DrWJODonnell

Sorry, just wanted a separate thread to discuss these as I believe that they warrant it. For those of you who do not know, they are the claimed revolution in indoor training and will cause you to score chicks, influence people, and get rid of that wierd blemish on your heel.

Anyhow, I saw that Nomad was asking about these. Yes they are expensive, but I think the question for many is, "Are they worth it?"

The answer from a guy who does a LOT of training indoors is, "I don't know."

There is no doubt in my mind that these are extremely easy to use. It's as easy as riding a bike! You hop on, pedal, get clipped in and go. You stand (relieving pressure on the backside which can be a real problem on traditional rollers), you can sprint (unless your form is atrocious), and in general they are much more comfortable than rollers (which require great technique) or a trainer (which fixes the bike and does not allow for sway or any type of balance). You can adjust the resistance with a magnet on the rear drum (before you get on...I can't imagine anyone adjusting this DURING a ride) and it has bars in the front and back as well as guide wheels on the side of the front drum to keep you from steering off. It is perfect for riding for hours while watching TV and you don't want to pay attention to whether or not you are about to put a 35 mph tire burn on the rug if you happen to ride off of them.

They are expensive, but comfortable, forgiving, and easy to use.

Which, are the main reasons I also DON'T like them.

The purpose of rollers (in my mind) is to provide an environment for the rider to work on balance and smooth out the pedal stroke. Anyone can attest to how difficult it was just to clip in when they rode their rollers for the first time. You have to toss the bike into this massive gear so that the wheels provide enough inertia to keep you upright. Lower cadences are often easier because of how the body sloppily shifts during higher cadences. I think anyone that has ridden rollers has also fallen off of rollers whether due to fatigue or a momentary lapse of attention, or maybe just for shifting butt positions on the saddle to try to relieve pressure. BUT rollers force the pedal stroke to smooth, and the balance to get better. when you get in a more forward, aggressive position, on the rollers you know how difficult that subtle shift can cause bike handling to be. For the people who say that riding a TT bike simply can't be much more difficult to control than a road bike has never attempted to ride a TT bike on rollers (I still have a TON of difficulty with this and actually, for simplicity of training I often DO use the EMotion rollers just so I can ctually get some bike time in with my lack of skill).

Are the EMotions good? Sure. But I do think they really dumb down the roller experience. Consider them like training wheels for your rollers (harder than a trainer, but much easier than real rollers) if you want to use them for bike skills. Consider them a godsend if you find you hate the movement (or lack of) with a trainer, and hate the concentration required of traditional rollers.

For me, I will keep mine and continue to use them, but I will also continue to use both my Tacx VR trainer and my Kreitlers. They are a nice addition to the arsenal, but for me, not the silver bullet.

Anyone else hve input on them?

kukusz

Not sure if this was posted on the previous thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V77xQKTC-6c

bdcheung

kukusz, are you ever going to come get your stinking pedals?

Creakyknees

Thanks for the review... I've done plenty of time on rollers, spin bikes, trainers, but never the emotions.

I think in terms of real-world practicality, a trainer is still the best bet for most riders.

Doggus

I agree. Rollers improve technique and balance. When removing that from the equation, just ride a trainer.

I think rollers are one area where you can save some money and buy the cheaper product and still lose nothing in performance. I've been on a teammates Kreitlers. I own the Performance house brand (~$75 with coupon etc...). I can't imagine spending more money just to own Kreitlers, esp in Texas.

I would however like to devise some little wheel bumpers to keep me on the rollers when I'm watching football.

NomadVW 

The ease advantage of the E-Motion rollers was something I was thinking about while riding my rollers last night. I'm not sure I want something that makes it easier to ride rollers.

Two winters ago I spent a lot of time on rollers (no fixed trainer at the time and a messy winter). My pedal stroke was much smoother. I could hop on/off the rollers with no challenges, getting started and stopped without having to grab a wall, chair, or stool. I could ride no-handed for a brief periods and changing positions didn't make me feel like I was going to end up on the floor. I got to the point where I could settle into the clip-on aero bars for a while as well.

Now... not so much. I'll spend a bit of time relearning all this over the winter, I'm sure - as the mid-atlantic winters can be pretty messy. I want to get back to hearing the "whirrr" of the resistance unit instead of the "woosh, woosh, woosh" that I was getting yesterday.

I guess it depends on what you're trying to get out of the rollers training.

NomadVW 

I was watching the '08 Tour of Flanders last night, and found it much harder to stay centered when watching the pack from the back going into a turn. Instinct takes over and the edge of the rollers gets close really fast.

kukusz

I prefer leaving it up to chance.

FatguyRacer

For all the reasons why Doc doesnt like them is why I would/will put the extra money into a Compu-trainer or a Kurt Kinectic and keep on using my Travel Trac rollers.

NoRacer

Imho, learning to ride the rollers well is just that--learning how to ride the rollers well. It's TBD regarding how it affects one's race results.

For some, the e*motion rollers may instill just enough placebo effect/incentive to keep training through the winter instead of dreading getting on the rollers or trainer.

For me, I'd like to be able to jump into a sprint on the rollers without having to worry about whether I'm going to fall off. I don't want to have to learn the best method to start a sprint on normal rollers, because it doesn't apply in the real world. In the real world, you will be all over the bike as you fight for the sprint. Why learn to be contrary to what is natural?

Anyway, my 2 cents worth. I can't afford them, but I'd really love to spend a winter on a set sometime. For now... I'm on my Performance brand rollers this winter, too.

DrWJODonnell

One thing that I do have to say, owning several trainers, rollers, etc, there isn't an EASIER way to get a ride in. You literally put your bike on top and start pedaling. Same as going for a ride outside. No positioning skewers or needing special skewers. No adjusting tension, applying magnets to the bike or whatever. Nothing to attach to the handlebars. If I want to ride, I just ride. I do like THAT about them (though one could say the same about regular rollers unless you have to unfold, hook up a resistance unit, headwind, etc).

For me, if I only had money to spend on one thing cheap, I would use a trainer because warming up on TT bike on rollers is a wee bit difficult for me in my position. If I did not TT, then I would only have rollers. If I had some extra coin to spend? Tacx I-magic or Fortius or the computrainer. The interactivity keeps me on the trainer during the winter.

Off to ride my Tacx.

Blossom

So I went looking for how to build one of these and found this thread.