Rollers or Turbo Trainer?

windypants
windypants Posts: 71
edited November 2009 in Road buying advice
Probably Turbo Trainer :? Which would you buy and what make & model?

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Tacx Bushido.
  • Harry182
    Harry182 Posts: 1,170
    This is what I've recently bought and have no complaints:

    Advance3.jpg

    http://www.minourausa.com/english/train ... nce-e.html

    http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ProductDe ... uctID=3866
  • Stellite
    Stellite Posts: 544
    Use your money on a good winter jacket 8)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Stellite wrote:
    Use your money on a good winter jacket 8)

    A winter jacket is the last thing I need on the turbo!

    I use the turbo because my wife and I work opposite shifts so I usually have the kids, I go on it when they're in bed usually...
  • Stellite
    Stellite Posts: 544
    Ah, OK, what about one of those trailers for kids?????
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Definitely a turbo - you can't do the variety of training on rollers than you can with a turbo. My choice if you're serious is a Tacx Flow
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • windypants
    windypants Posts: 71
    Is a Turbo Trainer tyre a good idea?
  • salsarider79
    salsarider79 Posts: 828
    I'd say a turbo trainer unless you have fantastic balance. Rollers take a lot of getting used to.
    Also a spare rear wheel, and an old tire work well. All those tires which are worn out make perfect trainer tires. Get friendly with your LBS (if not already) and ask for the old 700x23/25 tires they would normally throw out. Otherwise, and if you have the money, yes go for a turbo trainer tire.
    jedster wrote:
    Just off to contemplate my own mortality and inevitable descent into decrepedness.
    FCN 3 or 4 on road depending on clothing
    FCN 8 off road because I'm too old to go racing around.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,547
    salsarider79 wrote:
    I'd say a turbo trainer unless you have fantastic balance. Rollers take a lot of getting used to.
    Also a spare rear wheel, and an old tire work well. All those tires which are worn out make perfect trainer tires. Get friendly with your LBS (if not already) and ask for the old 700x23/25 tires they would normally throw out. Otherwise, and if you have the money, yes go for a turbo trainer tire.

    I'd say that is one of the reasons for getting rollers. You have to have a good, efficient pedalling technique to balance on them. But I would agree that for a high intensity winter workout the turbo is more appropriate as they create far greater resistance.
  • kiwimatt
    kiwimatt Posts: 208
    ..fantastic balance. Rollers take a lot of getting used to
    I wouldn't consider myself to have fantastic balance, I'm a new road rider (>1yr) and can ride 'no hands' now on the rollers for a few minutes at a time - had them about a month used twice a week max for an hour at a time? First few sessions in a doorway or with handy chair backs on either side essential though.

    Cadence and pedalling smoothness is massively improved - I can see that it will be possible to run out of resistance headroom as you get stronger, but thinking either the Krietler fan unit or Cyclops magnetic resistance addon could address that.

    Main downside is difficult/impossible to get out of the saddle like you can on the turbo
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    kiwimatt wrote:

    Main downside is difficult/impossible to get out of the saddle like you can on the turbo

    Agreed. The biggest downside to rollers is numb bits as I find it much harder to adjust my postion, get out of the saddle, etc. I can only manage 30-40 minutes on mine.
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    APIII wrote:
    kiwimatt wrote:

    Main downside is difficult/impossible to get out of the saddle like you can on the turbo

    Agreed. The biggest downside to rollers is numb bits as I find it much harder to adjust my postion, get out of the saddle, etc. I can only manage 30-40 minutes on mine.

    Not the case with the new E-Motion rollers. It is so easy to sprint or ride out of the saddle
    with these. They have 3 resistance levels (plus your gears). I've got one. They are a bit expensive though.
    3980312313_05a10f03f2_m.jpg
  • kiwimatt
    kiwimatt Posts: 208
    the new E-Motion rollers

    Ouch. Seriously :shock: expensive....

    Do the thin 'extra' black bars front and back rotate as well? Is that the only difference to conventional rollers?
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    kiwimatt wrote:
    the new E-Motion rollers

    Ouch. Seriously :shock: expensive....

    Do the thin 'extra' black bars front and back rotate as well? Is that the only difference to conventional rollers?

    4115995074_33866ea5b2_m.jpg
    The red part of the frame moves in the direction indicated in orange. The rest of the frame
    is rock steady. I think that's what makes it so easy to ride on. Much easier than the Tacx
    ones I used in the past.
  • Harry182
    Harry182 Posts: 1,170
    @ kiwimatt + APIII

    Regarding rollers, I agree that they are easy enough to learn and that anyone who can ride a bike can learn to ride rollers within a few sessions. (Also, rollers are more engaging than a turbo because you have to pay attention to upright - much like riding a bike on the road.)

