Why I Quit Zwift and Switched to Rouvy
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- I chose Rouvy over Zwift. In this video, I'll explain why I made the switch from Zwift to Rouvy for my indoor cycling workouts. I'll compare the two platforms and share my honest thoughts on the pros and cons of each. Rouvy is a great Zwift alternative.
If you're considering an alternative and switching up your indoor cycling routine, or just curious about the differences of Zwift vs Rouvy, then this video is for you. I'll discuss what drew me into Rouvy to help you decide which platform is right for you and your training goals. Don't miss out on this first look of the two popular indoor cycling apps! See why Rouvy is the best of all Zwift alternatives.
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Chapters:
00:00 Bored with Zwift
00:55 The wonders of Rouvy for indoor cycling
05:00 Not all beer and Skittles
#zwift #rouvy #indoorcycling #indoortraining #zwiftcycling #zwiftalternatives - Спорт
I switched to Rouvy from Zwift at the beginning of January and agree with all your points. I completed a streak of 25 daily Rouvy rides in a row (some days I did 2 or 3). I’d never come close to that on Zwift which I had been using for years. What motivated me was the anticipation of riding in a new part of the world every day, including some of the most iconic routes. Great app!
Great story. It is definitely helpful riding someplace new each time. Keep it up.
Take a look at routes in new Zealand. I was quite impressed by the scenery there.
Same for me
Great review! I don’t see the cadence glitch on my device. You definitely hit lots of the positives and negatives about the platform. One big positive you missed is that Rouvy offers real prizes. I won a ticket to Schleck Gran Fondo (cancelled due to covid) and also Whistler Gran Fondo (attended and rode to 7th in Forte class in my age group), 3 jerseys, a free year of Rouvy. A teammate of mine won a trip to Spain and rode parts of the last stage of La Vuelta with Rouvy.
This was definitely a first impressions video. I haven't seen the chance to win prizes yet.
The biggest problem I have with all of these video-based cycling apps is that if you're not riding at the same speed as the rider who filmed it, the video will either slow down or speed up. This might not sound like a big deal, but for me it's really annoying when I'm climbing (obviously slower than the guy who filmed it), and the video becomes like a stop-motion animation plus have cars inch their way past me in slow-motion. Also, if you like a certain route and want to ride it many times, you'll have to make do with the same video, with the same traffic with the same cars, the same sheep, the same... you get the idea. Nothing beats a nice long Century ride outdoors, however for me, Zwift is still the only platform that satisfies my indoor cycling needs.
It feels like Rouvy has solved the stop-motion problem. But there is obvious distortion in the bottom corners when riding slowly. I actually had the opposite problem the other day. I was riding a user-submitted route and I was going much faster than them on the downhill. It was like watching a video on fast forward.
Thats my issue also with Rouvy, the slow motion thing.
On the Paced Rides, shortly after you start pedaling the app will jump you up close to the pacer. And as to the hitch in the pedal stroke, when you get good at it, you can use that as a signal to someone you are riding with to take a pull. Enjoyed your video, hope to see you out there. I ride with Gem City ICC, GRC and Muckers. - username, SR-71
Thanks for the tips! I'll keep an eye out for you.
I can't explain why, but riding on Rouvy gave me horrible motion sickness- I was only good for 15 min on the few rides I tried. This was years ago, maybe something has changed. I am glad you are enjoying this app.
Yeah. Some people do have issues watching first person video. I'm sure my wife would have issues too.
I found Zwift too video gamy. I did RGT before Wahoo bought it but then they folded it without adding any value. So I use Rouvy and it's great. I rode Sun Moon lake in Taiwan in real life and the Rouvy version felt nearly the same.
Exactly. That lever of reality is impressive.
Exactly the route I took. I am amazed at the realism of Rouvy (and I HATE indoor workouts).
Thank you for the video. Can someone tell me - I don’t suppose I can use my Zwift hub on Rouvy can I ? Does it have to be another watt meter? I’m thinking Zwift wouldn’t allow its equipment to work on anything else.
I replied, but I don't see it, maybe because I added a link?!? It is compatible. Search Rouvy supported trainers and you can see what you can use. There are a ton of smart trainers that are supported.
Not until they release the API and Rouvy then integrates that. Zwift hub virtual gears communicates with the app and not the hardware. It’s the reverse of the wahoo climb that communicates with the wahoo trainer and not the cycling app. Climb will work with Rouvy but virtual gears not yet and maybe not even in the plans.
