GCN Reviews

by CliffSpencer

GCN has major problems. First of all, there is no Apple TV app so you are expected to use AirPlay if you want to watch on TV. I subscribed to this app and had a group of friends over to watch the Cyclocross World’s. GCN repeatedly disconnected from AirPlay after about three minutes of video and good luck reconnecting.

The UI is designed so that on my iPad Pro the position scrubber for the video goes under various icons on the lower right corner so you can’t adjust the time. In my case I wanted to go back to watch the entire race but in the end had to give up on this and just watch the final lap.

I run a Wifi 6 network into the newest AppleTV 4K so the issue is not the network. this app should offer a native AppleTV app and figure out how to not have overlapping UI controls, perhaps adopt some UI testing so they might find issues like this themselves. I’ll be trying to get a refund for my subscription, I can’t recommend this app+.

by George79938

Purchased the yearly this app race pass but disappointed to find no live race feed. Patiently went through the entire app and found that the Strade Bianche “live” race would not available in the US. Decided on buying anyways because as GCN description says, an “on demand” feature is available. Fast forward, no on demand content available. I downloaded and purchased GCN strictly for the race pass and I don’t have any races to watch. The manage subscription tab says “oops” error occurred, you must have subscribed through a different device when I had just subscribed with the same device. ???
Again cycling enthusiasts, buyer beware.
I will be requesting a refund through Apple since this app says in their disclaimer that the buyer waives his/her right to a refund.

by Fhabekchsjskhjfnnebs

I bought the yearly this app Plus subscription and I wish I didn’t. The races offered and the content looks to be awesome, when I can access it because the content takes forever to load, I have tried both LTE and my wifi with no difference in speed, and AirPlay to my tv is spotty and it drops, then when I try to reconnect the airplay, the broadcast freezes and you better hope you don’t get an email, call or text message on your iphone or iPad during a broadcast because the broadcast will freeze and you must reconnect and with it having taken 15 minutes to get it all working in the first place, I throw in the towel and skip the frustration. Why there is a this app plus channel for AppleTv, 33 million users in North America and not one for Roku, 50 million users in North America is beyond me.

by Khaneliman

Love the content available in GCN . The navigation and layout to finding said content is horrid.

The races are just a scrolling carousel without grouping by race or year or anything.

Since there’s no Apple TV app I am forced to AirPlay but the airplay support is frustrating because of GCN design. When you select a stage/race it defaults to playing the full race in the video player on GCN page that opens, but when you want to watch a highlight video it only opens as a slide up video on top of the main video. This causes issues with airplay and leaving GCN or sleeping the screen of your phone resulting in canceling video playback of the highlight video and resuming playing the race video. This leads to next complaint…

App video playing doesn’t store what you watched. When you watch 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes of a race and your airplay changes to a different video to play on your tv, you lose track of what you watched previously when you go back to the video you wanted to watch. This can occur in too many ways because of the Airplay implementation and results in way too much time spent trying to just find where you were watching from before.

The social features are frustrating because of the inability to search for users or posts, you only see what is shown to you.

by CMcWest

The coverage and quality of broadcast is awesome! Money we’ll spent. However, the RaceTV coverage often cuts out on GCN and then I have to completely close GCN and restart it to reconnect to the stream/replay. It also doesn’t remember where it died or where I paused it, so I have to scan to find the spot where I last was watching. Also, the iPad app seems to just be the iPhone app, and it is glacially slow even on a newer iPad. A dedicated iPad app and, even better, an AppleTV app would be perfection. Again, the cycling commentary and production is great. this app is one of my favorite content providers. Let’s tune up GCN ! 👍🏻

by Senorocho008

The content is really good and covers a wide range of races. One commentator is a bit screwy, the rest are excellent. Love the woman from Denmark (I think maybe elsewhere).
It is pretty random whether or not a race will actually play. You can be watching a race then come back to finish it later and the race won’t load. Select a race and it won’t load first time, skip a stage and it may start. Go back and try your first choice and it may load and go a few minutes later. Not sure if it is a server overload or programming issue. Happens probably 3/4 of the time. Frustrating. “Maybe On Demand”
The player is functional with a plus and minus 15 seconds. It doesn’t have a resume feature.
Availability filter would be nice so you could see what was available in your country. Not a big deal.
I haven’t used any of the social features.
Good overall just don’t expect to watch the race you want when you want. The good news is you will have time to write a review while you give GCN time to decide if it will load a race up for you next time you tap on it. Happy cycling!

by JJ$$$$$

I subscribe to this app+ and have been overall happy with the product, notwithstanding geo limitations which I understand is largely out of their control. However, I have had two recent issues with GCN though which is frustrating.

First, please redesign now you showcase the latest news on RaceTV to avoid spoilers. Today I went to watch highlights of the TdF but the “this app Daily” news card on the RaceTV tab had in big bold letters who had won the race. This was just a couple of hours after the conclusion of the race. Late-breaking news like this is better reported on the other tabs, e.g. Home, which I know to avoid reading if I can’t watch live.

