been waiting for this video since 1st Dec. I did the 3 routes last Sunday but in a different order with Malaucene first and Stelvio last. Ventoux Malaucene is probably my favourite route on Rouvy (1st half is defo a lot easier than the 2nd half). I'm just surprised that you used the "just ride" option rather than the "time trial" option for your rides because unless things have changed over the past month - Rouvy will only accept challenge rides if completed as a time trial, group ride or a race. Your time was 5 hours, 20 minutes and 39 secs I was quite a lot slower at 5 - 56 - 40 -------------------------- should organise a GCN race with you, Honk and Manon on one of those 3 climbs (but for added benefit add a few virtual pacers as well)
I would love to do this but can’t afford the kit, I’ll stick with GCN training channel, it’s brilliant, thank you all at GCN training. Great vid as always.
Unfortunately, no - it'd involve me being on Rouvy, and due to some eyesight issues the warping and clipping at the edge of the display causes nausea for me. I'll stick with the more cartoony but less vertigo-inducing graphics of Zwift, thank you. ;)
Glad to see GCN team showing Rouvy ❤ Personally I did all these climbs this winter, some even multiple times. I learned about all these great climbs while training, how cool is that 🎉 That was the main reason I signed up for Rouvy and not Zwift.
I am SO chuffed that GCN is giving Rouvy some love, it is simply the absolute best platform for long climbs. I love it, I still like Zwift for some stuff but Rouvy is bloody brilliant!! I like to warm up in a capital city or other interesting place then go play on a big climb somewhere. Great to see Rouvy finally getting some love 👍🏼
I think the Ventoux KOMs Ollie is talking about are the ones of the Bédoin side. He is riding the Malaucène side. That side also doesn’t have the steep section at the end that he mentions. Not taking anything away from his performance, kudos to him for riding these three climbs back to back!
I have been a Rouvy subscriber for years now and have signed up for this challenge but I did see on Strava that Ollie did the whole thing in one day, so respect! I have ridden all three climbs in real life: Ventoux from the Bedoin side, the Grossglockner twice and the Stelvio three times (twice from Prato, once Bormio). Rouvy also has a wonderful video of going up the Stelvio via the Mustair Pass from Switzerland, a must-do. In addition to all those Augmented Reality (AR) routes, Rouvy offers a huge number of non-AR ones, so no avatars just the scenery and the numbers at the bottom. If you are snowed in, you can even ride a 500 km route in New Zealand! Ollie was riding with Will, Peter and Emma, the three avatars that join me as well but you have to watch out as they try to sprint past you when you get tired!
Rouvy is simply amazing - the level of reality & the vast number of routes available is simply mind-boggling! I am definately going to give this climbing challenge a good go!
it's a simple video. The avatar looks absolutly terrible. look at 12:07 when the avatar is standing up. It's the worst animation I've ever seen. I rather have them get rid of the the avatar and do a POV like Garmin does.
I love Rouvy. The fact that you can do rides around the world is great. I am already registered for the challenge, but will be doing the climbs on different days. I don't think I can do two of them consecutively yet.
Great video well done Ollie. I've recently started using Rouvy as against Zwift. The realism is excellent. Having recently taken nearly 2 hours to do the full chrono non AR, Alpe d'Huez I won't be taking on this challenge. But well done to anyone who does.
Rouvy is my choice - it's great! Okay Ollie in honor of the Tour De Stations you did I'll try this one. I'm not at all a climber, but I need to see these!
Ollie you’re an absolute legend! I’ve done a few 5-6 hr flat course indoor trainer sessions training for Ironman but after watching this video, you’ve inspired me to take on the challenge. Team GCN should put in a team for Tour of Margaret River, Western Australia we would love to see you guys racing and doing some challenges in Australia 😊
@@gcnwe do the tour of Margaret River every year. Absolute fantastic event, one of the few races where amateur teams get to race against pros on the same tour.
Oli! This is not augmented, it is virtual. Because you are not there, and using virtual reality to AUGMENT your REAL experience.... Great challenge and great effort! Hats off!
Three in a row, wow Ollie, what a tough challenge. I've been using ROUVY for two years, and I love it. With it, I have become a virtual explorer of the world. I will complete this challenge too, but one route every day 😄
Like Ollie I've done the Stelvio and Gross Glockner but yet to do Ventoux other than virtually (on Zwift). The Selvio was the hardest day I've had on a bike (long version of the Stelvio Santini Grandfondo - my avatar pic) and the GrossGlockner the most disappointing day as you couldn't really even see the end of the car park at the top, let alone any view. Plus it was lashing it down and freezing most of the way up (even more so down)... Be great to do them all fresh and dry indoors!
Done all of them, and same, couldn’t see anything on top of Gloßglockner for the mist, nonetheless it was a beautiful ride upthere. You need to do Ventoux, for me the best climb ever (and ive done pretty much all the climbs need to be done,)
@@pakichionchio It is on my list. I could even do it in a day by direct TGV Brussels - Avignon - Brussels if I get my act together in the middle of the summer...
