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This is my review of a free indoor cycling app called CycleGo. I tested it and compared it with other (mostly paid) alternatives.
KEY TAKEAWAY
CycleGo pleasantly surprised me as it offers a lot, considering it’s a free app. It offers a premium subscription that unlocks more maps. I recommend it for beginners and those with a ‘dumb’ wheel-on trainer. CycleGo helps you improve your fitness by showing easy-to-follow training instructions.
Remember, it can’t adjust your trainer’s resistance. You will also ride solo as the app is not socially oriented. And finally, it’s only available for Android and iOS.
My CycleGo rating at a glance:
Ease of Setup 5/5 | Engagement 2/5 | Community 1/5 | Routes 2/5 | Training 2/5 | UX 5/5 | Platforms Availability 2/5 | Price 5/5 | OVERALL 3.0/5
More about this indoor cycling apps scoring.
CycleGo Summary
Pros
- The free plan offers plenty of workouts
- The paid plan includes structured training plans
Cons
- Can’t adjust the resistance of the smart trainers
- No sophisticated motivational system
- No drafting, power-ups, etc.
- Not socially-oriented
- Only available for iOS and Android
What is CycleGo?
CycleGo is a mobile, free indoor cycling and running app that allows you to ride (or run) with an avatar through a virtual world. It also allows you to follow structured workouts and maintain your fitness.
Its graphic is made from the ground up and is similar to Wahoo RGT or BKOOL.
Who is it for?
CycleGo is suitable for beginners and undemanding riders (runners). In addition, it’s ideal for people with a ‘dumb’ wheel-on trainer (or a treadmill) to maintain or improve their fitness from the comfort of their homes.
Who is it not for?
CycleGo is not for demanding cyclists and athletes who want an indoor cycling app that can adjust the resistance of their smart trainer.
My Experience with CycleGo
Here is my experience with the initial setup, routes, user experience, and other features of CycleGo. I focus mainly on the cycling aspect.
Initial Setup
CycleGo is incompatible with smart trainers, so using just budget wheel-on trainers is best.
To start riding, you just have to input basic information like weight and age, customize your avatar, select workout, and start riding.
Before every ride, you can also set the desired music type.
Engagement
CycleGo doesn’t include any sophisticated motivation system, as we know from Zwift, for example. This means you have to be internally motivated to continue using it. In Zwift, peer pressure will encourage you to ride harder and return to improve yourself. With CycleGo, I didn’t experience similar pressure.
However, they are currently working on an achievement section so that they will have at least some kind of motivation.
Routes
CycleGo offers four virtual routes (worlds) you can choose from:
- Mountains
- Lake Sihlsee
- City
- Island
Unfortunately, only one is free (Mountains). You have to pay for a subscription to access the other three.
Honestly, the graphic looks fine, and I didn’t expect anything sophisticated. It’s just a shame they don’t offer more free routes.
The screen shows some basic information. The most important being the length of the interval and recommended cadence.
It also includes ride controls and the structure of the workout. You can skip individual sections as needed.
Training
CycleGo has a workout library comprising dozens of workouts suitable for beginners and advanced riders.
Again, it’s nothing for pro athletes (those should try TrainerRoad or Wahoo SYSTM, which can create structured plans based on your goals).
The workouts are divided based on your fitness level (L0 – L3), from easy to harder ones. Unfortunately, the training plans are paid.
I am also not sure who designed them. Most premium apps hire certified coaches to design effective workouts/plans. The CycleGo workouts seem random and do not explain what they are good for.
User Friendliness
CycleGo has a nice, clean user interface, making it easy to use. Thanks to just a few features, I had no issues finding what I needed to find.
The app is responsive and loads quickly. It is also clear that the developers invested a lot of time to make it easy for inexperienced tech users.
Platforms Availability
CycleGo is only available for iOS and Android. Windows, macOS, and Apple TV users are unfortunate.
CycleGo Alternatives
There are a few free indoor cycling apps worth trying. The closest alternatives to CycleGo are:
- Wahoo RGT (formerly known as RGT Cycling) – features a virtual world inspired by real-world roads. Its graphics are more realistic, and it can adjust the resistance of your trainer.
- Trainer Day is like TrainerRoad, but the free plan has limited functionality. It only shows your ride data. It’s perfect for structured training. Their premium subscription is affordable and unlocks more features, like personalized cycling plans.
- Veloreality is similar to FulGaz or ROUVY. Their free plan allows you to play videos in the 720p definition. Unfortunately, it’s only available for Windows.
The paid alternatives include:
- TrainerRoad – is a fully performance-oriented cycling app with a comprehensive workout library. It only shows you your ride data, no virtual world or video footage.
- Zwift – utilizes a virtual world built from scratch. It doesn’t have as wide a route library as ROUVY. It is much closer to being a game.
- ROUVY – is the closest alternative to CycleGo. It also uses real-world footage, but ROUVY augments it with avatars and other objects. It has a huge route library and allows you to explore beautiful places from the comfort of your home.
- Wahoo SYSTM – includes traditional cycling training, yoga for cyclists, strength, and mental training to make you a better, faster, and more resilient cyclist.
- And many more.
| 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 | No | 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 April 2, 2025.
I created a rating system to evaluate the following features. It helps to keep the comparison between training apps consistent.
- Price – how expensive is the app relative to other indoor cycling apps?
- Ease of setup – is the app easy to set up with a smart trainer? Can it be used without it?
- Engagement – does the app keep you engaged and motivated?
- Routes – does the app offer a wide route library?
- Training – does the app include prebuilt workout plans? Do they help you get faster?
- User-friendliness and intuitiveness (UX) – is the app easy to navigate, easy to use, clear, and intuitive?
- Platform availability – is the app available for multiple platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, AppleTV, etc.?
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 CycleGo?
Yes. CycleGo is a good app for beginners and undemanding people who just want to spin their legs occasionally without spending money on app subscriptions.
Do I recommend it to everybody?
No. The CycleGo App is not for demanding athletes with smart trainers. The app can’t adjust the resistance and offers limited functionality for performance-oriented riders.
I just started using CycleGo and I’m really liking the simplicity of the app! As a beginner, I was intimidated by some of the other cycling apps out there, but CycleGo made it easy to get started and track my progress. Thanks for the review!
I am glad you liked it. 🙂
– Petr