El Diablo Rojo

Okay so I am now the proud (slightly nervous) owner of a set of Kreitler Alloy rollers with the killer headwind attachment. So I've read the posts about using a door way to get started and not to clip in until you get comfortable. Any other suggestions to help me get up to speed?

bdcheung

1) Focus on a spot in the distance
2) Start in a moderate gear (53x19, for example)
3) Keep your head up, focus on a spot in the distance.
4) Keep your head up, focus on a spot in the distance.

botto 

Time to teach the old dog a new trick, eh?

I'd start without the headwind doohickey. Doorway, hall, wall. They all work.

Don't know how necessary it is to not clip in until you're comfortable. Just make sure that you keep one hand against a wall/doorway/etc when you start. Keep the cadence high.

Like bd wrote, look ahead (a TV about 6-10 feet away works for me ).

jamiewilson3

Ride relaxed. Set up in a doorway or make a narrow gap between two couches. Ride relaxed. Dont look straight down, as BD said. Ride relaxed. Find a gear where you can get the wheels going without loosing your pedal stroke. Ride relaxed. If you go too slow, the bike will not be as stable. Ride relaxed. If you go too fast, you will loose your spin and that creates problems. Ride relaxed.

And dont forget to ride relaxed. If you tense up, you will be twitchy.

marcelinyc

Lower sit a bit so it is easier to seat down.
1.Place bike on rollers
2.Put one pedal in 2 o'clock position.
3.Sit (!) and push that pedal hard. Make sure bike is straight up.

El Diablo Rojo

Thanks guys, I was in the garage last night trying them out and (A) I wasn't that relaxed and (B) I was focusing on the front wheel. Needless to say things didn't got to smoothly. I'm going to try them out in the door way this morning, and if I'm not in the emergency room I'll let you know how it goes.

DrWJODonnell

Start in doorway from seated position. Toss the bike in a huge gear. No killer headwind. Ride from the tops. If you need drop a shoulder or an elbow into the doorway once you are going. Also, as you start to get a bit more comfortable, move to the hoods, the drops or even stand. Then start climbing down gears and/or up in cadence. Lower wheel speed means more difficult staying upright. Once you can do that with no incedents, you might consider in the middle of the room far from hard sharp objects and use a chair to start out. Eventually you will be able to sprint lightly, ride with no hands, look over both shoulders and use your TT bike. Eventually.

lotek 

yo Red,

I set up next to a kitchen counter about chest height. I use a stool on the left
to assist mount/dismounts. I have the counter to grab if things get too wobbly.
the counter also makes a good place to keep drink, towel etc.
as stated look about 6 - 10 feet in front of your bike, and start without the headwind.
oh yeah, I started without clipping in for the first ride or two.

bet you're riding no hands within 2 weeks.

marty

mike9903

Make sure you are using them on a carpet floor, I made the mistake of using them the first time on a tile floor and that hurt when I went flying off the rollers.

Non-Fiction

Like everyone has said don't look down at your bike. Another thing is when you are leaning against a wall or bench make sure you are keeping your bike totally perpendicular to the rollers. If you are leaning the bike into the wall the bike will slide out when you start pedaling. Have fun!

mike9903

I am expecting to see a video of you doing no handed on legged drills in one week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

garysol1 

Biggest thing that I see with newbie roller riders is that they are very tense and make big, fast corrections. Keep your arms bent and relaxed and make small slow corrections as needed. Just relax. I know you will pick it up in no time at all.

bigskymacadam

spin circles; focus your core for a lot of the balance part

falling reminds me of going clipless the first time. then you learn to anticpate a fall and unclip in time to dismount.

keep looking forward.

have fun!

wfrogge

Practice with tennis shoes on while in a hallway.

Dubbayoo

I do fine looking just beyond the front wheel. If you can ride rollers with that headwind unit fully open you are a frickin *HOSS*. I kept mine closed, which is supposed to be a 2-3mph tailwind and I still hurt. That thing sounds like a tornado approaching though.

skinny

Get the dyno-lytes, and you'll never need the fan unit.

El Diablo Rojo

Okay ROLLERS ROCK!!!!! Thanks for all the advice, the looking ahead makes all the difference. I set the rollers up in the kitchen and focused on the coffee maker (I love coffee). I started out wearing my Crocs with my hand on the tops of bars. After 5 minutes of that I got off and put my Sidi's back on and was on hoods or the drops for next 15 minutes. I was able to get my water bottle out of the cage, and wipe the sweat of my face with out to much drama. I will say that getting relaxed and not looking at the front wheel are key. Thanks for all the advice you guys made this easy!!

wfrogge

You beat me cause I cant get my watter bottle out of the cage while on rollers

Vinokurtov

Great minds...I just ordered a set for warming up at the races.

El Diablo Rojo

I traded my i-magic virtual trainer for them. I liked the i-magic but honestly I wasn't using the virtual function to train with so essentially it was just another mag trainer. Rollers are neat cause you have to actually do something other than pedal, and I can really see how they are going to help me with my bike handling. Getting to the point where I can stand and sprint is going to be fun.

Question, how do you guys mount with out a step stool or something to lean on? I ask this because I'd like to take these to races to warm up on.

mike9903

I have been riding my rollers for about 3 months now and I still do not have the confidence to take these to a race to warm up with. I am thinking that I am just going to buy a Kurt Kinetic Breeze, just to take to races.

bdcheung

here's what I do:

1. Clip in with left foot.
2. Rotate left crank to 11 o'clock position (when facing from non-drive side)
3. Put right foot on frame of rollers
4. Step down on left foot, raising my body (and right foot up). Really slam this foot down, as the speed you generate will help you balance long enough to clip in the other foot.
5. Clip right foot in quickly and pedal.

This works about 85% of the time, with the success rate being higher when I really concentrate. The trick is getting that right foot clipped in. If you don't, you either put your foot back on the ground and try again, OR, if you're good, pedal one-legged until you can clip the off-foot in.

El Diablo Rojo

Cool thanks. I'll give myself a few more weeks of practice then give this a shot. Again thanks to all of you for the advice, it really made it easy to pick this up.

botto 

Come on dude, bike racers use them, it's not that difficult.

Use them next to your car, if you can't get started out in the open.

El Diablo Rojo

The guy that I did the trade with said "approach them with a attitude of a 20 year-old, you know like your never gonna die". He said that he had had rollers when he was in his 20's but now that he's in his 40's he wasnt' so sure he liked them so much. He bought them last year and said he's ridden them twice. I was kinda freaked out by that but after a few minutes it's no so hard. It's amazing how much easier it is when you don't focus on your front wheel. I did notice that I was 'dog tracking' about 5 degrees though, is that normal?