4 VERY GOOD Zwift Alternatives - Tested and Reviewed
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2024
- Getting a little bored with the same routes in Zwift? Here are 4 apps I've been using with my smart trainer for the past few months that provide an alternative to Zwift.
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Thanks for taking the time to do this. Very informative.
Very helpful. I've only tried Rouvy in the two weeks since I got my Smart Trainer but I intend to try several before I settle on one. I appreciate all the info. It turns out that you told me some things I didn't know about Rouvy also that I am going to look into (changing the POV).
This was excellent, thanks a million. To be honest I never even knew of alternatives to Zwift, so I've learned a lot! Out of all of them I really do like the look of Rouvy and possibly RGT too.
Thanks for the vid. Can't wait for your full reviews of each platform. Cheers
Thanks for the reviews Clint. I look forward to the more detailed ones to come. I have been riding FulGaz for several years and really like it. In fact, three riding friends formed the "Patio Club" (setting up on one friend's back patio), where we got together to ride FG once a week, each on our own separate devices, but starting the video at the same time and riding Steady Mode. That changed with the Covid lockdown, and we tried Rouvy AR in order to ride with each other (i.e., our avatars riding together). That has worked great, and it has caused me to ride much harder than I did in FulGaz, working to keep up with the other guys. I agree that the videos are better in FG, more immersive and better filmed. Also I know the founder Mike Clucas curates each video carefully to be sure the resistance levels match video and edits the resistance (synches it to the video) to achieve this. And you can create your own workout overlays (e.g., intervals) to add to any FulGaz video. Mike has posted a how-to YT video on doing that. I agree that Rouvy elevation profile is better, but it is more invasive to the VR impression of the ride, and it would be nice to be able to shut the screen graphics off. Same in FulGaz, but the data graphics are less invasive. But for me, the game changer is having the avatars of my riding buddies on the screen. I rode today with a friend from San Francisco (I live in Los Angeles) whom I have not ridden with in many months. It was great - he kicked my butt up Stelvio (over 2 hours of climbing)!
Great information! Thanks!
Rouvey is hands down my favorite! I love it! Also I don’t need to text while riding😂😂 like on the other cartoon cycling app! I need to ride not mingle🚴♂️💨
Terrific reviews and extremely helpful! Thanks a lot.
Nice quick overview. I've been a Rouvy rider myself for 6-8 months now as I prefer to ride real life routes. Rouvy recently split up into two versions - the new AR and the old WORKOUTS and they also have a draft version out in beta testing. WORKOUTS supports ANT+ and have all the same routes as AR. But AR has nicer grapichs and more features, but doesn't support ANT+ yet. The best videos are recorded from cars or motorcycles, and some are recorded from road bikes. Many are submitted by users - even one by me. There are thousands of routes and workouts to choose from. And there are lots of races going on all the time set up by users from all over the world.
Looking forward to your in-depth reviews.
What isn't said is how much was lost from the original Rouvy, before the AR "improvement". Lost is the ease of navigation (for instance, the AR version doesn't show your uploaded rides, uploaded to bypass poor internet connectivity) and no more ability to use Google Streetview which enabled the user to make their own rides and ride at street level anywhere that's been placed in Streetview. I'd like a user choice of not seeing the road gradients pop up from the ground too frequently or have the poorly "augmented" cyclist appear and disappear without a user choice in the matter.
The navigation issue is the worst and I'm considering, after being a Rouvy subscriber, cancelling once I find a worthy alternative (note, I'm also a Zwift subscriber, both for many years).
So many user videos on Rouvy so if you've been somewhere this is real fun to ride there and reminisce.
Fantastic review! Well spoken ..thank you !
Great review! being trying to decide on something other than Zwift. I like to ride hills and not into racing. I like the fact that you can ride routes around and climb some awesome roads!
Again thanks for your time in doing this review.
BigRingVR is pretty good.
Rouvy would be perfect for that then. You have thousands of routes options in AR and non AR. There are many iconic climbs too like Alp d' Huez. In fact almost all the classic climbs are there in the library.
Drafting on Rouvy now. Shows a green tail behind the rider in front. Stay in the tail and maintain the same speed at lower output.
