Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Best Indoor Cycling Apps
Looking to grow your confidence as a new cyclist and improve your riding experience? Then it would interest you to know that there are cycling applications that can help you achieve this!
Wait, before you go off downloading, there are over 200+ indoor cycling apps available for you, but you only need a couple of these spinning workout apps, so which should make the cut?
Don’t sweat it trying to size down. One quick scan through our list of most favourite indoor cycling exercise apps will guide your selections!
Best Indoor Cycling Apps
It is important to add that people are accomplishing their fitness goals conveniently in their homes, and you can too! 2020 stats showed that the sales of magnetic indoor bikes spiked up about 170%, and many more people are more invested in indoor cycling, including you, or you wouldn’t be reading this.
You would have to monitor your progress and track your growth, and you can conveniently do this with cycling apps. To save you the stress of going through hundreds of fitness apps, here are a couple of cycling apps you should try out and why we think they’re worth the trial:
ZWIFT
If you’re a lover of video games, then Zwift is perfect for you. This interactive app might just be that missing ingredient for you to have a great and fun workout session. Zwift allows riders to customize their avatar and their virtual bike, which also improves the riding experience.
Riders are also able to bike through six different virtual realities and experience up to 80 different routes. It is possible to race others or ride on your own.
In addition, if at some point you decide to compete professionally, there is Zwift Academy, where participants can compete to win an attractive contract. There is something in it for every type of rider. With this, you can never get bored with the rides! So if you’re looking for fun and excitement, then you’re looking for Zwift.
We particularly love the;
- Ride customization for watt and time goals
- Its compatibility with smart bikes and turbo trainers
What could be improved;
- More equipment is required for adequate tracking of data with turbo trainers
SUFFERFEST
Perfect for riders of all fitness levels aiming for continuous improvement. Sufferfest platform provides 11 indoor cycling training categories for the user to choose from, including climbing, endurance, base, fitness, speed building, time trial, base, and style.
Another plus with this platform is that it automatically regulates your customized power targets depending on your fitness level and power profile.
With Sufferfest, you can easily monitor your cadence, heart rate, and power output during your ride. A bonus is that this platform gives you a comprehensive graph that helps you track your growth.
We particularly love the;
- Four-Dimensional Power platform
- The 11 training categories it offers.
What could be improved;
- Inclusion of live classes.
IFIT
If you’re particular about auto-adjustments and your have a compatible indoor bike like Nordictrack S22i, then Ifit is all yours! In addition, if you’re simply looking to enjoy a leisurely ride or take an intense studio class, iFit definitely delivers on both sides!
This platform works well with Pro-Form, NordicTrack, Matrix Equipment, and Freemotion. You can rest assured that your training will level up if you engage with this platform.
Upon completion of any iFit task, there is a leaderboard that displays your progress and ranks among other Ifit users/ competitors as regards finish time.
One interesting thing about the leaderboard is that it allows you to directly compare your result to other users at different levels of the challenge.
We particularly love that it;
- Includes live and pre-recorded classes options for users
- Has a massive on-demand library
- Is an Interactive platform
- Offers trainer-led workouts from 100+ trainers in the world
What could be improved;
- Need to have certain equipment to enjoy trainer-led workouts.
ROUVY
Is variety your thing or are you interested in making extra cash from riding? Rouvy has got you covered. This app is super affordable and has just about everything users like you desire in a riding app.
It includes real race footage along with avatars which boosts the riding experience, allowing riders to enjoy some really beautiful and captivating riding locations.
If you’re looking to explore a variety of riding routes, set up a training program to achieve your goals, and compete in Rouvy’s weekly events, this app has something for everyone. Its 500,000 users can certainly attest to its merit!
We particularly love its;
- Affordability
- Weekly events and challenges where winners can take home up to $20,000 as prize money per year.
- Real race footage.
What could be improved;
- Live classes are not available.
PELOTON
Are you more of the fun type who loves challenges/ a competitive environment? Then say hi to Peloton. It is one of the best indoor cycling applications that offers online liven and on-demand spin bike classes.
Peloton ranks high on the list of popular cycling apps, and it’s no surprise that it does, considering its very unique features that attracted over 4 million users. The platform offers up to 10,000 on-demand classes, including live classes delivered daily. With this, users are able to discover the right workout or training that best fits their mood.
As a plus, this platform comprises various cycling workout options and provides other forms such as cardio, barre, yoga, meditation, dance, treadmill, boot camp, and pilates.
More about Peloton? The platform also has the leaderboard, which is a part of the membership plan enjoyed by Peloton bike owners. This feature lets riders receive commendations from fellow riders and also provides the option of competing for the top spot on the Peloton leaderboard.
We particularly love the;
- Vast class library available in various class formats
- Leaderboard option available
- Commendation from instructors
- Live classes delivered daily.
What could be improved;
- Leaderboard not available with the digital app.
- Requires the purchase of a Peloton bike to enjoy benefits.
Before you go off downloading an indoor cycling program to save your workouts, you should check out this next section on how to select an indoor cycling app.
How to Select an Indoor Cycling App: Factors to Consider
What metrics are tracked?
You should check out the type of metrics the app tracks during your ride, as this varies between apps. If you want to be able to monitor your growth, then you should go with an app that tracks your Functional Threshold Power (FTP). FTP refers to the maximum amount of power you average per hour and is usually a good choice.
What is the desired style of training?
Do you prefer personal training, or you’re more into challenges/ competitive groups? Or are you interested in-studio training classes/ live sessions led by a trainer?
You should select the type of training style that fits your needs and help you achieve your cycling goals and the results you desire. Many apps, as listed above, provide a bit of everything, which is an advantage.
What equipment do you need to purchase?
Some indoor cycling apps expect that you have certain equipment and operating systems to enjoy certain benefits, and it is important that you check the requirements before purchasing or subscribing to the app.
For instance, some platforms may require that you have certain indoor cycling bikes to properly benefit from their features. Also, you should verify that the platform is compatible with your smartphones or gadgets.
What’s your budget?
Some cycling applications are affordable, while others may lean towards the pricey side and be quite the investment.
Deciding on a budget will definitely help you select the right app for you. Leverage free trials to interact with the app before making any purchase.
We are rounding off
There are hundreds of cycling apps for you to choose from, and it can be quite a hassle deciding on which to settle for. It is essential that you should outline your cycling goals to help guide you when choosing a platform. Use the tips above and feel free to try out multiple apps that offer free trials to get the right one for you. Happy riding!
Robbie Ferri from “Riding with Robbie” has been cycling for almost ten years. In that time, he has broken World Records, Bikepacked all over the World, and also raced ultra distance at a top-level. Robbie picked up a bike and started cycling when he was about 25 years old and said it was the best thing he ever did. The experiences and the fun he’s had have given him a huge passion for helping inspire others to ride further, farther, and get fitter.
