Rollers - any good?

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Ronanmk said:

I posted this in the "training" forum, but ....I think this is a more appropiate place.

Hello everyone.

I've been looking at rollers for the last few weeks. My intention is to have a good workout at home. Now....from what the LBS tells me, rollers with no resistance are not very good at that. They say they are used mostly for pre-race warm-up. I (for some unexplainable reason) don't like windtrainers.

My LBS can carry these two:
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and
cbike.comTacx Roller.htmOpen ↗

Does any of you use non-resistance rollers to train at home?. I'm your ordinary cycling-Joe, I don't need a super-duper training machine, but yes something that will give me a basic workout.

Any (relevant) comments will be welcomed.

Thanks

cheers

You can get a very good workout on rollers. Rolling resistance can make you work quite hard. Some models even have resistance units available, though I've always found that just selecting a higher gear will do. Also, smaller roller diameter means higher rolling resistance. Kreitler makes a nice set with 2.25" drums which will give you all the resistance you can handle.

Rollers take some time to learn. You can never let your mind wander as it will on a trainer. Some like this aspect of rollers, others don't.

Have you tried them out? I can almost guarantee if you ask around you'll find someone who has a set in the attic they don't use. I recommend you borrow a set and try before you buy them just so you know better what they're about.

2 old 2 go slow said:

Rollers take some time to learn. You can never let your mind wander as it will on a trainer. Some like this aspect of rollers, others don't.

Have you tried them out? I can almost guarantee if you ask around you'll find someone who has a set in the attic they don't use. I recommend you borrow a set and try before you buy them just so you know better what they're about.

Also worth pointing out that rollers are great for honing your pedalling technique t make the action as smooth as possible - if you roll from side on the saddle and pump your legs hard instead of turning smoothly, you bounce up and down on the rollers and it's hard to keep on board, so you soon learn not to do it.

Eastway82 said:

Also worth pointing out that rollers are great for honing your pedalling technique t make the action as smooth as possible - if you roll from side on the saddle and pump your legs hard instead of turning smoothly, you bounce up and down on the rollers and it's hard to keep on board, so you soon learn not to do it.

Absolutely right. I'm glad you caught my mistake in leaving out this important point.

Check out this comprehensive roller review from Fixed Gear Fever. If you want resistance with rollers, you can get it. It all comes down to what your budget is. But there's no getting around the fact that rollers with resistance will do a lot more for you than a trainer. Not only will you get a training effect but you will learn how to ride and handle your bike better and improve your pedalling.

For the record I have both the Inside Ride and the TruTrainer rollers. IR are great for resistance work and easy handling. The TT rollers are great when you really want to work on your form and pedalling and spin really high rpm's. The quality of the TT rollers is unsurpassed - simply outstanding.

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Geoff