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Zwift alternatives?

Old 01-11-19, 08:25 PM
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Cyclist0108
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Zwift alternatives?

My Zwift free trial, which I was beginning to hope would be perpetual, has now come to a conclusion.

The last time I coughed up the bucks, I bought two consecutive months for $20. Then it got nice out.

Now it is $15/mo and auto-renew, which scares me a bit (the auto-renew, not the price hike). We are down to one salary at the moment, so I find myself feeling a bit cheap, but buckets of water keep getting chucked down from the sky.

So with my dumb trainer and ANT+ speed/cadence meter and dongle, and my Mac Mini, I am wondering if there are any competitors out there who may be hungry enough to offer a free trial?

I'll likely just pay the ransom unless someone has a better idea.
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Old 01-11-19, 08:55 PM
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There is a new one I remember reading about called virtugo but not sure it ever came to market. I think another was called road grand tours or something. Don’t know anything about either as I am a seasonal Zwift user. 15 was a jump from what I used to pay but I find it worth it to keep indoor cycling engaging indoors. Second winter season on Zwift now. FYI never had an issue cancelling my subscription either. I am on i0s for platform.


Good luck
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Old 01-11-19, 09:05 PM
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Wasn't aware of either, found this evaluation of all three.
https://gearmashers.com/zwift-vs-roa...s-vs-virtu-go/
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Old 01-11-19, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by sdmc530
There is a new one I remember reading about called virtugo but not sure it ever came to market.
Can't even imagine why that wouldn't succeed. Were they trying to cater to the acrophobia market?
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Old 01-11-19, 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by bobwysiwyg
Wasn't aware of either, found this evaluation of all three.
https://gearmashers.com/zwift-vs-roa...s-vs-virtu-go/
Cheers! Reading now...
Installing both now ...

Last edited by Cyclist0108; 01-11-19 at 09:37 PM.
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Old 01-11-19, 11:22 PM
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Bkool is another
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Old 01-12-19, 09:28 AM
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Trainer road is a great training app. I’ve seen free trial codes around....
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Old 01-12-19, 01:54 PM
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wow, virtugo graphics suck! LOL.....I think Zwift is worth the cost...does a great job and lots of things to do. I did a 4 lap race on the volcano this morning, me and 4 mates just did it for fun. Got smoked but still was fun. You just can't take any of these programs serious and just have fun...did I mention most people for get that bikes are supposed to be FUN....
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Old 01-12-19, 01:59 PM
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RGT gave me a blank black screen, and Vertigo recognized my ANT+ dongle and paired with my devices, but never allowed me to proceed beyond that. It was also very slow. One of the two activated the MacOS Malware Removal Tool process, which I never before even knew existed. These are both in Beta, and I'm trying this on a 2010 Mac Mini with intel integrated graphics, so I can't really complain, but Zwift runs on that setup with no significant issues or lag. Both would probably work far better on a gaming PC.
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Old 01-12-19, 02:03 PM
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Bkool appears to work.

Last edited by Cyclist0108; 01-12-19 at 02:15 PM.
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Old 01-12-19, 06:50 PM
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CVRCade is in free beta stage right now.
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Old 01-12-19, 09:48 PM
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Well, the alternatives I've attempted convinced me to cough up the bucks for Zwift.

But, I am still interested in other options ...

FWIW, DCRainmaker has a pretty good list (albeit a year old now).
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Old 01-15-19, 02:36 PM
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Rouvy is another one. I couldnt' figure out how it worked, though (and me a tech guy in an IT department...)

Edit: I went back to Rouvy last night. Without starting it up to do a ride, it looks like it's camera footage of a ride. No companions, it seems to be for those who want to ride solo. But it's not computer-generated scenery, it's the real stuff. And it looks like it'll feed your ride to Strava. And it's less than half the price of Zwift.

Last edited by BlazingPedals; 01-16-19 at 06:38 AM.
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Old 01-16-19, 02:23 AM
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kenomaps has zwift like features !
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Old 01-16-19, 10:41 AM
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I see NordicTrack now as well for interactive cycling. But it like the Peloton, you have to have their bike to make it work.
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Old 01-16-19, 01:44 PM
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Is there a reason you can't ride outside or something?
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Old 01-16-19, 03:57 PM
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A gal I rode with a few times uses Sufferfest. It looks to be more for tri, but has cycling workouts and a free 7 day trial.
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Old 01-16-19, 08:03 PM
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Zwift is the most popular app out there for a reason. It offers more by a huge margin than any other app on the market. Save yourself the grief and spend that extra $7.5 or $5 for Zwift over those other guys. If financial ruin comes upon you that $15 month membership can stop immediately and start back up once you have become rich again. They will have all your recorded data saved and waiting for you. Stop and start as many times as you like. Zwift hands down the best bargain out there today.
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Old 01-16-19, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by sdmc530
I see NordicTrack now as well for interactive cycling. But it like the Peloton, you have to have their bike to make it work.
I don’t thing you need the Peloton bike to use the rides in their app.
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Old 01-16-19, 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Bmach


I don’t thing you need the Peloton bike to use the rides in their app.

i really didnt know I just assumed. Your correct. Last summer they put an app out.
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Old 01-16-19, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by prj71
Is there a reason you can't ride outside or something?

i wish, -4 degrees today
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Old 01-16-19, 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by prj71
Is there a reason you can't ride outside or something?
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/...king-bay-area/
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Old 01-17-19, 02:23 AM
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I use Bkool. If you pay a complete year the cost is very competitive. I think it's a great choice if you need to train indoor the most of the time
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Old 01-17-19, 08:29 PM
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Cyclist0108
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Thanks. I guess I should have mentioned that I only will need it for a month or three. Once the local roads are clear of rocks, trees and storm damage, and the rain lets up, I will ride outside. This is just to keep me from going nuts. But we lost power and internet for a couple of days, right after I restarted my Zwift subscription...
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Old 01-18-19, 08:45 AM
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Originally Posted by sdmc530
i wish, -4 degrees today
Some valid points I can go along with. Although I'm not sure why a person needs to pay a monthly subscription to ride a stationary bike or on a bike trainer indoors.

Just throw on the head phones some good music and let 'er rip!!!
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