Promotional feature in association with Rouvy
There is no reason this winter to lose your cycling form and condition. In fact, there’s every possibility that you can go into the spring in better shape than ever.
The days might be shorter and the weather might be less appealing, but by training indoors with Rouvy you can not only improve your fitness with dedicated workouts or imported plans from Training Peaks, but train in places around the world you otherwise wouldn’t be able to.
Whether it’s mythical climbs in the Alps or Dolomites, scenic coastal roads in Mallorca or California, or in more exotic places like Vietnam and Taiwan, Rouvy has more than 1,500 routes for riders to explore and uses real-life camera footage to virtually transport the rider to the place where they’re riding.
The upshot is that fitness levels don’t just maintain but improve. “I started using Rouvy to keep cycling and maintain my fitness when the weather in the UK was too awful for outdoor cycling,” says Kathy Moore, her story familiar to many others. “Initially I just chose routes I liked, and then I decided to start challenging myself and signed up for some challenges. I have now reached level 63.”
Moore’s form and fitness is progressing so much that alongside the increased endorphins, she’s found a community. “I enjoy writing about my rides and suddenly I found I had a whole group that I now call my Rouvy family who comment on my posts – it’s really encouraging,” she continues. “I started doing some climbing challenges and Rouvy gave me the confidence mentally and physically to just keep pedalling regardless of how tough it gets.”
The founders of Rouvy aim to bring the outdoor experience indoors, and Moore can attest to that motto, as after racking up a number of completed challenges – and subsequently earning coins to spend on customising her avatar’s bike frame – she visited France to tackle climbs she’d already undertaken on Rouvy. “I successfully climbed Alpe d’Huez and Croix de Fer in real life,” she beams.
Moore is not unique: cyclists across the world are turning to Rouvy to improve their overall health and wellbeing, with the interactive nature of the platform bringing different parts of the globe into people’s homes. Mark Lewis has Rouvy to thank for an impressive amount of weight loss. “I was a complete noob last October and I bought a road bike and Wahoo Kickr and signed up for Rouvy not knowing where the heck it would take me,” he says. “One year on, I’m on level 39 and have shed 42lbs in weight – mostly fat. I’m 54, an ex-rugby player, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as fit.”
Courses from some of the world’s major cycling races keep Lewis captivated. “I love to make virtual Grand Tours like the Tour de France, La Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia and make 21 stages for each one from the Rouvy routes that are available from those countries. It keeps me focused.”
As Jenny, Lewis and Moore all document, the plethora of Rouvy routes – most with in-built Strava segments – and the quantity of workouts, group rides and races all make it more possible than ever to have your best ever winter’s training.