A Zwift hub only works with Zwift. The virtual shifting is managed through the Zwift app itself. You can put a cassette on your Zwift Hub and then use traditional shifting which will allow the trainer to work with Rouvy or any other cycling app.
@@blairdrader5490 Okay thank you Blair
@@TroyOnTrails Okay Troy - Thank you
I have ride many years with Zwift so i have start to feel that i’m bit of bored for the Zwift so i have start to ride more with Rouvy and also with Tacx Training app. I like both of them and start to feel more motivation about indoor cycling. Maybe they are not perfect but it doesn’t bother me. Feels more real, thanks for the video recorded routes.
Totally agree
have a question can you use zwift ride with these other apps?
@@a11j Yes sure you can. You can use many training apps as you like and synch them all to Strava if you use that.
@@lehtjug i am assuming you can't use zwift ride for normal workouts without the app right, like i just want to use the bike some days without the app itself, most likely just be able to shift gears.
@@a11j yup, that’s right.
I am very very slowly coming around to the idea of indoor riding. Rouvy does make it seem like it could be a bit more fun... or at least more realistic. Of course, before I know it, the seasons have shifted enough and outside riding is calling my name 😄
Indoor training isn't for everyone. But I find it super helpful when I'm short on time to be able to go into the garage and get in a workout. Plus, if the weather is horrific, I can still get some time pedaling. Consistent training is key for me to be able to do the rides I ultimately love to do..... Outside.
I've been on Rouvy in winters for about 5 years now and there have been some good changes and some bad. Before and during the pandemic there were always multiple events to join with more than just 1 or 2 riders. Now events are few and far between at the times I want to ride. Not being able to upload my own routes anymore is a step back. I do like being able to race my pr or add riders who have ridden the route before and race them if I can't find an event to join. I'm sticking with Rouvy bc I like the realistic road view and don't need the social component of zwift. I want to know what the roads and scenery are really like where I'm riding and this makes it all the more enjoyable.
I heard they're working on adding back support for uploading your own routes. I haven't heard an ETA though.
@@TroyOnTrails They need to because people have gotten really good at uploading geolocated/GPS/gpx camera videos on Kinomap and it is getting to be the home for gravel routes. Rouvy is really just a roadie app and they have not really gotten a clue yet lol, how big gravel has gotten for roadies. Plus, with kino you can go on a hike on your bike. Of course it is not realistic so to speak. But it offers elevation changes on the trainer. Now if I had a smart elliptical or treadmill (with smart elevation control) that would be a blast.
does Rouvy support road feel on Tacx Neo trainers?
I don’t know. I don’t have a Tacx to try.
Allot of people don't realize that if you are on a course (not a paced ride), with allot of people; you can go up to anyone you want to and ride their view by touching your icon on the screen and moving it on the course. This also works if you are the only person on a course. It takes it a very few minutes to get about 1/2 cm from the edge of the screen for Rouvy app to figure out what you are trying to do; but after that you can move anywhere on the course my pressing on your icon on the course and moving it. That is really good for all these people that have uploaded a mountain ride where they road from their house in the burbs lol. You spend your first half hour in their boring neighborhood. No need to do that. That is a real problem with Kinomap is cause folks don't get that if they want to video map a ride, start with the scenic point on the film when editing because Kino does not allow you to free move your icon on the course yet.
Agreed. A nice feature. Though I wish Rouvy would show you your actual mileage and elevation gain when you do this.
Does ROYVY have the equivalent of ERG mode?
Yes. ERG mode works exactly the same as in Zwift and other platforms with a smart trainer. Surprisingly, there is no way to disable ERG mode in workouts in Rouvy.
I looked into changing but the video graphics are terrible upscaled 720p which causes deformation at the picture bounderies especially walls.
I can run Zwift at 60f and 4k on a 75inch tv.
It looks better on a small screen.
But who wants to look at a tablet.
They have 2k videos which look pretty nice. But no 4k so yeah. On a 75 inch screen I can see your concern. I just have a lowly 32 inch screen in the garage so 720p is all I need.
After 3 years riding Zwift, I switched to Rouvy. I still love Rouvy after 1.5 years. Never felt the urge to try Zwift again.
I actually tried Zwift again last night. I was not impressed.
