Turbo v Rollers

Myersng

Hi, I have a turbo trainer at the moment but have been looking at rollers. What do you all think is better and why? Thanks for your replies and sorry if this has been answered before.

jgsi

Sometimes it gets like Harry Hill on here...
get both
turbo for power efforts
rollers so you might handle your bike better outside

pastryboy

I prefer rollers. You just stick the bike on and go. No setting up or special tyres needed.

hostman

Ive just ordered these today http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-arion-parabolic-rollers/

I like the idea of having to work harder to stay balanced rather than being relatively fixed as with a turbo. Although I suspect there will be a learning curve to get it right, having never used rollers before.

For me it's all about increasing time on the bike when the weather is pants or I'm time limited due to family / work commitments. I want to increase endurance when out proper and see the rollers as a way to achieve this, along with commutes to work on the bike.

jgsi

hostman wrote:

Ive just ordered these today http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-arion-parabolic-rollers/

I like the idea of having to work harder to stay balanced rather than being relatively fixed as with a turbo. Although I suspect there will be a learning curve to get it right, having never used rollers before.

For me it's all about increasing time on the bike when the weather is pants or I'm time limited due to family / work commitments. I want to increase endurance when out proper and see the rollers as a way to achieve this, along with commutes to work on the bike.

You'll like them, good price as well, slightly more than last year ;-)
My only thought, is that I would now choose the ones with the resistance unit as it is so easy even with a monster gearing to spin out. .. in terms of 120 revs on rollers is scary quick enough for me!
However, the other caveat is that unless your are mental 60 minutes is more than enough to get thru. Getting out of the saddle is hard work for a positional break, unlike the turbo... so as for increasing endurance, the jury might be out.

bahzob

I've tried both. As above if you get rollers try to get some with a resistance unit otherwise it may be difficult to get to high power, it is very scary as noted.

Finding the right brand can be tricky, the first set I got was cheap plastic Tacx and the resistance unit burned out. I got a replacement aluminium Cyclops set with a contactless magnetic unit and they were great but cost much more around £300 if I recall right. I much preferred them to a turbo, they feel more like riding outdoors and time seems to pass more quickly as your brain has more to do than just stare at a Garmin screen.

carbineacs

I have both and hardly ever use the turbo now, it's so boring. Rollers all the way for me.
I do find it interesting that people mention lack of resistance on rollers. I must be slow, unfit and rubbish! I find anything over 35mph on them with high cadence, tends to get the heart rate right up there (Normally well into threshold for me) and sweating like mad. You can also notice a massive difference in tyre pressure on rollers, low pressure increases resistance quite a bit I find, so that's a bit of resistance training I would have thought. I look at it as if I can sustain high HR and cadance over a longer and longer time on the rollers, then I'm going to be faster going up hills too, which does appear to the be case when I get out on the bike on the black stuff.