Watsonville Criterium

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

This is the VeloPromo Watsonville Criterium lap, a relatively uniquely L-shaped course with almost constant turns to the finishing straight, leaving a brief, max 5% climb to the S/F banner. There’s a lot packed into each 1.09 km lap.

https://rgtdb.com/courses/186734

1. RGT requires a screen device, and a control device.  The screen device is a laptop, iPad, Apple TV, or desktop computer . It is what is used to show the “rider view” along with metrology like power, distance, heartrate, as well as a route profile.   Unlike with Zwift, for example, the screen device is not generally used to control the game.  That’s done on the control device.   The control device is typically your phone.  You need to install the screen app on the screen device (via https://rgtcycling.com), and the mobile control app on the phone (via the app store of your choice).   reference: https://www.rgtcycling.com/get-started/ .

• run both apps.  After you create an account, if you log in to each app with the same account, the mobile app and screen app will be synchronized.  Each needs to be connected to the internet, but not necessarily on the same network, so the phone can use a cellular connection, for example.  With the app you enter height, weight, pick a bike (choice is cosmetic only, unlike in Zwift all bikes here perform the same), and customize your avatar.
• There is a registration link for each event.  Click on it using the mobile device with the control device installed. This should send you to a page to enter the event.  A video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PVTIyqCOp4
• Around 10-15 minutes before the event, turn the screen app on on the screen device, then go to the mobile “control” app and click “events”, then “my events”, and you’ll see the event listed. Click on the event.  This will bring up a page for the event, and the screen app will switch to show the title of the event.  There should be a button on the mobile device for “join event”.  Click that and your avatar will appear on the starting line.
• RGT races (as opposed to group rides) require some sort of power measurement, so either a smart trainer or a power meter which can pair with your mobile device via bluetooth.  Instructions on how to do this are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yMWmCigokQ
• Before the start of the race, pedal the bike and make sure you see a power number and, optionally, a heartrate signal.  If you don’t see these make sure everything is turned on a paired.  You may try disconnecting and reconnecting if there’s an issue.
• RGT communicates through the mobile device.  So it’s best to not use the mobile device for other things while running RGT.  This may be especially true with using other bluetooth devices, like ear buds or audio speakers, with the phone.  So it’s best to get music from somewhere else, for example the laptop.  This is a difference between RGT and Zwift: in Zwift, the trainer pairs with your “screen” device.  In RGT it pairs with the phone.  If you want to play music on your mobile device, it’s best to set that up before the race, and perhaps to use wired audio instead of bluetooth.
• If you get a power dropout during a race, try tapping the watts number on the appropriate screen.  This will allow you to disconnect and reconnect to the power data source.  Try pedaling again look for a power number.  If you see one, your avatar will start moving again soon.
• RGT doesn’t require much internet bandwidth, but it does require a reliable internet connection.  If internet drops for more than a few seconds it can create problems. Don’t panic — you may be able to get back into the race.  But RGT does more at the server side, while Zwift does it at the client side, so RGT places greater demands on a reliable connection.
• During the race, there’s two useful things to do with the mobile app.  One is to change the view (“camera”).  First person has more of a rider view, but it’s harder to see rivals.  “Second person” allows seeing rivals to the sides, but not behind, yet still provides close to the rider view.  “Drone” is a view well behind the rider, which allows seeing more rivals, but is not as immersive.  “Second person” is the most popular in races, “first person” when riding solo.
• There is also a chat page — there’s a symbol on the app which looks like a comic quote bubble.  This allows sending messages to others in the event.  these appear on both the screen app and the mobile app.
• At the finish, the avatar will stop.  Unlike in Zwift, there is no continuing on the course after events. The camera will switch to a view of the finish line so you can see other riders finishing.  Hit the “stop” symbol when you’re done, and then exit the screen app.
• Results are posted to https://rgtdb.com/ under “results”.