Compare TrainingPeaks Virtual
DirtWatts vs TrainingPeaks Virtual for mountain bikers
TrainingPeaks Virtual, formerly indieVelo, is built for racers and coached athletes, and it comes with a TrainingPeaks Premium plan. Its real-world routes are road climbs and courses. DirtWatts is for the days you want dirt.
Prices and features checked October 2026. US list prices.
Choose TrainingPeaks Virtual if…
- You already pay for TrainingPeaks Premium
- You race online
- Your coach plans your workouts in TrainingPeaks
Choose DirtWatts if…
- You want real singletrack, not a road climb
- You want a free tier with no time limit
- You want lidar grades and dirt physics
Or ride both
$184.98a year for TrainingPeaks Virtual and DirtWatts
Keep TrainingPeaks Virtual for road days. DirtWatts adds the trails for $4.17 a month, billed yearly, or start on the free tier.
Head to head
DirtWatts and TrainingPeaks Virtual, side by side
- Yes
- Partly
- Coming soon
- No
- Not advertised
| Feature | DirtWatts | TrainingPeaks Virtual |
|---|---|---|
| Price (US) | $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year | Included in TrainingPeaks Premium: $19.95 a month or $134.99 a year |
| Free option | Free tier: two featured trails, rotated monthly | 14-day trial, plus the first Tuesday of every month free |
| What you ride | Real US mountain bike trails, rebuilt one by one | A designed island plus real-world routes |
| MTB singletrack | Every trail is singletrack or dirt, from Park City to Moab, Sedona, Bend and Durango | Not advertised |
| Elevation source | USGS 1 m bare-earth lidar | Designed, plus GPX for real-world routes |
| Surface changes resistance | Yes: each trail section carries its surface, so hardpack rolls faster than loose dirt | Not advertised |
| Ride your own routes | Coming soon: one US trail request a month, baked from lidar | Real-world routes through GPXplore |
| Group rides and racing | Leaderboards and climb segments coming soon; group rides on the roadmap | Yes: races, group rides, USA Cycling esports nationals |
| Structured workouts | No. You ride trails | Yes, synced with TrainingPeaks |
| Runs on | Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS and ChromeOS. Desktop app on the roadmap | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Apple TV |
Strengths
What TrainingPeaks Virtual does better
- Serious online racing, including USA Cycling esports nationals
- Workouts synced straight from TrainingPeaks
- Included in a plan many coached riders already pay for
- Apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Apple TV
What only DirtWatts does
- Real US singletrack, cut into the hillside the way the real trail is
- Grades from USGS 1 m bare-earth lidar, not a GPS track
- Trail surfaces that change resistance: hardpack rolls faster than loose dirt
- A rider model fitted to a real power-meter ride on dirt, with thinner air at altitude
- A free tier, and $49.99 a year for the full library
DirtWatts and TrainingPeaks Virtual: questions
Is TrainingPeaks Virtual the same as indieVelo?
Yes. indieVelo became TrainingPeaks Virtual and is now part of TrainingPeaks Premium.
Can I send DirtWatts rides to TrainingPeaks?
Every DirtWatts ride ends with a FIT file you can upload to TrainingPeaks, Strava, Garmin Connect or intervals.icu.
More comparisons
See every app in one table on the comparison page, or compare DirtWatts with:
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- DirtWatts vs Rouvy
- DirtWatts vs Biketerra
- DirtWatts vs MyWhoosh
- DirtWatts vs Kinomap
- DirtWatts vs FulGaz
Spot something out of date? Email hello@dirtwatts.com and we'll fix it. Product names are trademarks of their owners.
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