A big part of our community is riding on Real Roads, freely exploring the RGT roads, outside of an event or structured session. To support them and to make their rides more engaging, we have implemented Real Bots - bots that vary their behavior based on Real-World cycling scenarios.
This will make the experience of riding with bots more realistic, giving users the opportunity to ride and interact with them.
Users will be able to find and ride with Real Bots on Real Roads and in specific Group Rides. Anyone creating their own event will be able to add Real Bots when setting the event up.
Real Bots will have different behaviors on Just Ride and Group Rides than in Races. In Group Rides they will have a tendency to ride at a smoother, less aggressive pace while in Races they will go harder and they will sprint more.
Please note – The old bots have not retired. They have changed jobs in the peloton to Pacing Bots. Users can still find them on Real Roads and add them to their own events.
About Real Bots
All Real Bots (RB) have an FTP and a power curve that varies according to gender and bot class (the style of rider they have been programmed to imitate). RB have hitpoints that will burn, conserve or regenerate depending on the level of their effort. Just as we would encounter in real life, some bots will have a propensity to follow wheels more than others. There are limits in place to tell bots how hard they can go to follow a specific wheel.
Real Bot Classes
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All-rounder - Good at all styles of riding (think Tour GC contenders)
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Time Trialist - Purely focused on maintaining long high even outputs
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Climber - Only rides for big climbs
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Puncheur - Best suited to rolling short sharp hills
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Sprinter - Focused on flat courses and all-out speed at the end
Bots Behavior
Depending on various triggers, bots will change their power output (they will sprint, do a tempo pace or even slow down to recover).
FAQ
What are Real Bots?
Real Bots are automated riders that mimic human behavior. The way they interact with the world around them is based on real-world cycling scenarios. Each bot may have a different riding style to another.
How can I recognize the Real Bots on the road?
Real Bots will have Real Bot as their team name and Pacing Bots will have Pacing Bots as their team name. At the same time, all Real Bots wear a black helmets and all Pacing Bots wear a red helmet.
When do I want to use Real Bots?
When you want to have a more engaging ride and ride at a less constant pace. They will make the experience of riding with bots more realistic, giving you the opportunity to ride and interact with them.
Can I select a specific class of bots to add?
On Real Roads, Real Bots have been added according to the specifics of the road and their riding style. In your own events, at the moment bots will be added randomly. We will be adding more functionalities soon.
Where can I find the Real Bots?
You will find them on all Real Roads and on specific events.
What happens to the existing bots?
Existing bots will become Pacing Bots and they will continue to exist alongside the new bots. The way they work will not change.
How will I add them?
On the website, in the Create Event menu, you’ll get a chance to add them with a quick-select menu or with a more detailed custom menu.
How many Real Bots can I add to an event?
The current limit is 99 as for the Pacing Bots. Depending on how narrow the selection criteria is, we will add as many possible Real Bots as it is possible. If they are insufficient, we will continue to add Pacing Bots to reach your desired number of bots.
How are the classes different?
Different classes are good at different things. Without being too obvious, Sprinters are good at short, powerful sprints, Climbers are good are tackling longer mountain passes.
What do the different bots levels mean?
When adding Real Bots you can select from three predefined levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. Bots Levels are predefined ranges of difficulty based on similar user weight and a range of W/kg:
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Beginner is 1.5 to 2.5 w/kg
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Intermediate is 2.5 to 3.5 w/kg
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Expert is 3.5 to 4.2 w/kg
How do Bots work with steering?
At the start of a ride, Bots will start in a randomly chosen lane and remain there during the ride. Bots will change lanes in the following situations:
- if a Bot is caught behind a slower rider in the lane, the Bot will auto-avoid by moving to the lane on either side of the slower rider.
- if a Bot is steered into by a rider, that Bot will be pushed to the next lane as long as the pushing rider is in the proper position to push another rider.