My account expired for 3 days as I have unfortunately become an infrequent user in between houses for a new job. I come to find out my $99 membership can now only be renewed for $189. This is disappointing as it was only a 3 day gap. I do not currently have the time to ride my bike on the trainer enough to warrant a full TR plan as I have been having to find time to work out at my office to beat the commute. I was hoping the TR team would be willing to help out a customer who has supported, but they were unwilling. Heads up to anyone to not let their plan expire as renewal rates went way up
1 Like
I don’t recall any communication regarding another price increase, and it would be very unlike TR to up it without giving an opportunity to lock in the old price or saying anything - have TR confirmed that the new rates on the website are correct?
1 Like
Interesting. There was a price increase in October 2018 that was widely announced on the podcast and covered in the press (DCR).
However, for new users that sign-up for the service from October 8th , the price will be $15/month, instead of $12/month. Annual pricing will go from $99/year to $129/year.
Apparently there was another price increase at some point [Official as of today, July 22, 2019 per Nate below]. But I had not seen or heard it happen until now.
From $15/month to $20/month
From $129/year to $190/year ($15.83/month effective)
2 Likes
Yes, we raised prices today. We didn’t decide to announce it with a “lock-in” period this time because we thought that it was doing a disservice to our other users who are supporting us and staying subscribed.
I know that not seeing the price you were expecting can be jarring and maddening.
The increase in price will be used to hire more people, do more research, and build more features to make you faster. We’ve really hit a stride as a company lately with releasing our Performance Analytics, calendar, a new desktop app (mobile coming soon) and outside workouts on Garmins (and Wahoos coming soon).
We are now a year-round solution that makes you faster.
This is just the beginning, and we’ve got a lot of great stuff coming that we think will make you faster; faster. This price change allows us to execute our roadmap more quickly.
I can promise you that we’ll do our best to spend this money efficiently on product improvements.
We don’t spend large amounts of money on endorsements and sponsorships. We just focus on building a better product to make you faster.
I also want to mention that we’ll never raise your price if you stay subscribed as long as I’m CEO. Everyone who’s still subscribed will be grandfathered in.
I also think we’re still the best value in cycling. Nothing makes you faster for less. To put it into context, the monthly price increase is less than a tube a month. But for us it is HUGE!
57 Likes
yea, i can’t justify it at that price and am left bitter. I could have lived with a $30 increase, but $90 is insane for only having a 3 day gap is not fair. I have to spend most of my time on a gym bike at the office, so I can’t justify keeping it. Peloton (at $19 per month) will be a better solution for me as the gym bike has cadence and power and i can just match up to the instructors directions. I am very disappointed. I think TR will be leaving out a bunch of their “everyday” athletes on this one. I would have kept TR for $99 to use for the one-off exercises when i can’t keep on a plan schedule. 3 day gap from 99 to $189 with no notice is a tough pill to swallow.
Nate, you guys should probably send out a notice in advance next time so people don’t feel like they are being taken advantage of. good luck with the continued success, feel free to shoot me a message if you would prefer to discuss offline.
7 Likes
Another price increase? Disappointing
3 Likes
I really don’t want anyone to feel like they are being taken advantage of.
Here’s what we do to try to make it fair:
- We grandfather in everyone who keeps an active account. (their pricing doesn’t change)
- We’ve got text in the cancellation/suspend area that makes it clear that you’ll have to pay the new subscription price when you renew TrainerRoad.
After that it’s a question if you think we’re worth the value. We still believe that we’re the best value in cycling.
25 Likes
If I get ambitious, I may pull together a price comparison between the common training app options, and what each offers.
From limited knowledge about Peloton (Go?), they offer workouts, but lack anything close to TR in the depth of plans for cycling and triathlon, no calendar or analysis features and the like. They seem to only share workouts, but I admit to no research on them at this point, so I may be missing info.
