indieVelo for the win (?)

indieVelo is now TrainingPeaks Virtual.

About two months ago, I noticed a Strava connection – yes you, John – logged a ride on indieVelo.

Having never heard of it, I looked it up and although I was intrigued, I didn’t take any action.

As the guy was out for an idiotic cycling adventure across America – well, parts of it anyway – and then fell sick-ish, I all but forgot about it.

Until yesterday, when it popped up in my feed again…

This time I did act and entered the (public) beta.

Although my previous experience with a beta – RGT – was not that interesting and when it finally got out of beta and did get interesting, it was taken over by Wahoo…

Like all other platforms, it lets you connect your smart trainer with your computer and ride with or race against other cyclists worldwide.

I hope that this new platform is here to stay – although I’ve hardly scratched the surface, I’m genuinely impressed with what I saw.

And I will have to stick with it, as I have already bought myself a seat in the “Founders Club” 😂

I read that the platform was developed from the ground up by two virtual cycling experts formerly part of team Zwift.

Although indieVelo’s graphics or gamified elements are not a first priority, the interface looks aesthetically pleasing. It even features a 4K mode, but I’ll have to compare that with normal screen resolutions.

(I do have a 4K TV hooked up to my PC and my iMac even runs 5K)

What is a priority, is creating a realistic cycling experience with the help of the best technologies of cycling esports.

indieVelo’s proprietary RPTR Engine—Ride, Pace, Train, Race— uses those coupled with Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms

Though you’ll need a smart trainer to enjoy drafting sensation, wind, braking, cornering and other enhancements.

But even with a set of power pedals, you’re good to go – you’ll still get speed boosts or penalties from wind or drafting.

In fact, power pedals are recommended as an extra/secondary power source and will give you additional cycling dynamics and other data to analyze.

While I haven’t been on Zwift for a while, I doubt they have on screen metrics showing L/R balance, pedal smoothness/efficiency or torque.

For whatever that’s of meaning or worth to you – it is for me, anyway 😎

I’ve only done one loop and a “6 Min Hill Climb” – December Challenge – but I’m looking forward to spending more time on indieVelo.

And when I’ve done some more exploring, I’ll report back to you.