Roller advice?
Bepster
Posts: 20
Hi guys,
With winter coming, I am looking for alternatives to keep peddling even when it gets nasty and dark outside.
I'd be grateful for any advice, experiences and product suggestions regarding rollers as I am completely new to the concept.
With winter coming, I am looking for alternatives to keep peddling even when it gets nasty and dark outside.
I'd be grateful for any advice, experiences and product suggestions regarding rollers as I am completely new to the concept.
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Comments
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My advice would be to not ask for advice on here.
They are all pretty similar and not that expensive. Buy some and try them for yourself.
If you don't like them, sell them and move on.
If you buy second hand then you may not even lose money.
Maybe try parabolic ones first off, as they self centre a bit.
Dont compare with turbo trainers, or listen to anyone who tells you to get one of those instead. They are different things and I am sure lots of people have/use both.0 -
Buy a turbo and look at trainerroad or sufferfest.
Rollers arent suited to most people and you surely don't want to recreate an outside cycle ride - you want a quality session - so turbo with interval sessions.0 -
Going to disagree with Carbonator and say get a turbo first as most people find they get more use out of that than rollers. If you do get rollers buy any cheap set second hand - I don't find Tacx parabolic any advantage over non parabolic but I haven't used the non tacx type with a sharper lip - then if you find you usethem a lot something like Kreitler are much nicer.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
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Buy a turbo if you want variable resistance as some come with bar mounted levers to change the resistance applied to the back wheel. Turbos are good for specific power session but IMO are really boring to ride plus can play havoc with your pedal stroke and make it choppy.
Rollers on the other hand generally do not come with resistance or an easy way of changing the resistance, and can take time and dedication to ride them unassisted. plus points are that they keep you interested in what you are doing as a moments lapse in concentration and you are on the floor, and riding the rollers will smooth out your pedal stroke and make it more efficient (if you have a choppy pedalling action the rollers will highlight it). Negative points are that it can be a little boring.
I have ridden both and I way prefer riding the rollers, but its what I was brought up doing in the winter months with my old cycling club, for me riding a turbo just feels wrong and I don't like the way it affects my pedalling action.
If you do opt for rollers, make sure you get metal drums as the plastic/vinyl ones go out of shape when they get warm.
Oh and whatever you go for get a noise deadening sweat matt for the floor, your neighbours will thank you for it.Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
I only have experience of the Elite Arion Parabolic Rollers:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-arion-parabolic-rollers/
I've had them for around 18 months and find them good fun. I actually also bought an 18 inch floor-standing fan and when I operate that in front of the rollers at the lowest speed, it simulates the effect of wind really well and I find that my garage floor doesn't need so much wiping/cleaning of sweat after a session! You are likely to sweat a lot!
I've set them up so that one side is close to a wall (around 10 inches away) so I can lean on it in case I wobble a bit. They are tricky to get used to for the first few sessions and the key is to pedal reasonably quickly to maintain stability. I've been told that you actually need to pedal faster if you feel like you're going to fall off.
The edges of the rollers curve upwards to they push you back to the centre gently (hence, the name 'parabolic'). The ones I've mentioned fold in half for storage if you need to put them away afterwards.0 -
Fenix wrote:
Rollers arent suited to most people and you surely don't want to recreate an outside cycle ride - you want a quality session - so turbo with interval sessions.
Nonsense.
Anyone who rides can use rollers.
Granted, its almost impossible to do standing sprints (unless you have something like the Elite motion rollers), but they definitely help improve handling skills and, despite what some might say, can provide a very hard workout.
In fact, some of my very best and hardest training sessions have been on the rollers!0 -
I bought a set of rollers and got used to them quickly. With the idea that I can just whack my bike onto them without having to worry about changing wheels at the likes. But the problems of having to set up a fan etc as you would with a turbo still remain. So I got my turbo out of the shed and started using that instead and it's better for me especially as the bike is in a fixed position and I can put more power down - but there is the hassle of the wheel changing but that's not a massive issue if I'm honest.
I'm thinking of selling my Tacx Galaxia rollers, although I haven't fully decided yet.0 -
I've been very lucky so far in that I've never fallen off the rollers and got used to them within the first couple of rides. I think most people have probably heard or seen web articles about people falling off and this may add to the trepidation.
From a local discount store I bought a small step - the kind some of us shorties use in the home to reach ceiling lights and high cupboards. I place this on the opposite side to the wall so that I have a small platform to rest my foot on if I'm wobbling away from the wall.
This highlights one point about rollers - you'll be a few inches off the ground so you may not be able to easily put your feet on the ground. The rollers I mentioned in a previous post have a frame that is designed to rest feet on but I found that it's not out far enough for me, hence the small step place next to the frame makes things a bit easier.