@@frazergoodwin4945 i suggest to stay an extra day and do the “cingles de Ventoux” challenge, the three sides of Ventoux in one day. Each of three sides is different, and while Bedouin is THE one, I loved the Sault one too, gentle and easy, in the middle of lavander fields for miles. I have done all the major climbs in Europe, but Ventoux is one of a kind, the only one with a radical change of scenery, from the Chalet onward you basically have the tv mast in your sight and it’s feeling history. Best climb ever ! (Unlike alpe d’huez, most overrated place in cycling!)
No lie about altitude. I live at 2000 meters during the year, but I just came back to visit family at sea level for Christmas. My FTP at altitude is 280 and at sea level this morning I rode for an hour at 315. That's a full 11% boost at sea level or power loss above 1500 meters (mile high).
Would recommend the Ventoux de cingles challenge Ollie, great but tough day out. Definitely one for the bucket list. Well done on the above, a tough day in the saddle!!
Last June we did Gavia, Stelvio, Furka, Old Tremola, Alpe d'Huez, Ventoux, Col de Nivolet, Sella Ronda, Col de la Colombiere, Col d'Izoard,, Galibier, Telegraphe over 2 weeks. I used wahoo RGT magic roads ( R.I.P) to train and outside the altitude issue it really helped knowing what I was in for. I'd say real world about 10% harder. Great to have these training tools
This reminds me of Tacx which I tried last winter and enjoyed(riding through Netherlands, which I was curious about). The subscription prices are a bit ridiculous though - prices should be region based, not assumed that everybody has the purchasing power of US customers
I think they offer prices in Euros. Also, they just had an epic Black Friday sale at 25% off. My wife and I use a Duo subscription and it ended up costing USD 7.50 per person per month. Totally worth it!
Challenge completed today 💪🍾Started with Mt Ventoux 🇫🇷, then Passo Stelvio 🇮🇹 and Grossglockner 🇦🇹 at the end. No doubt Grossglockner was the hardest, while Passo Stelvio the easiest climb for me. Now will be proudly cycling in GCN preset 🚴
The Ventoux is the only one of the trio that I've ever ridden, even virtually (on Zwift some two years ago). But gosh that I'm feeling jealous, seeing Ollie ride those climbs up with power that exceeds my FTP by 30-40W, telling that he's trying to stick to his Z2 and talking as he rides… There are so many climbs on Rouvy that I haven't ridden, because any long stretches over 9% or so are just so damn hard. My hardest one to date has been Colle del Nivolet, and I nearly bonked while I still had some 200 metres of elevation to climb.
It was a bit strange to see Olli pushing 10-12 W/kg (12:26) in the list and 3.1 W/kg at 212 W in the top left display - in my eyes that does not really match - a bug ? - btw. great job Olli, well done, you are the master of pain 👍
The values in the list seem random. 12:47 Ollie is doing 24.2W/kg while the power dropped. The top value looks like the real one - 69kg, which seems realistic.
Combined with the 50 minutes for Ventoux and almost all screenshots on Ventoux showing between 5w/kg and 20w/kg at 50rpm, there seems to be something wrong or a serious case of production degrees of freedom
Ok so "all" I need is a turbo trainer, some kind of device and display and a Rouvy subscription. Possibly more of a challenge than the riding!😂 (Well probably not really.) Chapeau Ollie, you made it look easy.
Love Rouvy. I made the Centennial Lake Canada and the Matawatchan Canada routes. It’s where my cottage is. The Centennial Lake one was identified in a Rouvy Instagram ad, which was cool to see.
I love that you guys used Rouvy again, finally! Ollie, you're a beast! Well done, I enjoyed seeing you almost reach level 9 in 6 hrs; took me probably 3 months 1,5-2hrs a week on flats to reach that hahaha! Love your show and the crew. Hey has gcn ever done Badlands?
Well I’ve just completed this challenge ….. wow the Grossglockner is a tough climb … Rode them one per week. Total time 5hr 48 maintaining roughly 3w/kg which was much better than my 6hr target so very happy ….
Thanks to @GCN for that epic challenge and thanks to Ollie for doing it in one day! I gave it a go on the last day of 2023! Manage all three climbs in one ride too…although „a bit“ slower as Dr. B. 😅! I guess I might start 2024 with some sore legs! Love Rouvy for the realism of the rides! Happy 2024 for all of you! 🎉
As an accessory for an indoor trainer, what about an altitude mask, which would set the oxygen level based on the altitude during the course of your virtual ride?
challenge suggestion for next year - re your Ventoux discussion. The Ventoux Cingles challenge. You go up and down the 3 major routes of Bedoin, Sault and Malaucene in a single ride. Now - there is a route on Rouvy which will allow you to complete this ride in one go (called Ventoux full circle). The only problem with doing 6 individual rides (3 up and 3 down) is that I couldn't find a descent from Ventoux to Sault as a single ride.
Ouch! I think k I’d be sectioned if I tried that - have almost lost my mind after 3 hours on the turbo but did use Rouvy to train for the 312 and it definitely helped.
