First time roller ...

alpineaddict

Hi guys...

Apologies if this is the millionth time this has come up but I could find too much on here when searching...

I have just bought some Tacx rollers to get back into training (long story, and I know summer is approaching but still recovering from a broken leg and dislocated ankle so need some smoooooth training to start with...) and I am struggling with the whole concept...

First of all, any tips to get me started as it seems mighty high up on there and struggling to get going and stay upright :shock:

Also, I wondered about bike positioning... IS the front wheel supposed to be slap bang on top of the front roller, or should it be slightly nestled behind it, to stop you shooting over the top...?

Thx in advance folks...

whoof

Here's a link to getting started with rollers.
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/ ... dvice-6077

To get up and running try setting it up in your hallway (this will make you really popular). You can hold onto the banister and it doesn't feel like there is far to fall either direction which aides confidence.

Front wheel sits on top of the front roller.

alpineaddict

Cheers pal... Yeah, I was gonna opt for the lounge doorway to give me good holding options... had a couple of spins this morning and jeez, these buggers are hard :-(

Think there is going to be a lot of practice before I think about clipping in on them...

Thx again for the link mate...

DKay

Doorway is a better bet than a hallway, as you can just use a shoulder nudge if/when required. Or use a pair of chairs on either side which you can grab onto.

Your front wheel should be very slightly behind the single roller.

Relax the grip on your bars and try to rotate your pelvis 'backwards' to shift more of your mass towards the back of your bike. This will make the bike feel less nervous when starting off until you get more accustomed to the rollers. When setting off, you want to get the wheels up and spinning quickly.

If you get a little wobble going, then SPEED UP! This may feel counter intuitive, but the greater gyroscopic effect will smooth-out the wobble and make you more stable. Keep your pedalling smooth - rollers are great for improving your pedalling technique.

Stay away from the brakes. When coming to a stop, slow down your cadence and grab hold of the door frame/chair. Come to a stop and unclip.

alpineaddict

Awesome thx... I have a couple of spins (literally for a few mins) to get accustomed to the feel, and only been able to use a wall so far which I don't think helps as I am tending to lean towards it as it is my sub conscious safety blanket...

I too think a doorway might be better... The one thing I have noticed, and struggled with, in my few attemtps is that I can't seem to stop the front wheel for going side to side, then of course I panic as I think it's gonna head off...

I know I'll get here... Thx all

DKay

That's normal, you're just lacking confidence and scared of how much a tiny weight shift makes you swerve about.

I made a mistake in my post above btw. You should rotate your hips forward and not backwards as I originally said. Imagine that you are going to ride no-handed on the road, you instinctively centre your mass, rotate your hips forward, putting your back into an S-shape. This will also lighten your grip on the bars, to the point that you're pretty much just resting your fingers on them. Having your hands on the tops will help too. You should be steering/correcting the bike through weight shifts through your hips and powering through it and not steering through your arms. As you get better at it, then you can rest more weight through your arms and shoulders and use the hoods and then the drops.

When you set off, have your gears in the middle of the cassette on your small ring and have your elbow rested-up against the door frame, to allow you have both hands on the tops of your bars. Get up to speed quickly and keep your leg speed up too, as this will help you balance. Once you're up to speed, take your elbow off and keep going. Finally, the temptation is to look down at your front wheel, but try and look about two metres in front if you can.

JayKosta

And having a low step-stool on both sides makes it much easier to get up on the saddle and positioned for riding.

pastryboy

Looking up not down is very important, realax shoulders and go quick. Below 60rpm and I'm all over the place.

JayKosta

For my very infrequent roller riding, 'looking down' to make sure the front wheel stays centered on the drum is critical. Perhaps after many consecutive days of roller sessions I'd be able to ride while looking forwards.

I do best with 'no sudden moves' and 'smooth pedaling'.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

alpineaddict

Again, thx guys for the advice

Think this is gonna take some time ...

Monty Zoncolan

As said, look up as soon as you're moving - pick a point in front to focus on and use that to judge how you are positioned.

When I first tried rollers I started by trying to do 20 pedal strokes without having to grab something for support, then went for 30 and so on. Pretty soon I was doing 15 minutes at a time. Be patient and you'll get there.