This week we have the ROUVY Companion App Review. It is a supporting App to compliment the ROUVY indoor cycling app and launched in December 2023. I have been using ROUVY for the past 9 months testing it alongside ZWIFT, Elite My E-Training and MyWhoosh cycling apps. ROUVY have made a number of updates over the past few months with the biggest update being the release of the companion app. This review outlines how the app works and how it improves the experience of using ROUVY. I tested this using an iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro and with my Elite Direto smart trainer.
ROUVY Companion App Review Summary
Trivelo Score – 3 / 5
Scoring this was a bit tricky as the app has no function without the core ROUVY cycling app. It is a useful addition to ROUVY hence scoring 3 / 5. I found it useful to have the key metrics presented but one of the bits of data I rely on from the cycling app is the gradient chart. This lets me know what is coming on the hills and ensure I am in the right gear. The ROUVY companion app is missing this so you still need to refer to the main app. I also had hoped the companion app might introduce more social interaction with other riders but this is still missing.
What is the ROUVY Companion App?
The ROUVY companion app is a mobile app to provide additional functionality to the ROUVY indoor cycling app. It gives ride data while you are using the app so you can get a quick view of your core stats such as power, speed and heart rate. There are various views to help you augment your ride. From the companion app you can toggle data on and off from ROUVY making the visuals more pure if you wish by removing all rider data.
The ROUVY companion app also lets you plan your workouts when not riding so could help when out and about. You can see upcoming rides and plan in your rides “saving them for later”. I found this useful mainly to get a quick heads up on any live events I may wish to join. These are run at specific times so can be useful to see when they are so you can plan your ride time in advance.
How much does the ROUVY companion app cost?
The ROUVY companion app is free. To use it though you need to have a ROUVY subscription. Prices for this vary by location but at time of writing are:
- USD – $14.99 per month ROUVY cost USA
- CZK – 325 CZK per month ROUVY cost Czech
- EUR – 12EUR per month ROUVY cost EU
- GBP – £12.99 per month ROUVY cost UK
Who is the ROUVY companion App for?
The ROUVY companion app is designed for indoor cyclists. You need to be a ROUVY subcriber and already have an account as you need to log into your account to use functionality. It addresses demand from users who have an indoor cycling set-up where their rider data is not easy to view. By having the companion app you can use your mobile phone which can be placed close by.
How does the ROUVY companion App work?
As you log into your ROUVY account the companion app syncs with your profile. You need connectivity to use the indoor cycling routes and the data from these is pulled into the companion app. This “live” connection allows the ROUVY companion app to display real time updates from your connected sensors. These can include heart rate monitors, smart turbo trainers and cadence sensors.
Below is image of the main ROUVY app that you use alongside the ROUVY companion app.
What do you need to use the ROUVY Companion App?
In reality quite a lot! You need another device that is running the main ROUVY cycling app. This could be a laptop of tablet. This needs to be connected to a smart turbo trainer that has a suitable bike mounted on it. When I was testing the ROUVY companion app I had the app on my iphone 13 pro. I was using an iPad pro for the main ROUVY app. This was connected to my Elite Direto smart turbo trainer and my Garmin heart rate monitor. On the turbo I was using my Cannondale SuperSix Evo road bike. A lot of kit. Granted if you are a cyclist you are likely to have much of this already.
If you are looking for a new smart turbo trainer check our guide to the best smart turbo trainers 2024.
Using the ROUVY Companion App
I used the ROUVY companion app while training on a number of rides and also while out and about away from my smart turbo trainer. While riding the data is handy. Not really critical for me to be honest. My ipad is close by and I can use it to follow my ride easily. The toggle of data is a bit of a gimmick really in my view and could live without it.
The only real value for me was being able to quickly check on future rides and schedule in my planned rides in the ride later piece. This was while out and about to help me plan better my training.
ROUVY really need to add functionality for social interaction with other riders. This would be a killer use for the companion app but is currently missing. ROUVY have been making a number of changes to their apps over the past 9 months so hopefully this could be coming soon. At time of writing their is nothing on their website suggesting this is in the pipeline though.
Nice try. Hopefully more to come.
About the Author
1 Comment
Jon · March 28, 2024 at 2:03 pm
I was interested to see this. Doesn’t look to add much though over the main app. Bit gimmicky?