Can't find what you're looking for? Drop us a line at info@virtual-cycling.com and we'll get back to you.
What is Virtual-Cycling.com?
Virtual-Cycling.com is a companion platform for Rouvy that brings real-world context to your virtual rides. We enrich Rouvy routes with named landmarks — climbs, points of interest, bridges, monuments — so you actually know what you're riding through. On top of that, we track your personal records on those landmarks and, if you choose to opt in, show you how you stack up against other riders on community leaderboards.
Is this an official Rouvy product?
No. Virtual-Cycling.com is an independent project built by enthusiastic Rouvy users. We're not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rouvy or Zwift. We just love the platform and wanted to add the layer of context it was missing.
Is the platform free?
Yes, completely. No subscription, no premium tier, no ads. We built this because we wanted it to exist — not to monetise it.
I searched for a route or climb and found nothing, even though it exists on Rouvy.
We're still in beta and actively adding routes. Not everything is in yet — but we're working through them. Check back later, and if a particular route matters to you, feel free to nudge us at info@virtual-cycling.com.
I finished a climb but it wasn't recorded as completed.
This usually comes down to one of two things. First, check that your ride qualifies: only rides completed in training mode or during a race at 100% reality are counted. Group rides are excluded (the rubber-band effect distorts your effort), and workouts are excluded too (ERG mode does the same). Second, some Rouvy routes only cover part of a climb — they may start later than the classic starting point or stop short of the summit. We always try to use the full classic climb where a matching route exists, but if only a partial route is available, that's what gets mapped. Always check before you ride whether a route covers the full landmark.
Can I request a community route to be added?
Yes. Send us an email at info@virtual-cycling.com with the route you'd like added. We'll consider it if it meets the following criteria:
- At least a four-star rating with a meaningful number of votes
- Elevation data adjusted to real-world values by the route creator (we'll reject routes with unrealistic elevation profiles)
If you can also suggest landmarks along the route — and even better, supply photos — we'd love that. Photos must be public domain, published under a CC licence (e.g. from Wikimedia Commons), or your own work with explicit permission to publish. Please don't send photos with unclear copyright status; we can't use them.
I spotted a factual error in a landmark description, name, or photo.
Thank you for paying attention — that genuinely helps. Please let us know at info@virtual-cycling.com and we'll look into it.
My ride was recorded for personal completion and PRs, but doesn't appear on any leaderboard.
There are two possible reasons. If you imported via Strava, leaderboard display is not available — this is a requirement of Strava's API terms and not something we can work around. If you imported via FIT file and still don't appear, check that your account profile is fully filled in and that you've ticked the leaderboard opt-in box in your account settings.
Which ride types qualify for route completion and leaderboards?
Only rides completed in training mode or during a race at 100% reality count. Group rides do not qualify (the rubber-band effect means your time isn't really yours), and workouts do not qualify either (ERG mode controls your effort, not you).
How do I appear on leaderboards?
You need to upload rides via FIT file (not Strava), complete your account profile including weight, height, FTP, and trainer type, and opt in to leaderboard participation in your account settings. Without all three, your times are recorded for you personally but kept off the public leaderboards.
