Recommendations for Rollers?

I have been using Sportcrafters rollers for the past 6 weeks, and so far they have been excellent.
There's lot of information about choosing roller size and material on their website,
www.sportcrafters.com/welcometop.htm I paid $179 at Branford Bike. These rollers appear to be the
same as the Cyclops 3.25" rollers, but less expensive.

I used a trainer for the past 2 winters, and I find the rollers much more interesting and
challenging. Now I'm doing about 30 min on the rollers, then another 10min of hard pedalling on the
trainer. I have found that I have to earn every minute on the rollers.

As for resale value, I don't know about that. I have no plans to sell mine.

Bob

"NYRides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody

point

Quoted message said:

me in the right direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of rollers.

NYRides said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody point me in the right
direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of rollers. Between my job and the weather, I didn't
ride half as much as usual this summer and fall. That makes my winter off-season quite a bit
longer. Rather than slopping on another ten pounds between now and the spring, I'd like to do some
touring in my basement

Performance and/or Nashbar sell Tacx rollers, which are relabelled as the respective house brand.
It's a name brand in Europe. Those'd probably be fine. Kreitlers are the best, and their lower end
model is more reasonably priced. Or you can often find them for sale used.

"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have been using Sportcrafters rollers for the past 6 weeks, and so far they have been excellent.
There's lot of information about choosing roller size and material on their website,
www.sportcrafters.com/welcometop.htm I paid $179 at Branford Bike. These rollers appear to be the
same as the Cyclops 3.25" rollers, but less expensive.

I used a trainer for the past 2 winters, and I find the rollers much more interesting and
challenging. Now I'm doing about 30 min on the rollers, then another 10min of hard pedalling on
the trainer. I have found that I have to earn every minute on the rollers.

As for resale value, I don't know about that. I have no plans to sell

mine.

Quoted message said:

Bob

I tore up a set of CycleOps rollers in a season. The end caps came unglued from the rollers and the
bearings got fried in no time. When I tried to get some satisfaction from CycleOps, I found myself
in line behind a long list of creditors. CycleOps is back under different ownership, but I believe
the rollers they're selling are virtually the same as the garbage I bought from them.

There's one name that stands WAY above all the rest in the world of rollers and that's Kreitler.
Their basic Challenger rollers are an awesome product. I've had a set for quite a few years now and
have hundreds of hours on them. They're as smooth now as the day I bought them. Expect to pay around
$300. Also, expect to get what you pay for when you buy rollers. I know the original poster was
concerned about his budget and a relatively low level of usage. But he also expressed concern about
resale. I don't think you'd have any trouble unloading a set of Kreitlers for a decent price.
Another brand would likely be another story.

Bob C.

One reason I bought the Sportcrafters is the lifetime guarantee.

Bob

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I tore up a set of CycleOps rollers in a season. The end caps came

unglued

Quoted message said:

from the rollers and the bearings got fried in no time. When I tried to

get

Quoted message said:

some satisfaction from CycleOps, I found myself in line behind a long list of creditors. CycleOps
is back under different ownership, but I believe

the

Quoted message said:

rollers they're selling are virtually the same as the garbage I bought

from

Quoted message said:

them.

I second the sportcrafters recommendation. They are very smooth, come completely assembled, have a
lifetime warrenty, and are priced well.

"Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have been using Sportcrafters rollers for the past 6 weeks, and so far they have been excellent.
There's lot of information about choosing roller size and material on their website,
www.sportcrafters.com/welcometop.htm I paid $179 at Branford Bike. These rollers appear to be the
same as the Cyclops 3.25" rollers, but less expensive.

I used a trainer for the past 2 winters, and I find the rollers much more interesting and
challenging. Now I'm doing about 30 min on the rollers, then another 10min of hard pedalling on
the trainer. I have found that I have to earn every minute on the rollers.

As for resale value, I don't know about that. I have no plans to sell

mine.

Quoted message said:

Bob

"NYRides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody

point

Quoted message said:

me in the right direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of

rollers.

Just go on e-bay and pick yourself up a set of nashbar or performance rollers for about $80. That way if they last you a year or two at least you got your moneys worth. I picked up a set of performance rollers last year and they have been working fine (about 4-5 hours of riding a week.) How can you go wrong.

Just go on e-bay and pick yourself up a set of nashbar or performance rollers for about $80. That way if they last you a year or two at least you got your moneys worth. I picked up a set of performance rollers last year and they have been working fine (about 4-5 hours of riding a week.) How can you go wrong.

"NYRides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody

point

Quoted message said:

me in the right direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of rollers. Between my job and the
weather, I didn't ride half as much as usual this summer and fall. That makes my winter off-season
quite a bit longer. Rather than slopping on another ten pounds between now and the spring, I'd
like to do some touring in my basement.

My bike is a GT MTB with narrow (Specialized Nimbus) tires. I do mostly moderately paced touring
during the season, so I'm not looking to make rock-solid calves or to set any records. I just want
to stay active. I also know I'll probably get tired of the rollers after a few weeks, so I need a
set that's priced reasonably and that has a decent resale value.

