Rollers or Turbo?

mbhuw
mbhuw Posts: 79
edited October 2011 in Training, fitness and health
With all these winter training posts going up, i felt it appropriate that i ask the question (which i'm surprised hasn't been asked millions of times) but which do you recommend for my winter training, Rollers or a Turbo Trainer. I'm edging towards the Turbo at the moment but can see some good advantages for the Rollers. What do you think?
http://www.cyclechain.co.uk

Comments

  • Pseudonym
    Pseudonym Posts: 1,032
    mbhuw wrote:
    (which i'm surprised hasn't been asked millions of times)

    not done a search then..?
  • bilirubin
    bilirubin Posts: 225
    Lol, I think if you search for this topic you will see that it has been asked a milion times :D
  • McBain_v1
    McBain_v1 Posts: 5,237
    And the answer is...

    buy a turbo :roll:
    What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!
  • gilesjuk
    gilesjuk Posts: 340
    Turbo - less engaging.

    Rollers - you have to maintain balance, so more engaging and like riding.
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    Yet doing intervals on rollers is a nightmare and I'd expect most people want to do short high-intensity sessions when indoor training rather than plodding on for hours. Therefore turbo every time for me...
  • trickydisco
    trickydisco Posts: 173
    nferrar wrote:
    Yet doing intervals on rollers is a nightmare ..

    Did nearly all my intervals on rollers this year. Never found it an issue. Could always get the power needed (i've got rollers with resistance)
  • roarbut
    roarbut Posts: 11
    I don't want to bump another thread about rollers and turbos so permission to ask here!

    The CycleOps Aluminium Rollers with resistance are the ones I'm looking at, but how do you change the resistance? do you have to physically get off the bike and fiddle with the back cog and then get back on or is there some kind of cable/switch thingy?

    The same question applies to any other unit really

    If you do then I might just get a turbo, but I really like the idea of improving my pedaling/balance because its crap.
  • McBain_v1
    McBain_v1 Posts: 5,237
    Or you could just change gears on your bike :wink:
    What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!
  • Herbsman
    Herbsman Posts: 2,029
    Even in 53 x 11 and at 100rpm my rollers are too easy for intervals.
    CAPTAIN BUCKFAST'S CYCLING TIPS - GUARANTEED TO WORK! 1 OUT OF 10 RACING CYCLISTS AGREE!
  • fish156
    fish156 Posts: 496
    roarbut wrote:
    I don't want to bump another thread about rollers and turbos so permission to ask here!

    The CycleOps Aluminium Rollers with resistance are the ones I'm looking at, but how do you change the resistance? do you have to physically get off the bike and fiddle with the back cog and then get back on or is there some kind of cable/switch thingy?

    The same question applies to any other unit really

    If you do then I might just get a turbo, but I really like the idea of improving my pedaling/balance because its crap.
    I don't think any roller resistance units are settable remotely, but they don't need to be - as McBain says;
    McBain_v1 wrote:
    ... you could just change gears on your bike
    On the rollers I use, 39x25 is easy spinning, 53x11 is harder than I can push for more than a few seconds at a time. Hence I never change the setting on the resistance unit.

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