indieVelo is a new and innovative physical esports platform that is hoping to redefine the future of virtual cycling.
It was launched in June 2023 and I came across it in early July 2023.
It was founded by Dr George Gilbert, the former Chairman of the Zwift Cycling Esports Commission, and is designed to be a more realistic and competitive experience for cyclists of all levels.
A full description, from the indieVelo website:
indieVelo is first and foremost a community of people who share a vision of what online cycling and esports could be.
Where your tactics and skills as a bike rider matter. Whether it’s your positioning in a bunch or getting into a breakaway, your choice of cornering speed, or your judgements about when to sit in or attack in the wind, it is your decisions, and not just your power, that should materially affect the outcome of every race.
Where the results are credible. Whether it is through built in performance verification, dual recording, encrypted protocols, or realistic physics and speeds, it is essential that what you see and experience with your own eyes is the same as everyone else; complete accuracy, precision and consistency of results and legitimate proven athletic ability.
indieVelo sees itself as a partner and service provider – creating the online cycling infrastructure that gives you the autonomy to do what you do best. Whether you are a rider, team manager, event organiser, streamer, broadcaster, National Governing Body or even another platform, we are innovating the tools to help you get the most out of an exciting new sport.
Through a fully integrated esports platform, the world’s leading performance verification system, fully configurable events & results systems, custom team kit and team management tools, streaming and broadcast modes, skinnable UIs, graphics and maps, and so much more, we are defining the future of virtual sport.
In short, we aim to help and support anyone who shares our goal of transforming cycling together.
Download and installation are very easy – currently, only PC’s and Apple Mac desktop computers are supported. However, other platforms are being developed.
The specs required have been deliberately kept low, so that the game can run on the widest possible range of desktops and laptops.
It is all about Racing.
Virtually every ride is a Race, whether it is a 1k race around the Velodrome or a 30k Scratch Race.
There are Free Rides, Pace Partners, Training, Races and Monthly Challenges.
The is only the one Map – The Island. This has all the routes and climbs. In total there are 374 kms of roads, with 2,340mtrs of climbing, all falling into 18 routes.
Whether you’re a casual cyclist looking for a fun and challenging way to stay fit, or a competitive racer looking for the most realistic and competitive experience possible, indieVelo is the perfect platform for you. However, only if you enjoy Racing.
As stated earlier – the Download and installation (from the indieVelo website) is easy.
Register and fill a few details – Height, Weight etc and you are off and cycling.
There is a ‘very’ limited choice of bikes and wheelset (2) A standard Bike and a Racing Bike.
However, the rest of your Avatar Customisation is more generous. (Lots of different Jerseys, head shape, colour, weight etc.)
The Centre of the Game is “The Hub” – from here you can control everything – from what you seen on screen, to the colour your jersey, to Your Race History, to choosing your next Ride, and to your Race Results.
It is very well planned out and the customisation available is exceptional.
Being a very new platform there are ‘not many’ real life riders – but plenty of bots to ride against.
Updates, large and small, come out every Monday Morning – with a full list of new features, feature enhancements and an explanation of all the Bug fixes.
The only disappointing feature of the whole game, is that the scenery, and graphics are very limited.
This is an informed choice, to limit the amount of processing power required, (heavy graphics), so that (a) the Game will run Faster, and (b) it will run on a much larger number of different set-ups.
If you are a Professional Racing Cyclist, you can add your Race Licence Details as well.
Overall, very well designed and put together.
See #2 for Riding around indieVelo.