10+w/kg, 49 minutes on the Grossglockner and the Ventoux in 50 Minutes. Chapeau Ollie ;) It's my opinion that, if you make a video in this format, then do it with the right settings or choose another promo-video-format. Or was it a bug /video edit error? This now looks unsportive /unprofessional. Besides that, still a solid indoor ride.
well, well, well... A supernice video on a super demanding challenge - I know, i've been there on Rouvy too. So I've enjoyed following Ollie on the Stelvio, with his similar watts and similar times (maybe a bit lower cadence) as mine I was totally reliving this ride. Then on the Glossglockner ride something weird is starting to unfold: the power values are off (110 W and 5,5 W/kg at 8:53), then seemingly back to normal again, but the rider list on the left reveals the edit: at 15:35 the powermeter shows 260 W and 3,8 W/kg, but down the list a stellar 18,9 W/kg (these two values shall always be the same) - Virtual Ollie was oscillating between 68 and 14 kilos? At this moment he has ridden 1121 vertical meters in 29 minutes, that's a 2300 VAM (vertical ascent in meters/hour). Then he finishes the 19,5 km 1690 m climb in a record 49 minutes. If you look at rouvy's route records you'll find the top 10 averaging around 77 minutes. Ventoux - the same. W/kg values are of between powermeter and rider list all along the ride, VAM is constantly around the 2000s, and the 1570 m climb is finished in 50 minutes (16% faster than Rouvy route record) So what's going on? I guess, after a real 1 hour 50 mins ride over Stelvio it was realised, that the whole challenge is just too much - either to ride or to film for "5 hours and 20 minutes". So the second and third rides were made a bit easier. A little tweak with the rider weight here, a little adjustment on the reality level there, and voila, finished in half the time. (...and credit to the movie editor, who had to render some believable numbers into the powermeter box in postproduction) So @gcn if you do virtual ride videos please be more careful with what and how you edit and then show on the video. Nevertheless, I still really enjoy Ollie's commentaries and Rouvy's virtual rides. So go on and don't be lame!
I noticed that the time at completing the ventoux ride was 50 minutes … no change …. There is something odd about this video for sure, and I am a big fan of Rouvy
Good to see there is some reality in the real world when it comes to the numbers. I did all three of these routes on ROUVY and it took me just short of 8 hours in the saddle. The amount of sweat and kits I cycled through was exceptional too. Ollie didn’t seem to sweat theses courses a bit. That was the most confusing part to me.
One of the things that makes Zwift so enjoyable is that there are literally thousands of other cyclists riding on the roads with you. You pass some, get passed by some, find a group and enjoy the drafting etc... Rouvy is like riding through a beautiful, post-apocolyptic world. There's nobody else around! They've got a good product, but Zwift has too much of a head start on everyone. I've worked for years to earn different bikes and kit, joined several clubs on their rides and made lots of friends. So what would my motivation be to start from scratch with another service?
Yes there are many more live users on zwift but the regular races and live challenge routes on Rouvy do often have 50-100 riders at peak times.. you can also add as many ghost riders from previous times in time trial mode alongside anyone else doing it live, which I find very useful for targeted training. Zwift doesn't allow this.
I used Zwift for over 5 years until I suddenly became bored with it. If your goal is to earn different bikes, different kits, or higher levels, you may be missing the point of training. I've been a Rouvy user for nearly 2 years and have zero desire to go back to the cartoon world of Zwift. An option for Rouvy that wasn't discussed in the video is the ability to ride against previous performances on various routes. You can also find previous rides from others of a specific w/kg and use those rides to pace you.
Right what's going on with your watts/kg on the last ride? Hitting 20+ at times - are you the weight of a small kitten or is there a glitch. Either way, top effort as ever Ollie, a real inspiration 💪🏻
Over 20 years ago I bought a Sony Playstation to practice driving the Nurburgring. Even with the rudimentary graphics of the day, it was a massive help when I arrived and drove my first laps. I have yet to invest in similar technology for cycling.
I feel sorry for Ollie "Dr. Aero" Bridgewood having his avatar spreading his elbows that wide. Gotta be at least 10 W wasted there. Great effort going all the way, making it look easy too!
Good video. I am a big fan of Rouvy, and not a fan of Zwift 😅. Prefer the reality, so good to see you guys promoting other virtual reality platforms. Thanks .. how is it that the times on the screen for Ollie seem so short though? Arriving at the top of Ventoux his time shows on around 50 minutes ….. that’s quicker than Tadej …..😮
@markbutcher4541 non at all .... give it a,go , 14 day free trial. It does have the odd bug now and again. One tip would be always download the videos rather than stream them...
@@markbutcher4541 Been using Rouvy for around a year and apart from a few tech issues with the app in November (which have since been fixed) it just works out of the box. Works with Windows, IOS, Android, Apple TV. You can stream the routes in real-time or pre download them. As you gain experience through rides and races you can upgrade your bike (these do make a difference to the intensity of a particular ride). One interesting thing with Rouvy is that you get multiple monthly challenges. For example they do a vuelta challenge every year to recreate the most iconic part of every route. They had an around the world challenge covering each continent in october . Right now the have the TOUR DE SLOVAQUIE, several rides through canada and a european clibs challenge amongst others. Oh, and there is an even bigger Grossglockner climb challenge at 49km and 2437m of climbing (route takes a detour after the first 1000m but then switches back for a very welcome recovery descent before the final climbs). I would suggest joining the Rouvy strava club as you often see special offers mentioned, plus you get informed of challenge competitions to win real prizes too. Final thing. apart from the official Rouvy AR routes, there are a huge number of user submitted routes too. Many have video footage to along with but some will only display a map (examples of this are the Milan to San Remo ride and the LEJOG ride). Loads of videos on TH-cam showing rides on rouvy. Hope this helps.