Hi, I use Rouvy for 1st time today and do the free ride and I liked.
your english is also very clear and easy to understand , and not too fast.. excellent. (I m speaking french)
He is American I guess.... so what else would you expect
@@arjanpetersen not all american people speak clearly (to me) on youtube. It’s satisfying ;-) , not a judgment.
Great video, thanks! Just seen your Kinomap review great also - thanks!
Any plans to do a more in depth user review of Rouvy soon?
Thank you so much for this review!!!!
Clint
Quite an interesting review across the range of apps.As always well presented and easy to follow.Really looking forward to seeing where this goes as I’ve just bought an new Elite turbo trainer for the winter months.I was very tempted to join Swift but I think this will go on hold until after your full review.
Once a again a great opportunity to trust your judgment.
Lloydy (uk)
Mike Lloyd: It's spelled "Zwift" not Swift as you wrote.
@@lazurm your correct,slight keyboard miss!
@@Lloydytwo It's spelled "you're" not your as your wrote. ;)
Thanks for the overview, that was really helpful! I really like Zwift but it's cool to see other apps also evolving on the market. Cheers
great summery of the Apps please do a full review on each i like Ruvey as i find it the most realistic in the resistance
The key for me is the # of connections for sensors that can be supported. Rouvy was good - but I had to give up a sensor. Returned to ZWIFT for that reason.
I like rouvy for the graphics and smoothness, but since I'm a slow rider I always found myself riding alone and on Zwift there are many different categorized groups to choose from, and in which I could stay together with a group from start to finish.
One can have plenty opportunities to do a route with other riders. Group rides (all for any level and no drop), races and adding as many virtual partners as you want. You don't have to ride alone.
I tried a few and Rouvy is my favorite. I like the ranking system. it keeps pushing my ass to do the recommended rides in order to keep my status. Plus, It has la vuelta!
Rouvy is indeed highly motivating and varied with so many features. Impossible to get bored on this app :-) And yes Rouvy's partner is La Vuelta and the 5 day stage race is going to start soon on the 15th August and run on the same days as the pros race. Super exciting! :-)
You got keep that look way to go. There was an app i tried at the TDU in a beta stage. Seemed ok.
Rouvy has changed a lot since this video was done. They are always added features that users want.
Yes now there is ant and drafting both . But the slowing down a lot in climbs actually effects the experience quite a bit
Hello Clint,there is also Velo Reality which offers a no frills presentation but has a huge selection of quality video rides up to 4k standard
If you are looking for real video footage I think Fulgaz has the best quality. It can be glitchy from time to time. Lately I've been running it from my iPad which works pretty well.
I really like Rouvy for actual roads, haven't tried the other ones. The down side of Rouvy is the inability to upload structured trainings like Zwift does
Love FulGaz, especially riding areas that I have ridden a real bike on
Great film! 👍
I really liked your review. I don't have a smart bike, just a regular spin bike so I feel like I'm missing out on some really awesome programs. I wish there was a program you could use with a regular spin bike that incorporates road and scenery footage
Put a set of power meter pedals on the spin bike then hook it up to fulgaz, yeah it would change your resistance but it will work. I use rollers currently and it is fine.
Another awesome video
The problem with 'steady' type modes I suppose is that while you're virtually riding up some famous climb, the simulation of it is off because you'll get done a lot quicker than you would in real life. The real HC climb gets turned into a Cat4, or something like that. :)
Agreed, I’d rather put up with stuttering video and feel like I’d really completed the climb, otherwise what’s the incentive to dig deep if you get to the top regardless?
I've been using TACX for 12 months and tried RGT for a change. I was a bit concerned as it said I needed Intel i5 and I only have Intel i3. It worked a couple of times but alas no longer. You'll need to check your laptop capability before down loading.
Nice review. Coming to this review 2 years after the fact but still found it very relevant. I've watched similar reviews and still haven't found anyone mention the Tacx app, which in my opinion the very best of real footage riding app out there. Fulgaz is awesome but the app for Win10 is still very glitchy but the platform is filled with some great options. Rouvy, in my opinion, is just weird. The augmented reality is definitely not my thing and I found the video quality to be very poor when compared to Fulgaz and Tacx. Thanks for the review.
