainer?
Yes! I would love to see examples of good training room set-ups. I’m about to get a used treadmill and thinking about how to best set up my space with bike, tv, workout, storage, etc… would love ideas! #ExtremeMakeoverSlowtwichEdition
I am going to throw out another software option…Zwift. As a beta tester, I have had the chance to use it quite a bit. It is really cool, but maybe does not fit into the trainer software. You can go out an ride your own ride, but most times if you are Type A (which a lot of us are) you end up racing most of the ride. So you do it in a great workout. You also see your speed, watts, heartrate and cadence. Then a summary of your ride at the end.
Yes! I would love to see examples of good training room set-ups. I’m about to get a used treadmill and thinking about how to best set up my space with bike, tv, workout, storage, etc… would love ideas! #ExtremeMakeoverSlowtwichEdition
I can’t imagine having to limit the experience to a 65" screen. We use two projectors shooting over the rider’s heads, giving a 16-foot wide x 8-foot tall screen. It’s like being there. But hey, if you’re a TV guy, then go with the little 65" screen (kidding, but once you’ve gone projector, you won’t go back). And WAY cheaper).
You already have the CompuTrainer, so Art Hare’s TdG is a good fit if you want to race and challenge yourself against others. This is a great modality for race fitness and to keep yourself engaged and motivated.
If you coach is providing workouts, get a copy of PerfPRO Studio which is not only easy to set up for workouts, but is ANT+ capable. That way, you can get all the wires off your bike and under the rug/mat. Makes for a clean setup.
Really would be looking only at options that actually CONTROL the computrainer, as I will have a great TV and can just watch shows as well.
So far for options that control the CT:
Racemate One.Veloreality.ERG VIDEOTour De Giro.
Of these, Veloreality seems to have the best use on a big screen TV, and I’m not really interested in racing others on a trainer. Tour De Giro looks good in the stand alone use and will be Mac friendly.
Am I missing any other choices that actually control the resistance of the Computrainer?
Thanks.
PerfPRO Studio can also control the resistance of the CT.
Another thing I really like about PerfPRO is that it supports multiple monitors. You can have your data on your laptop screen and have your big screen dedicated to video - this is especially nice with Sufferfest, EpicRides, etc. It’s also nice if you want to have a friend over - the standard license supports up to 3 riders at the same time. Not bad for less than $100.
Agree with all of the suggestions made. All of the software packages mentioned above would serve you well. I have to ask the obvious question, though: why limit yourself to just one software package anyway? That’s the beauty of a PC: you can install all of them and choose the one you want to ride that day based on your needs.
Some days, I use PerfPro with Sufferfest videos (with matching .erg files) for some workouts. On days that I just want to get in some saddle time, I’ll switch to VeloReality and enjoy the scenery. If I want a different sort of challenge, then it’s Tour de Giro (I particularly like that even if no one else is online, I can set up a group ride with AI riders). I just got into the Zwift beta so tonight I’m going to try that one out, too.
If you were going to force me to pick one and only one then it would be PerfPro. It’s the most versatile app on the list.
