Training & Nutrition - rollers--holy crap this is hard

So my wife bought me Kreitler rollers for my birthday (thanks wife :thumb:).

Kinda hard.

But I'm determined.

Wish me luck :bike2:

Keep at it, it takes several sessions to get the hang of it. Start in a doorway or narrow hall. You won't really go flying off the front either but falling to the side is a certainty. It's easiest if you peddle fast too, don't go too slow.

Then once it gets too easy buy yourself a Kreitler Killer Headwind attachment...

It takes time. You've almost made it when you can pull the waterbottle out of the holder and take a sip. I've seen some who can ride with "no hands" on rollers, but not me. I still ride in a narrow doorway whenever I use rollers.

I've graduated to being against a wall, but I only need something on one side now.

It gets easier quite quickly (or at least you feel more comfortable). I can drink & ride one handed, but the no handed thing scares me.

For some reason I've never had a problem with no handed on the rollers. It's not like you can steer with the handlebars anyway, you have to lean one way or the other.

Another fun one is one legged drills but I can't do those no handed (yet...)

YOU WILL GET IT, KEEP DOING IT. I can drink, scratch my back, get water bottle out of the cage, even stand up. Only after a month.

keep diggin

I learned by placing mine in a narrow hallway. The first couple times, I was bouncing off the walls like a drunkard stumbling down the hall. In short order I graduated to placing them next to the treadmill, which I use to steady myself on startup.
I've gotten proficient at riding one handed, drinking from a bottle in a cage, one-legged pedalling, standing, and can even ride no-handed for a couple minutes in one go. I've even been able to start without using external support, but I still prefer to use support to start.
Ironically, I can't ride a bleeping skinny to save my life.

I can ride no hands now. Just roll, it will come.

Wish me luck.Luck might not be the problem. Rollers can be tricky to setup.

Do you actually know how to setup rollers? Can you have a friend come to your house and ride your rollers? Can your friend ride your rollers on your bike?

I recently visited friends that had owned rollers for years but never rode them. They said it was "too hard." After I tried to ride their rollers, on their bike - I discovered that the rollers were setup incorrectly and so I adjusted the setup to an "easier, more stable ride."

Unless some one who knows all about rollers, and knows how to ride rollers, checks your setup, you'll never know for sure about your setup. Maybe your rollers ARE hard to ride.

UPDATE:

I decided to give it another shot today. My first attempt was last weekend and I haven't tried since then because the weather has been good so I've been riding outside.

This time, I set the rollers close to a wall on the right side. I placed a Reebok Step platform on the left side to help me mount the bike.

I clipped in, started pedaling, let go of the wall, and off I went. After a couple of minutes of stopping and starting to get comfortable with it, I rode for 20 minutes straight without stopping or holding on to the wall.

I think the main obstacle was confidence. Once I stopped worrying about falling and relaxed, it was no problem.

I am very excited about the rollers now. Now I just need to get the Killer Headwind!

I HIGHLY recommend the rollers for indoor training!



btw-- "setup" is a noun; "set up" is a verb ;)

Luck might not be the problem. Rollers can be tricky to setup.

Do you actually know how to setup rollers? Can you have a friend come to your house and ride your rollers? Can your friend ride your rollers on your bike?

I recently visited friends that had owned rollers for years but never rode them. They said it was "too hard." After I tried to ride their rollers, on their bike - I discovered that the rollers were setup incorrectly and so I adjusted the setup to an "easier, more stable ride."

Unless some one who knows all about rollers, and knows how to ride rollers, checks your setup, you'll never know for sure about your setup. Maybe your rollers ARE hard to ride.

How about give us some hints on set up then. What is there to do other than the distance between front and rear rollers? What do you recomend?

How about give us some hints on set up then. What is there to do other than the distance between front and rear rollers? What do you recomend?

The biggest thing to make sure of is that your bikes front axle is JUST behind the axle of the front roller. That's really it.

UPDATE:

I decided to give it another shot today. My first attempt was last weekend and I haven't tried since then because the weather has been good so I've been riding outside.

This time, I set the rollers close to a wall on the right side. I placed a Reebok Step platform on the left side to help me mount the bike.

I clipped in, started pedaling, let go of the wall, and off I went. After a couple of minutes of stopping and starting to get comfortable with it, I rode for 20 minutes straight without stopping or holding on to the wall.

I think the main obstacle was confidence. Once I stopped worrying about falling and relaxed, it was no problem.

I am very excited about the rollers now. Now I just need to get the Killer Headwind!

I HIGHLY recommend the rollers for indoor training!



btw-- "setup" is a noun; "set up" is a verb ;)


I knew u could do it.

one of my bmxer mates can bunnyhop his park bike on my rollers.

peddle

pedal?



Then once it gets too easy buy yourself a Kreitler Killer Headwind attachment...


a fan. cool!