Yes, because rides in Rouvy are filmed from car at 60kmph minimum and you ride your bike at 25kmph so videos look glitchy, slow in frames because it syncs with your speed (that is much slower than car speed). Kinomap and Fulgaz and Bkool and Tacx use videos filmed from bikes so video speed is bike realistic speed so videos are playing smooth compared to Rouvy car filmed videos. I've found that out after 5 months of testing these virtual apps.
I've got a Wahoo Kickr and the RGT app constantly dropped connection for me as well, so it is not your H2 it is RGT
Great overview thanks.
Can I use ROUVY on my Bowflex spin bike
With Rouvy, there's drafting in racing & training mode, but not in TT.
Nice video. Description summary of the 4 apps or at least titles and links be nice update to this video written description
New trainer and planning a similar setup. Does Fulgaz have a way to control via phone and watch via PC/TV?
Not really, but if you have an iPad you can use an HDMI cable to project onto the screen and then control it with your iPad. Works very well.
I tried RGT, and I really liked it.
But when riding Paso del Stevio with 24 riders, and 20 out of them are bots, this is very disappointing.
I stay with Zwift for the rest of this winter and will give Rouvy a try soon.
Nice review
I have a schwinn ic8 and the resistance is not automatic. My question is: when the app shows 5% uphill for example, what the resistance should i put in the schwinn? 10, 20? Thanks and Sorry bout my english
How do I stop and resume a ride in FulGaz
Clint, great overview, I'm just curious what you would say about the apps today, as many of them evolved a bit since 2020. I personally switched to Rouvy and with the most recent updates of the app I really enjoy it. the filtering of the routes have improved, and I just love the "real" feel of it. Last moths I have been enjoying the monthly challenges on Rouvy as well. makes the riding more motivating.
Since I live in an area where I can ride you around, I don’t do a lot of indoor riding. Therefore I’ve not really kept up-to-date with some of the changes of these apps. Roust was one of my favorites that I tested so it’s a good choice. Since I’m competitive at times, I still like using Zwift.
wow..!! Nice review for RGT.. been there since 3 months ago.. ride was realistic.. not thinking of jumping to another platform.. you can set your own route, invite your friends or add some bots for motivation.. By the way, never had an issue at RGT.. promising platform.. huge potentials..
Hi have an older exercise bike do you know if I place rpm sensors on my trainer to one of these aps ???
I was thinking of purchasing an rpm and cadence sensor and placing it on my exercise bike ???
I know with Zwift you can use just a cadence sensor and speed sensor with a non-smart trainer.
I start my Rouvy career few weeks ago and like the mix of real video and augmented reality, I think it work pretty well. I don't mind if video slow down when I climb slow speed. First I pause Zwift and after that I decided to cancel my membership. Using Zwift for a 5-years I felt that I need change. I like realism of Rouvy what I don't find in Zwift. Maybe I know Zwift world well enough and I start to feel that it doesn't give me anything new anymore.
Same reason I left zwift - oh and the social aspect which I'm not into, I'm a solo cyclist in the virtual and real world. I like the random racing aspect of it when I'm just doing a TT ride and someone decides we're racing - this could be side by side or me/them playing catchup. This makes me work harder than I normally would.
Nice summary. I just got my training wheels hooked up for Christmas and I’ve tried out Zwift and Rouvy. I have been wishing reviewers would address (a.) whether an app would work for out-of-shape beginners (can you search routes by easiness? Does it provide a way for slowpokes to ride in the Alps without having a heart attack?), and (b.) whether you can use it with slow internet. I appreciate that you addressed some of these concerns. I hadn’t thought about the problem of scenery slowing down to a crawl if you are moving slowly. And I now “get” the concept of using one’s phone as a controller. I was going to sign up for Rouvy, but now I want to try out everything, and I will check out your in-depth reviews. What a fun time to try to get in shape! I thought I would just be pedaling my bike in the living room while watching the news on TV.
Mary - Nice comment! So many people think that they have the only "use case" for these apps. This is by far the most open and unbiased review I have seen. Personally, I was a college racer (30 years ago) and now closer to a couch-potato. I'm looking for something realistic, but also supporting more a small group ride experience to do with my friends and family.
