rollers vs turbo

chrisjohnsen
chrisjohnsen Posts: 40
edited January 2015 in Road beginners
Hi, I am new to rollers and was wondering if anyone had any tips to which once to buy. I hav been looking at the Elite Arion Mag http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-arion-mag-parabolic-resistance-rollers/. Anyone have any experience with it? Also wondering about the general benefits of rollers vs turbo. And the noise level of rollers, is it generaly louder than a turbo, dont want to disturb the neighbours more than I already do.

Thanks for any tips,

Chris

Comments

  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Rollers - quieter in my case - Standard Arions vs Satori
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    Yep, rollers generally tend to be quieter. Each though have other pros and cons, turbos are better for fettling/bike stand type work and are slightly better for HIT intervals (as you can really forget about bike handling)...then again rollers are much more interactive as you need to concentrate and ride your bike rather than just sitting there spinning your legs...although folks who fall off rollers might think that is a disadvantage :)

    Turbos are better than standard rollers for hill training, etc., because of the variable resistance but some modern rollers allow that now (haven't tried them myself though).
  • They both have their respective merits and pitfalls. If I had to choose one for the sole purpose of getting as fit and as fast as possible I'd go for a turbo trainer (although a set of rollers with resistance might be better, never tried any).

    A few thoughts on the matter here: Indoor Training: Turbo vs Rollers
  • Freeza
    Freeza Posts: 128
    Resistance rollers with fork stand. Extremely versatile, this setup can do everything a turbo can do and more. I've recently sold my turbo as a result and wont be going back any time soon.

    Resistance rollers

    Fork stand

    If you do choose to go down this route keep an eye on Planet X website for their daily deals. I managed to pick these rollers up for half price. They also do their own brand version which looks like an exact copy of the Sportcrafters model, and again they regularly discount them.
  • crescent
    crescent Posts: 1,201
    The bottom line is they are both extremely boring, rollers less so due to the concentration needed to stay vertical initially. I prefer rollers for that reason and also for the more realistic feeling when cycling, I don't feel I can stand up on a turbo and move properly, it feels very 'false'. I can, with some practice, now stand up on my rollers, drink from a bottle, ride one-handed etc which I did not think i would ever be able to do when I started. No substitute for riding though, I only use them when the weather is really dire i.e. most of this week :( The key to keeping them quiet is having a good solid floor or insulated mat, in my experience. I can still watch TV with the volume as normal when I use mine.
    Bianchi ImpulsoBMC Teammachine SLR02 01Trek Domane AL3“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. “ ~H.G. Wells Edit - "Unless it's a BMX"
  • birdy247
    birdy247 Posts: 454
    The answer is whichever one you think you will use more often. Both are really good training tools and will help add some power.

    A turbo would get my vote, purely because it doesn't have the learning curve of rollers (which could potentially be another obstacle for not using it!).
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Turbo for training

    Rollers for skills

    Either way sitting in front of the telly is pointless (well, I suppose it's better than sitting on the couch) so make sure you get some intervals in. Me and a lot of others like the Sufferfest Videos but there are a few other free others you could try first.
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • funkyg
    funkyg Posts: 68
    ddraver wrote:
    Me and a lot of others like the Sufferfest Videos but there are a few other free others you could try first.
    Do you have any links to the free ones?
    Cheers.
    GT Avalanche 3.0 Hydro
    Ridley R6 EL
  • Go on youtube and search for cycling training videos. There's some by GCN and some by BikeRadar. And thousands of others.
  • Thanks for all the replys!
    Going to pick up my new Elite roller today! So really looking forward to try it out.
    Thankfully I am one of those who dont mind spending and hour or so on the turbo i currently own, so if rollers are more "fun" this will be great.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    ^as mark said

    If you have a tablet you can subsribe to the Sufferfest and access 90% of the videos so you can give them a try. If you ve only got a phone then it's a bit more of a faff...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver