Choosing the Perfect Rouvy Bike: A Guide with Rouvy Analyzer
Updated 8 November 2026: refreshed for ROUVY’s current My Gear screen, 10-point Weight and Aero ratings, coin rules and the latest Rouvy Analyzer.
Picking the right virtual bike on ROUVY won’t turn you into a different rider, but on the right route it can save you real seconds, and in a close Muckers race seconds count. The garage has changed a lot since we first wrote this guide, so here’s an up-to-date, plain-English version of how bike choice works and how to pick yours.
Where to change your bike
Open the Customization tab in your profile menu and choose My Gear, or click your current bike in the top bar of the main Dashboard. The first two tiles are Frame and Wheels. Your current kit is marked Equipped; click Equip under your avatar to switch, and tap the heart to save a favourite. Frames can be filtered by type: Road or Triathlon & TT.
Weight and Aero: the two numbers that matter
Every frame and every wheelset is now rated on a 10-point scale for two things:
- Weight – affects climbing. Lighter kit makes it easier to go uphill.
- Aero – how slippery the frame or wheels are. Better aero means less drag, which helps on flat roads and descents.
More points means better performance in that area. When you look at a new frame or wheelset, ROUVY compares it with what you’ve got equipped: green dots show where it’s better, red dots where it’s worse. Don’t forget the wheels: they’re rated separately, so a good frame on basic wheels is only half the job.
Road bike or TT bike?
ROUVY’s own description is simple: a road bike is slower on the flat and easier uphill; a time trial (TT) bike is fast on the flat, slower on climbs and heavier. Rides done on a TT bike are marked TT in the records.
Before a Muckers race: check the event instructions for permitted bike types. Equip the road frame and wheels you want to use unless the event explicitly allows TT bikes. Do not rely on old lists of permitted bikes or assume the app will choose your preferred setup for you.
Matching the bike to the route
- Flat and rolling routes: go for high Aero on frame and wheels. If it’s a solo ride or TT-style event where a TT bike is allowed, that’s where it shines.
- Long or steep climbs: Weight matters more. A lighter road frame and light wheels will help.
- Mixed routes: a road frame with good scores in both is usually the safe all-rounder. Check the route’s elevation profile on the route or event tile before you choose.
Coins: how to unlock new kit
Coins are what you spend on your avatar, including frames and wheels. You earn them for riding routes, for any workout (FTP tests included) and for events, both group rides and races. The reward is shown on the route tile before you start.
- Coins are earned per kilometre, so you keep what you ride even if you stop early, and you can come back later to finish the route and collect the rest.
- Official ROUVY events show a fixed coin reward on the event tile.
- Rider-created events (like ours!) pay completion coins plus a bonus based on how many riders start: from 100 extra coins for 11–20 starters up to 1,000 for 501+. Another good reason to turn up to Muckers races.
Bike prices change as new frames arrive, so check the current coin cost in My Gear rather than relying on old lists.
Using Rouvy Analyzer (free)
Rouvy Analyzer is a free, independent site (not made by ROUVY) that we still find really handy. Pick a route, add your rider settings such as power and weight, and it estimates your finish time, pacing and the fastest bike and wheel combination. It can now filter bikes by road, gravel or time trial, which is perfect for checking your best road setup before a race, and it shows why the top setup came out on top. Its numbers are estimates, so treat them as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Quick pre-race checklist
- Look at the route profile: flat, rolling or climbing?
- Equip your best road frame and wheels for that profile (unless TT bikes are allowed).
- Optional: check the setup in Rouvy Analyzer.
- Remember: legs and pacing still matter far more than the bike!
See you on the start line, Muckers. 🚴
Sources
- ROUVY Support: Customize your Frame and Wheels
- ROUVY Support: Coins and Experience
- ROUVY Support: ROUVY Vocabulary (road and TT bikes)
- Rouvy Analyzer: What’s new (independent tool)
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Thank you Kyle for this interesting infos, but which bikes exactly are restricted for races?
If you choose a TT bike for instance, for a race that do not allow TT bike you will be notified when opening the Race route/Event, and default back to Rouvy bike.
I think its the SPECIALIZED Shiv and the CUBE Aerium C:68 that you cant use for the races.
Nice post Kyle. Hopefully more now will understand the analyzer and choose the correct bike for racing. I’ve seen 0.5-0,8 less output on the correct bike frame over the standard Rouvy bike on races where I was followed by well know riders 🙂
I am looking forward to get the coins needed for upgrade, still a lot of hard work ahead of me before I can make the purchase! A proper, light, climbing bike is high on my wishlist! 😉 Wont happen this Xmas though….
Thx for the info. We don’t have to decide ourselves anymore 😉
Quick question though, how do you know your power data?
i would say it is the Watts rouvy shows in the summary of the route, so estimate which power you will reach in average. It is usually lower than the FTP.
I purchased a Cervelo S5 (I can’t remember the amount of coins, bur you can check yourseld) from Rouvy and lately a Giant Propel Advanced SL0 for 50.000 coins. Both are good, with apparently some advantage for the Giant.
Last night’s race shows I would have been 2 minutes 30 seconds faster if I had the S5 or Propel compared to the standard Rouvy bike. I’m at 36,000 coins in only 6 weeks so it won’t be long. Nothing worse than looking round in the group you are in to see everyone else has the forked stem of the S5. No wonder I’m always flat out. It would be a good option if race organisers could force everyone onto the same bike so that only legs win rather than virtual equipment and remove the game element of Rouvy.
in any case, all those below the top 30 are almost reachable, then I don’t know if it depends only on the bike. We need to understand if there is a bike that can hold the draw for longer and then this makes the difference in a race like last night’s.
One question. I don’t really see in a past activity, which bike I used. Is it a rouvy “bug”, they don’t show it, or am I distrait?
Even better, it’d be interesting to see on a race-result-list to see which bike was used by the racers.