Roller recommendation?

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

Quoted message said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Any of them. The main differences are diameter, width, and quality. I have
cheap plastic Performance folding rollers that I bought used years ago that
are still doing fine. I don't have a lot of room indoors so I use them in
the garage or on the covered rear patio. Foldable, smaller diameter rollers
may be more convenient if you don't have a lot of room for storage.

Greg

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Kreitler are the best. However, all rollers are equally good or bad
worthless if you don't use them. You have to be really dedicated to
consistenly use indoor training stuff. And if you have that kind of
dedicatton, then you're dedicated enough to ride outside all winter.
Unless the weather is really, really bad, its more fun, better
exercise, than indoor training. In my town there are 1 or 2 roller
training sessions each week through the winter. And roller races. The
training sessions are sort of social events. Fun and enjoyable due to
the group setting. But not really training or even fitness
maintenance. Roller races are fun. I found the YMCA spinning classes
last winter to be good. Not really for biking, but just general
exercise. With a regularly scheduled class every day and knowing other
people were going to be there, they were easy to participate in.
Easier to get to and do than riding inside on a trainer or rollers
alone.

I guess I'm an odd nut for enjoying my roller riding. Agreed that
outside is better, but when it's 33 deg and raining, I find it hard to
do that. I have a set of Kreitler Dyno-lytes, smaller diameter alloy
drums that will probably outlast me, and a headwind unit coupled with a
flywheel.

I also have an old computer set up to receive http://cycling.tv and
dvds I have of past races. I figured that cycling.tv was actually more
interesting for 38 bucks; just got done with the Eneco tour.

Since my riding in winter is for base 1 speed and endurance, mixing in
four or five roller sessions per week, 1 to 1.5 hours each, gets me
motivated for a freeze-your-nuts longer ride on the weekend. That, in
turn, keeps me motivated for the warm indoor rides.

In any event, they are more interesting than riding a trainer!

chris

Quoted message said:

Kreitler are the best. However, all rollers are equally good or bad
worthless if you don't use them. You have to be really dedicated to
consistenly use indoor training stuff. And if you have that kind of
dedicatton, then you're dedicated enough to ride outside all winter.

I think there's a big step up in dedication between the two, and we
don't even suffer from really cold, wet winters here.

Quoted message said:

Unless the weather is really, really bad, its more fun, better
exercise, than indoor training.

Rollers give you much better feedback on your balance and pedalling
technique than riding on the road.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Keritler, alloy drums, cart bearings, the best the is, last ones you
will buy.

Stay away from plastic drums with bushings.

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Tacx are hard to beat; the Kreitlers might be better, but the Tacx
will probably last a lifetime (my brother's are >30 years old) so any
more for a basic roller seems pointless.

For something more sophisticated, I'm saving up for TruTrainers
http://www.trutrainer.com/, mostly because I'm a fixed gear pervert.
You can get a reasonable range of resistance without spinning out by
changing gear on ordinary rollers, but with only one gear on my bike I
could use the more realistic speed/resistance curve

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

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

Quoted message said:

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Tacx are hard to beat; the Kreitlers might be better, but the Tacx
will probably last a lifetime (my brother's are >30 years old) so any
more for a basic roller seems pointless.

For something more sophisticated, I'm saving up for TruTrainers
http://www.trutrainer.com/, mostly because I'm a fixed gear pervert.
You can get a reasonable range of resistance without spinning out by
changing gear on ordinary rollers, but with only one gear on my bike I
could use the more realistic speed/resistance curve

Pretty cool. Have you sampled them?

Greg

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to let
go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
weight) on the front.

BeeCharmer said:

I guess I'm an odd nut for enjoying my roller riding. Agreed that
outside is better, but when it's 33 deg and raining, I find it hard to
do that. I have a set of Kreitler Dyno-lytes, smaller diameter alloy
drums that will probably outlast me, and a headwind unit coupled with a
flywheel.

I also have an old computer set up to receive http://cycling.tv and
dvds I have of past races. I figured that cycling.tv was actually more
interesting for 38 bucks; just got done with the Eneco tour.

Since my riding in winter is for base 1 speed and endurance, mixing in
four or five roller sessions per week, 1 to 1.5 hours each, gets me
motivated for a freeze-your-nuts longer ride on the weekend. That, in
turn, keeps me motivated for the warm indoor rides.

In any event, they are more interesting than riding a trainer!

chris

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

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to let
go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
weight) on the front.

BeeCharmer said:

I guess I'm an odd nut for enjoying my roller riding. Agreed that
outside is better, but when it's 33 deg and raining, I find it hard to
do that. I have a set of Kreitler Dyno-lytes, smaller diameter alloy
drums that will probably outlast me, and a headwind unit coupled with a
flywheel.

I also have an old computer set up to receive http://cycling.tv and
dvds I have of past races. I figured that cycling.tv was actually more
interesting for 38 bucks; just got done with the Eneco tour.

Since my riding in winter is for base 1 speed and endurance, mixing in
four or five roller sessions per week, 1 to 1.5 hours each, gets me
motivated for a freeze-your-nuts longer ride on the weekend. That, in
turn, keeps me motivated for the warm indoor rides.

In any event, they are more interesting than riding a trainer!

chris

Maybe it's dependent on how the rollers are adjusted with respect to the
bike wheelbase. Even on some pretty low-end rollers, never had any trouble
riding no-hands, even when taking a jersey off over my head.
Kerry

Yowser-$700?, they better be good.

