Rain, cold, short daylight hours, and routes full of leaves and mud: No matter how enthusiastic you are as a cyclist, winter doesn't always bring joy when on two wheels. You could put your bike away and simply wait until spring to ride again, but losing your fitness over the cold season is not the solution. If you want to shine with good fitness on the first warm and sunny routes of the year, follow a training plan on the bike, or simply can't get enough of cycling, you can now do it virtually with a smart trainer. Such indoor workouts used to drag on without any distractions or motivational aids. Audiobooks, music, or TV provided some distraction from the monotonous pedaling, but the training sessions didn't seem to pass as quickly as a group ride with like-minded people on exciting routes or even a race. Moreover, indoor cycling puts more strain on the contact points between the rider and the bike than outdoor riding. Even without bumps or uneven surfaces, some people suffer more indoors because poorly fitting bike saddles and grips or the overall seating position have a greater impact. When sitting in the same static position on the smart trainer, poorly fitting or less ergonomic parts of the bike are more noticeable. Besides optimizing the seating position, sometimes the only solution is to change the saddle.

Veteran cyclists remember the time when you had to manually inflict more or less pain on yourself by turning the resistance knob of the shaky home trainer. Complex training sessions were self-dictated, if at all, or you rode at a continuous effort – very boring. Electrically braked ergometers had to come onto the market first to vary pedaling resistance and cadence on their own, bringing much more variety to the training session. These modern home trainers mimicked the load profile of a typical ride. This made roller training or indoor cycling feel more like it was dictated by a trainer or the topography and thus more exciting, but it still had little to do with a fun ride through the mountains or local forests.

Around the mid-2000s, a giant leap in the development of indoor training occurred. Both high-quality bicycle ergometers and roller trainers – resistance rollers with variable braking power for mounting on a regular bicycle – received an interface to the home computer and thus a connection to control software and the internet. This meant that you were no longer limited to the software that came with the training device for training control. At the same time, the first related services sprouted from the ground of the World Wide Web. They process the performance data measured on the roller trainer and, in turn, influence the generated pedaling resistance. Indoor cycling became interactive! In the early years, Tacx even offered a steering sensor for the front wheel, turning the bike into a kind of input device for virtual worlds, like a controller for a video game. The steering function did not catch on, as the computer takes over in most cases, but with increasing realism in the software, it is expected that the ability to steer will make a comeback.

The range and technical refinements of roller trainers, or as they are now called thanks to interaction technology, smart trainers, have brought about a huge variety of models and technical refinements. For example, Wahoo offers a complete set consisting of the trainer itself, a lift for the fork that simulates the bike's angle on virtual climbs, a fan that blows more air into your face depending on your riding speed, and a control element that allows at least lane changes in the virtual world, if not free steering. As the realism of the devices increased, the apps also got better. Smart trainers and apps are better and better at simulate.

Zwift is currently the best-known app and was also one of the first to link virtual reality on the computer with the smart trainer. Meanwhile, many very different providers of indoor cycling apps have joined, such as Bkool, Rouvy, FulGaz, MyWhoosh, or Kinomap, but most of them are not free. Although all platforms are primarily designed for motivation and entertainment during home cycling workouts, the presentation and functions of the providers, whether free or fee-based, are noticeably different. Four broad distinctions can be made here: 

Real Videos with and without Avatar: Providers like the free app ErgVideo, Kinomap, and FulGaz use videos recorded on particularly attractive and real cycling routes, sometimes even in UHD quality. You ride the routes from a first-person perspective, and depending on the app and mode, the playback speed adapts to the pedaling performance. If that's not enough motivation, most providers of such video routes allow the display of a leading avatar that you can chase or follow in the style of augmented reality. Group events are also possible. 

Virtually Recreated Courses and Routes: The mixed form among the platforms is represented by Bkool or the free indoor cycling apps VirtuPro or Rolla World. With attention to detail, the programmers have digitally recreated real routes with corresponding topography, flora, and landmarks. This looks real but has the advantage that you can have more influence than in real videos. This way, you can encounter other riders more often on the courses, boring parts of the route can be omitted, or the weather or light can be changed as desired. 

Virtual Worlds: As direct competition to Zwift with similarly freely designed scenarios, there is currently only MyWhoosh, although their design is much closer to real existing landscapes. In the two apps, you ride as an avatar through fantasy worlds. These range from non-existent but realistic-looking training routes in MyWhoosh to futuristic and surreal environments in Zwift. Since you are no longer dependent on something like topography when designing the routes, you can adapt the landscape to the training plan or training goal rather than the other way around. Competitions can also be designed completely freely and thus excitingly. 

