RGT

[Legs]

I've only done a few free-rides on the free-to-ride courses - I quite enjoy that the timed segments (around Leuven and the De Ronde loop, at least) are around 1-3 minutes long, so they really work the VO2 system! I while ago I rode the Iron Horse Durango course, and it was one of the most boring things I've ever done on a bike (this coming from someone who's ridden from Cambridge to Hull IRL!).

I like that they have auto-braking, which is apparently a feature coming to Zwift, er, zoon. I can't really speak for the realism of the drafting dynamics because I've not done a race, and the free-rides are so sparsely populated.

If I was being really picky, I'd also say that the upright riding position of the avatar looks a bit fiddle.

 

[mjd1988]

Ain’t we a strange bunch ! 20 yrs ago we would have chopped one of our competitors legs off to have any platform like these , and I am guessing our jaws would drop if we could see what platforms will be like in 20 years time
All the ones I have tried all have there flaws and all of them try in their own way to sort the flaws
I like RGT better than Zwift
I like Rouvy better than RGT
But I use Zwift over RGT just because there are more people so more events
Rouvy is (imo) better than both of them but doesn’t have the people - yet
Maybe we should have a poll 😁
We know who will win but it might open eyes

I do like RGT - if it had the weight of numbers I'd probably go there, but I do think zwift has the edge AND the weight of numbers, although it is far from perfect. More competition is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Has bkool got any better since they concentrated on the software side of things?

Hoping dcrainmaker will do a review of them all again soon, usually does one at the start of winter

 

[CXRAndy]

Ain’t we a strange bunch ! 20 yrs ago we would have chopped one of our competitors legs off to have any platform like these , and I am guessing our jaws would drop if we could see what platforms will be like in 20 years time
All the ones I have tried all have there flaws and all of them try in their own way to sort the flaws
I like RGT better than Zwift
I like Rouvy better than RGT
But I use Zwift over RGT just because there are more people so more events
Rouvy is (imo) better than both of them but doesn’t have the people - yet
Maybe we should have a poll 😁
We know who will win but it might open eyes

That just like asking who is going to win

When you are in the race

 

[Brusgaard]

Has bkool got any better since they concentrated on the software side of things?

Nope... They introduced the Augmented Reality on some Giro d'Italia routes. which is fun but not earth shattering. Racing is, as always, best done in pure 3D.

 

[berty bassett]

If they do a free trial then try Rouvy - a bit hard to get head round at first but so more interesting riding on actual videoed roads
You can download ghosts of people who have done the rides or have virtual partners or enter a race
It’s by no means perfect and costs as much as Zwift but it’s worth looking at

 

[shimceltic]

I do like RGT - if it had the weight of numbers I'd probably go there, but I do think zwift has the edge AND the weight of numbers, although it is far from perfect. More competition is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. Has bkool got any better since they concentrated on the software side of things?

Hoping dcrainmaker will do a review of them all again soon, usually does one at the start of winter

RGT has good numbers in races, just a matter of finding one that suits.

 

[Alex321]

I've just bought myself a smart turbo trainer, and thought I'd try rgt first, partly because it is free.

To me, that gives it a fair advantage over the others

My tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab A) doesn't seem to like it though - crashed every time I tried to start a ride last night. Got it working on my phone, will try my (work) Macbook tonight.

Anybody got any particular tips for a beginner?

 

[CXRAndy]

I've just bought myself a smart turbo trainer, and thought I'd try rgt first, partly because it is free.

To me, that gives it a fair advantage over the others

My tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab A) doesn't seem to like it though - crashed every time I tried to start a ride last night. Got it working on my phone, will try my (work) Macbook tonight.

Anybody got any particular tips for a beginner?

Beginner at riding or turbo riding?

If it the latter, then try them all, use the free trial period. I can give you my biased opinion

If you want absolute dedicated training then Trainer Road is the one-preferred ⭐⭐⭐

If you want dedicated training, social riding, solo and full on racing, Zwift-much preferred ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you want HD video of famous climbs, but riders visible Rouvy, RGT and Bkool ⭐⭐

 

[Alex321]

Beginner at turbo. I've done over 10K miles on the road in the last three years. But there has been so much bad weather stopping me this winter that I finally thought it time to try the indoor stuff.

I definitely don't want Trainer Road, I want the "virtual road" experience.

I'll get used to it a bit first on RGT, then do the free trials of Zwift, Rouvy, Bkool. I don't think my tablet will run Zwift, but the Macbook should, or my phone - though I don't think the phone screen is really big enough, even mounted on the handlebars.

Before buying, I thought Rouvy looked the most attractive. I'm not sure if I want to get into racing - at 64 I won't be particularly competitive, but I still might enjoy it.

 

[Norry1]

Beginner at turbo. I've done over 10K miles on the road in the last three years. But there has been so much bad weather stopping me this winter that I finally thought it time to try the indoor stuff.

I definitely don't want Trainer Road, I want the "virtual road" experience.

I'll get used to it a bit first on RGT, then do the free trials of Zwift, Rouvy, Bkool. I don't think my tablet will run Zwift, but the Macbook should, or my phone - though I don't think the phone screen is really big enough, even mounted on the handlebars.

Before buying, I thought Rouvy looked the most attractive. I'm not sure if I want to get into racing - at 64 I won't be particularly competitive, but I still might enjoy it.

We possibly have the oldest team on Zwift - several of us in our 60's - so don't let age be a barrier

 

[CXRAndy]

Before buying, I thought Rouvy looked the most attractive. I'm not sure if I want to get into racing - at 64 I won't be particularly competitive, but I still might enjoy it.

Still life in us old dogs. 🐕


Our youngest member is in his 40s Most of us are mid to late 50s, two or three into their 60s. We smash it several times a week in B/C categories

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Plenty of 60 year olds are competitive. Many have not done serious training and don’t know what their potential is. You might surprise yourself.

 

[Alex321]

Plenty of 60 year olds are competitive. Many have not done serious training and don’t know what their potential is. You might surprise yourself.

What sort of W/Kg is need to be competitive in that C category? I've never known my power output before, not having a power meter on my bike, but of course the turbo has one built in.

Tried a 20 minute ride on Rouvy today, and averaged 2.1 W/kg (peak 4), but I have no real idea how good or bad that is. I was working fairly hard for that, but could have managed a bit more.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What sort of W/Kg is need to be competitive in that C category? I've never known my power output before, not having a power meter on my bike, but of course the turbo has one built in.

Tried a 20 minute ride on Rouvy today, and averaged 2.1 W/kg (peak 4), but I have no real idea how good or bad that is. I was working fairly hard for that, but could have managed a bit more.

Bottom category which means the only way is up with some training.

 

[Alex321]

Looks like I need to do some training then

Though I am sure as I get used to riding on the turbo, I'll get better values.

Losing the stone I gained over Christmas will probably help, as well. That is over 6Kg.

I probably should do an actual FTP test rather than just riding as well. I think I would be in the 2nd category from bottom, rather than the bottom one - although I never went above 4W/Kg, I wasn't trying to see how high I could get it.

How do the Zwift racing categories map onto those?