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In this BKOOL review, you learn whether this app promoted by Chris Froome is worth using or not.
Spoiler alert: I don’t think so. I tested and compared it with other free and paid indoor cycling apps. And it didn’t end up well.
KEY TAKEAWAY
BKOOL uses real-world footage, but some routes are also virtual (3D graphics). However, the video footage quality is poor, and the graphic is outdated. The app is also not responsive, and many users reported issues with BKOOL customer support.
My BKOOL rating at a glance:
Ease of Setup 5/5 | Engagement 2/5 | Community 2/5 | Routes 5/5 | Training 3/5 | UX 2/5 | Platforms Availability 4/5 | Price 4/5 | OVERALL 3.4/5
More about this indoor cycling apps scoring.
BKOOL Summary
Pros
- A large number of real-world routes and structured workouts
- Access to two apps (BKOOL Cycling + BKOOL Fitness) for the price of one
- Videos from multiple cycling tracks
- Can make customized training plans
Cons
- Low video quality
- No social-interactivity
- No motivation elements (career, achievements, etc.)
- No racing
- Outdated and laggy user interface
What is BKOOL?
BKOOL is an indoor cycling app that uses real-world footage from people worldwide. Some of its routes are designed from scratch in 3D graphics.
BKOOL Cycling routes library includes thousands of routes and structured workouts. In addition, the second app, BKOOL Fitness, has guided fitness sessions.
Who is BKOOL for?
BKOOL is suitable for people who want to explore worldwide routes from the comfort of their homes.
You can also use BKOOL to maintain or improve your fitness.
Who is BKOOL not for?
BKOOL is not for people requiring in-app social interaction or riders looking for comprehensive, structured training plans.
Due to the low video quality, it’s also unsuitable for those with high demands on video quality.
My Experience with BKOOL
Here are my takes on the ease of initial setup, in-app experience, engagement, and more that you can find in BKOOL.
Initial Setup
If you want to use BKOOL, you don’t need a smart trainer (although I recommend it for a better riding experience).
You can use a dumb trainer with a power meter or cadence + speed sensors.
I used BKOOL with a Wahoo KICKR v5 smart trainer that measures power, cadence, and speed and a Wahoo TICKR heart rate monitor.
The pairing process went smoothly. The app found the devices quickly and paired them without issues.
TIP: Use a rocker plate to improve your indoor cycling comfort.
In-App Experience
BKOOL has a comprehensive library of routes from around the globe. You can relive memories of places where you have been or explore new ones.
Some routes are shot by contributors, but some are designed from scratch, so they look like routes in Wahoo RGT (but a little less realistic).
It took me a while to determine how to differentiate if the route was shot on a camera or built from scratch. Then I noticed the following icons:
I chose a route and turned it on. It loaded within about 20 seconds.
All BKOOL activities include a short warmup (you can adjust its length in the settings). If you stop pedaling, the warmup stops, and the app starts your activity in the next 30 seconds.
The following gallery shows the differences between the three view modes.
The video and 3D graphics quality are bad, and looking at the map makes no sense. So far, I am disappointed.
If you are into track cycling, you will appreciate videos from multiple tracks worldwide. I have not seen cycling track videos in other apps. Cool!
Engagement
BKOOL doesn’t have any sophisticated motivation mechanism (unlike Zwift).
You have to be pretty self-motivated to use it for weeks or months. This is a problem with many indoor cycling apps.
However, ROUVY, for example, has a career, and you can collect achievements. So, they motivate you to spend more time on your bike.
BKOOL is honestly pretty boring. The video footage is often not high-definition. FulGaz or Kinomap have much nicer videos.
I don’t like the graphics either. You can set different levels of 3D graphics quality. Honestly, they don’t differ from each other much.
Considering it’s 2022 already, I dare to say the graphic is bad. See for yourself:
The only nice thing about BKOOL gamification is the possibility of buying different jerseys and bikes. But, the selection is limited.
Routes
BKOOL’s route library is one of the biggest I’ve seen. However, as I noted earlier, the routes are often not defined in high definition. I believe this is because of poor quality requirements.
The following pictures show how they look:
The in-app filtering is also pretty basic. For example, you can only filter routes by type (3D or video), distance, elevation, slope, and difficulty.
