Welcome to Watopia!

It had been raining all day and now the temperature outside was well below zero. I was not looking forward to a freezing bike ride on the treacherously icy roads. As it turned out my ride was so warm, all I wore was a pair of shorts!

It wasn’t my usual evening route either. Setting out from a picturesque seaside port I cycled up through the foothills of snowcapped mountains, all along traffic free roads. The only other people passed were other cyclists of every conceivable nationality. There was no need for an airfare to experience the foreign land of Watopia.  I hadn’t even left the house, I was plugged into the virtual world of Zwift.

Indoor turbo sessions are traditionally amongst the most tedious ways to spend an evening. I used to regularly schedule indoor interval sessions into my training, but even with headphones blaring out my favourite tunes, or watching TV, 30 minutes of sweaty monotony was about as much as I could stand.

In contrast my first visit to Watopia was fully absorbing. My online avatar only pulled to the side of the road well after an hour had passed because it was 10.30pm, I had to be at work the following day and was now in desperate need of a shower!

I don’t know if it will continue to hold my attention in the same way, but there is a whole world out there to explore! The resistance to the rear wheel varies dependent on the terrain and gradient, simulating a real world ride. You find yourself jumping out the saddle to crest a short ramp, or settling in for longer ascents. It creates a much more stimulating interactive experience.

All the time there are other cyclists all around you. Some zooming past at improbable speeds, others you catch and some you end up riding with. (Yes, slip-streaming works!) If you want you can even chat with them, wave, or ring your bell! Naturally you can adjust the appearance of your avatar right down to a slide bar to control the length of your socks!

I only scratched the surface with my first visit, but I’m looking forward to discovering more. The downside is that although there are no travel cost you still have to pay to access Watopia. When my 10 day free trial ends I need to decide if it is worth the £12.99 monthly subscription. You’ll also need a Smart trainer like my Tacx Vortex, which at the best part of £400 is one of the cheaper units on the market.

Of course I’d much rather be out in the real world, which is the main reason I enjoy cycling. However, when the weather outside is really miserable there is something to be said for the comfort of staying indoors. Added to which your bike doesn’t get dirty. 

Today I cycled around an empty central London!