Rollers - normal bike on or special tyres needed?

popette

Just a quick one - can you put your bike on rollers without any adverse affect on your tyres or would you need to put on different tyres as one would with a turbo.

Just watched this amazing video http://www.bebo.com/FlashBox.jsp?FlashBoxId=2599596637&
originally posted by gumball3000 on girls in lycra shorts thread (you may or may not be closely following that one already ).

I've got the turbo but rollers look great fun and may be a way of getting my husband to take an interest in actually getting on his new bike. I understand that he doesn't want it to get messed up in winter but he has to actually do some training as he's also doing the etape. Perhaps putting his bike on rollers could be the answer. what d'ya reckon?

Mog Uk

I use rollers throughout the year and use my normal tyres, I've not noticed any problems/increased signs of wear, just make sure they are inflated correctly.....

Rollers are certainly more fun that a turbo.....

andy_wrx

I can see how a turbo could ruin a tyre as you clamp the bike to it and press the drum hard against it, plus the bike's locked in position so it's the same narrow strip of tyre you're running-on, so I can see how it could get hot and blister or wear.

But rollers work off just your weight on the bike, you're actually riding it just as on the road, and as you wobble slightly you're using more of the tyre.

They wear the tyre, just as riding on the road wears it, but rollers won't wreck a tyre like a turbo can.

Eddy S

It depends on what kind of training you are planning to do on rollers so I don’t think the answer is so cut’n’dried. You maybe ok if you’re just thinking about gentle spinning and recovery type riding.

If you’re doing extended and hard efforts and depending on your weight, you will generate a lot of heat in the tyres – there is no cooling effect of being out on the road – and that’s when it gets interesting... :evil:

I don’t use a turbo just exclusively rollers with a resistance unit. Doing lots of hard, extended efforts and sprint intervals plus my weight varies between 95 & 100 kg, I was suffering with clinchers popping off the rims and tubes bursting on 3 different types of wheel/tyre combinations plus heavy wear until I started using specific trainer tyres. I’m fortunate that I have a spare set of training wheels for my track bike and the trainer tyres are fitted to those permanently. And the trainer tyres hardly wear – I think mine are on their 3rd winter.

Ste_S

andy_wrx wrote:

I can see how a turbo could ruin a tyre as you clamp the bike to it and press the drum hard against it, plus the bike's locked in position so it's the same narrow strip of tyre you're running-on, so I can see how it could get hot and blister or wear.

But rollers work off just your weight on the bike, you're actually riding it just as on the road, and as you wobble slightly you're using more of the tyre.

They wear the tyre, just as riding on the road wears it, but rollers won't wreck a tyre like a turbo can.

No, they wreck them in better ways

I've seen someone come off the side and trash his front tyre on the side of the roller. These were competition rollers mind, with a nice sticky out metal nut to cut into the tyre

Cajun

I found that under inflated tyres wore excessively...for the rollers, I keep the pressure at >115psi.

Merry Christmas to all

velodromeorguk

no special equipment needed as they are lighter on the tyres than both the road and a turbo

handling skills will be improved after lots of roller work

be careful for electric shocks, poss wear gloves for getting off as u'll build up alot of static

andy_wrx

Ste_S wrote:

I've seen someone come off the side and trash his front tyre on the side of the roller. These were competition rollers mind, with a nice sticky out metal nut to cut into the tyre

Yes, I persuaded a mate to have a go on mine (evil sod that I am, I thought it would be a laugh...)

He wobbled-off, caught the front wheel and broke the valve on the tyre.

velodromeorguk

at the cardiff gp this year a rider fell off and bounced onto a car bonnet (parked) setting the alarm off

was so funny

andrewgturnbull

Hi folks.

I should also issue a salutory warning on the dangers of using headphones while riding the rollers. Headphone themselves aren't a problem. Headphones hooked up to an mp3 player in your jersey pocket are also ok. Headphones on an extension lead from your TV can be problematic... Especially as your TV is no doubt earthed. After a few minutes of building up static electicity on the plastic rollers the charge can build up quite nicely. Now if you're working quite hard and your ears are a little sweaty that electricity is going to go somewhere... I can personally vouch that being electrocuted in the ears is also enough to knock you off a set of rollers...

Merry Xmas all, Andy

Ste_S

Andrew, I shouldn't laugh, but


I remember reading on Bikeforums that someone was riding on rollers between two motorbikes, using the petrol tanks as support :shock:

andy_wrx

Ste_S wrote:

Andrew, I shouldn't laugh, but


I remember reading on Bikeforums that someone was riding on rollers between two motorbikes, using the petrol tanks as support :shock:

I hope I'm imagining this right, two stationary motorbikes, parked in a garage or somewhere with the rollers placed between them...?

I prefer to do it in the utility room corridor, have now migrated up from doing it in a doorframe !

Ste_S

andy_wrx wrote:

Ste_S wrote:

Andrew, I shouldn't laugh, but


I remember reading on Bikeforums that someone was riding on rollers between two motorbikes, using the petrol tanks as support :shock:

I hope I'm imagining this right, two stationary motorbikes, parked in a garage or somewhere with the rollers placed between them...?

I prefer to do it in the utility room corridor, have now migrated up from doing it in a doorframe !

Aye, stationary bikes
Knowing the static I've generated after a session, I'd fear for him going up in a fireball

McBain_v1

I couldn't help but notice that the rollers in the video session posted by Popette seemed to be in a very spacious garage with lots of clear space either side. Assuming that you really got the rpm up and then slid off the rollers, do you get a fat load of friction and the accelerate into the garage wall :?: :shock:

This wouldn't be so much of a risk in my little 12' x 10' shed, but nevertheless it does look as though it would put a bit of a crimp in your session.

andrewgturnbull

McBain_v1 wrote:

I couldn't help but notice that the rollers in the video session posted by Popette seemed to be in a very spacious garage with lots of clear space either side. Assuming that you really got the rpm up and then slid off the rollers, do you get a fat load of friction and the accelerate into the garage wall :?: :shock:

This wouldn't be so much of a risk in my little 12' x 10' shed, but nevertheless it does look as though it would put a bit of a crimp in your session.

Err, no.

Your wheels have a wee bit of angular momentum in them when they're spinning, but nowhere near enough to accelerate the mass of a rider.

Try bunny-hopping sideways off the rollers - believe me, you ain't going anywhere after you land, unless you start pedalling again.

Cheers, Andy

www.andyturnbull.co.uk

popette

I bought some for husband and he's had a go on them but it looked incredibly difficult. He had to get a step at the side to actually climb on and then when he was on, he was clinging to the wall (in a narrow hallway) with one hand throughout the ride, which only lasted about 5 minutes.

Got any tips? especially for actually getting on the bike if you don't happen to have a step next to it.

Thanks

Ste_S

I position the bike with the wheels just off the back of their respective rollers. I'll clip one foot in, move the bike on top of the rollers, put one hand on a wall or cupboard to steady myself and clip the other foot in.

I'll start turning the pedals to a smooth cadence, look straight ahead, let go of the wall and bring the hand on to the bars (normally with a couple of wobbles )