There are pretty much thousands of routes to choose from that can be ridden at any level difficulty when ridden in training mode where one can change the reality level setting.
From your comment it was not clear, do you have a smart trainer? If so, I can only speak to FulGaz but imagine others do similar. So yes, my wife can ride a Tour de France 1000m climb, if I change some settings. I set slope limit to 3%, meaning it disregards slopes higher, set slope realism to 60%, which essentially gives you lower gears than your bike has, and use steady mode, so the film runs past at the filmer's speed, not yours.
Do any of these apps have natural sound (not music)...but if I’m riding through a nice countryside, nice to hear the ambient sound?
If I recall correctly I don't think RGT has any music
Have you done a full review on rgt? I want to start out on the free membership and want to know what i cant do on the free membership
I did not do a full review yet on RGT. I was having problems with it connecting with my CycleOps (now Saris) H2 trainer. I have since gotten the Wahoo Kickr so I may do a forward you in the future. Bottom line is the graphics are really good, but with the free version you're only limited to a few routes. Without as much social interaction which you get on Zwift, it can get old. But the free version is definitely worth trying to see if you like the platform and want to go for the full version with all the routes.
It's seems so easy for Kinomap to preprocess the videos to have have much higher frame rates. You wanna start slow, you get the 60fps version so you don't get as choppy as the original rider. Hell, considering the simplicity of the video, and the whole thing basically just being zooming and maybe some panning, you should be able to do that on the fly almost.
Wow to Import a gpx file and then ride that route is a Feature I was searching for. Should be a pretty good preperation for a race, right?
Yep
This is so cool! You can train also for specific Strava segments for example 😁👏👏
Some of us still use Computrainers. Be nice to know if there are any alternatives that support them.
To check this you can do a search in the support knowledge base on the website regards compatible trainers.
Tried and just went back to riding in mud, rain, snow, nights, hail, gusts even smog that had drifted to the UK from Sahara sand storms (although I had to wear a face mask for that one). Still, for me and others I know or meet on the trails, nothing better than actually riding an actual bicycle. The focal point of the eye is also in a relaxed state when looking ahead as one does riding outside. Looking at yet another screen causes eye strain which leads to headaches, inner ear balance issues causing further problems with coordination. The research is there if you look for it.
Any that cannot connect sensors through a separate phone, won't work on Linux unless native. Zwift works perfectly fine-even better than on Windows-with latest Wine or Proton 5.13 (easier to obtain because Steam will download it).
I found ful gas really unstable and unintuitive
Fulgaz is shot on bikes or motorbikes, Rouvy are shot with camera on vehicles. Eye level are noticeably higher in Rouvy
Good overview. The. biggest problem I have with these alternatives is how lonely you are; there is barely a social aspect. I'm currently trying RGT and most of the time, unless I'm doing a group ride or race, I'm riding solo. I like to be pushed by others so I might just keep the free version and continue to zwift.
I agree, what Zwift is really good in is building community and seeing other cyclists. Although it is a bit frustrating that Zwift forces so many Zwifters to ride in the same world (by not giving full choice of which world to ride). But the whole racing calender, amazing!
Rouvy offers a few ways to ride with others. Setting up races, taking part in Rouvy official races with up to1500 other entrants, and inviting buddies to one's own set up races, starting a route all at the same time and very soon no drop group rides will be launching (in beta testing at the moment). I find Rouvy very social.
Good news, Rouvy has just added the group ride feature with so many people on the route that is set up with a nominated leader. Great fun and one rides at one's own pace.
Every ride doesn't have to be a race.
Nreal Air - game changers.
Fulgaz is the best of the bunch, as close to riding outdoors as you can manage without leaving your garage.
Would this work with a Keiser m3i?
Yes, with this: www.keiser.com/m-series-converter
Fulgaz is amazing 👏
On fullgazz i didnt know it had reactive mode thanks
Hi Clint have you done an in depth review of rouvey?
I actually never did. I had intended to review a few more apps but the weather got too nice! Perhaps in the future.