A previous poster also mentioned the convenience of using rollers: you simply plonk your bike on them, get on your bike and start riding. My bike is actually 'parked' in the middle of the rollers with the rear wheel outside the roller secured in a stand. It's just a matter if lifting the bike about 18 inches forward and I'm ready to ride.0 -
From a local discount store I bought a small step - the kind some of us shorties use in the home to reach ceiling lights and high cupboards.
This. Just a small step to get onto the bike - it's surprising how much higher it up the rollers make it. Then a wall on the other side so you can stick your elbow out to get going or balance.0 -
ive got these and they are brilliant, easy to use, great workout and 3 levels for resistance which is easily enough.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/elite/e-motion-rollers-ec024330?country=GB¤cy=GBP&esvt=1444-GOUKE921374&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-38518-1&esvcrea=61232128376&esvplace=&esvd=m&esvaid=50080&gclid=Cj0KEQjwm4mwBRCni-ivmePYivkBEiQAdGkkliWq3jKQwLl6vUx6jT8THKmBVX6mZx5fFI4zLgzMzr0aAiya8P8HAQ0 -
Buy my Sportscrafter/planetx resist rollers! They are alu with resistance unit built in and very good quality
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I've got these. Expensive, but dead easy to ride on (with three resistance levels too).
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Buy a turbo and look at trainerroad or sufferfest.
Rollers arent suited to most people and you surely don't want to recreate an outside cycle ride - you want a quality session - so turbo with interval sessions.
So where are you on the 'being suitable' for rollers front?
Let me Guess, you have never had any?
If the OP does get a turbo then I would suggest something like the Kinetic Rock & Roll that is a bit more realistic than the boring bolt upright ones,
Nothing wrong with creating a realistic ride inside lol.0 -
Buy a turbo and look at trainerroad or sufferfest.
Rollers arent suited to most people and you surely don't want to recreate an outside cycle ride - you want a quality session - so turbo with interval sessions.
Trainer Road and Sufferfest, especially together and indeed excellent training tools. But many people don't ride just to train and they want to just have a spin without banging out intervals. So don't presume to know what people want, sometimes I very much want to have an outside ride inside.0 -
Buy a turbo and look at trainerroad or sufferfest.
Rollers arent suited to most people and you surely don't want to recreate an outside cycle ride - you want a quality session - so turbo with interval sessions.
So where are you on the 'being suitable' for rollers front?
Let me Guess, you have never had any?
If the OP does get a turbo then I would suggest something like the Kinetic Rock & Roll that is a bit more realistic than the boring bolt upright ones,
Nothing wrong with creating a realistic ride inside lol.
I've ridden on rollers - I've raced on them. For me - theres nothing easier than having a bike clamped on the turbo. I've come on leaps and bounds since I've followed a structured training system on a turbo with trainerroad. From people I know of - all their serious indoor sessions are on turbos. Depends what you want though -if you want to spin your legs - fine - but for serious interval sessions - you dont need any more complication.
If you're 'bored' of a turbo - then you're not doing it right. Sufferfest, Trainerroad - you wont get bored. Just fast.0 -
If you're 'bored' of a turbo - then you're not doing it right. Sufferfest, Trainerroad - you wont get bored. Just fast.
I have to say I agree with this one. I originally got a turbo about 3 years ago, used it a couple of times, then it went into the shed. However since then I'd gotten a HRM, cadence sensor, speed sensor, power meter and Trainer Road on my iPhone and it's a world of difference.
I started out having the radio on but I don't even tend to do that now.0 -
Hi guys,
With winter coming, I am looking for alternatives to keep peddling even when it gets nasty and dark outside.
I'd be grateful for any advice, experiences and product suggestions regarding rollers as I am completely new to the concept.
I've read through this whole thread again and then referred back to the OPs actual post and before we can actually offer advice we need to know what he wants to do, is it just ride indoors or is it to put himself through the ringer each session, maybe both?
If it’s to ride indoors, spin the legs, do some drills, smooth out his pedal stroke, then Rollers will suffice, in fact you can actually do some pretty intense workouts on rollers, I should know as I have literally fallen off them at the end of a hard session covered in sweat.
If you want to do structured power sessions then it’s a turbo, but I dare say one of the better ones with variable resistance, or power attached, then you are looking towards the more expensive models. I have never done any of the sufferfest/trainerroad workouts/videos so can’t comment on how good they are, but I suspect there is an associated fee or subscription each month to pay so bear that in mind.
So it looks like with everything cycling related it will depend on what the OP is training for if anything, and will also depend on how much they want to spend.
Its also worth saying that some people love the turbo trainer and some hate it, (I fall in to the later category), then again the same can be said for the rollers.
Now tubs or clinchers?
:twisted:Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!0 -
I do loads of trainer road workouts on rollers.
I can bang out 360 watt intervals on them. just takes a bit of practice to get the stability to do it.0 -
Some of my intervals take me to 600w - and I'm not Wiggins. That's why i prefer the turbo - and most people do - but clearly not all.0