I’d also like a smoother interface for races available to stream in my region. If a race is not available to watch, none of the options should be available to click. Otherwise, if I click on a race, I get a black screen with the play/fast forward/rewind buttons but nothing loads. Previously I would get a red screen stating not available in my region. At the very least, bring that red screen back.

by GatorGirlLiz

First, I will say that I love the this app content. Having access to so much cycling is amazing. However, navigating GCN to get to that content can be a challenge. GCN freezes quite often as I’m trying to scroll through to get to older races, often requiring me to close and restart GCN altogether. GCN also closes randomly when I’m trying to stream to my Apple TV via air play, which means I have to reopen GCN , scroll around to find the race again, wait for GCN to unfreeze a few times, maybe restart GCN a few times, then try to remember how far I had gotten in the race and fast forward back to that point in the race.

by Dingustron

I want to like GCN but it is really rough in terms of function. The UI is intuitive, however, each screen is very slow to load and there are some other very glaring improvements to be made. Why does GCN not save where I left off in the race? It starts over not only when I leave GCN and I have to make a mental note or write down the time stamp, it also starts over if I cast the video to my Apple TV (Which is another big omission; there needs to be an Apple TV version of GCN ). This is a great service for cycling fans to have access to all of the races around the world but GCN definitely leaves room for improvement.

by Vvsam

I love all the races to watch. However, because there is no Apple TV app, it is necessary to stream to a mobile device and then send that to the TV. And that works abominably! It’s a total dog’s breakfast! The connection often gets lost and GCN is especially poor at letting you skip forward — this is a frustrating experience when watching hours-long stage races. I don’t want bells and whistles and new features in GCN ; I want something stable and responsive that lets me find my place in a multi-hour race. this app content is an A+; GCN itself is a C, no better.

by Mzapf28

Well. This is an update to my original. Really have to give them credit. Their content has won me over. If you are in the US this is the best out there by a LARGE margin. FloSports, NBC Gold (Soon all to be on Peacock) aren’t even close. Still not ecstatic about the functionality, but let’s see what they can do after this inaugural year.

If I had to compare to my other options (see above) this is a 5/5 hands down. Others are 3/5 at best and even that is generous. But still have to stick with NBC for the Tour and Vuelta. If this app+ can ever take over that contract in the US . . . I’d be all in for this app.

by Caleott

I used the NBC app to watch the tour. Then I discovered GCN. A good VPN solves the blackout area problems. I savor every minute of the grand tours. I want to watch the whole thing and enjoy the drama of the entire tour. I don’t want to know who won the race till I finish watching it. That might be a month later. You can turn off racing news in the preferences so the home page does not show you racing news. But I started watching the Vuelta and I see the big banner ‘Roglic is the king of Spain”. I had just started stage 2. Solution: have a no spoiler tab in preferences so that when I am looking for my next stage to watch in RacecTV, I am not blasted with a big banner for a recap that displays the winner.

Funniest moment: During the TdF when Wiggins was on the motorcycle and Ritchey Porte rides by and Brad does his best Aussie accent. Priceless. Wiggins and Kelly bring such funny color to the broadcast.

by Bongo Carissian

This is the one stop for road racing, and coupled with this app+, it it gives you awesome race coverage. The only thing that needs improved on is:
1. When watching a race, and you stop part way thru and want to watch more later, it doesnt save your spot in the video, you just have to fast forward back to where you were....if you remember
2. You have to open each race to see if it available in you country, it would be nice if you could just filter out the stuff thats not available, or if it was designated on the race selection screen.

Other than that, these guys are knocking it out of the park.

by Al1234648437

Love what this app + is doing so don’t want to be too critical as I know with all great things it takes a bit of time to get there. I would just urge to make it a top priority to provide us with an Apple TV native App, trying to airplay from phone to TV is unbearable. Too many bugs interrupt the broadcast and when you return to surplus replay starts from the beginning. I’ve adored you constantly having to remember how many Kim’s are left in race so I can forward once I get airplay working again.

Again I know this is being work on, we just ask this be a priority as many people that don’t have patient to see it through just get turned off from using it

by Mitch687

It’s great to have an app that compiles all things cycling related. It’s now my go to resource for news and race info. I am a Race Pass subscriber and in enjoying the Weekly World of Cycling show and daily race updates and info.
My only suggestion for improvement would be to have better visibility as to why some races are not available to watch in certain countries. Maybe just list the countries it is available to watch in on each race page or provide a pop up that says “sorry this race is not available to watch in your area.”
I’m also very impressed with the speed and kindness of the developers response to my concerns. They clearly care about GCN users and want to continue to make it great.

