Inside Vs Outside Ride Dynamics
Virtual cycling has come a long way in the last 10 years. People realised that riding a static resistance trainer as hard as possible whilst staring at the garage door was not the most enjoyable experience. If fact, it was horrible, but necessary during lousy weather outside, and those awful five-minute efforts everyone did.
Luckily, times have changed with smart trainers, and cycling indoors with MyWhoosh can be more enjoyable and just as realistic as riding outside. So how do we accomplish this, and how does it work?
The MyWhoosh team has spent a lot of time into working on replicating the speeds and feel of the outdoors and bringing them indoors. We have used advanced algorithms, aero test data, rolling resistance, CDA and CRR, and drafting formulas. But more importantly, we go outside and ride, come inside and ride and then have a detailed discussion over coffee on how it feels. It is a never-ending battle, but we feel we are really close.
The MyWhoosh game is designed so that the power needed outside to ride at a certain speed is closely replicated inside. This applies to riding along the flat, going uphill and descending. We have done a lot of work on accelerations and even endless tests on how long it takes to roll to a complete stop. We are confident we have the best dynamics in the virtual world.
Drafting has been by far the most complex dynamic to get right. It is easy to allocate a draft reduction number across the game, but. that is not what we do at MyWhoosh.
The way your avatar drafts in the game is constantly changing. Your position in the bunch, how far you are off from the rider in front, are you behind or alongside, all have influence in the draft you receive. The other noteworthy influence on drafting on MyWhoosh is gradient. The basic rule is that the slower you go, the less benefit in drafting. When climbing, speeds reduce, this means so much in your draft. The MyWhoosh calculations change with the gradient and speed, the steeper the climb, the less draft you will receive. The last key point to drafting on MyWhoosh is to look up to the left at your power numbers. If they are green, you are in the draft. If they are black, look for a wheel to jump on.
Hopefully, this article has helped explain drafting and its importance on MyWhoosh. Feel free to send us any feedback or improvement suggestions to support@mywhoosh.com