Roller Shopping
 

I can see rollers out there ranging from about $180 all the way up to $600. Not sure what makes all the difference. Thoughts?

the cheap ones from performance are fine, and in some ways better than the expensive ones. For track warmups you don't want the high resistance of small drums-- the big drums are better for spinning. what you get from the expensive ones is smoother drums and less vibration.

Everyone over here says the Performance rollers are the ones to get. Going to pick up a set today

Yes, but don't get the red plastic ones. Get the metal ones.

You are having fun with this sport, aren't you!!! :-)

One thing I noticed about the guys who race track out here is that they are all pretty obsessive compulsive about it. That's exactly my personality when I get hooked on something, I go big and I go the distance.

For the past several years I have been gung ho about running mountain half marathons. I have done well for my size, but winning will never happen when I am 185lbs and built more like a football player. So I am getting burned out and receiving "finisher's medals" have lost it's luster.

People are saying, "yeah, just see how you like racing, yada yada yada" and I am thinking, "I don't need to 'see' how I like it. I'm IN. This is what I'm going to focus on, indefinitely". I used to dabble in track racing as a skinny little Junior cyclist back in the day so it's not completely new. But now that I have grown into my body and my confidence is stronger, it's completely different.

But yeah, I'm having fun. :)

There is one other thing I didn't mention - about a year and a half ago I had a severe malfunction with my immune system where my immune system went berzerk and started attacking my platelets, which are the component of your blood that keeps you from bleeding to death. I could have bumped my knee and died from internal bleeding. I was in the hospital for almost 10 days getting CAT scans, platelet transfusions, living on the oncology floor with dying people. At first my symptoms matched Leukemia, so you can imagine that was REALLY scary. Turned out to be something else and after a round of treatment, I beat the odds (20% chance) and recovered (well, I'm in a "remission"... this COULD come back). Anyway, I was really scared, thought I was going to die at that hospital.

I feel like I have a 2nd chance and I have a new realization of how life could end at any time. I am lucky that I can understand this. I think everyone needs a good scare. So given that I don't know if this could come back and haunt me, I am more focused on health and fitness (to do what I can to keep it from coming back) and more importantly, I want to kick ass and have fun while I'm here on earth. Whether it be 1 year or 60 more! I'm 35 now and in the best shape of my life. Just having fun with my healthy body. Track racing fits the bill perfectly.

Carleton, I am thinking about picking up a set of rollers within the next year, but need to look into a bit more. Is there any specific reason for not going with the red plastic ones? Do they just not hold up as well as the metal ones do?

Yeah, that's exactly why. The plastic ones will be more likely to establish a groove and/or become lumpy which is annoying. Just spend the extra $25-50 and get the metal ones.

I use Kreitler because they are available in 4.5" metal drums.

Track racers usually don't want resistance from their rollers (small barrels = high resistance, large barrels = low resistance). They often use the rollers for warming up, cooling down, or cadence work...all of which are better with low resistance rollers.

Thanks for sharing your story. Sounds like you are living life with a passion and definately are all in. Keep up the good work!

They warp (the ends stay at the rails and they get a noticable bow to them). They're still rideable like that, but they get super noisy. The metal ones aren't even that much more expensive if you catch them on sale. The only nice thing about the plastic ones is that they are (or were) about a half inch larger diameter than the current cheap metal ones from performance.

I like to borrow them for the same reason, but I'm too cheap to buy the kreitlers.

I already have a set of rollers which are fine for home and races that I have till now driven to.

But given it will be actually cheaper for me to fly rather than drive the 900km up to Sydney for the Australian National Track Cyling Masters next February, I am looking to take the plane this time.

Given I'll already be loaded up with two bikes, I'm after suggestions on which model rollers are the lightest...

Thanks

I had a set custom made way back in the day. Lathe turned aluminum, perfectly smooth and concentric. So perfect that it was actually kind of annoying, as I never found a tire round enough that I couldn't detect imperfection in it. Nothing like riding on $400 worth of tires and thinking "Man, I can so feel that lump near the valve stem". They also were heavy, and didn't fold. So eventually I bought a pair of Performance ones for traveling to races...

Wow, this story is so much like my own.
My case was Hodgkin's Lymphoma, diganosed Jan 2010. A major operation, 6 months chemo, and now periodic PET scans. I'd been road riding for years mostly non-competitively, and in retrospect, that's where the symptoms showed first when I'd be climbing but at the time I couldn't figure it out. (Oh, softball size tumor pressing between heart and lung...that'll do it).
Tried track reluctantly after remission as a "taste of life" thing and ended up liking it more than road/mtb. Likewise with cyclocross. :)

Anyone have an idea on roller unit weights? Won't be my primary set, just for races I fly to...

Figured I would throw this in. If you can afford 850.00 dollars, E Motion rollers are the ultimate indoor riding. However they are heavy and not very well suited for taking to the track. With for and aft motion, they are extremely easy to learn and very forgiving. Five min. to learn and could stand and sprint first session. Extremely easy to adjust also. Thumbs up to these rollers.

I bought a pair of Minoura metal drum rollers on ebay for $50. Figured it was
worth the entry price to see if I liked them. 4.5inch metal rollers that I actually
enjoy riding.
I found the following weights listed in confusing terms to say the least:
CycleOps Aluminum Rollers 9.9 lbs
Minoura 10.14 lbs.
Kreitler challenge 4.5 inch 5.1 lbs (poly end caps).
kreitler Alloy shipping weight 18 lbs
Jet Black rollers shipping weight 28.8 lbs

Marty

+1 for Performance aluminum rollers. Just picked some up on their "Trainer Sale" for 150

Nashbar Aluminum rollers going for $119.
http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Reduce...1507594&sr=8-1