by Zwift IPad Mini

Hello,

First, I love the this app+ app! GCN is awesome with a few exceptions. No Pairs-Nice or TDF coverage in the US on this app+. That’s disappointing to learn after signing up in February. Hopefully we get TDF for the US audience in the future. I really like the unexpected ambient sound option if you want to hear the sounds of the race. The race announcers are great, but I was blow away with ambient sounds option. Never lose that please. Suggestions: 1) I would like to see the this app+ app added to the Roku streaming channels so we can stream directly from our TV. That would free up my iPad. I’m currently using screen mirror to cast to the Roku media player for viewing on the TV. I’m mostly watching this app+ on my iPad with Bose speaker, which makes for a better experience. Are you guys working on a this app+app on Roku streaming media players/TV? If so, what’s the ETA on that? Cheers! 🇺🇸

by MJ Watso

I love GCN so far for watching pro cycling. I signed up for this app+ and I’ve had access to watch nearly all the big races so far. As a US resident it can be challenging finding pro cycling access sometimes but GCN and membership has been a life saver. My TVs are all equipped with Roku, so I’ll be looking forward to the day GCNs app is available with Roku. But until then I use Apple Airplay to stream on my tv. The airplay function can be glitchy at times but it gets the job done. It could be due to my wifi connection. Otherwise the stream works great if you’re just watching on tablet or phone.

by Doc Golf

I discovered the this app site last year and find myself going there multiple times per day. One doesn’t have to be a racer to enjoy it, just someone who is deeply committed to cycling as an important part of their lifestyle. Whether watching the this app Show, catching up on tech advances or enjoying some of the beautiful photos submitted by other cyclists, it’s an easy place to spend time on.
My only suggestion would be to make the this app Shop easier to navigate. I tried to order a book at Christmas and was unable to get it to go thru. Perhaps because I’m in the US or possibly my own error but I got “dropped” in that area.

by TCDickens

The team of presenters and production staff and everyone that is part of the this app team does a bang up job providing new and catching content on a daily basis. Most importantly for me they focus on CYCLING and they don’t bother more than is necessary in the politics and whatnot that many of us are so tired of hearing about. this app is like a refuge, honestly, in its own way, and that I really appreciate. Beyond all that I think if you like this app and what they are trying to do you should rate and review and watch and subscribe. The only way to keep the ball rolling is to support these folks in real terms. Hopefully one day they will have better representation in the US - or even a US based presenter.

by CP Cyclist

this app by far has the greatest community oriented platform. The easy to use app and website makes for an enjoyable experience watching the countless forms of entertainment that are provided. The videos are absolutely high quality and professional with the perfect amount of humor to make you feel like you’ve known the team for years. The ability to watch live world wide races on this app+ is always exciting! While not all races are available in the US they do their best to provide all content needed to cover the races. The community of other cyclists makes the already enjoyable experience that much more intriguing. They are willing to help answer questions and the fellow support for beginners such as myself is unforgettable. Give it a try you won’t be disappointed. Thanks this app !

by Xrrfy

Only a cell phone view available so kind of a poor viewing experience. No chance I would pay for content until this changes.

by A Guy Who Runs

Some genius decided they needed to do a redesign wherein they removed the dedicated tabs for the content users come to GCN to engage with. That content is then dumped in a jumbled mess with a ton of other content into the fanzone, rendering that tab completely useless.

GCN pretends to be a way to engage the cycling community, it’s really just marketing garbage. Nobody cares what your sponsors want you to promote. Build a useful tool first.

by Lau_fa

It is a very confusing app, it gives us to choose a language, and this all mixed has no reference point, many titles from past months, the photos that the cyclists put is not according to the language and old . A casting . Thank u

by Nishieda

cannot see any posts from readers

by Speedalot

Latest version on iPhone 11 is not working properly. Cycling inspirations and hack/bridge tabs are no longer there.

by Usgcnfan

I installed the this app Pp on my iPad, but the red border cuts off all the menu items. Other than that it seems to run okay.

by Zeroflite

I no longer see the option to vote on Bike Vault or Hack\ Bodge.

by Aaa__07

Sometimes the photos don’t load up in bike vault

by Mattatat42

Edit- I deleted and reinstalled GCN and the subscribe button worked perfectly.

I can’t seem to click on the subscribe button

by Mrbglenn

Wow, this is a super fun bike filled app. Love that there is so much interaction and information laced together in one place. This is definitely my new go to cycling news/entertainment app. Thanks this app!!

by EjectoSeatoCuz

Love GCN . With the addition of race pass, iPad integration is a must! Keep up the hard work!

by There's No Need For This Ap

Is GCN broke

by Solo Roadie

Am currently obsessed w/ cycling, but am saving until Spring for my first ever ROAD bike — thanks for keeping me entertained until then!

by Lol Zach

I think that we need the option to delete post. I accidentally posted twice and can’t delete the second post!

by Gilbert Chiga

I opened GCN . It stated that I need to update GCN . I sent me to App Store to do so. It doesn’t show or notify me where I can update it.

Thanks