FAQ

FAQ

Is it really free? Yes — free to use, open source (GPLv3), no subscription, no account. The licence also means anything built from VeloPopuli has to stay open source.

Which trainers work? Bluetooth FTMS trainers (most made since about 2018), Tacx trainers using FE-C over Bluetooth, and any ANT+ FE-C trainer through a USB stick. Power meters, heart-rate straps and speed/cadence sensors too. Real-world testing is just beginning — see Connecting your trainer.

Do I need a smart trainer? No. With a power meter you ride normally (the trainer just doesn't change resistance). With only a speed sensor on a basic trainer, VeloPopuli can estimate power. With nothing at all, try the demo rider.

Why is my speed different from my trainer's display? Your speed comes from your power, weight and the virtual road, as it would outdoors — not from the flywheel.

Why does the first ride on a route take a while to start? It downloads that route's terrain and map data once. Later rides start immediately, and work offline.

Why does the road surface or width look wrong somewhere? They come from OpenStreetMap tags. If a stretch is mis-tagged, you can fix it on openstreetmap.org and everyone benefits. If the tags couldn't be fetched, the app guesses from the road class and tries again a day later.

Can I ride with friends? Yes — see Group rides and self-hosting. For now one of you runs the small relay server.

Does it work with Apple Health or my watch? Not at the moment. Rides are saved as standard FIT files, which most platforms import, and upload to Strava directly. A watch that broadcasts heart rate over Bluetooth works as a heart-rate sensor.

How do I report a bug? Reporting problems — the app builds the report for you.