DON'T WORRY, BE APP-Y

Whether it's for virtual racing, training plans, or logging in and analysing your data, there's app-lenty to choose from - but which one is right for you? Tom Epton surveys the packed market

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There's a cornucopia of apps out there to help cyclists train indoors, plan rides, track progress and analyse their data. Given the wide array of options, of varying quality, it can be difficult to know which ones to choose. You don't want to waste time testing different apps, and if you're going to be paying a subscription, you don't want to commit financially to an app that isn't best suited to your needs. To help you out, Cycling Weekly has taken a look at the most popular training apps to provide you with information on what they offer and how they compare, to help you make your selection.

VIRTUAL RIDING APPS

Zwift

Key features: A huge community of riders at all fitness and ability levels | Events and races at almost all times of day in all time zones.

Best for: Cyclists who like to be immersed in a virtual world while they ride | Virtual racing.

Long-term user's view: I started using Zwift during lockdown in 2020 and still use it regularly. The app allows users to follow training plans, track power PBs and, when paired with Zwiftpower, see their virtual rankings from races. The best feature of Zwift is the huge number of other users, which gives the app a real sense of community and competitiveness. There are many events, races and routes available to ride. The feature that keeps me on Zwift is the game-like nature of it - being competitive is a big part of what gets me on the turbo.