Training Apps: Platforms like TrainingPeaks, Golden Cheetah, and TrainerRoad are purely about fitness goals and do not display routes or avatars. To motivate and control training sessions, they prepare the data from the smart trainer more graphically and scientifically, so the cyclist always has all interval times and performance values as well as cadence and heartrate in view. They generally offer the most pre-made training courses. There is no virtual entertainment.

In short: They bring fun and motivation! As mentioned at the beginning, roller training can feel like it drags on at any performance level, while group or solo rides in nature fly by. Thanks to smart trainers and an app for virtual training, you can get relatively close to this feeling. Indoor cycling transforms from monotonous and dull training into a unique experience with these cycling apps. Riding famous, spectacular, or well-known routes via a PC monitor significantly shortens the perceived training time, and interactions with other riders even bring the feeling of real races into your own home. This is where the greatest potential of newcomer MyWhoosh lies. With the rapidly growing member base, you can always find fellow riders, competitors, or just other people in the form of their avatars on the freely designed terrain. 
Since 2024, MyWhoosh has even been the official partner of the World Cycling Federation UCI and the platform where the official indoor cycling championships are held. Previously, this was the domain of industry leader Zwift.

As mentioned, the bidirectional data flow between the smart trainer and the app as a controlling element is necessary. A power meter installed on the bike, such as an SRM or Garmin Vector Pedal, would also work to determine pedaling power and cadence, but without the opposing signal indicating how hard the smart trainer should resist, you can't use the most exciting features of the indoor cycling apps. The draft of other riders in the race or inclines would have no noticeable effect on the training. 
And only thanks to this mutual interaction between the roller and the software do you really immerse yourself in the virtual world during roller training and can literally forget where you are. How well these worlds are made and how easily you can get lost in them or be motivated by them depends more on the apps than on the smart trainers. In addition to the four levels of reality outlined above, there is also the distinction between free and paid apps. We have listed the free ones below, and there is a separate article for the paid ones.

The range of free indoor cycling apps is smaller than those with fees. Only MyWhoosh and VirtuPro can really compete with paid services like Zwift, Rouvy, TrainerRoad, Systm, or FulGaz. However, with these two, you must wonder why they are free despite their quality and how long that will remain the case. Others have potential but still need development. So, if you're looking for maximum entertainment, these two are the right choice. If you don't need the full functionality of the top apps, most roller trainers or smart trainers include the training app of the respective manufacturer. However, these are usually stripped-down versions or test variants with free access for a few months. Elite has its MyETraining app, Garmin the Tacx Training app, and Wahoo also promises that when you buy a smart trainer, you can try out their in-house platforms like Sufferfest and FulGaz.

MyWhoosh

Rolla World

VirtuPro

Golden Cheetah

TrainingPeaks (TP) Virtual

CycleGo

ErgVideo

Garmin Connect

This completely free app is probably the challenger to top dog Zwift, which costs around 20 euros per month. In the app, you ride through elaborately designed worlds that, with a few exceptions, are much closer to real images than Zwift. Interaction is also a big focus in MyWhoosh, not only does the virtual audience react to the avatars on the route, but you can also change lanes using the arrow keys or another input device, and the avatar stretches or gives tactical hand signals on command, very realistic and at the same time a bit playful – not quite like the industry leader Zwift. The image quality looks great, although there is also an extra HD version that probably requires very good PC graphics cards. The steadily growing, currently 1,000-kilometer route network is spread all over the world, much of it looks like the Arab region, as the app comes from there. With the corresponding financial power, MyWhoosh has now even become the official UCI World Federation app for online races. There are not nearly as many competitions as with the established apps, the community is too small. Yet, because features like voice chats with fellow riders and more and more events are currently attracting many users. Training functions, including self-designed and guided spinning classes, are also available. Even if MyWhoosh introduces fees in the future, the app would still be worthwhile!

You could call the relatively new app Rolla World small but might. The virtual route network and range of functions are by no means on the level of MyWhoosh or Wahoo X or Zwift from the range of paid services. However, the design team delivers perhaps the most attractive visuals, both in terms of the realistically designed environment and the avatars, which look like real athletes and behave similarly. Athletes, not just cyclists, are also running avatars. For the great picture, you don't need an expensive gaming computer, as the graphics are created on the Rolla server and downloaded live like a TV stream. You can creatively design your digital avatar and create your own events, as Rolla World is a multiplayer online game. There is no such thing as a community at this time, but it is on the drawing board. As with RGT Cycling, a mobile phone is also needed in addition to the PC, through which all inputs are made. This Rolla app is originally more of a fitness and sleep tracker, indoor cycling is more of an add-on, but it's super well done. If you don't want to race online but simply succumb to the charm of the virtual landscape, you won't get tired of Rolla World in one winter.

