VeloReality Forum

How do people choose the videos - by the scenery, hills vs flats or even distance?

Can you recommend which should be my first video? I've just gotten a Wahoo Kickr to improve my cycling. Initially I was tempted to go for the climbing ones but realised that all climbing can be quite tedious (and boring?) and hard.

In real life I cycle a lot (weekend warrior) but don't have the power and speed. I've got a bit of endurance though - can pretty much do 40-60km. I'm 53 years old.

Does it make sense to get something with a bit of everything for variation (hills, flats and downhills) and around the distances that i'm used to riding 30-60km? As indoor riding is more intense i'm thinking even 30km would be quite alot of indoor riding for me. I have yet to do one serious long session of a complete ride....

The choice is highly individual. Some choose videos because the road was/is part of some famous cycling event, some (myself included) do not really care and choose it strictly by scenery. We have very extensive and growing selection of videos to suit any taste, and each one has a description, some screenshots, profile, difficulty index etc.As for climbing "being hard" the software has "Grade reduction" settings which works like sort of virtual gear extension for your bike so you can climb any hill without killing your knees (again it is explained in details in user's guide).

in terms of video quality - are there some better than others?

They are all shot at about the same speed, with about the same cinema camera, and go through about the same rendering process. After that, yo are left with the actual route/location...say St. Marten vs Gaspe vs Ventoux, and then of course the lighting and weather conditions of the day.
Essentially all the same video quality though there are many other variables.

A few things that I think you should take into account when selecting:

- How much time do you typically have or want to spend for your sessions? If you usually only have an hour before rushing out to work in the morning, then you might be better off avoiding something like Ventoux or the Stelvio. It's not that these won't provide a really good 1 hour workout, but rather that if you are hoping for the satisfaction of virtually climbing a monster mountain then you will need 2-3 hours, just like in real life. A personal favourite of mine is the Col d'Allos which, as a pretty slow rider, I can climb from bottom to top in just over 1.5 hours, which is ideal for my schedule. Likewise, I like the Flanders Hills video because even with a quick 30-40 min session, I can do 2 or 3 bergs which provide an intense workout and a good sense of achievement.

- How high does the resistance on your trainer go? I have a Tacx Vortex Virtual trainer which can simulate up to 7% incline. So, for with the really steep climbs like the Mortirolo that have lengthy stretches at 10% or more, I don't think I would get a realistic simulation even if my time and overall effort would theoretically be accurate. Again, I'd recommend the Col d'Allos with its steady average of about 6%.

- How important is scenery for you? If you're going to watch Netflix while you workout, then it's not that important, but if you want to try and immerse yourself into the video, then look for videos with scenery that appeals. Bear in mind that some of the most famous climbs involve kilometre after kilometre of winding roads through dense forest which can become pretty monotonous. A bit of looking around on Google Streetview can give you a good idea of the sort of scenery you're going to get.

I'm much older than 53, so I tend towards easier rides. But even hillier rides often have long stretches that are flat or relatively easy. The software makes it very easy to select a portion of a video to ride, which I often do. As Admin Kostya says, focusing on scenery makes things enjoyable. There are quite a few spectacular US Utah rides that have many flat to easier hill sections. Some also have long downhill sections, which go by quickly but still give you a workout as long as you maintain wattage. In addition, the software also makes it very easy to dial back the wattage required to go up a hill (sort like having an extra set of gears). This may result in going up a hill slowly, but you don't kill yourself. However, 3-4 mph for long periods also gets a bit boring.