YMMV, of course - but I reckon these look better on Bkool. Avatars in front are a bit funky, and there's that odd pixellating effect at the side of the screen. Bkool - it's just you and the climb.
Also still missing Ventoux on that list.. Rouvy sure has come a long way since I last tried it.. impressive. Oh, and also an impressive ride, sir. I'll pass on that challenge :-D
Do these virtual rides land on the same Strava-segment list? Cause i have seen, some friends riding virtually innercity (same GPS locations as the real city) at speeds u wouldn't go at in real life...
You’ve done some tough stuff in the past buddy, but a 5 hour slog on the trainer has got to be pretty mentally draining. Well done. Great self discipline!
Ollie, You mentioned that when training indoors, you are always at the same elevation despite what the route on the app might “involve”. My indoor (ZWIFT) workouts are all at 2,840 meters (9,318 feet) elevation, so even “sea level” app rides are at significant altitude for me since I live in the mountains of Colorado. I actually appreciate the benefits and effects of everyday altitude training, but I wonder what my power/watts difference is in relation to actual sea level. Surely there is current research on such a topic. Thoughts?
Pity you only rode 47min each on the Grossglockner and Ventoux - which would have been two completely smashing world best times. Looks like you did all of the Stelvio, however :)
Would you take on this challenge?🚵
been waiting for this video since 1st Dec. I did the 3 routes last Sunday but in a different order with Malaucene first and Stelvio last. Ventoux Malaucene is probably my favourite route on Rouvy (1st half is defo a lot easier than the 2nd half). I'm just surprised that you used the "just ride" option rather than the "time trial" option for your rides because unless things have changed over the past month - Rouvy will only accept challenge rides if completed as a time trial, group ride or a race.
Your time was 5 hours, 20 minutes and 39 secs
I was quite a lot slower at 5 - 56 - 40
--------------------------
should organise a GCN race with you, Honk and Manon on one of those 3 climbs (but for added benefit add a few virtual pacers as well)
Completed it mate
I would love to do this but can’t afford the kit, I’ll stick with GCN training channel, it’s brilliant, thank you all at GCN training. Great vid as always.
Yesterday I finished the Grossglockner 49 km version. These three climbs await me in the coming days.
Unfortunately, no - it'd involve me being on Rouvy, and due to some eyesight issues the warping and clipping at the edge of the display causes nausea for me. I'll stick with the more cartoony but less vertigo-inducing graphics of Zwift, thank you. ;)
Glad to see GCN team showing Rouvy ❤ Personally I did all these climbs this winter, some even multiple times. I learned about all these great climbs while training, how cool is that 🎉 That was the main reason I signed up for Rouvy and not Zwift.
I am SO chuffed that GCN is giving Rouvy some love, it is simply the absolute best platform for long climbs. I love it, I still like Zwift for some stuff but Rouvy is bloody brilliant!! I like to warm up in a capital city or other interesting place then go play on a big climb somewhere.
Great to see Rouvy finally getting some love 👍🏼
Love the fenders on the bike while on the turbo
The GCN takes "keep your bike clean" to the whole new level! Not playing chances there 😄
Proves the point - climbs are not about weight 😉
Why take them off?
Epic. I love Rouvy. The climbs are super realistic, and there are so many great ones you can finish in an hour or less. Amazing scenery.
It's great for getting that real feel 🙌 What's your favourite climb?
49 minutes for Grossglockner and 50 minutes for Ventoux - Ollie should definitely apply for a World Tour pro contract. Watch out Vingo! 😂
I think the Ventoux KOMs Ollie is talking about are the ones of the Bédoin side. He is riding the Malaucène side. That side also doesn’t have the steep section at the end that he mentions. Not taking anything away from his performance, kudos to him for riding these three climbs back to back!
I have been a Rouvy subscriber for years now and have signed up for this challenge but I did see on Strava that Ollie did the whole thing in one day, so respect! I have ridden all three climbs in real life: Ventoux from the Bedoin side, the Grossglockner twice and the Stelvio three times (twice from Prato, once Bormio). Rouvy also has a wonderful video of going up the Stelvio via the Mustair Pass from Switzerland, a must-do. In addition to all those Augmented Reality (AR) routes, Rouvy offers a huge number of non-AR ones, so no avatars just the scenery and the numbers at the bottom. If you are snowed in, you can even ride a 500 km route in New Zealand! Ollie was riding with Will, Peter and Emma, the three avatars that join me as well but you have to watch out as they try to sprint past you when you get tired!
Rouvy .......the best cycling platform out there. Love it.
Rouvy is simply amazing - the level of reality & the vast number of routes available is simply mind-boggling! I am definately going to give this climbing challenge a good go!
it's a simple video. The avatar looks absolutly terrible. look at 12:07 when the avatar is standing up. It's the worst animation I've ever seen. I rather have them get rid of the the avatar and do a POV like Garmin does.
@@MarriedWithBackpacksyou can ride without the avatar
I love Rouvy. The fact that you can do rides around the world is great. I am already registered for the challenge, but will be doing the climbs on different days. I don't think I can do two of them consecutively yet.