@@ClintGibbs I'm really looking fwd to trying it out, except having connection issues with my kinetic rock and roll trainer. I have apple TV set up and zwift works fine. Hopefully gets resolved soon
Hey Clint, I've enjoyed this overview of the different programs out there. Have you a full review of RGT? I'd like to know the minimum requirements for RGT. Will a basic speed and sensor make the cut, or must you have a power meter, that kind of thing. So please, yes, make a review of RGT. Thank you! Full Gaz too?
Those are coming eventually. I just have so many videos in the pipeline!
@@ClintGibbs sweet! thank you.
Is there any way to just play a track without connecting any bike-device?
No, you will need to connect a trainer using the app.
Does RGT use bots to populate to make it appear others use it? Huge difference when you have so many people to interact with in Zwift. There are not more routes in RGT than Zwift. RGT is not stable and I have a gaming pc and it sucks to spend 1.5 hours on a climb and it crashes and you lose your progress.
Yikes, that would suck. Have not had that issue. But yes, I think bots right now are used a lot in RGT. I'll cover that in my full review.
I tried with RGT but this doesn't support Windows 7...
It's a shame that RGT doesn't have an Android screen app. Rules it out for me as I don't want to take my laptop to the garage.
Hi can you link these to strava?
Yep!
I have literally just started investigating smart bike trainer apps. Is there any specific to mountain biking?
Not that I'm aware of. There is a pretty cool mountain bike course on Zwift but it only lasts about 10 minutes. Hopefully they'll make more of those because they did a really good job with that one in my opinion.
For mountain biking, check out Kinomap, which has lots of user-uploaded rides - in the snow, in the mud, cruising through a farmers market, racing through forests, etc. Not all great quality, but very “real.” It’s fun to see rides near where you live, too.
Rouvy hosts a MTB race series and has quite a number of fun MTB routes you can ride or set up your own races on. As a mountain-biker I find these good fun.
Do u have to use apple tv for this?
No. I just took a laptop or iPad up to the TV with an HDMI cable. I don’t have Apple TV.
Couldn’t get logged on to ROUVY.
Rouvy now has drafting too...
elite is one I use. real video, no racing so solo ride
Never use reality level in Rouvy, it is pretty the difficulty setting of zwift but it doesn’t change your speed. Resulting in completely unrealistic Strava and Rouvy rides. Luckily you can only use this in training mode.
Thank you! Nothing for mtb bikers??
Rouvy has a lots of MTB routes in their library as well as gravel routes. Worth taking a look.
Is there any app for a spinning bike out there?
If you can put a power meter on it most should work. Power pedals might be an option.
I use my spin bike for hard intervals and my road bike on rollers with power meter for less intense indoor training.
Can't understand why you don't use Open Road? Real films in fantastic detail. Films available to watch on bike the world on TH-cam.
I’m sick of Zwift due to stupid features like runners going faster uphill than cyclists and the sandbagging problem they refuse to deal with properly. I’m going to try RGT and see how that goes.
I find riding outside very realistic
The graphics are fantastic! At least 4k and like 120fps!
Huh dur
Rouvy videos are shot on motorcycle or cars, Fulgaz are shot on bikes.
Many are filmed on bikes (certified) as well, there is a mix.
Zwift suffers from too much political involvement these days. Do I pay a sub so that the app is developed further or does my money go to BLM? No thanks.
I know it's annoying. So tired of BLM and wokeness. Unfortunately, cycling is mostly a liberal sport.
@@pointbreak2811 what do you mean by that? cycling is a liberal sport, that never crossed my mind,honestly, on the contrary, i would guess
@@adrianroethlisberger4626 Just seeing all the cycling platforms and media out there. They tend to cave in towards social justice issues especially the larger companies. Very few are non-political.
@@pointbreak2811 sure, the big tech companies from sillivon valley such as zwift, i was referring to the cyclists themselves, they dont come across particularly woke, they seem very normal, grounded, cursing and spiting all the time
@@adrianroethlisberger4626 You could be right. I never thought about the cyclist themselves. I live in the Bay area, CA which is very blue so most people I know are Democrats in addition to the cycling company's. Might be different if including the cycling community as a whole.
these all look pretty poor tbh
Have a look at BigRingVR