@@TroyOnTrails In my opinion, Zwift may not offer enough features to warrant its price, especially when compared to Rouvy, a platform that appears to be evolving and enhancing its offerings across the board.
Looks good, like a polished variant of the Bkool software from several years ago, even down to the drafting representation. And just like Bkool, it seems a very lonely experience
Yes. Similar.
More riders on in prime time Europe riding time. Weekend races see a lot of action as do the Muckers and Mamiky race series. As pointed out in the video you can ride with bots as ghost riders to make it seem like there’s others.
Also using rouvy, but didn't you have any problems with performance, lagging / stopping videos? These problems came up regulary for more than a year, a lot of frustrated users on the google playstore, including myself. Since 2 weeks it seems to get better, doesn't happen that often anymore, but before it was happening nearly every time and drove me absolutely insane, because the only way of fixing it was to stop the current session and start it again and then your official time was deleted and you never made it into the rankings, because you have "paused" your ride according to their regularities (and no, I am not cheating on an e-mtb, I am using it with my normal non-e gravel bike 😋)
I use a PC laptop. I stream the video and have had the video freeze for a few seconds 2 or 3 times. But that's it. No significant issues at all. But yeah. I've seen a lot of complaints lately.
Indoor training from 1987 till 2023 on a old CATEYE 1987 CS-1000 , VHS TAPES, TDR , IRONMAN , MOVIES . Gave Zwift and a smart trainer a chance couple yrs ago, was not ready for it . What changed is a long list of pro cyclists and triathletes on Zwift . Especially Lionel Sanders who came to Florida back in 2018 we talked couple of times. So I have really followed his indoor riding .
Long story short , got smart trainer on sale back in Dec 2023 , signed up to ZWIFT and my mind was ready before I turned the Smart trainer on . Now 4200 miles later level 56, TRON bike and texting many people around the world even pro triathletes .
Plus I'm 67 and retired and not a fan of being in the Florida sun , so never had a problem riding indoors mentally or physically .
Smart trainer + ZWIFT makes indoor riding easier and my racing in Duathlons , my bike is in the top 15% of every race, Duathlons and triathlons combined . Everyone is different , and we all can't be the same. TRAIN SAFE AND SMART .
Yeah. I had an old Cyclops trainer back in the day. Those VHS tapes barely helped. I bought the very first Wahoo smart trainer and hand-crafted workouts on some cryptic app before Zwift came along. I used to hate indoor training. It's so much better now.
@@TroyOnTrails Hey Troy , now went from IPAD AIR 10x6 , which now is used for ZC and I have a smart block steering to 40 inch smart tv with Apple TV , racing now daily , and my cycling in the local Duathlons has really gotten so much stronger and faster. Who says old people cant learn , 67 yrs young . Keep up the riding Troy
Oooh, so you try out actual routes and see if you’d like to ride them in reality? That’s not terrible, I do happen to own my own bike bag… thanks for the update 👍
Yeah. If there's an iconic route you want to ride in the real world, odds are it's also on Rouvy. I haven't had a chance to compare reality to Rouvy yet though.
No go for me: Cars! And massive pro for Zwift: "Real" people with you on the streets and RACES!
Yup. No beating Zwift for the social scene. Cars help keep it real. But haven't been hit by one yet. 🤪
Its all about the community on Zwift, huge racing or group ride events. I did 65 miles on Sunday with over 300 riders.
The graphics don't matter so much when racing, just hang on to the avatars in front
Yeah. Large group events are something I do miss. There are some on Rouvy, but timing is always tough.
100% agree. Its the community - ie other real people racing or riding thats the draws you in never the 'platform'. I find the fact that Whoosh is just 'free' concerning. It may destroy Zwift and we end up with nothing good at all.
A few times I almost got a heart attack. when closely passed by a car on rouvy. So that's that :)
Rouvy seems to like including close encounters. I think they deliberately try to remind people riding outside is dangerous.
Duel membership at £175/yr (UK) was the main reason of choosing Rouvy over Zwift. Best decision I made, as not only good value for money but prefer the realism and able to download routes. Not a fan of the cartoon zwift world. Definitely picked up a few Rouvy tips from the comments that I never knew about
Dual membership is pretty awesome for sure.