It's awesome! Let us know how you get on with the challenge!
Good luck! I think it's a bit much for me, but I've enjoyed some great climbs on Rouvy around 1000m and 15 km - more my ability level.
Wow, Rouvy's drafting and gradient display elements of the HUD are light years ahead of Zwift's.
I did Alpe d'Huez on Rouvy in July after being on the app for 8 months. 50/34, 11-30. What a ride it was!
Great video well done Ollie. I've recently started using Rouvy as against Zwift. The realism is excellent. Having recently taken nearly 2 hours to do the full chrono non AR, Alpe d'Huez I won't be taking on this challenge. But well done to anyone who does.
Rouvy is my choice - it's great! Okay Ollie in honor of the Tour De Stations you did I'll try this one. I'm not at all a climber, but I need to see these!
Ollie you’re an absolute legend! I’ve done a few 5-6 hr flat course indoor trainer sessions training for Ironman but after watching this video, you’ve inspired me to take on the challenge. Team GCN should put in a team for Tour of Margaret River, Western Australia we would love to see you guys racing and doing some challenges in Australia 😊
Ollie is a beast 💪Sounds like a great challenge! Is something that you've done before?
@@gcnwe do the tour of Margaret River every year. Absolute fantastic event, one of the few races where amateur teams get to race against pros on the same tour.
Nice mudguards on the turbo 😂
The GCN Megabase can get pretty muddy after some of our adventures!😂
Ollie, it’s good practice to check your settings in Rouvy, like weight, length, ftp, etc. as your wattage/kg seems ‘a bit’ high during the 3rd climb.
Yeah, at 8:47 - 5.4 w/kg For 108w.. Ollie is light, but not that light!
Oli! This is not augmented, it is virtual. Because you are not there, and using virtual reality to AUGMENT your REAL experience.... Great challenge and great effort! Hats off!
Three in a row, wow Ollie, what a tough challenge. I've been using ROUVY for two years, and I love it. With it, I have become a virtual explorer of the world. I will complete this challenge too, but one route every day 😄
Like Ollie I've done the Stelvio and Gross Glockner but yet to do Ventoux other than virtually (on Zwift). The Selvio was the hardest day I've had on a bike (long version of the Stelvio Santini Grandfondo - my avatar pic) and the GrossGlockner the most disappointing day as you couldn't really even see the end of the car park at the top, let alone any view. Plus it was lashing it down and freezing most of the way up (even more so down)... Be great to do them all fresh and dry indoors!
This is why Rouvy is good! You get stunning views of the climb without being freezing!🥶When will you be giving Ventoux a try?
Done all of them, and same, couldn’t see anything on top of Gloßglockner for the mist, nonetheless it was a beautiful ride upthere. You need to do Ventoux, for me the best climb ever (and ive done pretty much all the climbs need to be done,)
@@pakichionchio It is on my list. I could even do it in a day by direct TGV Brussels - Avignon - Brussels if I get my act together in the middle of the summer...
@@frazergoodwin4945 i suggest to stay an extra day and do the “cingles de Ventoux” challenge, the three sides of Ventoux in one day. Each of three sides is different, and while Bedouin is THE one, I loved the Sault one too, gentle and easy, in the middle of lavander fields for miles. I have done all the major climbs in Europe, but Ventoux is one of a kind, the only one with a radical change of scenery, from the Chalet onward you basically have the tv mast in your sight and it’s feeling history. Best climb ever ! (Unlike alpe d’huez, most overrated place in cycling!)
The lack of air at altitude is a great part if the challenge. This just shows the gradient which is still amazing
No lie about altitude. I live at 2000 meters during the year, but I just came back to visit family at sea level for Christmas. My FTP at altitude is 280 and at sea level this morning I rode for an hour at 315. That's a full 11% boost at sea level or power loss above 1500 meters (mile high).
Busted this out on ROUVY on 1Dec23 [7:50:51 for all 3 routes]. Legs were tired after 16,538’ of climbing! Good day on the trainer!!
Those W/kg started to look a little sus after that first climb :)
12:55 - 238W = 14.5 W/kg Ollie is a 2 year old kid that weights 16.5 kilos.
Would recommend the Ventoux de cingles challenge Ollie, great but tough day out. Definitely one for the bucket list. Well done on the above, a tough day in the saddle!!
Ooooo interesting! Rouvy has really got Ollie excited to go and ride the climbs 🏔
Last June we did Gavia, Stelvio, Furka, Old Tremola, Alpe d'Huez, Ventoux, Col de Nivolet, Sella Ronda, Col de la Colombiere, Col d'Izoard,, Galibier, Telegraphe over 2 weeks. I used wahoo RGT magic roads ( R.I.P) to train and outside the altitude issue it really helped knowing what I was in for. I'd say real world about 10% harder. Great to have these training tools
Fenders AND OSPW is an absolutely wild combo
This reminds me of Tacx which I tried last winter and enjoyed(riding through Netherlands, which I was curious about). The subscription prices are a bit ridiculous though - prices should be region based, not assumed that everybody has the purchasing power of US customers
I think they offer prices in Euros. Also, they just had an epic Black Friday sale at 25% off. My wife and I use a Duo subscription and it ended up costing USD 7.50 per person per month. Totally worth it!
