Max power on rollers

topcattim
topcattim Posts: 766
edited November 2018 in Indoor training and turbo forum
I've recently got a second hand set of rollers and have been enjoying them as an addition to my turbo for indoor training. But due to the lack of resistance, the max maintainable power is about 260 watts at about 100 cadence (which doesn't let me get to threshold in training). I'm using a 50-34 chainring and the 11 tooth sprocket. I've been vaguely wondering about swapping to a 52-36 or a 53-39 next season to help with top end speed and was wondering if anyone could predict how much higher wattage I could get the rollers to in my winter training with a 52 or 53 chainring at the same cadence? I know I could just use the turbo but it's more fun on the rollers.

Comments

  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Unless you're very good with balance and a very high cadence on the rollers, I'd still wager you aren't going to get near your maximum power.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • topcattim
    topcattim Posts: 766
    edited November 2018
    philthy3 wrote:
    Unless you're very good with balance and a very high cadence on the rollers, I'd still wager you aren't going to get near your maximum power.
    Yeah, I agree. I probably didn't ask my question tightly enough. I'm wondering how much more power I could generate with a 52-11 or a 53-11 chainline than I can currently create with a 50-11 chainline. At present, the max sensibly sustainable is about 250/260w at about 100 cadence, but I'd like to be able to use the rollers for higher efforts (which I can do on the turbo, of course, but I'd like to do on the rollers). 250/260w isn't near my max power, but it is all that the rollers will let me get up to on 50-11. I'm wondering what the max would be on 52-11 or 53-11.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,055
    Not what you are asking but rollers with a smaller diameter have more resistance or else some have magnetic resistance now I believe? I wouldn't have thought sticking a 52 ring on would make much difference with your current set though.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • craigus89
    craigus89 Posts: 887
    Why would you want to do any power training on rollers?
  • topcattim
    topcattim Posts: 766
    Craigus89 wrote:
    Why would you want to do any power training on rollers?
    Good question. Mainly for variety. If I can do some sweetspot stuff on there, at a sensible cadence, then that makes the winter more interesting
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    What pressure you running the tyres at? Run them as flat as you can get away with, put a towel under the rollers, there's a few tricks to improve resistance without resorting to gearing (although that will help a bit, obviously).
  • topcattim
    topcattim Posts: 766
    TimothyW wrote:
    What pressure you running the tyres at? Run them as flat as you can get away with, put a towel under the rollers, there's a few tricks to improve resistance without resorting to gearing (although that will help a bit, obviously).
    Excellent, thanks for those, I'll give them a go! I'm running 25s at 90psi and weigh 65kg so I could afford to drop pressure a bit.

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