Tech Podcast: Smart trainers and virtual riding grow up

Did you miss us?

The VeloNews Tech Podcast has finally returned from a lengthy hiatus. And in that gestation period, the VeloNews Tech Podcast gained a co-host! Editorial director Ben Delaney joins tech editor Dan Cavallari on the show to chat about smart trainers and cycling indoors.

With the explosive growth of indoor riding and racing, smart trainer technology and all the peripherals surrounding them have grown up in a hurry. Cavallari and Delaney discuss the evolution of smart trainers, from the earliest glitchy models (and even the “dumb” trainers that preceded them) to today’s most magnificent and streamlined versions.

It’s difficult to talk about the growth of smart trainer hardware without mentioning the importance of Zwift to the growth of indoor cycling in general. Zwift’s debut in 2015 sparked a revolution in trainer technology and has managed to spawn an online community of cyclists that can communicate with each other throughout the world. Zwift’s growth over the last four years has also led to a burgeoning virtual racing scene that has even launched pro careers in the real world. Delaney and Cavallari discuss how virtual racing and riding has impacted your ride both indoors and outdoors.

Be sure to check out the other episodes of the VeloNews Tech Podcast by clicking here. And don’t miss the other great shows in the VeloNews Voices channel, including the Put Your Socks On podcast with Bobby Julich.

If you have questions or comments about this episode of the tech podcast, or if you have suggestions for a topic you’d like us to cover on a future episode,  you can reach Dan Cavallari on Twitter and Instagram (@browntiedan) and Ben Delaney on Instagram (@ben_delaney) and Strava (ben-delaney).