Ollie’s the man. Should have been a full GCN challenge though 😊
Challenge completed today 💪🍾Started with Mt Ventoux 🇫🇷, then Passo Stelvio 🇮🇹 and Grossglockner 🇦🇹 at the end. No doubt Grossglockner was the hardest, while Passo Stelvio the easiest climb for me. Now will be proudly cycling in GCN preset 🚴
The Ventoux is the only one of the trio that I've ever ridden, even virtually (on Zwift some two years ago). But gosh that I'm feeling jealous, seeing Ollie ride those climbs up with power that exceeds my FTP by 30-40W, telling that he's trying to stick to his Z2 and talking as he rides… There are so many climbs on Rouvy that I haven't ridden, because any long stretches over 9% or so are just so damn hard. My hardest one to date has been Colle del Nivolet, and I nearly bonked while I still had some 200 metres of elevation to climb.
Mudguards on the turbo is the hack I didn’t know I needed.
It was a bit strange to see Olli pushing 10-12 W/kg (12:26) in the list and 3.1 W/kg at 212 W in the top left display - in my eyes that does not really match - a bug ? - btw. great job Olli, well done, you are the master of pain 👍
Likely dropped the reality level or lowered weight. He is doing only 250watt and gets 8.9 watt/kg. So his weight was set around 30kg😂
The values in the list seem random. 12:47 Ollie is doing 24.2W/kg while the power dropped. The top value looks like the real one - 69kg, which seems realistic.
Combined with the 50 minutes for Ventoux and almost all screenshots on Ventoux showing between 5w/kg and 20w/kg at 50rpm, there seems to be something wrong or a serious case of production degrees of freedom
He really has gone from 0-Hero! 🔥😉
@@TimSmits Yep, that is kinda strange. :D
Love that you still have your mud guards on!
Wow I have never seen Rouvy before but I am on Zwift a lot. The graphics are incredible. Impressive.
Finally GCN ride a bike with mudguards for a video - but it's indoors! 😂
We love mudguards 👉th-cam.com/video/DQPpB4AOBNw/w-d-xo.html
Ok so "all" I need is a turbo trainer, some kind of device and display and a Rouvy subscription. Possibly more of a challenge than the riding!😂 (Well probably not really.) Chapeau Ollie, you made it look easy.
Did Stelvio today :) 2morrow Ventoux :)
Love Rouvy. I made the Centennial Lake Canada and the Matawatchan Canada routes. It’s where my cottage is. The Centennial Lake one was identified in a Rouvy Instagram ad, which was cool to see.
Ollie, the Kickr Headwind must have really cooled you off. You weren't drenched in sweat.
Today all together 😂 You, GCN Italy, GCN France and GCN Spain 👍
I have seen the uk and Italian video, not the French one ….. almeno Giorgio a fatto preparare un cafe per Alan 😂
@@garyjones6519 yes, Giorgio is very bad 😅
I love that you guys used Rouvy again, finally! Ollie, you're a beast! Well done, I enjoyed seeing you almost reach level 9 in 6 hrs; took me probably 3 months 1,5-2hrs a week on flats to reach that hahaha! Love your show and the crew. Hey has gcn ever done Badlands?
Rouvy, Fulgaz and Bkool are the best!!!
BigRingVR and Open Road are good too.
@@christopherthomas3403 I will try BigRingVR!!!
I love the mudguards.
Never know when it might start raining indoors😂
Well I’ve just completed this challenge ….. wow the Grossglockner is a tough climb … Rode them one per week. Total time 5hr 48 maintaining roughly 3w/kg which was much better than my 6hr target so very happy ….
Nice work!
Thanks Dr O and crew....mudguards rule dude !!
Absolutely they do!
Good job you used the mudguards! Rouvy is quality. Ridden 2 of those 3 clinbs in reality, not sure I fancy it inside just yet.
Those 3, in a turbo? WHOA, Beast mode!!!
Thanks to @GCN for that epic challenge and thanks to Ollie for doing it in one day! I gave it a go on the last day of 2023! Manage all three climbs in one ride too…although „a bit“ slower as Dr. B. 😅! I guess I might start 2024 with some sore legs! Love Rouvy for the realism of the rides! Happy 2024 for all of you! 🎉
Dr. Bridgewood's care for his hair is charming 😋
This is a great alternative to Zwift, thanks for sharing ! Nice ride by the way.
Bonkers Ollie, chapeau sir. Weird thing going on with the graphics of the back of the purple bike at the beginning of Ventoux. Very wobbly!
As an accessory for an indoor trainer, what about an altitude mask, which would set the oxygen level based on the altitude during the course of your virtual ride?
That's just more torture😂 We'll try find one!😂
challenge suggestion for next year - re your Ventoux discussion. The Ventoux Cingles challenge. You go up and down the 3 major routes of Bedoin, Sault and Malaucene in a single ride.
Now - there is a route on Rouvy which will allow you to complete this ride in one go (called Ventoux full circle). The only problem with doing 6 individual rides (3 up and 3 down) is that I couldn't find a descent from Ventoux to Sault as a single ride.
Love that Ollie did not take off his mud guards for indoor training ... you never know!
