The latest indieVelo update V0.2.36 released February 12, 2024, introduces Tactical Positioning, an innovative interpretation of steering.
Tactically interesting racing has always been the cornerstone of what makes indieVelo unique in indoor cycling. For this sport to succeed, it needs to be about your decisions, as well as power – your skill and judgment should materially impact the outcome of every race.
This week’s release (see below for full details) continues indieVelo’s mission to innovate in this area and introduces another brand new feature to indoor cycling – tactical positioning.
From day one, indieVelo has always used intelligent positioning of bikes on the road, automatically doing the mundane actions that aren’t interesting, and we all take for granted when riding outdoors, such as taking racing lines around corners or seeking out the draft behind others. There are some critical decisions that only you can make that are crucial to the outcome of a race and make the difference between winning and losing – for example, when, where, and how to attack to maximize your chances of success.
In this first release, indieVelo will continue to handle the routine positioning automatically, but now you can – if you want – override that with tactical choices. It is helpful for situations that, in the short term, put you in a slightly worse position, but if deployed at the right time, could create a longer-term advantage – moving off the racing line and out of the draft to prepare for an attack, or moving aside in a paceline to let the rider behind you through, etc.
To avoid doubt, this is *not* full steering. To keep it accessible and without the need for additional hardware, you can simply choose (with a single press of the left/right arrow keys or new in-game action menu buttons) to temporarily override the automated intelligent positioning to bias your rider position to the left or right of a typically optimal position.
In a pack, you won’t barge riders out of the way or be able to affect others negatively, but as gaps open, you will slowly move across to where you want to be. Doing so will take some effort, so it isn’t something to use continuously, but perfect for preparing for those one-off key moments when controlling your position really matters.
Note for Mac Bluetooth users: If you find that the Bluetooth icon on the pairing screen has turned red, please follow the instructions linked from https://wiki.indievelo.com/docs/apple-mac-ble-permissions/ to first completely remove, and then re-add, permission for indieVelo to use the Mac Bluetooth connection.
Do you want to steepen your indieVelo learning curve? Check out our How-to-Guides page for details!
If all has gone well, you shouldn’t have to do anything to get the new version, as indieVelo will self-update the next time you start it up. If you find any problems, however, instructions on how to manually update are on the website: https://wiki.indievelo.com/docs/updates
Please note that, depending on when you installed indieVelo, you may see a warning message recommending that you update the installer/launcher to the latest version. If you see this, download it again from https://indievelo.com/downloads, and the update will automatically apply. The entire process typically takes a minute or two, often much less.
The full patch notes are below!
Initial testing has shown this opens up all sorts of interesting tactical opportunities and judgements to make when riding, and I can’t wait to see how it gets used and what new race strategies develop as a result.
“Please do keep your feedback coming – as we continue to rapidly iterate on this, and other features, every comment and suggestion is incredibly helpful. A huge Thank You to everyone for your support!”
George Gilbert
Patch Notes – V0.2.36 – Key changes from the last version:
Added tactical positioning.
Added icon in the list of events for those that are human-only.
Added name of custom workouts to Strava etc upload titles.
Added dynamic texture loading.
Added lots more teams.
Improved parsing of custom ERG and MRC workout files.
Improved logging of errors in custom workout files.
Improved UI alignment.
Improved logging of network errors.
Improved memory usage.
Improved initial loading time.
Fixed bug with file writing permissions on mobile platforms.
Fixed bug with screenshots very occasionally having artefacts.
Fixed bug with action menu appearing after junctions.
Fixed bug with mouse cursor hiding not working as intended.
Fixed bug with capitalisation of some bot names.
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