There aren't many reviews online for the racing simulation VirtuPro, which is surprising given its professional presentation. Nearly 90 stages of bike routes or major bike races have been recreated, and in VirtuPro, you ride in avatar perspective in a realistic racing environment against competitors controlled by artificial intelligence. They wear jerseys similar or identical to those in the Pro Tour peloton, animated fans cheer along the route, and overtaking pros turn to look at you, which feels very real, although the steering movements are a bit jerky. The wind direction and thus the draft are displayed on the leading avatar – for a real cycling feel. You can also ride alone on the track in time trial mode. In team mode, you are the captain of a team and can give tactical instructions to your virtual teammates. And as if that weren't enough, there are also real route videos where you can compete with other users, not interactively, so you don't have to be online at the same time as the competition. With all these competition details, it might be hard to step off the roller trainer and relax with VirtuPro. The racing feeling provokes you to push yourself to the limit!

This service is only partially included in our collection because the route videos have no influence on the smart trainer. ErgVideo sequences are always filmed as rides from a helmet camera, with one or more professional cyclists on a training ride around the POV perspective. Their power output at any given moment is mirrored in the video, just like your own on the smart trainer. The athlete must constantly try to keep the two values equal by pedaling harder or softer. If you produce less power, you don't fall behind. This has the advantage that you can keep up with a professional group even with significantly less power. However, it has the disadvantage that you always must keep an eye on the values and react to them. Additionally, the incentive to push yourself is smaller. The same applies to predefined or self-assembled training programs. You must increase your power independently; the smart trainer does not change the resistance here. It takes more motivation to achieve your goals. The ErgVideo interface looks sober to old-fashioned, and the video quality is worse than, for example, Kinomap or Bkool, which charge monthly fees. If you want to experience virtual group rides with pros or participate in a race, you can do so with ErgVideo, but the technical effort is low, and the experience compared to competitors is also limited.

This downloadable software is an extremely elaborate and very scientific way to evaluate your training beyond just pedaling. In terms of functionality, the platform could almost compete with the paid tool TrainingPeaks, but the operation and presentation are more suited for sports scientists and require a lot of familiarizations. The latest versions of the platform aim to introduce a fun factor by allowing you to display your own action videos in a window of the app. Additionally, a GPX-like document must be uploaded, which Golden Cheetah uses to control the roller trainer during training. You have control over the video quality, but the selection of routes is limited. There is also a way to combine ErgVideo data and Golden Cheetah's roller control, but the effort is excessive considering the more user-friendly competition.

CycleGo is an app that works without connectivity to a roller trainer or indoor bike; Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity is not possible in either the free or paid version. The avatar cycling through a simple virtual world indicates through gestures or symbols nearby whether you should apply pressure on the trainer, increase cadence, change posture, or sprint. CycleGo is similar to a spinning class with well-chosen music and motivating speeches than smart roller training. You watch the avatar and try to follow or copy it. The free version offers enough basic training, but you would have to pay for training plans. The operation is simple but a bit too basic for structured training – without a community and external control of the smart trainer, it also lacks entertainment.

If you are already a TrainingPeaks customer, you can use the "Virtual" extension at no extra cost. Apart from the gaming character, it is very close to Zwift and the Wahoo ecosystem, as the developer is a former Zwift employee. The graphics of the virtual world are appealing but not as detailed and extensive as other apps; it is more of a good distraction than high-tech virtual biking. Details can be found in the article about paid indoor cycling apps; the free extension probably only affects a few users who already have a TrainingPeaks account.

This platform doesn't quite fit the category of free indoor cycling apps either, as it is more of an additional function of a bike computer from manufacturer Garmin. The navigation function of such a computer can be executed retroactively. The computer not only records the current training route but also plays back downloaded or recorded rides. Paired with the smart trainer, it adjusts the resistance according to the topography of the original route – so you compete against yourself. There is no video or animation, just the map view on the bike computer and the elevation profile display. If it were the only free indoor cycling solution, Garmin Connect would be an enrichment for home training, but with the competition from VirtuPro, Rolla World, and especially MyWhoosh, the only advantage of the app is that you don't need a PC or laptop.