bfloyd

I'm in the market for a new trainer and I am considering perhaps rollers. I understand there is a learning curve with them, but I would like to know if rollers can handle standing sprints and standing hill climb simulations (of course given that the balance can be obtained by the rider). Thanks.

VosBike

I have heard tales of people being able to get out of the saddle on rollers, but in my expierence, they are nothing but tales.

I would not recommend getting rollers as your only indoor training tool. Borrow a friend's and spend a few hours on them, but get a trainer if its all you're going to have.

ericgu

The only rollers I've heard where you can stand is the trutrainer ones, but they're a bit pricey ($700 ish)

superdex

you can stand on any rollers, the trutrainer ones just make it a bit easier.

but other than gearing up (increasing resistance) on either a trainer or rollers, nothing simulates hills like, well, hills.

Also, try the search function on this site. Rollers and trainers are hot topics these days


(anyone else notice in the summer it's wheels, wheels, wheels, and in the winter it's rollers, rollers, rollers?)

grebletie

I've been able to mash out of the saddle a bit on my rollers. Nothing too intense though. If you get rollers with enough resistance, you should be able to sprint pretty hard. If you really want to work on pulling on the bars and seriously sprinting, I'd go for a trainer though.

Also, the closest thing you can get to hill training indoors is a trainer. I can't see how you'd get a trainer to even remotely simulate hill climbing.

garysol1 

I can stand on my rollers but you have to be very smooth. I would recommend a trainer over rollers for that sort of work.

Wil Davis

I can stand when riding rollers; it's is a piece of cake compared with this (borrowed from another thread)

enjoy…

- Wil

Richard Cranium

Rollers are not an effective training tool for developing hill climbing and sprinting skills. If you need some one to actually tell you this - you have other issues that need to be addressed. Get help.

bfloyd

Coming from someone that has only used trainers in the past; never once before used rollers, and is trying to learn the capabilities of rollers, I don't think I have any other "issues" that need to be addressed. Are cyclists supposed to be born with all knowledge of every aspects of cycling? How is one suppose to learn unless they ask? Thanks for the insult . . .

To the others, thanks for the advice. I am going to continue with a trainer for my needs.

'nother

Well, check his username again, should explain a lot. A least he's aware of it...

cbaronzzi

I have only rollers. I used them all last winter to train. They are great for working on your pedaling technique and getting a good workout. I think they are relatively fun. I can stand and pedal on my rollers but you have to do it very carefully and smoothly. If you get carried away, you will go flying off. I usually only stand to give my butt a break for a minute or two. If you are looking to stand and hammer out of the saddle, I think you will be very disappointed with rollers. But, I still think rollers are a GREAT tool. You can do seated intervals on them and still get a hell of a workout. However, I must admit that even though I would not give up my rollers, I am planning to buy a trainer in the near future to work on power for sprinting and hill climbing. FYI, my research has lead me to consider two possible trainers: 1. Cycleops, Magneto, and 2. Kurt Kinetic, Road Machine. The KK is expensive but generally regarded as the best. The KK also has a computer you can buy for an extra $50 that will give you wattage. The Cycleops Magneto is much cheaper but very attractive b/c it is a magnetic trainer that features automatically variable resistance.

NoRacer

Maybe you should look at the videos here:

https://www.insideride.com/index.php?...d=64&Itemid=50

Apparently, the ability to sprint, stand & sprint, and simulate climbing with these rollers is new to you as it was to me.

Turboem1

I love my rollers.

You actually missed a great deal.

Nashbar had there rollers for $85 shipped.
https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php...hlight=nashbar

They are now $10 more. (not the worst price difference but thats over 10%)
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...All%20Products


And what are you guys talking about you cant get out of the saddle and pedal hard? Of course you can.

Heres krazyderek

https://members.accesswave.ca/~derekn...%20rollers.mpg

and id say he pedals pretty hard towards the end of the video

garysol1 

I am not the greatest roller rider by any means but I regularly stand and turn a high gear to stretch my legs every 20 minutes or so while I ride the rollers. Not that hard if you can pedal smoothly. The hardest part is doing it for the first time.

superdex

How does that simulate climbing?

garysol1 

For climbing simulation I simply put the belt on the smallest pulley and open the air door on my Kreitler head unit. That gives me resistance to the point where I can barely turn my pedals more than 40rpm in a high gear against the fans resistance. I think that is a pretty decent way to practice for hills on rollers. With the head unit set like this there is 0 coasting effect.

NoRacer

Their words, not mine. All the video shows is pushing a high gear while out of the saddle.

Turboem1

they consider climbing riding out of the saddle. thats all

doctorSpoc

i can stand, sprint and ride no hands with my Krietlers rollers... but can't really sprint all out, need to be very much under control. but unlike trainers it doesn't put the kind of stress on your frame. i have the headwind fan and can sprint at ~800W on my rollers.

the only rollers that i've seen where you can actually sprint all out are e-motions... all out sprint on rollers

https://www.insideride.com/index.php?...d=15&Itemid=36

i've heard nothing but good things about them and you can view the videos on the web site of people doing sprints.. they have extra small rollers on the front and back and at the sides of the front roller that prevent you from ever falling off and have elastic bands that smooth out hard accelerations...

NoRacer

Uh... look at reply #12 of this thread.

Carbonfiberboy 

I use Performance rollers with their resistance unit. They work well. I use them for Z2 steady state, one-legged pedaling, FastPedal, tempo intervals, TT tests, and other intervals. As other posters have said, standing gives the butt a break. I climb and sprint outside. I don't think you can really simulate either of those on a trainer. The momentum is all wrong and thus the pedal stroke isn't the same as outside. The OLP is really the deal for winter training. Great for your climbing legs. Rollers improve your efficiency.