I switched over from Zwift to Whoosh, as it was free, and then to Rouvy and out of the 3 Rouvy is definitely my preference. Biggest advantage over the others is the ability to download the ride, it puts an end to the internet drop outs and rides crashing mid ride. I’m not a super fit rider, and enjoy the more realistic views and empty roads to just ride without the cheesy ride-ons and rush hour cartoon feel of Zwift. So far it’s been brilliant, and a decent revue.
Yeah pretty cool that you can work with a poor connection. A definite benefit.
did you try indievelo too?
Zwift increasing its price. Time to try something new.
me too
Rouvy is about $5 USD cheaper per month.
@@TroyOnTrails Not a huge difference
@@osint6372 25 percent less is nothing to sneeze at.
@@TroyOnTrails Zwift raise their price as of june: EUR 19.99 / $21,75 a month. this made me look for alternatives
Ha haa. I know the feeling 👍🏻
Gotta keep it fresh.
I still love Zwift and like the part of the video game 😊. Prob also an age thing tbf.
Rouvy seems also great. Prob gonna try it once I played Zwift "to the end" 😂
Yeah. I finished Zwift too. I like the game aspect, but just needed more variety. Rouvy has that in spades.
@@TroyOnTrails Tried Rouvy for 4 rides now after your video and I admit it is very cool. Not better or worse than Zwift, it is different:)
I subscribed annually to Zwift, after the subscription ended I think I will switch montly between both :)
Thx again for the nice vid! Made me try Rouvy.
Been using Rouvy for almost 4 years now. Really like it and as I am not a gamer, the Zwift gamer style did not appeal to me. I enjoy the actual road and have used it to try out a road in an area I knew I was going to be in, which I thought was pretty cool.
I haven't had the chance to "pre ride" something I'm planning in real life yet. Though it seems it would be pretty good prep.
I paused Zwift for the summer and I’m not too happy about the price increase. But Zwift has the infrastructure and all of the key components that you need. It does need some tweaks and refreshes, but it’s the industry standard for general indoor riding next to peloton.
Not sure I'd call it the industry standard. But it is certainly the most popular. I just got bored with it.
im not a veteran on zwift so its still interesting to me. just did a 100k group ride with 60 people. the graphics are the least important bit in that.
I am starting to miss that. Some time zones have good events and attendance. But west coast U.S. is not one of them.
I tried Zwift but I don't like the Super Mario Kart style and the speed is not realistic.
Changed to Rouvy and it was the best decision.
Yup. Though I did some speed comparisons on pancake flat courses and the speeds were comparable. Rouvy speeds overall are more realistic because most routes have constant grade changes. Even subtle changes make a difference.
I like the coins better than sweat drops. All the Zwift bike shops wanting to exchange gear for my sweat drops makes me feel like they're pervin on me.
LOL.
Maybe when and if it fills up a bit ill try it.
Ill stick to Zwift for now, i love Zwift
Yeah. If you're into the social scene Zwift still wins. I have found if you do challenges there are always others. But nowhere near the level of Zwift.
I love riding with the robopacers!
Rouvy feels so Lonely. Feels like a dystopia future. The best part of Zwift is the social interaction and other real people. It's training a d a game.
What Zwift needs is better graphics and I think in the next 5-10 years they'll have 4K.
The real competitor with the worst name is Mywoosh. I think it will eventually rival Zwift and one will acquire the other and the platforms will merge
Agreed. I've started learning where to find people in Rouvy, but it is still nothing compared to Zwift. I have some ideas about how Rouvy could close the social gap that may show up in a future video. If they can do this, I feel they could be a real Zwift killer.
Is this one free?
No. It’s cheaper than Zwift but not free.
I find Rouvy to be super cool with the realism etc, but Zwift still has the best racing hands down. Pick your poison. :)
Agreed. Rouvy has fewer racers and no categories. :(
dont forget zwift made me nervous with the ant heap full of riders all the time 😅
You can certainly end up in some big crowds. Fortunately no crashes. (Other than your computer)
Tried Rouvy for a 24 km ride in Lofoten Norway, the scenery was nice, but I did not like the dynamic, and also downhill I pedal like crasy to keep up the watt, set it to 30% realism, but that did not help, I missed the third person view from behind. I will stick with Zwift for now
In settings you can change the view. But if you stumble upon user-generated content then augmented reality isn't available and you only get 1st person. I have the same issue on downhills.
Agreed, love Rouvy as well but the downhills are not realistic and way to fast...hope they fix that.