G.T. said:

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

Quoted message said:

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Tacx are hard to beat; the Kreitlers might be better, but the Tacx
will probably last a lifetime (my brother's are >30 years old) so any
more for a basic roller seems pointless.

For something more sophisticated, I'm saving up for TruTrainers
http://www.trutrainer.com/, mostly because I'm a fixed gear pervert.
You can get a reasonable range of resistance without spinning out by
changing gear on ordinary rollers, but with only one gear on my bike I
could use the more realistic speed/resistance curve

Pretty cool. Have you sampled them?

Greg

I usually ride a 80"-90" fixed gear on the rollers.
I have this set-up
http://www.cycle-ops.com/p-121-al-roller-with-resistance.aspx

Basically a row of magnets on the rear roller with a knob that controls
the distance.

Seems to work OK not quite like road riding but supposedly can eat up
200 watts, enough to turn my old legs to rubber after a while.

Marcus

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to let
go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
weight) on the front.

I can do it, but only at speeds over about 20mph; any slower and there
isn't enough gyroscope effect and the natural sway caused by the
engine being poorly balanced gets big enough to be worrying.

To get more stability on rollers, move the rollers closer together to
get more trail. Having the front roller centre 1/2" to 1" behind the
front wheel centre is OK, having it in front of the wheel will make
the steering very twitchy

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:04:48 -0800, "G.T." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

Sara said:

Any rollers out there worth getting for indoor training?

Tacx are hard to beat; the Kreitlers might be better, but the Tacx
will probably last a lifetime (my brother's are >30 years old) so any
more for a basic roller seems pointless.

For something more sophisticated, I'm saving up for TruTrainers
http://www.trutrainer.com/, mostly because I'm a fixed gear pervert.
You can get a reasonable range of resistance without spinning out by
changing gear on ordinary rollers, but with only one gear on my bike I
could use the more realistic speed/resistance curve

Pretty cool. Have you sampled them?

Haven't tried them, and I'm not likely to get a chance without
shelling out about $1200 (including shipping and import duty to UK).
The theory seems persuasive, and even $1200 is cheaper than getting a
decent geared bike just to ride on the rollers :-)

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt.

Yes, I can ride no-handed. However, I can't ride no-handed and
one-legged at the same time. I actually haven't attempted that and
probably never will.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

KERRY MONTGOMERY said:

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

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to let
go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
weight) on the front.

Maybe it's dependent on how the rollers are adjusted with respect to the
bike wheelbase.

It definitely does, but I actually have an easier time on my long
wheelbased mtn bike with the front wheel hanging over the front roller
than on my road bike.

Greg
--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:11:09 -0800, "G.T." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

KERRY MONTGOMERY said:

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

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to let
go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
weight) on the front.

Maybe it's dependent on how the rollers are adjusted with respect to the
bike wheelbase.

It definitely does, but I actually have an easier time on my long
wheelbased mtn bike with the front wheel hanging over the front roller
than on my road bike.

This is the expected result, as you'll have more trail on the longer
bike, even if it was the same on a flat plane.

Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:09:28 -0800, "G.T." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt.

Yes, I can ride no-handed. However, I can't ride no-handed and
one-legged at the same time. I actually haven't attempted that and
probably never will.

I've got to wonder about tricks like that -- what's the point?

If someone enjoys those tricks, good for them. And if the skill
involved in riding rollers makes the stationary experience more
tolerable for the rider great.

But I think most riders would be best served by borrowing rollers for
a few months, getting good enough on them to ride well - perhaps
stable enough to ride no-handed. Once that's done, leave them and get
a trainer. Beyond being smooth enough to ride easily on rollers, I
don't think there is much value (from a performance standpoint) to
getting better than that at them.

--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
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****************************

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

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:11:09 -0800, "G.T." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

KERRY MONTGOMERY said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
> Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
> have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
> the "look ma, no hands" stunt. Maybe I don't have quite the guts to

let

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> go, but the bike seems highly unstable without hands (and therefore
> weight) on the front.

Maybe it's dependent on how the rollers are adjusted with respect to

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bike wheelbase.

It definitely does, but I actually have an easier time on my long
wheelbased mtn bike with the front wheel hanging over the front roller
than on my road bike.

This is the expected result, as you'll have more trail on the longer
bike, even if it was the same on a flat plane.

Yep, thanks for the explanation. I read after posting the above. The
drawback being that I roll off the front of the rollers more often when I'm
standing on the longer wheelbase bike.

Greg

"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:09:28 -0800, "G.T." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Would you or anyone else have experience riding no-hands on rollers? I
have no problems riding on my rollers but have never been able to do
the "look ma, no hands" stunt.

Yes, I can ride no-handed. However, I can't ride no-handed and
one-legged at the same time. I actually haven't attempted that and
probably never will.

I've got to wonder about tricks like that -- what's the point?

If someone enjoys those tricks, good for them. And if the skill
involved in riding rollers makes the stationary experience more
tolerable for the rider great.

Separately both are practical.

Quoted message said:

But I think most riders would be best served by borrowing rollers for
a few months, getting good enough on them to ride well - perhaps
stable enough to ride no-handed. Once that's done, leave them and get
a trainer.

Because trainers are hideously boring. I had a trainer, never got into the
habit of using it, switched to rollers and it's like riding my bike again.

Greg