If the rule “quality wins over quantity” should apply anywhere, it should be here. What’s the point of tens of thousands of videos when they are unwatchable?
Training
If you want to do structured training in BKOOL, you can. It includes hundreds of workouts.
Again, their filtering is basic, so finding the right one for a given moment might be a challenge.
BKOOL can do customized training plans using its web app. However, it’s nowhere near the quality of apps like Wahoo SYSTM and TrainerRoad.
I tried to set up a customized training plan but gave up after the third or second step. That’s how user-unfriendly their interface is.
So, if you are serious about improving your performance, I recommend those instead. Don’t even bother with BKOOL’s builder.
User Friendliness
The BKOOL Cycling app feels like it was designed five or ten years ago.
Some texts and icons are not sharp, and the overall feeling is not positive. It reminds me of ROUVY. Its interface also doesn’t look good.
What bothers me the most is the lack of responsiveness. BKOOL doesn’t react to clicks instantly, but there is always a delay.
The app is probably not well-optimized and would deserve a major update.
Platforms Availability
BKOOL is available on all major platforms (iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows) except Apple TV.
Remember, BKOOL has two separate apps:
- BKOOL Cycling
- BKOOL Fitness
You can use them both with the BKOOL subscription.
I used BKOOL Cycling on macOS Monterey, and it worked okay but was not responsive.
For context, I have a 25 Mbit/s internet connection and a MacBook Pro 2020 with 16 GB RAM, a 5-core Intel processor, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 1536 MB.
BKOOL Alternatives
There are plenty of indoor cycling apps out there. Here are those worth trying:
- ROUVY – is one of the closest BKOOL alternatives. It augments real-world routes with virtual objects. Read this ROUVY vs. BKOOL comparison for more details.
- Zwift – uses a virtual world built from scratch. It has fewer routes but a much larger community, more events, and allows racing. You can check out my comparison of Zwift vs. BKOOL for more info.
- TrainerRoad – is focused purely on making you a better cyclist—no distractions – only structured training plans.
- Wahoo SYSTM – displays your ride data with pre-recorded footage. It is a universal app not only for cyclists but also for other endurance athletes.
- Wahoo RGT – features a virtual world inspired by real-world roads. Its graphics are more realistic than Zwift, but it doesn’t offer as sophisticated motivation mechanisms. It also doesn’t have as many users.
- FulGaz – has thousands of videos of real-world routes in high definition. The main difference is that FulGaz doesn’t use augmented reality.
| App | Price | Free Trial | World | Multiplayer | Virtual Shifting | Connectivity / Direct Connect⁴ | Platform Availability | Ease of Setup | Engagement | Community | Range of Routes | Training | UX | Platform Availability | Price | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zwift | 19.99 USD / month 199.99 USD / year | 14 days | Virtual | Yes | Yes | ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth, BLE FTMS / Yes | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4.1 |
| ROUVY | 14.99 USD / month 144 USD / year | 7 days | Real² | Yes | Yes³ | ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth / No | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4.1 |
| TrainerRoad | 21.99 USD / month 209.99 USD / year | n/a¹ | n/a | No | No | ANT+ FE-C, Bluetooth, BLE FTMS / No | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3.7 | |
| Wahoo SYSTM (formerly The Sufferfest) | 14.99 USD / month 149 USD / year | 14 days | Real | No | No | ANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMS / Yes | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.0 |
| MyWhoosh | Free | n/a | Virtual | Yes | Yes | ANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMS / Yes | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Kinomap | 11.99 EUR / month 89.99 EUR / year 429 EUR / lifetime | 14 days | Real | No | No | ANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMS / No | Android, iOS (screen mirroring available) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3.6 |
| FulGaz | 12.99 USD / month 108.99 USD / year | 14 days | Real | Yes | No | ANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMS / Yes | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3.5 |
| TrainingPeaks Virtual | 19.95 USD / month 124.99 USD / year | 14 days | Virtual | Yes | No | ANT+ FE-C, BLE FTMS / Yes | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Apple TV | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3.4 |
¹30-day money-back guarantee
²Real world with virtual objects (avatars, gates, etc.)
³Supports Zwift Click only (learn more)
⁴Direct connect via WiFi or Ethernet.
Updated on May 13, 2025.
