Two of the most widely used indoor cycling apps, Zwift and TrainerRoad, have today announced a partnership that will allow users to combine the functionality of both platforms into one seamless indoor cycling training experience.
The brands are two of the longest-standing in the space, and have long coexisted catering to different markets of indoor cyclists.
Founded in 2014, Zwift is one of the market leaders. Its primary focus is on providing immersive worlds to cycle through and a community of like-minded riders to pedal alongside, with regular races and social rides that connect people from around the world.
TrainerRoad meanwhile was founded in 2011 and caters to those looking to get faster. Its in-ride interface is little more than a line on a graph of the workout being completed, accompanied by metrics such as power, cadence and heart rate. Its value, however, comes in planning one's training, with AI-generated training plans that adjust each day to help you reach your goals.
While Zwift does offer its own training plans and workouts, it's not uncommon for cyclists to have an account with both, letting TrainerRoad provide the workout in the background, while having Zwift on screen to provide the rolling scenery and interactivity.
But from now on, an integration between the two apps will push your TrainerRoad workout straight into Zwift's 'For You' menu, allowing you to follow the workout in Zwift, without having to open TrainerRoad at all.
It will still require users to have an account with both platforms, which given Zwift's recent price hike to £17.99 / $19.99, might be a put-off to some users.
But TrainerRoad says that the feature isn't only a benefit to users looking for a full training plan and that everyday riders can benefit too.
"A lot of cyclists don't want the obligation of a training plan, but when they do want to do a workout, they want to have the right workout at the right time – one that feels appropriately difficult and productive."
For those riders, TrainerRoad will use its ongoing analysis of a rider's past rides to predict their current fitness and freshness level and send an AI-recommended workout. Those familiar with TrainerRoad already will know this as its TrainNow functionality, but in this case, it will be passed automatically to Zwift.
The move comes almost three years after it was rumoured that the two brands could be about to merge. That rumour came about following a visit to Reno, Nevada - TrainerRoad's hometown - by Zwift CEO Eric Min, and a curiously timed survey.
According to TrainerRoad, this is an 'oft-asked-for' and 'long-awaited' feature among its users. The reason for announcing it now is unknown, but it perhaps allows the two companies to stay competitive against competition from the rising Training Peaks Virtual.
That app, known as TP Virtual, resulted from the revered training planning app Training Peaks' acquisition of the growing indoor cycling app IndieVelo, connecting the training planning and analysis which Training Peaks is built upon, with the interactivity of a virtual world with other riders.
The news comes with a host of other integrations too, including a TrainerRoad Club on Zwift and TrainerRoad kit for your in-game avatar.