Ouch! I think k I’d be sectioned if I tried that - have almost lost my mind after 3 hours on the turbo but did use Rouvy to train for the 312 and it definitely helped.
Epic Challenge Ollie!! Congrats. - Ultimate GCN Challenge? Can it be done in one Day? Helicopter between the three locations?
I've done the National Parks in the UsA on Rouvy ..then visited them in person .. with Rouvy you can ignore the tourist traffic..
Crazy, ridiculous, no way to spend few hours on turbo trainer. You should be mentally off this planet... No way.
Totally agree. Couldn't do it.
Couldnt agree more. Being on a turbo. Shoot me in the face with a shotgun
10+w/kg, 49 minutes on the Grossglockner and the Ventoux in 50 Minutes. Chapeau Ollie ;) It's my opinion that, if you make a video in this format, then do it with the right settings or choose another promo-video-format. Or was it a bug /video edit error? This now looks unsportive /unprofessional. Besides that, still a solid indoor ride.
well, well, well...
A supernice video on a super demanding challenge - I know, i've been there on Rouvy too.
So I've enjoyed following Ollie on the Stelvio, with his similar watts and similar times (maybe a bit lower cadence) as mine I was totally reliving this ride.
Then on the Glossglockner ride something weird is starting to unfold: the power values are off (110 W and 5,5 W/kg at 8:53), then seemingly back to normal again, but the rider list on the left reveals the edit: at 15:35 the powermeter shows 260 W and 3,8 W/kg, but down the list a stellar 18,9 W/kg (these two values shall always be the same) - Virtual Ollie was oscillating between 68 and 14 kilos? At this moment he has ridden 1121 vertical meters in 29 minutes, that's a 2300 VAM (vertical ascent in meters/hour). Then he finishes the 19,5 km 1690 m climb in a record 49 minutes. If you look at rouvy's route records you'll find the top 10 averaging around 77 minutes.
Ventoux - the same. W/kg values are of between powermeter and rider list all along the ride, VAM is constantly around the 2000s, and the 1570 m climb is finished in 50 minutes (16% faster than Rouvy route record)
So what's going on?
I guess, after a real 1 hour 50 mins ride over Stelvio it was realised, that the whole challenge is just too much - either to ride or to film for "5 hours and 20 minutes". So the second and third rides were made a bit easier. A little tweak with the rider weight here, a little adjustment on the reality level there, and voila, finished in half the time.
(...and credit to the movie editor, who had to render some believable numbers into the powermeter box in postproduction)
So @gcn if you do virtual ride videos please be more careful with what and how you edit and then show on the video.
Nevertheless, I still really enjoy Ollie's commentaries and Rouvy's virtual rides. So go on and don't be lame!
I noticed that the time at completing the ventoux ride was 50 minutes … no change …. There is something odd about this video for sure, and I am a big fan of Rouvy
Good to see there is some reality in the real world when it comes to the numbers. I did all three of these routes on ROUVY and it took me just short of 8 hours in the saddle. The amount of sweat and kits I cycled through was exceptional too. Ollie didn’t seem to sweat theses courses a bit. That was the most confusing part to me.
Go GCN!!!
If this route was to be viable in real life, I would love to see Vingegaard on it. He is just so great at these long, regular climbs :D
One of the things that makes Zwift so enjoyable is that there are literally thousands of other cyclists riding on the roads with you. You pass some, get passed by some, find a group and enjoy the drafting etc... Rouvy is like riding through a beautiful, post-apocolyptic world. There's nobody else around! They've got a good product, but Zwift has too much of a head start on everyone. I've worked for years to earn different bikes and kit, joined several clubs on their rides and made lots of friends. So what would my motivation be to start from scratch with another service?
Yes there are many more live users on zwift but the regular races and live challenge routes on Rouvy do often have 50-100 riders at peak times.. you can also add as many ghost riders from previous times in time trial mode alongside anyone else doing it live, which I find very useful for targeted training. Zwift doesn't allow this.
I used Zwift for over 5 years until I suddenly became bored with it. If your goal is to earn different bikes, different kits, or higher levels, you may be missing the point of training. I've been a Rouvy user for nearly 2 years and have zero desire to go back to the cartoon world of Zwift. An option for Rouvy that wasn't discussed in the video is the ability to ride against previous performances on various routes. You can also find previous rides from others of a specific w/kg and use those rides to pace you.
A ceramic speed derailleur cage on a bike with mudguards on a turbo.... Just when you thought you'd seen it all 😜
Awesome ride! Would have expected the Ventoux from Bedoin though. :-)
Right what's going on with your watts/kg on the last ride? Hitting 20+ at times - are you the weight of a small kitten or is there a glitch.
Either way, top effort as ever Ollie, a real inspiration 💪🏻
Over 20 years ago I bought a Sony Playstation to practice driving the Nurburgring. Even with the rudimentary graphics of the day, it was a massive help when I arrived and drove my first laps. I have yet to invest in similar technology for cycling.
It's funny how it all works! Would you give Rouvy a go?
11:34 your power was 20W/kg there is no way. Your weight setting was wrong IE: you're weight doping.
Rouvy rocks..
Probably a record time for those mud guards
well done, especially without the glorious descents to recover on
They would have helped!