The following table shows my ratings of specific areas on a scale of 1–5 (5 is the best).
| App | Ease of Setup | Engage- ment | Community | Routes | Training | UX | Platforms Availability | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zwift | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 33 |
| ROUVY | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 32 |
| TrainerRoad | 5 | 2 | 3 | n/a¹ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 26 |
| Wahoo SYSTM | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 32 |
| MyWhoosh | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 32 |
| Kinomap | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 29 |
| FulGaz | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 28 |
| BKOOL | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 27 |
| Tacx Training App | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 29 |
| CycleGo App | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 24 |
| Wahoo RGT (RGT Cycling)² | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 24 |
| indieVelo | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 29 |
¹TrainerRoad is different from other apps and doesn’t offer any routes.
²Shut down in 2023
Updated on September 11, 2024.
My Verdict
Do I recommend BKOOL?
No. Its video quality is poor, and the overall experience is much worse than in other indoor cycling apps.
It also seems that BKOOL abuses its terms and conditions regarding subscriptions. Many people reported that they were unknowingly charged and not refunded by BKOOL.
Have you ever used BKOOL? What’s your experience? Let me know in the comments below.
BKOOL FAQ
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I am just trying BKOOL having used Zwift before. Initially not impressed find it hard to move around the screens, doesn’t g link with Strava. Analysis of rides is poor.
Will go back to Zwift even though its more expensive. Out of 10 / 4
I’ve used Bkool since 2019 and have no problems with it. When I save my ride it automatically sends it to both Strava and/or Garmin Connect.
Petr Minarik also states that the Bkool video is low grade, I’m not surprised he tries to run it on 25Mbps when Bkool’s recommendation for video is 150Mbps. Even his article on Bkool v Zwift has many contradictory statements, the 1st photo showing the graphics left Bkool, right Zwift I’d be horrified if I was getting that Zwift Pic.
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for your comment. Well, if other apps are able to run decent image quality on 25Mbps internet connection, but Bkool recommends 150Mbps, that’s a fair point but not everybody has as fast internet.
That Zwift pic is when I completed a route or a challenge and got confetti as a celebration. 🙂
– Petr
Don’t think you should run down the video when you are not using the suggested minimum internet connection. Image quality on graphics is one thing at 25Mbps but then you say Bkool is the only App with thousands of videos.
If I am not mistaken, I’ve used the 1080p video quality. But it’s been a long time since I tested it. So, I am not sure. I have not experienced issues with running 1080p with other apps.
How is the number of videos connected to the internet speed?
– Petr
If Bkool have thousands (your words) of Videos and they were all terrible then Bkool would not have the customer base they have, plus you insinuated that hardly any other platform had videos.
I could take issue with some of your other areas of comment, but only a very satisfied end user for 5yrs who think’s you maybe a bit anti biased about Bkool. So I’ll leave it up to Bkool to correct you.
ROUVY and FulGaz also have thousands of routes. 🙂 Look, I understand that you are satisfied with Bkool, I was not. I think it’s fine to have different opinions. Once I have more spare time, I might go back to it to see if they made a progress.
Petr,
You are generous.
I have used BKool for 4 years.
It came free with my trainer, and after the free period expired , I paid for the subscription.
The User Experience with BKool is terrible. Recent update (May 29 2023) has made it un-usable.
Literally un-usable. Tap on the ‘Start Session’ button and nothing happens. Nothing.
I’m downloading Zwift now.
Hi Tony,
I haven’t had a chance to try the new BKool yet, but if it’s as you say, I don’t really have the motivation. 🙁
Zwift is a safe bet.
– Petr
What a load of rubbish.
I’ve used since 2019 and done all the upgrades.
It still works very well.
You probably need to upgrade you PC or what ever device you are using.
I’ve seen Zwift on Strava at times half the ride is on land other half in water, very poor.
Hi Tony,
I’ve used Bkool since 2019. When I carried out the May 29 2023 upgrade I had the same result initially, but after sending a note from New Zealand to Bkool in Spain asking how to undo the upgrade and why, I received a reply within 2hrs (please note reply time Petr Minarik) from Bkool asking first to check that I was Logged Out, if not, do so then Login again. Being the middle of winter in NZ, I kept Bkool logged in and bike on trainer all the time. I carried out what Bkool suggested and the App has worked great, like it has ever since I bought the Bkool Smart Pro II back in 2019 from the UK.
