When I first started working in the industry in the early 1970s roller exhibitions and races were a popular feature at the trade shows. Back then, you could only buy Cinelli or American Rollers. There was a boom in roller interest in the late 1970s, with new rollers coming from Kreitler, Artisian Tool & Die, MTD, San Gorgorgio and Cortina. Most of them had a stabilizer system for new riders.

It was also around this time that the first stationary trainers with wind resistance simulators started appearing from companies like Road Machine and Racer-Mate. This led to a format war between proponents of rollers ans stationary trainers. The roller crowd argued that rollers allowed you to maintain form and suppleness while the stationary trainer crowd countered with the strength training advantage of their wind load simulators. The smart people discarded the Racer-Mate stands and rode rollers with the Racer-Mate squirrel cages attached to their bicycle's seat post.

Over the past five decades I've gone though three sets of rollers. I used to train on them regularly and even rode them in exhibitions and races at trade shows. I could ride no-hands, even changing jersies while riding. However, I haven't ridden them since my son took up rowing. His ergometer now occupies the spot formerly used for my rollers.

Once, I almost dumped my bicycle, while riding rollers in front of a small crowd at a trade show. I was tag teaming with another member from our racing team and while riding we would converse with the spectators, answering their questions. My partner thought he would have some fun, being aware of recent incident that I had survived with a VW Bus. While I was in the midst of a conversation he yelled out, "Watch out, there's a VW Bus behind you!" I was startled and almost dumped the bicycle but my reflexes responded in the knick of time.