I will be sending this observation direct to Rouvy - but thought I would share it here
I have gone back to Rouvy a couple of times recently (using the Apple TV app) and been very careful about calibration and making sure there were no additional bluetooth connections etc. (I'm using a Kinetic Rock and Roll Control).
I have also done the same thing in Zwift. I have no complaints with Zwift - resistance feels very close to what I experience in real life. I have Zwift set to 100%.
On Rouvy - I have the following experience:
The addition of resistance (encountering a hill) and the reduction of resistance (getting to a down-slope) are out of sync with the video. Sometimes late in being applied, sometimes early. The impression I have is that the software is "keying" on the position that captured the video . i.e. where that rider would be instead of where my (virtual) rider is. I am an older rider ~ 180W FTP (< 2.5 W/Kg). I do not know how fast the actual rider was going (more on this later) but expect that I am usually much slower that the video speed. So this means that I have not yet arrived at the foot of a hill when the real rider would have - BUT Rouvy seems to apply the added resistance based on the real rider's anticipated position (i.e. early). Similarly - when cresting a hill - Rouvy drops the resistance before I reach the top. I'm not talking a second or two here - more in the 3 to 5 second range.
To make up for my lack of speed - I will often push hard downhill. Likely this places my virtual speed higher than the original video speed and the opposite happens. Resistance is late being applied when encountering the next hill i.e. I'm visually quite a way up before resistance is applied. Sure - on small gradient changes - there would be a "coasting" effect. But I'm talking a quick transition from (say -2% to +7%) - not a lot of real world coasting going on there ....
As a recommendation (assuming the above issue is fixed): It would be very helpful in selecting rides, knowing (for each ride), the FTP and W/Kg and ave Speed that the original video was taken at. Especially for those of us that are more recreational. As well - some form of on-screen indicator of relative speed? position? power? compared to the real life speed would be helpful. Simply stated - if I select a ride that I should be able to do at the recored speed, it would be helpful to judge if I am "keeping up".
Last edited by stuartofmt; 11-29-19 at 12:05 PM.