Yesterday, TrainingPeaks and indieVelo announced big news in the indoor cycling space: TrainingPeaks has acquired indieVelo and effective immediately, indieVelo has been renamed TrainingPeaks Virtual.
A Bit of History
I first started hearing about indieVelo back in May of 2023, when George Gilbert reached out to me with an invite to give it a spin before it became available to the public.
(George, astute readers may recall, first stepped into the indoor cycling scene as chairman of ZADA – Zwift’s Cycling Esports Commission – a team responsible for “maintaining, implementing and communicating” Zwift’s Cycle Esports & Regulations which applied to a small number of top-tier races.)
After launching indieVelo beta in June 2023, George continued developing the platform at a rapid pace, sending out weekly emails with a list of updates. He would often end his emails with something like this (taken from a recent mailing):
With 100% of the indieVelo roadmap determined by your ideas and suggestions, every piece of feedback is incredibly valuable and really makes a difference to the continued improvement of indieVelo each and every week.
It was clear that George’s experience at ZADA had shown him the pain points of current performance verification tech and key areas where virtual bike racing could be improved. From indieVelo’s launch, his message has been consistent: he’s working to develop a platform for accurate and engaging eracing.
But where was it all heading? How long could George continue to maintain the platform as a one-man army? Even as the number of subscribers recently passed the 40,000 mark, and many of them chose to join the “Founders Club” to support the platform’s upkeep and development, it was sort of a forgone conclusion that being acquired was the next step, and that step was coming soon.
The question was, by who?
A Buyer Is Found
Enter TrainingPeaks – the popular training app used by cycling coaches to schedule workouts and track fitness.
I’m not sure anyone saw this coming, although in hindsight it makes sense. Here’s a snippet from TrainingPeaks’ press release (I bolded some text for emphasis):
The newly acquired assets of indieVelo now enable TrainingPeaks coaches to strengthen their communities with increased athlete engagement through virtually hosted group rides, events and races. With robust customization features, TrainingPeaks Virtual can look however the coach wants — with custom avatars, bikes, team kits and branded events.
“The core values of trust and authentic achievement are something that both indieVelo and TrainingPeaks share, and as TrainingPeaks Virtual, we are doubling down on that focus in the future,” said Gilbert. “This acquisition brings both the investment and the expertise needed to take it to the next level — creating a fully integrated, seamless training and racing platform, both indoors and out.”
TrainingPeaks
Effective immediately, George Gilbert is an employee at TrainingPeaks. And not just any employee – sources tell me his position within the company is at the VP level.
TrainingPeaks Virtual will remain free to use for the duration of the northern hemisphere winter, transitioning to a paid platform around March 2025. After that time, TrainingPeaks Virtual will only be available to users at the TrainingPeaks Premium Tier ($19.99/month or $124.99/year).
What Does It All Mean?
Of course, this is Zwift Insider, so it only makes sense to look at this news from a Zwifter’s perspective.
In some ways, the news of TrainingPeaks acquiring indieVelo feels a lot like the news of Wahoo acquiring RGT back in April 2022. It’s an established fitness company acquiring a small upstart competitor to Zwift.
But there are probably more differences here than similarities. RGT had a larger development team, and was more focused on cool maps and “Magic Roads” features while indieVelo has really focused on accurate esports racing from the beginning. Additionally, I always got the vibe that RGT’s development wasn’t a priority at Wahoo, while George Gilbert’s new VP-level position at TrainingPeaks would indicate that significant further investment into the platform is planned.
From Zwift’s corporate perspective, it shifts indieVelo from a tiny upstart (and potential acquisition target) to a serious competitor. That means there are three serious Zwift competitors today: MyWhoosh, Rouvy, and TrainingPeaks Virtual. Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Put up against Zwift, MyWhoosh wins based on price (free), while Rouvy offers lots of “real” roads and indieVelo TrainingPeaks Virtual promises the most accurate racing experience.
Zwift is still the 800lb gorilla in the indoor cycling space, though. The platform’s cross-device compatibility and strong feature set coupled with its social focus and massive user base make it the obvious standard that all other indoor cycling apps are compared to.
On top of that, Zwift’s recent hardware releases – most notably the Zwift Ride – make it easier (and more affordable) than ever for new cyclists to get it on the fun.
But Zwift can’t rest if they want to maintain their dominance. They must continue developing compelling new features while polishing existing ones. And they must find ways to both improve and expand the content on the platform. That means races that are more fun than ever, group rides that really draw you into the supportive Zwift community, workouts that build fitness super-efficiently, fresh roads you want to explore… you get the idea.
I’ve said it before. and I’ll say it again: competition in this space is good for Zwifters since it keeps Zwift on their toes. It’ll be interesting to watch how things develop with TrainingPeaks Virtual moving forward, and if Zwift responds in any noticeable way to yesterday’s news.
Will TrainingPeaks Virtual maintain its racing focus, even though it’s been acquired by a company known for its training focus? Will current TrainingPeaks subscribers move to TrainingPeaks Virtual instead of Zwift since it’s part of the subscription they’re already paying? And will the development of TrainingPeaks Virtual continue at a high pace once it moves from a one-man show to a team?
Time will tell.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of this big news from TrainingPeaks+indieVelo? Share your thoughts below!
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