The approach of spring lifts the morale of most cyclists as we transition out of the winter months and hopefully start to experience more pleasant weather. The weather, however, can often still be unpredictable, and whilst we can almost taste the summer rides in shorts and jerseys there is still limited light in the evenings and it can often be cold and rainy. These testing conditions can make it harder for female cyclists everywhere to train outdoors as much as they would like. Improvements in smart bike home trainer technology in recent years and the creation of cycling apps like Rouvy mean that training indoors has never been more engaging or rewarding.
Female cyclists who want to exercise weekly or meet their training and performance goals may not have unlimited time at their disposal to achieve this. Heading out for hours in the at times unpredictable spring weather, especially during the week may not be a viable option. Often the time it takes to get kitted up and finally head out of the door can eat into the window you have to train. Missing sessions can be demoralising but being able to create some consistency by ticking off sessions in comfort indoors can really help build some feel-good factor as well as your fitness.
It’s not just poor weather that can be off-putting for female cyclists. Heading out to ride alone can be off-putting at times and it can sometimes be tricky to find a training group or club ride that aligns with your own requirements. Riding indoors and using the Rouvy app means any rider can interact with other cyclists all over the world but in the safety of their home or bike ‘pain cave’ and at their own pace.
For pregnant riders or cycling mums, using Rouvy indoors can be a great way of minimising some risks compared to riding outdoors during pregnancy. You also have the option to set your bike up in a more comfortable position on the smart trainer due to it being locked in place whilst you ride. Likewise, if the kids mean you can’t nip out for very far or long a quick structured 30-minute ride whilst they are in sight may be a perfect fit for you.
Rouvy provides an indoor cycling ecosystem with thousands of beautiful real-world routes and over 25,000km of roads to explore. This means you can access a huge range of locations and routes all over the world from the comfort of your home. An indoor cycling trainer paired with the Rouvy cycling app can provide female riders with a great way of keeping their riding consistent and the ability to complete a fun ride or workout at home in a smaller time window. Keeping workouts and training fun and stimulating is one of the keys to staying in shape and using the Rouvy ecosystem is a great way to ensure this. The Rouvy platform means that if you have a limited window of time to train during the day in just mere minutes, you can explore beautiful Lake Pukaki in New Zealand or challenge yourself on the legendary Gavia Pass in Italy.
If you already ride your bike on a smart trainer all you need to do is download the Rouvy app and make an account. If you are a cyclist who is considering taking the plunge into the indoor training world all you need is a bike, a smart trainer and a phone, tablet or PC to use the app on and you are all set. After a 14-day free trial period, a Rouvy subscription costs $12 a month or $144 in an annual payment. There’s also a useful equipment wizard feature on the Rouvy website which will help you with any equipment compatibility queries you may have.
Once you're set up with an account, you are ready to start training and exploring. Whether you want to tick off some serious, structured training or are more interested in unwinding with a gentle ride amongst some stunning scenery Rouvy has you covered. Users can participate in races, compete over strava live segments, join virtual training camps, participate in organised womens rides, tick off in-app challenges or just explore the thousands of available routes in augmented reality.
