Are Rollers Really Hard to Use?

They're easy to use. The hard part is getting on your bike on getting started. Put it in a hallway or somewhere you can catch yourself in both directions. It won't take long to get used to it. You already mentioned most of the pros. A con would be lower resistance than most trainers. Have fun.

kvl1027 said:

I am considering getting Rollers, because frankly I could use better balance, and resistance trainers are really boring. Are they as difficult to use as some say, and what are some of the other pros, to rollers over resistance trainers.

Also I have heard that Rollers are better for you bike, i.e. not adding undue stress to you chain stays and seat stays.

Rollers also teach one to be relaxed in the upper body while hitting it hard. Having said that I wouldn't do all-out sprints on rollers - save those for the road.

No they aren't hard to learn to ride on. You don't say which brand/type of rollers you're considering. I've Kreitler Alloys with headwind unit, fork stand, and flywheel. When starting out I would remove (or lower the setting) any resistance unit that may be present and use the largest gear you've got. The greater speed (and gyroscopic effect from your spinning wheels?) will help keep you stable while you learn to balance. Gradually add resistance/lower speed as you get more comfortable.

dkrenik said:

Rollers also teach one to be relaxed in the upper body while hitting it hard. Having said that I wouldn't do all-out sprints on rollers - save those for the road.

No they aren't hard to learn to ride on. You don't say which brand/type of rollers you're considering. I've Kreitler Alloys with headwind unit, fork stand, and flywheel. When starting out I would remove (or lower the setting) any resistance unit that may be present and use the largest gear you've got. The greater speed (and gyroscopic effect from your spinning wheels?) will help keep you stable while you learn to balance. Gradually add resistance/lower speed as you get more comfortable.

Thanks for the help!

Im thinking about getting the Minoura Advanced from Performance Bike, I know the Kreitlers are much better, but Im on somewhat of a budget. If anyone else has some suggestions for Rollers, that are around $140 or less, that would be awesome.

Cyclops makes some too. That's what I have. I think rollers are way better. They make you pedal in full circles instead of mashing. If you do mash, you're going to start getting a back and forth rocking and you can't attain good pedaling form that way. Like Paul Sherwen says, pedal circles-not squares.

One thing. If you are going to be doing a lot of miles (3 or 4 days in a row) change your tires. Good road tires nowadays are softer for grip and wear faster on trainers.

I have a CycleOps set of rollers w/ a resistance magnet that I had bought for $349. I originally got them so I could ride at night after work during the winter months. They however put out some street lights and prefer to ride outside. They are under a year old and I've logged about 15 hours on them.

They work great and the replies before me pretty much sums it up. I will sell mine to you for $200.00 if your interested. E-mail me at [email hidden] if interested. I can post them on e-bay to add some formality to it or just tell me how you want to make the transaction.

No, they're pretty easy - and are a welcome change from the monotony of a trainer. Since picking up roller riding this off season, I've had several people comment during group rides that they like drafting me because I have a smooth, even pedal stroke.

Snuffleupagus said:

Since picking up roller riding this off season, I've had several people comment during group rides that they like drafting me because I have a smooth, even pedal stroke.

Using rollers is not hard once you learn to spin correctly and RELAX. I live in Michigan and winters are rough. I use mine 4-6 days a week for anywhere from 1.5 to 4 hours. Like Snuff said all of my buddies love to ride behind me. A smooth even stroke and the rollers force you to learn to hold a line. They also increase balance as stated earlier which helps if things get sketchy in a group or pack sprint finish.