You can see the warning on the sportcrafters website ("Keep away from sunlight and excessive heat or
drum will warp and you may sense some vibration. DO NOT transport in a car in the summer!"😉. I
bought a set of Nashbar PVC rollers, and they warped to the point of uselessness very soon, and I
never rode them outdoors!!. I never saw the warning about being left in the sun or heat, but I guess
the sunlight coming through the garage window was enough. I was able to salvage them by taking the
caps off, and replacing the PVC with steel pipe. I now have much more inertia, so it feels more
natural than with PVC. If you know someone with a lathe and who is handy, this may be a great option
for you to purchase a cheap used set of PVC rollers and convert them, otherwise, step up and get a
quality pair of METAL rollers. All I've seen is aluminum, but do not get PVC.

My other piece of advice is to MAKE SURE you properly place the front roller where it is supposed to
go. I had the placement incorrect and riding was very difficult to the point where I attempted to
give away the rollers. Luckily I tried again and now it is a pleasure to ride. Get a set, you won't
regret it.

I bought a set from Excel (tacx ecotrack) the ridged ones second year I
Waigh 220 and they stay in the basement I have bin happy with them.
"NYRides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody

point

Quoted message said:

me in the right direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of rollers. Between my job and the
weather, I didn't ride half as much as usual this summer and fall. That makes my winter off-season
quite a bit longer. Rather than slopping on another ten pounds between now and the spring, I'd
like to do some touring in my basement.

My bike is a GT MTB with narrow (Specialized Nimbus) tires. I do mostly moderately paced touring
during the season, so I'm not looking to make rock-solid calves or to set any records. I just want
to stay active. I also know I'll probably get tired of the rollers after a few weeks, so I need a
set that's priced reasonably and that has a decent resale value.

"Dennis Johnston" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<%aqRb.4552$Q_4.2974@okepread03>...

Quoted message said:

"NYRides" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm sure this has been discussed to death on this NG, but can anybody point me in the right
direction for a not-too-expensive, decent set of rollers. Between my job and the weather, I
didn't ride half as much as usual this summer and fall. That makes my winter off-season quite a
bit longer. Rather than slopping on another ten pounds between now and the spring, I'd like to
do some touring in my basement.

My bike is a GT MTB with narrow (Specialized Nimbus) tires. I do mostly moderately paced touring
during the season, so I'm not looking to make rock-solid calves or to set any records. I just
want to stay active. I also know I'll probably get tired of the rollers after a few weeks, so I
need a set that's priced reasonably and that has a decent resale value.

Quoted message said:

I bought a set from Excel (tacx ecotrack) the ridged ones second year I Waigh 220 and they stay in
the basement I have bin happy with them.

You might consider checking with your local health clubs to see if they have any used spinning bikes
for sale. I bought a couple for $150 each. I like them better than rollers because I can easily ride
for 2 hours by watching a video or reading to occupy my mind. When I rode rollers I had a very
difficult time staying on them for more than one hour. They are just too nerve-wracking. You have to
pay attention to riding in one little spot, which is great for developing technique of course, but
after a while I find this mentally oppressive. I want to think about something other than what I am
doing, when I'm stuck pedaling inside a room. You can "zone out" on a spinning bike, but zoning out
on rollers usually means falling off.

I also like the flywheel on the spinning bike. It feels much more natural to me, because it somewhat
simulates having momentum on a real bike.

Another advantage of a separate spinning bike is that you don't have to worry about spraying dirt
off your dirty bike all over your room, or fixing your bike right away if it's broken. Plus you can
sweat all over the spinning bike without corroding your good bike.

Everybody is different, of course. Maybe you will prefer rollers. Any form of indoor training beats
total inactivity.

One bit of advice: you might find your indoor training more comfortable and easier to do for longer
at one stretch if you set up in the coldest possible room. I find a room temperature of 40-45
degrees F. is ideal for me. At that (cold) temperature I don't have to fiddle with setting up a fan,
and I don't sweat much at all. I start off with tights and a long-sleeved shirt, and after about
half an hour I warm up enough to strip down to shorts. By an hour I'm sweating a little, but nothing
like the usual drippage you associate with indoor riding at a normal room temperature. I don't get
that stifling sensation in a cold room.

A room temperature comfortable for sitting around in is probably too hot to let you really train
hard. Just something to consider. It's not like real riding where you get the constant wind blast to
cool you down.

-- Daniel Mocsny

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

...

Quoted message said:

Another advantage of a separate spinning bike is that you don't have to worry about spraying dirt
off your dirty bike all over your room, or fixing your bike right away if it's broken. Plus you
can sweat all over the spinning bike without corroding your good bike.

Use an old road bike you've either retired from active duty, rescued from the trash. My 25-year-
old Schwinn works great for keeping on the trainer. No hassle with hauling the good bike in and
out either.

Quoted message said:

Everybody is different, of course. Maybe you will prefer rollers. Any form of indoor training
beats total inactivity.

One bit of advice: you might find your indoor training more comfortable and easier to do for
longer at one stretch if you set up in the coldest possible room. I find a room temperature of 40-
45 degrees F. is ideal for me. At that (cold) temperature I don't have to fiddle with setting up a
fan, and I don't sweat much at all. I start off with tights and a long-sleeved shirt, and after
about half an hour I warm up enough to strip down to shorts. By an hour I'm sweating a little, but
nothing like the usual drippage you associate with indoor riding at a normal room temperature. I
don't get that stifling sensation in a cold room.

My basement runs about 50° and if I'm doing any kind of strenuous workout I still sweat after 15
minutes or so unless I set up a fan.

Quoted message said:

A room temperature comfortable for sitting around in is probably too hot to let you really train
hard. Just something to consider.

Yep.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.