---
title: "Headset makes Z2 more engaging, not easier"
date: 2025-10-26
categories: ["Training"]
url: https://www.semiprocycling.com/digest/headset-makes-z2-more-engaging-not-easier
author: Damian Ruse (SEMIPRO Cycling)
---
# Headset makes Z2 more engaging, not easier

![](https://www.semiprocycling.com/digest/images/3c602147e6d70f00639ff29c.webp)

A new lab study put 35 young adults through four 10‑minute blocks of the same cycling task: no VR, TV, headset, and headset plus a simple game. Thirty‑four were analysed. RPE sat at 12 in every condition. HR held about 63 percent of age‑predicted max. Yet breathing rate was highest with headset plus interaction, and that setup was preferred and felt more “present.”

Translation: immersion can make steady work feel more engaging without changing how hard it feels, even while your body works a touch harder. Useful for boredom. Not a shortcut to easier watts.

If you already ride with VR, keep targets honest. Set power or ERG and cross‑check HR. Start with short bouts if you get motion sickness. Remember visuals can also push RPE up when they imply steeper hills at the same load, so anchor to numbers. Heads‑up only until we see data in trained cyclists under fatigue.

## Takeaways

- Use VR on endurance days to lift completion and enjoyment. Keep power and HR fixed.
- Log RPE and HR–power drift. If drift rises, dial back the visuals or interaction.
- Save intervals for a plain screen or minimal interaction.

## References

- Colombo V, Mondellini M, Aliverti A, Sacco M. Immersion and interaction during cycling in virtual reality. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. 15 Oct 2025. Key results: RPE unchanged; breathing rate highest with headset plus interaction; highest preference and presence.
- Bruce RM et al. Incongruent virtual reality cycling elevates RPE and blood pressure at matched power. Journal of Physiology. Epub 4 Jan 2025. Context caution on visuals vs load.

## On my mind: Hold Your Nerve

Last Sunday one of my riders lit up the first climb. About 20 watts over plan. It felt easy. The bunch rolled fast. Ten minutes later he was hanging on. I’ve done the same. I know the plan, then forget it when the road opens.

To avoid this, keep it simple. Before the ride, say the plan out loud: target, cap, what to do when it feels easy. During, breathe, glance at the screen, let people go if they don’t fit the plan.

Nothing clever. A bit boring, but boring works here.

Damian