4/25/2024 – Mark Nessmith

TOP 10 RECENT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROUVY APP

If you’re a regular ROUVY rider, you know improvement is a constant process around here. With that in mind, we thought we’d offer a quick look back at 10 of the most impactful upgrades to the app over the past year.

Like the countless cyclists riding on the ROUVY platform and even doing specialized workouts on real routes at any given time, the developers here keep going as well. Between refining the app to ensure better stability and performance, and adding new routes and features, those geniuses in the back room are in constant motion.

Things move quickly, but we wanted to take a quick pause to give you a look at 10 of the major upgrades we’ve unveiled over the past 12 months.

If it’s been a while since your last ROUVY ride, we’re confident you’ll be impressed.

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A new interface for ROUVY riders:

Unveiled in the fall, a new design of our user interface simplified riders’ journey, making it more user-friendly and intuitive. We added more search filters to make it easier to select a route based on distance and elevation, terrain, scenery or location. Also, all the information for riders’ accounts was unified, meaning info about subscribers’ activities or settings on ROUVY are in the same interface.

Revamped Workouts:

We’ve rolled out a complete overhaul of the Workouts section to make it clearer and easier to use. Riders can choose from workouts designed to improve their VO2max, cadence, climbing performance and more. Done on real routes from around the world, boredom is not a problem!

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Improved drafting:

We've recently given the drafting feature a major overhaul and are proud to say it's now the most true-to-life drafting effect of any indoor cycling app. Try it out for yourself by keeping a distance of 0-15 metres (0-50 feet) behind a cyclist in front of you and you'll notice how the effect follows the laws of physics more accurately, especially when you are riding behind a group of riders.

Loyalty Programme + pausing:

As a way to reward our dedicated community that has been riding with us for a while, we created the new ROUVY Loyalty Programme. Subscribers can claim a discount on any yearly plan; the longer you’re with us, the bigger the savings.

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Also, as part of the programme, ROUVY riders can now pause their indoor riding to enjoy the outdoors during the summer, and then jump straight back on ROUVY afterwards! And during the pause, you can still ride 20 kilometres per month for free. Log into your account for more info, and to check your loyalty status.

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160 new real routes:

The library of real routes on ROUVY is always expanding, so we debated including new routes in this story. But it’s worth mentioning that – over the past year – we’ve debuted more than 160 routes! The steady stream of compliments on social media tells us that riders are enjoying these new routes as much as we are. Stay tuned – there are more to come, of course!

ROUVY’s Referral Programme:

Riders can now share their love of ROUVY – and be rewarded for it. With ROUVY’s Referral Programme, subscribers can refer a friend to join and claim $10 in credit, while their friend gets a discount as well. It's a win-win. To invite someone, just log into the app and click on the "Refer and earn" button. You’ll find a unique referral link that you can copy and share with your cycling buddies. Alternatively, you can log in to your account on ROUVY.com, click your icon in the top-right corner and choose “Account.”

Fabian S. R.

„What brilliant news for the workouts. Thank you for sorting the cadence out. Coild never tell if is the right or wrong one for any workout. 5 slow down and red indicator helps tremendously.“

Roland B.

„I switched from B**** about 4 years ago. There I had regular crashes. Rouvy on Windows 10: two incidents. The first time it was me, the second time I was helped by Rouvy support. Perfect. Cycle about 3 hours a week over the year.“

Bert D.

„Rouvy, Rouvy. How i love you. Just started the Passo Pordoi and it looks stunningly beautiful!!! Three years ago i would have skipped it for sure. But due to the Rouvy effect... here i am. Climbing and enjoying (the suffering)“

Doug S.

I´ve been enyoing the new drafting as well. I´ve ridden a few crowded routes where I´ve started with no one near me. But within 10 km, I´ve collected a handful or riders from in front and behind. Then rode as a group for fairly long distances. These interactions used to only lead to racing and dropping before. Good upgrade.

New pricing structure:

In the fall, we introduced a simplified pricing model with more flexible options that offer better value and encourage subscribers to ride with family and friends. There's a Duo option for two users, and the Group membership now includes up to five riders (with no requirement for them to be registered at the same address). The new options provided significant savings on Single memberships as well. You can find out more details about subscription plans on the ROUVY website.

ROUVY CEO Petr Samek said the new pricing structure was a way to provide more options and better value to our diverse community of users, whether they’re individual cyclists or a family of five. “Everyone knows riding is better with your friends, so we are offering these packages to encourage riders to train together!” he said.

Spotlights:

Launched in early summer, 2023 we began an ongoing series of Spotlights, which serve as an accessible hub to find some of the best new content on ROUVY to help riders stay active and motivated. Each Spotlight is a curated collection of activities and features built around an event or geographic theme. They highlight new (and existing) routes, challenges, events, training plans, and related blogs.

How-to videos:

On the official ROUVY YouTube channel, we’ve begun rolling out a series of how-to videos to both walk newbie riders through the basics, and help veteran riders make the most of the platform and their subscription.

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You can find topics that dig deeper into drafting, workouts, connecting your trainer, personalizing your ROUVY experience, and more.

Lidl-Trek partnership:

In January, we kicked off an exciting partnership with the powerhouse Lidl-Trek cycling team. Serving as their Virtual Cycling App Partner has allowed us to bring you closer than ever to the pro cycling experience. To celebrate this relationship, we launched a six-week Lidl-Trek training plan that’s designed to help cyclists increase their explosiveness, strength and speed. Also, riders have access to Lidl-Trek-branded jerseys and virtual Trek bikes in the virtual garage on the ROUVY app.

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According to the sports director at Lidl-Trek, Steven De Jongh, ROUVY offers the team the chance to take a better look at roads and routes used for their races. “An app like ROUVY can hold a strategic importance and advantage that few others have," he said.

Conclusion: Our ears are open

We closely monitor the feedback that riders share over on the ROUVY Athletes | Cycling group at Facebook and in the ROUVY Club at Strava. Please feel free to share your thoughts there. Let us know what we’re doing right (we’ll pass on your compliments to the development team – along with a box of donuts), and post your ideas about how we can continue to get better.