    I now find it relatively easy to ride out of the saddle on the rollers. (Was motivated to learn how to fairly sharpish by the aforementioned "numbness".) It helps to gear up and to keep pedaling slowly (60rpm?) and smoothly as you rise out of the saddle.

    I'm impressed you can ride no hands. I still can't. Any tips?
  • kiwimatt
    kiwimatt Posts: 208
    Harry182 wrote:
    @ kiwimatt + APIII

    ...ride no hands. I still can't. Any tips?

    Started by taking one hand off the bars and riding one handed (which to start with is hard enough) grabbing drinks etc. Then take the other hand away, just an inch or so (then grab the bars back again usually!) - gradually get used to your hands being further from the bars and slooowly sit upright, bit slower cadence but not much.

    Once sitting up and feeling stable can go along for a couple of minutes but it takes a bit of effort - have to keep concentrating any lapses can result in catatrophic wobble...

    HTH
  • Eddy S
    Eddy S Posts: 1,013
    kiwimatt wrote:
    Do the thin 'extra' black bars front and back rotate as well?
    Yes, they do rotate but only when the rear wheel comes in to contact with them. And the only time the rear wheel contacts them is when you 'ride' out of the rollers under the force of a full-bore sprint/acceleration or try to rock the bike out of the rollers.
    I’m a sprinter – I warmed up yesterday.
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    There are a number of people who have taken 'standard' rollers and done a DIY e-motion conversion on them.

    See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS2yvBo8EMQ

    This will give you a better idea of how they work in practice. :D
    Cycling weakly
  • hopper1
    hopper1 Posts: 4,389
    skyd0g wrote:
    There are a number of people who have taken 'standard' rollers and done a DIY e-motion conversion on them.

    See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS2yvBo8EMQ

    This will give you a better idea of how they work in practice. :D

    Try this link.
    Some good info & pics in there.... :wink:
    Start with a budget, finish with a mortgage!
  • johans
    johans Posts: 24
    Rollers no question - turbo trainers are boring and can damage your frame. Some newer carbon models are not covered if used in a trainer.

    Forget the stories about needing "fantastic balance" - within 10 minutes you will be riding.

    You do not need expensive rollers or e-motion or parabolic drums etc. You can do everything you need for as tough a workout as you want on a set that does not have to cost the earth.

    Riding rollers has improved my technique and balance.

    I sold my Mag Chrono that cost double what my rollers did within a week of getting rollers and will never waste my time on a mag/turbo trainer again.
  • windypants
    windypants Posts: 71
    I think i will start looking at rollers aswell. I can ride a unicycle, so rollers should'nt be much of a problem.
  • JohnnyAllez
    JohnnyAllez Posts: 785
    Was up and running on my rollers within 10 minutes, no bother. You`ll soon get used to it. Start off with a pair of training shoes rather than being clipped in though ! You get get off in a hurry then :wink: Got the Tacx Antares rollers, they do a resistance unit for them now, if you want to get a real work-out, but just the standard roller set-up will get you sweating (mainly fear I think) :D

    Takes more time to be smooth and not wandering around though, I came a right cropper last night trying to reach my drink bottle off the shelf near-by while doing 90 rpm :oops: Big dig-in on my back and bent my finger as I went down. :roll: Saved the bike though (with my body) 8)
    Jens says "Shut up legs !! "

    Specialized S-Works SaxoBank SL4 Tarmac Di2
  • de_sisti
    de_sisti Posts: 1,283
    +1 to what all have said. I had enough money to buy the e-motion rollers (£875 ouch!).
    However, I found them much easier to ride than the old tacx ones I had a few years ago.
    For me, the e-motion rollers were as easy to ride on as on the road. Still only using
    resistance level 1/3 at the moment.
  • onthefells
    onthefells Posts: 157
    Johny pmsl at the thought of you making sure the bike was ok before your body!!

    gonna have to get some rollers. weather horrible here today so thought I'd do my 15 mile flat out course. Got a third of the way in before the first flat, second happened a mile later...probably my fault as I hadn't checked the tire. Second spare inner wouldn't pump up as the valve seems to be knackered so had to mend the flat one. By now its p1ssing it down and I've been out 45 mins and covered about 6 miles...trudged the short way home incase I got another flat!!
  • windypants
    windypants Posts: 71
    What rollers did you end up with?
  • windypants
    windypants Posts: 71
    Sorry. That question was for Johans.

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