It’s more clear now that TR is aiming to be a one-stop shop for cycling (and eventually triathlon when Run/Swim is properly integrated) training, planning, analysis and such. It seems with this most recent jump the direction is even more strongly focused on allowing (or forcing?) users to drop other apps and place their money squarely in the TR bucket.
I am curious to see the comments here and from the industry guys (DC Rainmaker, GP Lama, Smart Bike Trainers, etc.).
5 Likes
I know. And I went back to the sign on page expecting to see $129 which I probly would have unwillingly signed up for. But was surprised with $189. I had a 3 day gap and no notice of it going up immediately. I am sorry, but some of us live busy lives away from cycling. I love the podcast and the app, but I just can’t justify paying twice as much now as it has become a top priced option versus competition.
4 Likes
I can put some prices down of some competitors:
TrainerRoad
$19.95/month or $189/year ($15.83/month)
Zwift
$15/month + “taxes” (could vary based on country). No yearly plan [effectively $180/year + “taxes”].
Sufferfest
$13/month or $99/year
TrainingPeaks
$20/month or $120/year
Today’s Plan
$18/month or $179/year
Xert
$9.99/month or $99.95/year
If you sign up for a year we’re basically the same or less than Zwift. If you like our planning and analytics you can drop a Training Peaks or Today’s Plan subscription. I know a lot of you are waiting for swim/run integration before you can do that.
18 Likes
Xert is $9.99/month or $99.95/year, but it helps to be a rocket scientist to use it. 
10 Likes
I am not going to get into the value of the TR offering compared to others. Nate and the team have a right to price it at the level they think appropriate, and we punters can make our call if we agree it is the best option for us at that price or not.
But… i am disappointed in the way it has been done. One should be able to trust that a level of open communication we have been accustomed to would continue unless advised otherwise. Last year there was plenty of good communication to ensure current members weren’t caught out, this year there was none.
I am very pleased that you are continuing with grandfathering, but maybe a heads up just to existing members would have been the right thing to do to ensure no one was caught out (rather than the forum and the wider market which would have driven up new memberships at the old price due to FOMO)
8 Likes
Thanks, I added that to the list.
Nate directly addressed this. They want the grandfathering for people that maintain subscriptions.
2 Likes
The guy obviously let it lapse and that is his look out, but if the level of communication had been as per last year, he could have taken the pending increase into account before letting it lapse
4 Likes
TR is a steal at $190/yr… but I just spent $210 on a saddle so what do i know?
42 Likes
All of my subscriptions to services (TR, RideWithGPS, etc.) all have an automatic renewal yearly and I always receive an email a couple of weeks early to let me know that it’s going to happen. Gives me a chance to cancel if I want.
So, if the TR subscription isn’t renewed automatically, do you receive an email indicating that’s it’s ending soon? Just looking to clarify.
3 Likes
The yearly subscription is auto-renewed and you receive an email 2 weeks before that you’re about to be charged.
So if you’re on a plan right now you don’t have to do a thing to stay locked in.
17 Likes
Yes it’s on me for letting it lapse
2 Likes
But he said he didn’t think he was sure it was worth $120. I look at this as not much of a big deal. When signing up you are grandfathered in if you don’t let it lapse.
Heck it’s crazy they’re honoring the $99 yearly or maybe even lower prices. They fact you get over 2,000 workouts, training plans if you want to use them, syncs with on the bike power meter and Kickr to your computer/phone/tablet, now can take the workouts outside loaded onto your computer, calendar that tracks all it does (and looking to make TrainingPeaks worthless, plus all the free stuff like the blog/podcasts/videos. If you don’t think that all of that is worth $189 then your nuts.
A single month of coaching is around what they’re now charging for a year. Like you said you’re not a die hard guy so you should know enough workouts to keep your training alive. You don’t need TR to do a 2x20 set, 6x4, 3x8, 6x4 at whatever % you’re trying to work.
8 Likes