That's correct for "old-school" rollers. That's why the resistance drums available with some products today are great. My rollers resistance drum can kick my ass.

i had a set of cycleops rollers with the magnetic resistance, it still wasn't that much resistance. The 2.5 Kreitlers were definitely more resistance than the cycleops rollers, even without an added resistance unit.

The two Cateye CS-1000 Cyclosimulator we've had are good for 1,400W+ before burning rubber and if you crank the roller really hard, maybe more. For some that is not enough, but it is higher than anything you set a bike on.

I agree with your track bike/hill/real bike needed for max power. But - as I posted - for that I think gym is as good. Hard to beat a stack of weights on a leg press for max effort.

It's easy to add more magnetic resistance with magnets: https://www.amazon.com/CMS-Magnetics...dp/B000UEBF00/
Stick one or two of these to the roller frame, close to one of the drive drums.

I just noticed this...

SportCrafters Overdrive Pro Rollers - $349
SportCrafters OverDrive Pro Rollers | Competitive Cyclist

SportCrafters High Inertia Drum - $81.75
SportCrafters High Inertia Drum | Competitive Cyclist


-Tim-

^this. Easy to add a lot of resistance for a little $.

There are also trainers where the rear triangle isn't fixed, the rear tire is pressed against the trainer wheel by your body weight . Like this - wiggle.com | Elite Qubo Power Fluid Trainer | Turbo Trainers

Just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to this thread.

I've orderd the SportCrafters OverDrive Pro roller set today. $349 with two day shipping from Backcountry.

Will probably pick up the cadence drum at some point in the future.

Thanks again all.

I just picked up a used set of Kreitler 3" rollers. I already had a set of Performance 4" rollers. As I was doing a side by side comparison I noticed a difference. The band on the performance rollers connects only to the forward one of the two rear rollers, whereas the Kreitleer's connects to the rear roller and runs over the forward one. Just wondering if this has an effect.

It may add a little friction, but I don't think it's intended to be set up that way.

At a guess...someone got a belt that was too long.

That someone was the person who sold it to me. She was a former college racer at UC Berkeley or somewhere like that.

Is there a difference in performance, or just how the band runs?

I'm not sure I have a basis for comparison. I've only used these rollers once. And, my other rollers were 4" rather than 3". I will say that I thought there was more resistance than I was used to. Because of the belt? Because of the difference in roller diameter? I don't really know.

"performance" in rollers is a tough one. Lager diameter drums have less resistance than the smaller drums. The resistance comes from the deformation of the tire and the friction of rpm (smaller turns more).

Then there is the quality of the frame and roundness. A sturdy frame is always better - except when it comes to cost and transport. A rounder roller is better. Most bearings are good enough.

So if one was going to do a roller race (as was popular in the 80s) get the biggest roundest drums, ceramic bearings, most elastic belt (don't know which that would be) and a supple, very nicely seated clincher at high pressure on double discs.

Doorway. :roflmao2:

The radius of a roller is also a First Class Lever. As such the larger the diameter the easier it will spin.

My sense of balance isn't what it used to be and I have had some episodes of vertigo in the past requiring medical treatment.

The information you provided in your post was extremely helpful and instrumental in my choice. You were doing really well up until the laughing and had earned my utmost respect up until then.

When I'm tempted to think I'm better than someone I try to remind myself that I really don't know what they are going through at this particular moment in their lives. As they say, there go I but for the grace of God, or if you prefer, dumb luck. Take your pick.


PAX
-Tim-

You're inference is way off the mark. I don't know how you jumped from an emoji smiley to me having something akin to ESP regarding your vertigo and being critical of you because of it.

That's a stretch.

Very disappointed with the quality of the SportCrafters product.

The bearings on one of the drums are not pressed correctly. This causes the drum to sit too far to one side so that the end cap retention screw hits the frame and the drum will not spin. The end cap retention screw on the same drum is cross threaded and there is debris rattling around inside the roller.

The correctly pressed bearing is on the right.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2n4qfs9oph...r.003.jpg?dl=1

Cross threaded retention screw hitting the frame...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9mkilyxrqo...r.004.jpg?dl=1




-Tim-

That's too bad. What is that screw doing there?

Time for warranty replacement.

Doorway here, too. IMO the emoji was just about having a sense of humor because we all have those moments. I rode in a doorway for, I don't know, maybe the first 12 years I had my rollers. Then that doorway was lost in a remodel. Now I ride next to a post I can wrap my arm around to mount. It's close enough that I can bounce my shoulder off it without going off, yet it doesn't interfere with the bar or pedaling. Highly recommended. Those stunt roller riders on youtube are not me and I don't have a problem with that. My only problem is occasionally missing a roller workout. I'm not sure which is worse, missing or regretting.

It's 35° outside now which means it will be about 45° in my shop. I'll still need the fan. My workout for today is just an hour of zone 1 with 30' of steady zone 2 FastPedal in the middle. I'm down to ~112 rpm in my dotage, used to be 117. That's a great once-a-week recovery workout. Tomorrow I'll do 15' 70 rpm tempo intervals. Yay for resistance.

It looks like the forward drum is the problem. Just space the nut out with washers until the replacement drum arrives. Tell them that's what you're doing and give a link to your post.

I suppose the screw holds the end cap on.

Not really sure I want a warranty replacement as opposed to just sending it back. Getting something like this really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Another reviewer had the exact same issue. Either Competitive/BackCountry sent me this guys defective parts or SportCrafter's has a systemic problem.


-Tim-

Not a chance in hell.

There is debris inside the roller - that could be part of the bearing or a piece of plastic cracked off the inside of the end cap. The end cap retention screw is cross threaded and there is now way to know how well it is holding the end cap on. It probably won't be a problem short term but I'm not taking the risk of catastrophic failure while riding, no matter how small, especially when I've never ridden rollers before.

So no, isn't going to happen. I'm printing the UPS shipping label for the return right now.


-Tim-

You ordered from Comp Cyclist?

They might have sent you an "as new" return. Something fishy going on there or shipping damage, although that cross threaded screw is an assembly issue.

Nevertheless, that sucks. If the issue is just that drum instead of sending the entire set back I'd just forward those photos and videos...they should send a replacement no questions asked.

Hmm. Someone's been shipping contraband in the drums?

The President Elect isn't going to be happy about this.

BackCountry, yeah. They had it on sale.

Send 'em back and get Kreitlers...you will not be disappointed.