The latest indieVelo update, V0.2.48, released on May 6, adds event creation autonomy and customization, and 3rd party game controller support.
Entirely customizable events are one of indieVelo’s many unique features for online cycling. Not only can anyone, at any time, put on any event configured just how they like it, but they can also brand it with their in-game logos and artwork. As a fundamental point of principle, the future of cycling esports shouldn’t be controlled by the few but be open and available to anyone to shape their riding, training, and racing to be however they want it to be.
This week’s release (see below for full details) focuses on adding more ways to put on your events and control how you ride. Headlines include:
Event Signups: You can now view who has already signed up for any events before you enter yourself. indieVelo now supports doing this both within the application (from the event details screen) and online at https://indievelohub.com
Custom Event Options: indieVelo now supports two new options for customizing your events – passive bots and broad ability range pens. Selecting passive bots (in unranked events only!) ensures that they won’t attack and will just sit in the bunch – ideal for a more relaxing and friendly race or ensuring that the humans have to attack to create a breakaway or win.
Selecting broad ability range pens causes indieVelo’s automatic multiplayer matchmaking to use fewer pens to group people together – ideal for racing against friends of different abilities.
3rd Party Controller Support: indieVelo now supports many 3rd party controllers to assist with common riding actions – such as menu navigation, camera control, and tactical positioning on the road. It explicitly includes the Avotro cycling-specific controllers designed to clip onto your handlebars, all major game console controllers (Xbox, Playstation, etc.), and any buttons on Smart Bikes.
Users can also utilize these controllers to control indieVelo’s unique Virtual Gearing, which works on any make and model of smart trainer without the need to buy additional hardware.
Please note, however, that with the network infrastructure changes, if you use a firewall or anti-virus scanner on your computer, you may need to add indieVelo as a permitted application and/or enable access to UDP Port 7777 and TCP Port 7777.
As always, there’s the usual plethora of other additions, improvements and fixes, including new monthly challenges for May, improved UI elements, faster and more fault-tolerant networking, and other background infrastructure changes to keep everything running smoothly.
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!
“Thank you again to everyone for your continued support. With 100% of the indieVelo roadmap determined by what you want to see and do, your ideas, thoughts and suggestions have never been more important to defining the future of virtual sport.”
George Gilbert
Patch Notes – V0.2.48 – Key changes from the last version:
- Added ability to view event signups in-game.
- Added full plug-and-play support for Avotro cycling controllers.
- Added ability to select passive bots in unranked events.
- Added ability to select wide ability range pens when multiplayer matchmaking.
- Added support for Kickr Bike buttons for camera control.
- Added ability to hold down the down arrow to activate u-turn.
- Added two new monthy challenges for May.
- Added lots of new teams and custom event brandings.
- Removed TodaysPlan integration.
- Improved support for 3rd party game controllers (XBox / PS etc).
- Improved startup time when there are lots of custom workouts.
- Improved distance to go indicator when less than 1km remaining.
- Improved quick action menu to only require single tap on mobile devices.
- Improved button highlight animations.
- Improved names of the bots from Finland.
- Improved efficiency of API.
- Improved required bandwidth.
- Improved hung thread detection and handling.
- Improved handling of ANT+ dongle initialization failures.
- Improved handling of FIT file upload errors.
- Improved tolerance to network failures.
- Improved networking when server kicks misbehaving clients.
- Improved logging throughout.
- Improved menu text.
- Improved online documentation.
- Improved error messages.
- Improved UI alignment.
- Improved blocking of spam connections.
- Fixed bug with quick action menu sometimes not closing.
- Fixed bug with default event selection at start of day.
- Fixed a bug with asynchronous processing when closing a menu.
- Fixed bug with Mac BLE multi-threading.
- Fixed bug with benign error message.
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.
