In 2002 and 2019 I cycled the length of Great Britain. Over the past few weeks I have been reliving some of the most memorable moments of those tours – in my kitchen, on my Wattbike Atom smart training bike.

It was inspired by an email from Wattbike about a series of rides on the Rouvy indoor training app. I’d tried Rouvy very briefly last autumn but this seemed like a good reason to give it another go. There was a competition to win Wattbike goodiies but that was less of an incentive – I never win these contests.

Rouvy has taken sections of seven stages of the Babble Ride Across Britain Land’s End to John O’Groats ride (LEJOG), which takes place this September. I’d ridden two of these routes in my 2002 LEJOG, and four on my 2019 one.

The first ride was across Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, which I remember as a very tough ride as a horribly undertrained rider in 2002. I remember the respite of a lunch stop in a village cafe in Minions – and the moment I saw that very cafe on the Rouvy app was the experience that made me a Rouvy fan.

Here’s another nostalgic moment. In 2019 we toiled up from Bridge of Brown near Tomintoul, as seen in the photo of the left, with the matching image from the Rouvy version alongside. Back in 2019 I took several opportunities to stop to take photos, which you can see in my blogpost about the day, including glances back to see how high we had climbed.

On the 2019 ride I was enthralled to cycle up to a ski station, at Glenshee. This was not a typical British cycling experience! I relived the ride on Rouvy in my kitchen, including the prelude towards Spittal of Glenshee, where we had a splendid lunch five years ago.

Back in 2019, I was lulled into a false sense of ease during the early stages of the Glenshee ascent. The gradient was modest, and I was making good progress. The photo above shows this section on the Rouvy virtual ride. As in 2019, things were about to get tougher – a lot tougher – as the road climbed skywards. “You’re still smiling!” I was told in 2019 as we paused at the summit at Glenshee ski centre. “That’s because I’m at the top!” I replied.

Above: Glenshee 2019 (left); approaching the ski centre on Rouvy/Rabble Ride Across Britain

When I checked my Strava records I was amused to see that I was two minutes faster on Rouvy than in real life. That’s no surprise: on the real thing I stopped a couple of times to take videos and rest my muscles. Winds and road conditions can also slow you down. The Rouvy gradient still took its toll, especially as the Wattbike Atom seems to have a higher bottom gear than my road bikes.

Unfinished business: conquering the Lecht

Thanks to Rouvy, I have finally cycled up the Lecht, the hardest climb on Ride Across Britain. It is a daunting prospect, as you can see the road soaring up the hill ahead of you. (We were advised to skip it on our 2019 LEJOG because of a storm, and were transported over in a minibus shuttle, as I blogged at the time.) It was brutal, with long stretches of 15% to 20% gradients that proved almost too much: even standing on the pedals I struggled to get enough traction to keep moving. It was a relief to complete the climb and coast down the other side.

The last Rouvy Ride Across Britain ride recreates one of my favourite LEJOG sections alongside Loch Naver following Strathnaver from Altnahara to Bettyhill. (See my blogpost here.) This is an idyllic ride along a very quiet road that descends much of the way to the sea. In time the loch gives way to the river that meets the sea at Bettyhill.

On my first Land’s End to John O’Groats ride in 2002 I was enchanted by the sight of this small, lonely church at Syre, 12 miles south of Bettyhill. I was delighted to pass it again in 2019 and on my Rouvy ride. Back in 2002 I’d have laughed at the idea that I’d one day cycle this road in my kitchen!

I’m now a Rouvy fan, thanks to its Babble Ride Across Britain rides. I love the way these follow video of the actual roads, rather than Zwift’s made up worlds. (Seeing Zwift’s poor attempt to recreate London always annoys me, with most of the buildings bearing no resemblance to the real city.) I’ve also come to like Fulgaz for the same reason, especially as it includes a lot of my local routes. (It was nice to be able to cycle through our currently flooded village without getting wet!)

One Rouvy curiosity. On an early ride, I noticed I was cycling with Emma, Peter and Will. It was only on my third Rouvy ride that I realised these were ghost riders, not fellow cyclists as in Zwift. (A clue was that if I took a break they were still there when I set off again.) You can choose how many ghost riders share the ride with you – or none if you want to ride without spiritual companions. You will see ‘real’ riders on the road as well.

A real Babble Ride Across Britain?

If you fancy joining the Babble Ride Across Britain, do give the Rouvy virtual version a go. It will be good training for the biggest climbs, while giving you a taster for the stunning scenery across Great Britain. If I hadn’t cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats twice I’d be very tempted to sign up myself. But never say never…