We will now refer to you as the "Bike Doctor" from here forward! The image of you hunched over a set of rollers listening with a stethoscope was abosolutlly perfect in my minds eye. All kidding aside though, I am now looking for a set of rollers...see what you've done!!:thumb:

Eye-rony? :innocent::thumb:

Very good, Sir! Having now passed the test you may step forward, claim your diploma, and join the few, the proud, the well spoken! :thumb:

It occurred to me yesterday that an update may be a good idea. I did buy the Kreitler rollers I tried last spring and I've been rolling this winter and I still really like them. Even though our mild mid-Atlantic winter has allowed me out on the roads more than usual, I've been indoor cycling too. I alternate between the stationary (with the '79 Moto) and the rollers - both have advantages. When I rolled last spring I was focusing on a spot about 12 feet out ahead on the floor (a paint can, actually) and could not look around let alone move my head around. I can now look around, watch the dog and the squirrels out the window, check the time. I better understand about rollers forcing you to FEEL the ride vs think about what to do. They do promote smooth pedaling and they reward a higher cadence.

I've gravitated to using my CAAD3 Cannondale with integrated shifters as I can shift underway without taking a hand off the bars. I can move my hands around on the bars but cannot ride one handed, even for a second or two. The ride is smoother with my hands right next to the stem but I don't do that out in the wild so I ride the rollers with my hands out on the ramps or the hoods. If my arms are not equally relaxed or if I'm leaning on one side more than the other, the rollers will let me know - "unless you wanna crash, you gotta stop that stuff right now!"

Shifting while underway means I can adjust my cadence to match the tempo of the music. Yesterday was Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - excellent music for rollers. I still have to stop to take layers off (I'm out in the unheated shop for this) and NO WAY I could ride sitting up, no hands. I've also not attempted riding out of the saddle.

Does anyone ride rollers out of the saddle? Scary.

So I use the stationary (CycleOps adj Mag) for variable resistance, riding intervals out of the saddle, for building core strength (hands off the bars and behind my back, still bent over the bars) and for one legged cycling to lock in use of the full pedal stoke. The stationary will tell me, from the front wheel wagging around, if I'm out of balance but only if I'm way out of balance. Pretty fault tolerant as it's solid on the floor.

I use the rollers to further lock in smooth pedal stroke and to fine tune and excellent balance, higher cadence and straight line riding. They are so much more like riding out on the roads. The forecasts imply that winter is now over so my indoor cycling will start to taper off (rainy days only) but I'm glad I have both options and have used them. Should make the return to actual long rides and real hill climbs easier this spring.

BTW: I've seen no indication of tire wear on either trainer. I have checked, mid ride, on both and the rear tires never even warm up let alone shed any rubber dust onto the floor. I keep the tire pressures at max rated when I'm indoors as there are no potholes, frost heaves or curbs to hit. Generally no rain either.

Inspiration?
 

Good Afternoon Prowler;


Here you go... perhaps a little inspiration:




r/
Dave

I ride a pair of vintage rollers made by American Repair Stand. Steel drums with alloy end-caps and a sturdy box section frame that slides for adjustment. It has large diameter drums but I only ride fixed on rollers and go for high cadence type workouts.

This Winter was so wet I was on these 3-4 times a week between the end of Dec. and Feb. More than I've ever ridden rollers in the past. I'm going to have to put bearings in them for next Winter!

Setting the rollers to match the wheelbase of your bike is what you need to do to get the twitchiness under control and be able to ride one handed, no handed, out of the saddle, etc. That and time in the saddle.....

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2347/3...39f89c35_c.jpg

Hmmm...

I still have my rollers. Maybe I should get them out of the closet and put them to use again. At least if my body started *****ing, I could just stop and get off instead of turning around out on the road and still having to deal with it until I got home :)

DD

Maybe it's the angle or my imagination, but those look narrow!
What gear do you like to ride on the rollers? I like the idea of a fixed gear but mine is 42 x 16 for the road and I think I would want something much higher for rollers.

The drums are 16" wide.

I ride 47 x 19, same set up I use on the road. It keeps you mostly in triple digits cadence wise on the rollers. Very much so for intervals.

I think those are the same rollers I used to own. Perhaps I misremembered the name... The yellow drums and box section frame looks identical. The only difference was the frame was painted red on mine.

Rollers aren't much use to me anymore, as I am long, long past the point where I care if I miss a day's ride because of the weather. There was a time when I rode them regularly, whenever it was too rainy. Doing intervals on rollers will help you develop a good spin. At the time I used that newfangled invention the Walkman to make them less boring. ;)

IMO it's a good idea for everyone to learn to ride rollers, if only because it will vastly improve your bike handling and control, and it also helps pedaling form.

Must just be the focal length. Mine are the same width. I'll have to try the fixed gear again. When I've done it in the past I felt like I was spinning out like crazy, but maybe that's the point.

Back around 1980, my racing team put on a 24 roller race in a large mall. At first, the Mall Manager was reluctant to let us go forward , because he thought that if someone fell off, they would propel forward and crash through a window across the hall.

Knowing that this was not a valid concern, I told him to watch this. So, I mounted the rollers and sprinted to top speed, then bunny hopped off and went straight into a track stand. He promptly agreed to allow us to proceed. I even rode around the empty mall at 2 AM.

