Bicycle Trainers: Need Advice

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

Quoted message said:

Hello. Sorry, this may be the upteenth time this sort of question has been posted on the NG but
need to ask (I'm new). Looking to buy a trainer, some people have recommended rollers, what's the
difference? Is it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter? Is there anything I
should be looking out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

basically, if you want to smooth out your spin and work on your bike handling skills, use rollers.
If you want to get a strength workout, use a trainer. If you want to do both, get rollers with small
drums or with a resistance unit on them.
-------------
Alex

I have tried both and much prefer rollers. I have the Kreitlers with the killer headwind attachment.
The rollers force you to keep good form during the winter, and with the head wind attachment, a
large blower, provide some level of strength conditioning. The only drawback to me is that they are
louder than then the trainer I used to have. My kreitelers are three years old and look and work
just like new. Built like a tank.
--
Tom Carrico ccdargo.comccdargo.comOpen ↗ "JJJ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello.

Sorry, this may be the upteenth time this sort of question has been

posted

Quoted message said:

on the NG but need to ask (I'm new). Looking to buy a trainer, some people have recommended
rollers, what's the difference? Is it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter?
Is there anything I should be looking out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Jae

jslee-<< Looking to buy a trainer, some people have recommended rollers, what's the difference? Is
it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter? Is there anything I should be looking
out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated. >><BR><BR>

If you just want to ride all winter but can't do it outdoors, not looking to do 'sprints' and such,
rollers are the best. The teach you to ride straight and in round pedal strokes and also the time
goes by much more quickly since ya gotta pay attention to what you are doing. NOT hard to ride.

Good ones are about $300(Kreittler), but a good stationary trainer(which is mindless, IMO) is too.
Will last forever tho.

Metal rollers, sealed bearings, foldable.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

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

Quoted message said:

Hello.

Sorry, this may be the upteenth time this sort of question has been posted on the NG but need to
ask (I'm new). Looking to buy a trainer, some people have recommended rollers, what's the
difference?

A trainer supports the bike, usually by clamping the rear wheel, rollers require balance. Some
people consider the balance thing a plus, I consider a major drawback. I like watching a movie to
pass the time on a trainer. If I'm really suffering, I'll just lower my head & close my eyes.
Perhaps if I had a room with a view, I'd feel different.

People make claims about rollers "smoothing" your pedal stroke. I think that's a bunch of old wive's
tales (apologies to old wives). I've heard the same thing about fixed-gear riding. I don't
particularly believe in pedal stroke dynamics in general, so "improving" them seems doubly dubious.

Quoted message said:

Is it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter? Is there anything I should be
looking out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

I'd much rather ride outdoors, so I do, all winter, here in Boston. I don't enjoy riding in the
winter dark though, so if I couldn't swing the daylight times, I'd use a trainer more often. I do
find a trainer to be really handy for working on a bike, I think of it as a rideable work stand.

Quoted message said:

People make claims about rollers "smoothing" your pedal stroke. I think

that's

Quoted message said:

a bunch of old wive's tales (apologies to old wives). I've heard the same thing about fixed-gear
riding. I don't particularly believe in pedal

stroke

Quoted message said:

dynamics in general, so "improving" them seems doubly dubious.

If your only goal is to ride rollers, I'll go along with that, but if your goal is to become very
proficient at them and do goofy things you've seen in racing films (like read a newspaper while
riding one), then you WILL learn how to ride more smoothly. Either that or you're going to crash off
them quite a bit!

As for me, I have fond (?) memories of watching the car chase scene in the French Connection while
on rollers, and getting into the action so much that I swerved right off them and crashed nastily.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:vf2Fb.100913$8y1.310010@attbi_s52...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Hello.

Sorry, this may be the upteenth time this sort of question has been

posted

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on the NG but need to ask (I'm new). Looking to buy a trainer, some

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have recommended rollers, what's the difference?

A trainer supports the bike, usually by clamping the rear wheel, rollers require balance. Some
people consider the balance thing a plus, I consider

a

Quoted message said:

major drawback. I like watching a movie to pass the time on a trainer. If

I'm

Quoted message said:

really suffering, I'll just lower my head & close my eyes. Perhaps if I

had a

Quoted message said:

room with a view, I'd feel different.

People make claims about rollers "smoothing" your pedal stroke. I think

that's

Quoted message said:

a bunch of old wive's tales (apologies to old wives). I've heard the same thing about fixed-gear
riding. I don't particularly believe in pedal

stroke

Quoted message said:

dynamics in general, so "improving" them seems doubly dubious.

Quoted message said:

Is it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter? Is there anything I should be
looking out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

I'd much rather ride outdoors, so I do, all winter, here in Boston. I

don't

Quoted message said:

enjoy riding in the winter dark though, so if I couldn't swing the

daylight

Quoted message said:

times, I'd use a trainer more often. I do find a trainer to be really

handy

Quoted message said:

for working on a bike, I think of it as a rideable work stand.

While on the subject, any truth to the rumors that the "clamp the back wheel" type trainers can
cause stress damage to the frame?

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

People make claims about rollers "smoothing" your pedal stroke. I think

that's

Quoted message said:

a bunch of old wive's tales (apologies to old wives). I've heard the same thing about fixed-gear
riding. I don't particularly believe in pedal

stroke

Quoted message said:

dynamics in general, so "improving" them seems doubly dubious.

If your only goal is to ride rollers, I'll go along with that, but if your goal is to become very
proficient at them and do goofy things you've seen in racing films (like read a newspaper while
riding one), then you WILL learn how to ride more smoothly. Either that or you're going to crash
off them quite a bit!

As for me, I have fond (?) memories of watching the car chase scene in the French Connection while
on rollers, and getting into the action so much that I swerved right off them and crashed nastily.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

"Peter Cole" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:vf2Fb.100913$8y1.310010@attbi_s52...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Hello.

Sorry, this may be the upteenth time this sort of question has been

posted

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on the NG but need to ask (I'm new). Looking to buy a trainer, some

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have recommended rollers, what's the difference?

A trainer supports the bike, usually by clamping the rear wheel, rollers require balance. Some
people consider the balance thing a plus, I consider

a

Quoted message said:

major drawback. I like watching a movie to pass the time on a trainer. If

I'm

Quoted message said:

really suffering, I'll just lower my head & close my eyes. Perhaps if I

had a

Quoted message said:

room with a view, I'd feel different.

People make claims about rollers "smoothing" your pedal stroke. I think

that's

Quoted message said:

a bunch of old wive's tales (apologies to old wives). I've heard the same thing about fixed-gear
riding. I don't particularly believe in pedal

stroke

Quoted message said:

dynamics in general, so "improving" them seems doubly dubious.

Quoted message said:

Is it worth getting a trainer if you can ride throughout winter? Is there anything I should be
looking out for? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

I'd much rather ride outdoors, so I do, all winter, here in Boston. I

don't

Quoted message said:

enjoy riding in the winter dark though, so if I couldn't swing the

daylight

Quoted message said:

times, I'd use a trainer more often. I do find a trainer to be really

handy

Quoted message said:

for working on a bike, I think of it as a rideable work stand.

(Jonathan Quist) said:

While on the subject, any truth to the rumors that the "clamp the back wheel" type trainers can
cause stress damage to the frame?

I've had two frames crack at the left seat stay/seat lug junction, both of them being the bikes I
used for my trainer in winter. I've never broken any other frames in that spot; so while I don't
know that trainer use was the cause, I suspect it was.