Two days after a very disappointing Full Frontal (expected, but still disappointing), I loaded up Côte Vermeille in Level mode and smashed it. Sure, “smash” is relative, but it was really fun to hit each of the efforts and ride above the targets, hurting, but smashing. I know it’s different doing a workout alone versus in a training block, but it turned out to be my best effort on Côte Vermeille and I’m tired but not wrecked.
This weekend I’m off to a very, very casual three day bike tour in southern Denmark (I’m the only “cyclist” in the group) where I’ll take pictures and eat cinnamon rolls, and then it’s back to a proper training block.
Anyway, Level mode, it rules IMHO. And Côte Vermeille is an outstanding video.
Denmark knows cinnamon rolls.
I’m in Germany, so it’s only a couple hours on the train to the border. I think we’ll be missing most of the rain. Fingers-crossed.
Of course level mode was all we used to have prior to the proliferation of smart trainers, and is still the only thing people using dumb trainers have. Smart trainers give us slope (sim) mode and ERG mode to benefit from in their appropriate application. It’s all good.
Level mode is beautiful - but it’s time to level it up:
I’d like a ‘dynamic level mode’ in SYSTM that automatically changes the slope setting the same way it does in RGT, i.e. when the gradient on the screen changes, your level mode settings changes with it.
Yes to the increased resistance when Mike’s going uphill, but no to the potential ERG-Spiral-of-Death
+1000% incline to this suggestion. A “sim” mode would be wonderful. I’ve taken to doing more SYSTM workouts in RGT app since they’re all there now but sometimes you want the soundtrack and videos too.
And on that note, maybe you can remind me HOW TO FIND the SYSTM workouts in RGT again? I searched the other day and had no idea how to get there! Searched the forum a little but wasn’t able to run across where I’d read something about that.
**REQUEST TO RGT: PLEASE MAKE THAT OPTION EASIER TO FIND! I do very little in RGT so NOT MUCH is easy to manage there, for me at least. I’m learning a tiny bit, but I sure wish the app was more user friendly. I find SYSTM VASTLY SUPERIOR in this regard. **
If you are doing RGT because of the Sim mode, you should try FulGaz. The user-shot videos aren’t perfect, but the apparent speed/effort changes in response to the gradient on the route are very realistic (and incline shifts are very well synced if you have a KICKR Bike or KICKR Climb). No brakes, and no complicated physics because you “ride” solo. For some reason the reactivity brings out more effort from me than programmed workouts.
I believe there is still a two week free trial, it is a great adjunct to SYSTM for indoor training season. Between the two apps, I have pretty much retired my rainy-season road bike, so they probably pay for themselves in reduced maintenance…
This is SUCH A NON-INTUITIVE METHOD for locating these!
I would never have known I had to START A RIDE FIRST!
I really, REALLY wish there was more logic to how RGT works. This makes zero sense to me to start a ride, and THEN find a workout.
It is exactly backwards to SYSTM, which requires you to select the workout first and THEN start the workout, and THEN hit the PLAY button to get it actually recording your ride.
I’ve never even noticed the WORKOUT button, but the few rides that I’ve done in RGT probably don’t even number 10 yet.
It would help if maybe there was a more front-end notification, link, something that would show someone how to get into SYSTM workouts, even if just to show what you did with a small explanation.
I also immediately wonder, are there workouts BESIDES the SYSTM ones? I have no idea. But if these are just SYSTM workouts, it might be good for SYSTM to show there on the button, to better communicate what that is.
Just my opinion…
RGT is a lot different, but to be fair it’s a lot more complex (more options) than SYSTM. My mental model is that RGT is about riding in a “world” so that’s the first decision you must make. You’re doing an event which is a specific date-time or instead doing a “just ride” where you pick the world.* What you do inside the world is therefore inside the ride UI once your avatar has been plunked onto your road. Loading a workout, joining a group, teleporting to a pace bot, etc is all inside there.
Hope this helps make RGT feel a little less confusing.
*I’m glossing over lots of other complexity here like challenge rides (events but are open for a longer period of time) and Magic Roads (which is really just making a new event for yourself), scheduled workouts (which is just another flavor of custom event), and so on…
Thanks @tbronder
Yeah, it is a lot different! I know that I’m never going to be “fluent” with RGT because it just isn’t my cup of tea to watch artificial graphics as I ride, nor to do “events” on someone else’s schedule, so I’ll always be unaware of a fair bit of how things work in that world, but your tips do help some as to how to conceptualize it.
Hopefully I’ll remember more as time passes and figure out what ways it can be useful to me.
I appreciate your feedback!