What is the point of saving Watts on a trainer?! Try Trainer Road, no videos just data.
OK, I see you have mentioned it.
I assume your talking about saving watts from drafting? Zwift does the same thing but they don't tell you the wattage savings like Rouvy does. All the same data is on both platforms. The difference is a video game experience vs a video experience. It's just a question of preference.
I switched from Zwift to Rouvy after using Zwift for 3 years. I much prefer Rouvy.
Awesome. I couldn't agree more.
Sad ----> no running !
I think it does actually have running. But only a few routes. I'm not a runner so I haven't really looked into it
@@TroyOnTrails I looked at the app and didn't see any trails etc, unless I missed it . Where are you looking on the app that shows anything related to running?
There was running, but nobody used it. Zwift is free or Kinomap also has running and rowing. Rouvy is the king of quality for its routes though.
Rouvy is good ...However be aware that if you subscribe for more than a month at a time ( 6 / 12 Months subscriptions) , they do not notify you that they are about to renew it , then just come in and take it when its due . Perfectly legal ( But very impolite in my opinion). If you tell them that you didn't intend to renew they reply that your subscription will be cancelled on the next renew date ( Again very impolite ). So reasonable product delivered by an unreasonable company
Hopefully this practice will improve as they mature as a company.
Rouvy…. Camoon! It’s Indievelo time now.
I plan to give indieVelo a try later this year as indoor training season ramps back up.
Thank you for making this video. I now know with confidence I will NEVER switch to Rouvy. It looks terrible.
Fascinating. Proof were all different.
So, obviously Rouvy is nothing for me. Instead of switching gears constantly, I want to pedal constantly.
The need to shift is dependent upon the route. Just like the trail world, the grade changes often on some routes. It would be very inefficient to stay in one gear just like the same route in the real world. Other routes, like the real world, have more consistent grades and shifting is less frequent. And like Zwift, workouts in ERG mode have no need to shift at all.
Rouvy needs sound. Useless till then for people who still have their hearing
I'm always listening to music so never had a need.
Yeah no matter how good the apps are and if your friends not there?...it's not worth it.😅
I never rode with friends on Zwift.
@TroyOnTrails Well it's no fun 😕
Prefer Fulgaz
I'll have to give it a try.
As long as it’s stable.
For what reasons? Please share. I’m evaluating Rouvy and Fulgaz.
@@DanVanDamme rouvy and zwift you ride a bike frame/wheels with no other items on it, like water bottles, saddle bag, etc. I find I can ride better, climb faster. Fulgaz you enter your weight, your bike's weight. Doing rides that I have done in the real world are very close. Hope this makes sense.
Many thanks for Support Ukraine uniform
Absolutely. It’s the least I can do.
Zwift seems infinitely cooler than this IMO
They both definitely have their place.
more pricy then zwift sadly
I'm not sure where you live, but in the U.S. they are both $14.99 a month.
If you installed rouvy. You wonder why it isnt free because its suuuuucks!😂
I'm curious what you don't like. But it's definitely not for everyone.
Looks 100 times worse then Zwift...
It definitely looks different. But yeah some don't care for it.
nah
Not for everyone.
i have had both for many years. rouvy is the loser (by far)
Apparently Rouvy was updated significantly in December. I didn't use it before this so I can't speak to the changes.
rouvy; no one there mate, ... its deserted, zwift has such a great social aspect, big group rides for motivation - tour de zwift had 300-500 riders all levels belting along you could go 3 w/kg, 4 w/kg, just pick your group so much fun and banter. rouvy who would design a cycling platform with cars, don't they get it they are the anti-bike, good luck to rouvy if they think that's a desirable ride feature 😆 think you may not be backing a winner here buddy - they won't exist in 12 months.
Yeah. If you're into the social scene, Rouvy is not for you. We need competition in the indoor cycling space so I want to support alternatives.
Sadly, yes the social side is lacking but its gathering more traction with more known riders making the switch. Its got heavy investment so I doubt it will be going anywhere short term. Rouvy multi user membership is a massive game changer and never understand why Zwift don't offer this. Expecting everyone to pay for an individual membership, even if a household share the one trainer..
I was told you can use rouvy to practice the fondo routes in real life, which got me interested. But you're right, one look at the cars in the routes and I'm instantly turned off.
That looks lame AF.
There's no one app for everyone.