How you can use your indoor trainer to ride in Grand Theft Auto

Over the last few months we've cyclists everywhere rethink how they ride and train, which has resulted in some fascinating innovations.

We’ve seen pros spend hours in the saddle on Zwift and we’ve seen Everesting world records, but there is an addition to the catalogue of ways to ride during lockdown.

Thanks to one tech expert, you can now explore a virtual world via your indoor trainer and your PC using the legendary Grand Theft Auto video game.

The ‘Grand Theft Bike V mod’ lets you pair your smart turbo train with the open-world game and use your bike as a controller to cycle around the fictional world of Los Santos, Grand Theft Auto’s version of Los Angeles.

Video game mods may be familiar to gamers, but for anyone else they are basically alterations to existing video games that are created by fans and can be downloaded and used by players.

Grand Theft Auto has been at the centre of a number of mods through the years, including introducing playable characters like Superman or improved graphics, but the latest mod will be of interest to cyclists.

By linking the ANT+ wireless system from a compatible turbo trainer to your PC, the game will read your speed and power and combine it with in-game changes in terrain, road surface and the wind to recreate a ride.

And for Strava addicts, the game will also save your ride as a FIT file so you can upload the activity.

While there is an option to ‘free ride’ and steer yourself around the game, riding and using a keyboard can be tricky so the mod comes with a route option, so you can ride on autopilot around the streets.

You’ll even get a digital cycle computer that appears in the corner of the screen, so you can keep an eye on your distance, speed and power as you ride.

Full instructions  available here.

This mod requires a smart trainer that is ANT+ FE-C compatible as well as an ANT+ dongle for your PC.

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You will also need the most recent version of GTA V plus the software required to make mods works.