After using Bkool, which is a Spanish platform, I suddently started receiving tons of Spanish spam emails from countless companies (and I am in a non-Spanish country, and non-Spanish speaking). Without a doubt, Bkool shares email addresses with other parties. I stopped my registration immediately, but, of course, the emails keep coming in. Don’t register to Bkool.
Hi Kees,
If it is indeed as you write, that is very sad. :-/ Unfortunately, it seems that selling personal data is quite a lucrative business.
– Petr
I completely agree with you on this review. I tried BKOOL a few months ago and was not impressed at all. The workouts were repetitive and lacked variety, and the meal plan was too restrictive for my taste. I ended up losing interest and dropping the program after a few weeks. It’s too bad because I was hoping for a more comprehensive and effective weight loss solution. Thanks for sharing your honest review!
Thank you, Thomas. I am glad you like it.
– Petr
I use a Bkool Pro with a road bike with a Garmin gps mounted. I have had the trainer for 8 years.
Pros: lots of rides. Real video of many of the rides.
Con: Not commenting on the video quality. They have bigger issues.
HUGH problem with the speed and distance calculations they use. They call it virtual. It has no bearing on how you are actually riding on the trainer. They calculate what they want. Only on select grades does it come close to my actual riding. It is especially bad on downhill sections. This has been an issue since 2019. A selling point 8 years ago was that speed relied on the roller not the tire size.
I have been testing in various ways. Steady speed, vary, all out
E.G. Descenso Mont Ventoux: 13.1 miles all downhill with steep sections.
Hold speed really low
Garmin data: Avg: 5 mph – max 6.0, distance 2.31 miles.
Bkool data: Avg: 24.4 – max 46, distance 13.2, time remaining wrong. At 0.1 mile to go at 24 mph (their calc) down hill, it said 6 minutes remaining. 20 seconds was closer.
Vary speed: Cruise at 20 mph, Bkool said 38. Increase effort by 20mph, Bkool only went up 6 mph. They have a limiter that depends on the slope.
At a slope transition, even if you do not change your speed, they will vary it using their logic. On up hills it may eventually come back close. Down hill – forget it.
From the Bkool description of their speed calculation. https://support.bkool.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042227571-Speed
“At BKOOL, speed is calculated based on power. The speed does not take into account the diameter of the wheel, the pedaling cadence or gears used. We take into account other factors, such as: …”
“if you synchronize your trainer to a Garmin device (or similar), note that the data displayed will not be the same. This is because the Garmin device is displaying data directly from the trainer, without any correction.”
1/22/24: In their response to the time remaining issue. “In downhills, speed is calculated by the app, and does not depend much on how fast you are pedalling.”
Interface: App and/or web page. These are some examples.
Ride search using a name does not always work.
Ride rating/info can be odd. The above Ventoux ride has 20’ of climb. They say average slope is 4.3%. 13.1 miles down hill with up to -11% slope says otherwise.
Easy ride had sections of 7-10%.
False speed make the videos speed up and look like you are in a pin ball machine.
Lousy support.
1/19/2024: Closed ticket after 72 hours of no response even when they never requested a response. This was for the activity graph distance and speed, and sessions search distance, being metric instead of miles.
Hi David,
Thank you for your very, very detailed comment.
– Petr
I completely agree with your assessment of BKOOL. I tried it out and was really disappointed with the lack of personalization and poor customer support. The “community” aspect felt like just a bunch of bots and I didn’t get any real value from the coaching. Definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a serious cycling training program.
I will probably give them a try again in the future just to see if they improved or not. 🙂
– Petr
Hi ! Adding a comment not product oriented but still… I tried BKOOL for a few weeks with the Trial proposal. Then they automatically changed my request from a Monthly to a Yearly contract… As I wanted to keep on testing, I did not check this info.
I contacted their customer support after I checked my bank account => really bad experience, never answering questions. For example they never shared a contract or email saying I was starting an annual membership with them. All the info is stored in their system, according to them, so no question possible on my side.
Trust is a key mission for companies that believe in long term relationship with their customers, but it’s clearly not linked with them.
Hi Greg,
Thank you very much for sharing your experience. Some of their practices seem to be pretty shady. 🙁
– Petr