{"id":197968,"date":"2025-02-21T16:26:28","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=197968"},"modified":"2025-02-21T16:29:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T16:29:57","slug":"from-garage-rollers-to-a-virtual-peloton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/02\/21\/from-garage-rollers-to-a-virtual-peloton\/","title":{"rendered":"Richard Gasperotti: From Garage Rollers to a Virtual Peloton"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Richard Gasperotti, a home cycling trainer was initially nothing more than an emergency solution, cobbled together by his BMX club coaches in Chomutov in former Czechoslovakia. Today, however, a modern smart trainer paired with apps like Rouvy or Zwift is an excellent tool for both fun and training. How has Gaspi\u2019s relationship with indoor cycling evolved over the years?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It all started with garage rollers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cMy whole life story started with BMX, where our coaches in Chomutov made us ride rollers to get our legs spinning,\u201d Gasperotti recalls. Back then, the rollers were nothing more than a homemade construction with bearings. A cyclist would place their rear wheel on it and pedal into the void. \u201cIt was mainly to warm up. Simply a trainer made in Czechoslovakia,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

Later, when he transitioned to downhill racing\u2014where riders become more like timed sprinters\u2014the trainer took on a different significance. \u201cIn downhill, you need to build endurance, but you also need explosiveness. Back then, we used trainers where the rear wheel was pressed against an aluminium roller. That roller, combined with magnets, created resistance, and you adjusted the load with a lever,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Covid boost<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although Gasperotti used trainers occasionally, he received an offer from Garmin one day. \u201cI thought to myself, I don\u2019t need this for my kind of riding. I climb hills and pedal in nature\u2014why would I need a trainer at home? It felt like someone was offering me a luxury SUV when all I needed was an off-road beater,\u201d he says of his initial feelings.<\/p>\n

But then, during the boom in indoor training caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he tested the Tacx Neo 2T smart trainer,<\/a> which pairs with an app and simulates real rides. \u201cSuddenly, I had a tablet in front of me, I could see the route, and when I started climbing, the resistance increased automatically. It worked. It was different from before when I would just stare at a movie and pedal aimlessly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"Indoor<\/a>
A modern smart trainer paired with apps like Rouvy or Zwift is an excellent tool for both fun and training.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Virtual races<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gaspi gradually tried apps like Tacx, Rouvy, and Zwift. \u201cSuddenly, I was racing against other people\u2014like this Japanese guy trying to overtake me. It pushed me. That competitiveness makes you pedal harder than if you were training alone,\u201d he says. \u201cMy wife thinks I\u2019m crazy when I\u2019m shouting at home that I won\u2019t let that Japanese guy beat me.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Gaspi, Tacx focuses on its own trainers and a simple route visualisation app. \u201cIt feels a bit like the \u201880s\u2014you\u2019re staring at a screen while you ride. But the good thing is Tacx can be paired with other apps, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaspi\u2019s favourite is Rouvy,<\/a> a Czech-developed app. \u201cIt\u2019s realistic. You see real scenery and people, and the trainer reacts instantly to changes in gradient. You start climbing, and you feel the resistance immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zwift, on the other hand, is more of a game, according to him. \u201cA virtual world, volcanoes, lava, fog. Cool for some, but I prefer reality. It\u2019s like playing PlayStation on a bike,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

Training and fun in the living room<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gaspi spends about an hour and a half on the trainer a few times a week, especially in winter. Initially, he thought it was unnecessary, but now he enjoys it. \u201cI mix up terrains. On Tacx, it\u2019s great that it simulates the surface. You ride gravel, and the trainer vibrates under your rear. On Rouvy, I like the realistic environment and quick response.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaspi has even tried freestyle tricks on his trainer. \u201cI ride a mountain bike on it, using it as a manual trainer or even to refine tricks like Superman or can-can. It works, and the trainer holds up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Futher tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gaspi advises putting a towel under the trainer because you\u2019ll sweat. It\u2019s also essential to have water and chain lube designed for indoor use nearby. \u201cBikeworkx Indoor, a dry wax-based lube, won\u2019t stain your clothes or floor,\u201d he says, adding that modern trainers are quiet. \u201cNeighbours won\u2019t complain, even if you\u2019re riding the Tour de France in your living room,\u201d Gasperotti concludes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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