Well your weight doping sure helped.@@gcn
I feel sorry for Ollie "Dr. Aero" Bridgewood having his avatar spreading his elbows that wide. Gotta be at least 10 W wasted there.
Great effort going all the way, making it look easy too!
Could've been done in under 5 hours with tucked elbows!🤯
Good video. I am a big fan of Rouvy, and not a fan of Zwift 😅. Prefer the reality, so good to see you guys promoting other virtual reality platforms. Thanks .. how is it that the times on the screen for Ollie seem so short though? Arriving at the top of Ventoux his time shows on around 50 minutes ….. that’s quicker than Tadej …..😮
I have Zwift but tempted to give Rouvy a go too off the back of this video, assume there are no modifications to my current indoor set-up?
@markbutcher4541 non at all .... give it a,go , 14 day free trial. It does have the odd bug now and again. One tip would be always download the videos rather than stream them...
@@markbutcher4541 Been using Rouvy for around a year and apart from a few tech issues with the app in November (which have since been fixed) it just works out of the box. Works with Windows, IOS, Android, Apple TV. You can stream the routes in real-time or pre download them. As you gain experience through rides and races you can upgrade your bike (these do make a difference to the intensity of a particular ride). One interesting thing with Rouvy is that you get multiple monthly challenges. For example they do a vuelta challenge every year to recreate the most iconic part of every route. They had an around the world challenge covering each continent in october . Right now the have the TOUR DE SLOVAQUIE, several rides through canada and a european clibs challenge amongst others.
Oh, and there is an even bigger Grossglockner climb challenge at 49km and 2437m of climbing (route takes a detour after the first 1000m but then switches back for a very welcome recovery descent before the final climbs).
I would suggest joining the Rouvy strava club as you often see special offers mentioned, plus you get informed of challenge competitions to win real prizes too.
Final thing. apart from the official Rouvy AR routes, there are a huge number of user submitted routes too. Many have video footage to along with but some will only display a map (examples of this are the Milan to San Remo ride and the LEJOG ride). Loads of videos on TH-cam showing rides on rouvy.
Hope this helps.
@@markbutcher4541whatever setup works with Zwift, does with Rouvy as well.
@@markbutcher4541There is a free trial period, nothing to lose. Except for Zwift, obviously.
YMMV, of course - but I reckon these look better on Bkool. Avatars in front are a bit funky, and there's that odd pixellating effect at the side of the screen. Bkool - it's just you and the climb.
chapeau!!!
Video's about turbo sessions now 😂
Ollie should do the Ventoux 3 way challenge on an entry level bike with mechanical Tiagra or Sora.
Grossglockner-1690m of altitude in +- 49min? Hmm🤔🤔
Great idea to keep the mud guards on in case it rains
Fantastic challenge Ollie, what on earth are you going to do next ??
When you’re riding hard enough that even your turbo trainer needs mudguards…. 🥵
Mudguards indoors is a real flex 😂
Thought that he was going to ride the climbs irl for a second 🤣
Also still missing Ventoux on that list..
Rouvy sure has come a long way since I last tried it.. impressive.
Oh, and also an impressive ride, sir. I'll pass on that challenge :-D
Do these virtual rides land on the same Strava-segment list?
Cause i have seen, some friends riding virtually innercity (same GPS locations as the real city) at speeds u wouldn't go at in real life...
Great ride Ollie….shame Ventoux isn’t the Tour de France classic Bedoin side though
That feeling when you can't be sure if your colleagues are supporting you or heckling you... :D
love your videos but can you do VR with the the head piece on? that would be awesome
Bravo Ollie you re a fucking beast
You’ve done some tough stuff in the past buddy, but a 5 hour slog on the trainer has got to be pretty mentally draining. Well done. Great self discipline!
Good thing that you have your mud guards on.
From level 1 to level 8. I'd like to see your progression in levels on Rouvy…
You won't, it's a one time lame ad.
Living this ride, and loving the equipment, but mudguards on a turbo... were those really necessary..?? 😂😂😂
It might have started raining in GCN HQ, you can never be too safe!😂
Have you done a video on a zwift Rouvy comparison?
I’ve Never had either. Enjoyed the video.
Great video, respect to Ollie. One question: How do I get the GCN-Kit on Rouvy? Do I need a special code?
Ollie,
You mentioned that when training indoors, you are always at the same elevation despite what the route on the app might “involve”. My indoor (ZWIFT) workouts are all at 2,840 meters (9,318 feet) elevation, so even “sea level” app rides are at significant altitude for me since I live in the mountains of Colorado. I actually appreciate the benefits and effects of everyday altitude training, but I wonder what my power/watts difference is in relation to actual sea level. Surely there is current research on such a topic. Thoughts?
The weather in TUCSON is WARMER😂, that’s an option
Ollie is very much missing Tucson! 🥶
Are you telling me 'Professor' Ollie Aero Bridgewood uses a peasant's round handlebar!?
I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.
Ollie if you want to ride Ventoux then join VCB and come with us in June for the clubs 70th anniversary 😀👍
Pity you only rode 47min each on the Grossglockner and Ventoux - which would have been two completely smashing world best times. Looks like you did all of the Stelvio, however :)