Well, this thread is bordering on zombie but, good to hear from you. Two years later and I'm still riding those rollers thru the winter. I was pleased at my retained efficiency each December, not starting over but starting with the balance I'd had the previous spring. I still like them.

But I still cannot bunny hop a bike and cannot track stand on a level surface. I still need a slight incline or a stick to work the front tire against. Maybe next winter.

I had a set of RollTrac rollers in the 1970s. Great design: continuous sheet steel platform with narrow slots punched into the platform to expose the roller cylinders. Very confidence-inspiring, since you could put your foot down anywhere on the platform.

I got rid of them when the first Racer-Mate stationary trainer system came out. The Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center got rid of their rollers at about the same time, as I recall.

It's true that the rollers were fun to ride, but they would be pointless for me, since I prefer concentrating solely on the workout when I'm doing indoor training.

Sold my Cinelli rollers in 1980 IIRC. They made a howling noise -- air flowing past the holes in the sides of the drums, I presume -- that bothered others in the household even though I was in the basement. In retrospect, maybe duct tape over the holes would have solved the problem?

My brother gave me his old Weyless rollers when he moved on to another brand; I have not ridden them in years. When I finish the remodeling project that moves the laundry room upstairs, I might repurpose the old laundry room for the rollers; it's a skinny room and also not all that long either, once the rollers are in there there might not be anywhere to fall to. Makes rehabbing the track bike worthwhile, too.

When I was young I knew someone that had a roller-racing set-up in his basement -- two sets of rollers that drove two needles on a "clock face" via cables... the two riders' respective needles chased each other around the "clock face". Never got to see it in action.

Here's a Flickr set of such a setup.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/benson...57606150706797

https://live.staticflickr.com/3198/2...9e9943f8_b.jpg

We used them back in the 60s. Haven't been on them since. I think they went away in a garage sale years ago. I tried modern resistance trainers that clip onto the bike, and my wife's BH stationary bike when my arm was broken. It worked the best, but that's just me. If it works for you, go for it.

This past Winter I had to try to find a replacement belts for my roller set. Actually, both belts were cracking. Both the main drive belt and the 'accessory' belt that drives the optional wind resistance cage fan.... What do you expect after almost 30 years? Then I remembered that I had bought a spare set several years ago, and found them in my bedroom closet on my (of all things) belt hanger... Then I noticed that the bearings on the rollers are starting to whine a bit, so I was actually looking to upgrade to a better set of rollers - and have been watching my local Craigslist...

I’ve done some training on rollers. Yes they are great for developing a smooth riding style. I always said they are good cardio since my heart rate was naturally elevated due to being terrified! I did come off them a couple times, it’s an odd sensation because while you may be pedaling 30 mph, you have no momentum, so you pretty much just stop.

I used Rollers for many years back in the 80's and 90's, they are great for cycling training but have very little resistance so your workout is more Technique oriented, (imo) . I never put them in a doorway like alot of people suggested, I had mine near a wall and would occasionally lean against it using my shoulder to get going and for slowing down.
I eventually wore out the rubber o ring band that ran the drums so it was a chore locating a replacement. I was in Hawaii at the time and there was no internet invented yet so it took months to replace it.

Ive seen some selling for under $ 30 now a days, I paid almost $300 for mine way back when.

My vintage rollers do not have a wind unit so no variable resistance. Variable cadence though. I use my C'dale with the brifters and indexed shifting. I can shift up and down to match the cadence on whatever tunes are playing. I have a large sliding door in my shop so I lock that in position leaving just though room for the rollers in the opening. With that, I have a place to shoulder bump on each side when needed. I've only ridden off the drums a couple of times. I can focus on technique. Good cardio for me and smooth riding, higher cadence than my normal "in the wild".

As to new bands: I've not checked lately but a year or two ago QBP carried new bands. I expect to not have trouble when I need them.

[MENTION=360474]Prowler[/MENTION], are you still at it on the rollers?

I have tried a spin bike and a trainer in the past and disliked both. Today I put in for some rollers. Not riding is just killing me. Never used them before.

Does that stand for Quality Bicycle Products? That's what I got for search results. Their website is not, probably not intended to be, consumer-friendly. Certainly no search engine to look to see what they have (or I just couldn't find it). I should have my track bike complete soon, betcha the belt on my rollers won't last 10 seconds after all these years of non-use.

Yes, I still use them. Once or twice a week this time of year. I also have a mag stationary trainer and a NordicTrack ski machine so there’s a rotation. I’m REAL glad I have the rollers. I’m willing to believe they help training to maintain a consistent line and smooth my pedal stroke. And the variety is helpful. It’s all so boring.

At least I rode twice this week, ready for it, outside. 30 miles on the SRT and CCT then, yesterday, 15 miles on another section of the SRT (50° and sunny). Then today I cleared 3” of snow off the driveway. Going down to 12° tonight.

tiger1964 yes QBP means Quality Bicycle Products. Only serves dealers so call one. However, I’m sure the belt on my ancient Kreisler rollers (built when William McKinley was President) is original and is doing just fine. You may be surprised. Inspect it. If no cracking in the rubber then give it a whirl. Of course on a track bike you could ride them backwards. Cool!

I enjoyed the thread, especially [MENTION=113466]steelbikeguy[/MENTION] Steve's cool throwback pic. Fingers crossed that they work out for me as well as they have for you. The set I bought is made by Saris.