Training & Nutrition - trainer or rollers?

The saga continues.....
after an hour on the trainer last night, I noticed a
"funny noise" coming from somewhere near
freewheel. Thats just needing some lube,
but when I moved my hand from the
resistance unit on my Fluid2.....
oil. Now my wife won't be happy :irritated if
the Fluid2 spews oil all over carpet/new house.
So, rollers or trainer? pros & cons, general
2 cents worth appreciated

thanks,
Marty

Follow up:

I spoke to Graber products this morning, and they're sending
new resistance unit out today, all I have to do is return
old one after I receive the new one.
I was aware that there were some problems with fluid2 but.....
the service so far has been extraordinary.
No hassle, no problem with the unit being 2 years old etc.
I'm still thinking of getting rollers to work on
spin/cadence smoothing out pedal stroke.

Marty:D

I like rollers better than a trainer because I find that it forces me to maintain some mental focus on my workouts so I don't fall off. It also smooths out my pedal stroke which in turn makes me a more efficient rider. With a resistance unit on my rollers I can get more resistance than any trainer I have tried so there is no argument for a trainer there. It is easier on your frame than a trainer.

I am using Kreitler Challengers with the Killer Headwind Fan and it is very aptly named. It is a "KILLER"

I swear, everyone asks this question sometime in their life...

I'd recommend staying with the trainer if you're actually doing training. I noticed you said that you rode for an hour. Riding for an hour on rollers is very difficult.

What rollers are good for is race warm-up/cool-down and developing a smooth pedal stroke. There is no real advantage of riding rollers for extended periods of time.

So...if you want to work on the pedal stroke like you said, but still want to train, maybe you want to purchase a pair of rollers to match the trainer? Or, if you're not quite rich, there are workouts you can do on a trainer (or road) that will help develop a smooth spin.

I'd recommend staying with the trainer if you're actually doing training. I noticed you said that you rode for an hour. Riding for an hour on rollers is very difficult.

Velo, why is it difficult to ride rollers for an hour? I ride rollers for an hour all the time without any difficulty.

What rollers are good for is race warm-up/cool-down and developing a smooth pedal stroke. There is no real advantage of riding rollers for extended periods of time.

There is just as much an advantage to riding rollers with a resistance unit for an extended period of time as there is with riding a trainer. And you get the added advantage of developing a smooth pedal stroke.

Originally posted by Captain Crunch
Velo, why is it difficult to ride rollers for an hour? I ride rollers for an hour all the time without any difficulty.

There is just as much an advantage to riding rollers with a resistance unit for an extended period of time as there is with riding a trainer. And you get the added advantage of developing a smooth pedal stroke.

:eek: You're kidding me. Well, you've got some determined roller riding there, Captain! Mere mortals have difficulty concentrating on all the things you have to concentrate on while riding the rollers for that long a time.

Oh yeah, with a resistance unit it makes a difference. I was just talking about regular rollers. The resistance unit adds to the cost, though. As far as the pedal stroke goes, rollers are the best. But, you can do basically the same thing with specific workouts on the trainer.

I find rollers the best choice mainly because you're driving your own bicycle, you're in the same position as you would be when driving outdoor.

I'm not sure if you know the brand TACX in the States but I'm using one of those.
You're rear wheel is fixed to the roller so you can't fall down :-)
Furthermore it has an adjustable resistance (mechanical on the cheap models and elektronical on the more expensive ones).

Since Graber Products' customer
support has been so good I can now
buy rollers, and still have trainer which I
can't fall off of, at least not yet!
(BTW trainers with no resistance...bad idea!)

...rear wheel is fixed to the roller so you can't fall down :-)
Belgium_Dude, we have TACX here but mostly
the trainers, I'll look for the rollers...
Can the rollers be used without fixing
the rear wheel?

thanks for all the advice

Marty

Hmm, I'm mistaking here...sorry, language problem :o

I'm actually mixing up a trainer with a home-trainer.

So, my previous post is not valid.

I'm using a Tacx Basic.

I kinda thought it was something
like that.
I'm still looking at the Tacx rollers.
I'll have trainer which I can't fall off
and rollers which I imagine will attempt
at all costs to launch me across the room
(at least for a while).
For now I'm using wifes NordicTrack
Skier....talk about sore hams....:D

Marty

Originally posted by lotek
I'm still looking at the Tacx rollers.

I have Tacx rollers. I believe they're the best brand I've ever ridden. I don't like the absolute smoothness of brands like Kreitler, because it's nothing like the real feel of the road.

Tacx rollers are fairly smooth but still give a little roughness of the road feel. Plus, you can get them in the folding version (which I have) that is easy to travel with.

velo

I ride rollers with a resistance unit attached (dual fans) and there is plenty of resistance. So I'm getting BOTH bike handling, smoothness training and resistance training. BUT if I was going to be doing a sprint workout or someething similar to that then a trainer would be preferred. I do sprint workouts on the rollers but I have to be a bit reserved so I don't careen into the frontroom!
All in all though I believe the rollers have a definite edge though as far as training/performance goes.