🎉 🎉 Introducing Virtual Speed and Distance for Strava Workouts! 🎉 🎉

Announcements
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Hey everyone!

We just launched Virtual Speed and Distance for TrainerRoad rides synced to Strava! This feature uses power data and a physics-based model to estimate more realistic speeds and distances for indoor TrainerRoad workouts on Strava.

If you train indoors in ERG mode, you may have noticed your workouts can sometimes show unrealistic speed and distance data on Strava. This is because the speed reported by your indoor trainer depends more on your gearing choice than on your actual performance. Virtual Speed and Distance corrects for this, using your power data to give a more lifelike estimate of how fast and far you’d have ridden outside. No more worrying about how your gearing will affect your Strava stats!

Enabling Virtual Speed and Distance

To enable Virtual Speed and Distance, navigate to your Account Settings and go to Ride Sync (or follow this link to the Ride Sync page). Once you have your TrainerRoad and Strava accounts synced, a Settings button will show in the Strava box:

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Click the Settings button to bring up your Strava Sharing Settings:

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Make sure you’ve enabled “Share Speed and Distance”, and then select “Virtual Speed and Distance”. Hit “Save & Close”.

All of your future TrainerRoad workouts will now sync to Strava with Virtual Speed and Distance!

FAQs

Does this work with other Ride Sync platforms (e.g. Garmin Connect)?

  • Virtual Speed and Distance is only available for workouts exported to Strava.

Does this affect any of my past rides?

  • This will only affect TrainerRoad workouts synced to Strava after enabling Virtual Speed and Distance.

Does this work for standard (non-smart) trainers?

  • Yes, as long as your workouts have power data!

Does a speed sensor override Virtual Speed and Distance?

  • Nope! Only power data is used for Virtual Speed and Distance.

How does the Virtual Speed and Distance Calculation work?

  • Virtual Speed and Distance uses your workout’s power data, along with average aerodynamic and rolling resistance values, to estimate the speed at which you’d have ridden your workout on relatively flat terrain outdoors.

How does this compare to speed and distance data from other apps (e.g. Zwift)?

  • Data reported by other apps may adjust for terrain, drafting, and other factors not incorporated into Virtual Speed and Distance.
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Although i don’t have Strave, I’ll have the pleasure to be the first o e to ask…

Can you please add a button for no speed/distance?

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Damn… i was in a hurry to be the first one to post!

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TR support is so good, they went back in time and put the feature in before you asked!

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Actual photo of our support agents standing by:

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Very nice!

I’m normally using Wahoo “Erg Mode Speed Sim” to keep my numbers “plausible” and comparable (with my other turbo rides least), any idea how this compares? I’m now torn between “consistency with my own workouts” and “consistency with the TR community”.

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I’m not exactly sure what calculation Wahoo’s Erg Mode Speed Simulation uses. If I were you, I’d try both, and keep the one that gives the most impressive …err… realistic-looking data :wink:

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:rofl:

Think I’ll keep speed sim then, consistency with self is probably more helpful. If it’s “realistic” it’s consistently “realistic”

:sweat_smile:

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i have no idea what this means but i am for it. pretty annoying to consistently see 0.00 for speed and distance in all of my TR workouts.

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@ming Many thanks for the update! Would it be possible to also add virtual speed to TR app, to be able to see it in real time when training?

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Didn’t know I needed it but I like! Nice addition

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Thanks, always had terribly unrealistic speeds from my wahoo.

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Do we need to input a wheel circumference at the TR App for this feature to work? I’ve previously kept mine at Zero as I didn’t want the inaccurate speed & mileage for indoor rides.

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Thanks for the suggestion! We like to keep the TR Workout interface limited to metrics that are objectively measured and immediately relevant to your training in the moment. Since Virtual Speed and Distance readings are estimated values and aren’t used to guide your workouts, we don’t currently plan to add them to the workout view, but we’re always listening to suggestions and will relay this to the rest of the team!

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This is neat. Does that mean I will be getting more or less miles if I switch to this new setting?! :grin:

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No need for a wheel circumference for Virtual Speed and Distance to work!

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Is this feature available for Garmin connect uploads too - or just Strava at the moment?

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I think you’ll have to try it to see! :wink:

Personally, I tend to ride in the little ring so Virtual Speed and Distance typically gives me higher readings (much more in line with what I would do outdoors in the same time).

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Only Strava at the moment.

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