mike868y

So, my first season of road cycling is starting to come to an end. I live in CT, so I can't really ride much in the dead of winter. Not to mention how early it gets dark leaving me with little to no time after school to ride. However, I still want to keep my fitness up over the winter, and I really would like to improve my fitness.

When I come back to riding in the spring, I want to feel stronger and be able to maintain a higher speed. My best right now is right around 17 or 18 MPH which I really want to get up to 20.

So, should I get a trainer or some rollers to keep my fitness up over the winter? I know rollers will take some time to get used to, but I have a long winter ahead of me lol. Thanks for the help.

Fox Farm

This topic has been discussed in the past, so you might want to do the search for those threads. That said, I have owned Kreitler rollers since 1990 and yes, they do take some time to learn or train yourself on how to use them. But, they are fun and will improve your balancing and spinning skills. They can also give you a good work out with use of a variety of resistance units, from fan to magnets to even the diameter of the rollers themselves. Start out using them in a doorway so you can push yourself back upright when things get a little tippy. Just like learning how to ride a bike when you were a little kid, pedaling slow is going to put you into the trouble zone. Keep the cranks spinning and the wheels turning. I now just put mine close to a wall so that I can use my elbow to push back on.

A set of trainers where your rear axle is fixed in place or the bike is clamped at the bottom bracket and front fork will allow you to not have to worry about bike balance. You can do out of the saddle sprints, etc, and even read a book while working out. But, you are not working on bike form or body position the way you will with rollers.

As with your bike, you get what you pay for. A $100 set of rollers may get the job done but not like a set of $300+ Kreitler rollers. https://www.kreitler.com/

Similarly, a cheap mag trainer is not the same as one of the fluid resistance ones, such as Cyclops or Blackburn.

I would suggest that you go to a spinning class at the local gym for fixed bike workouts and have a set of rollers at home. Try shopping EBay for your first purchase see how you like them.

If you are on rollers and the bike gets too far to one side and the wheels come off the drums, the sound is spectacular and your wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner/neighbor will come running into the room all worried that you have just bought it! But, it is not like you have a car that is suspended in the air with the rear wheels spinning and off you go like a bat out of hell. When you come off rollers, the wheels basically stop right away. You might leave a little black skid mark on the floor.

I did read about some one who got killed while falling off rollers, but I can't really understand how that happened unless he hit his head on something?

I live in Massachusetts and do ride in the winter. When I lived in northern Utah, I would ride all winter more than I do here because there was less ice and road salt. Getting yourself up for a winter ride is never easy like a warm weather ride but it's fun. The hardest thing is that you can have three sets of gloves, two or three weights of tights, jackets, booties, etc based on temp. 40 degrees is different from 30s and 20s. I actually find 30 to 35 to be the hardest temp to dress for. Too want and you sweat. Too light and you are cold. Happy trails

mr handy

VS.





Sorry, similar images to these popped into my head when I read your title.
There should be a lot of threads with this topic if you search... not trying to be mean, its just a really good way to get a lot of information.

unterhausen

I can see how you could get killed on rollers, there is a youtube someone made of the first time they rode rollers, and it seems like he comes off of there pretty hard. Mostly because he had no idea what he was doing. I never put my rollers in a doorway, just put it next to a wall.

I had a fan set up on my rollers for resistance. I need to rig up a way to adjust the airflow.

mike868y

is it possible to get the same level of intSity in your workout on rollers as on a trainer?

etz

I have a set of Minoura rollers with a mag unit attached. Best (or worst) of both worlds.

botto 

https://laurelbicycleclub.org/Sleeping_Giant_Rides.aspx

Apus^2

You could get the performance rollers, throw an old towel or rug under the drums, and save several hundred dollars. Works just fine--if I put towels under more than one drum I have enough resistance to do 3 minute intervals (just have to make sure they aren't the good towels ). I've had mine for 3 years now. They may not be fancy, but they more than get the job done and are plenty robust (and I do not treat mine well--thrown in the back of the car, left in the rain, etc...). Get cheap ones first in the event you realize riding on rollers is boring.

Smaller drums = more resistance.

What makes the kreitlers better, besides the ability to add mag/wind units (which you may be able to add to the performance rollers)?

I have these:

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...tegory_ID=4121

They seem like they are always on sale.

botto 

poppycock.

SpongeDad

I have a set of Sportscrafter rollers (same as Saris/Cyclops), which I got for about $100. They go for about $270 generally. These are just fine.

In general, I think better rollers are a bit quieter, but that's about it. If I was in the market again, I might go Ebay on this - plenty of people buy rollers, don't like them and dump them.

Apus^2

Possible. I find tire selection also influences noise.

Nickshu

YOu can buy a fork mount to go on a set of rollers, so if you got the rollers with a mag unit, then added this you would have a trainer/roller combo. Not sure how well it would work, since the rear wheel can still slip, but just an idea.

UtahWasatch

Fox Farm

I have the Kreitler Challenge rollers with the Killer Head Wind fan unit. Open the fan air intake all the way and you will have a hard time staying in the big ring or a small cassette cog for very long.

I don't know if made in America by a small midwestern company means anything to any one vs produced off shore in China but I like to support the small company. I DO feel that with most all bike parts, you get what you pay for. The Kreitlers are quite, the bearings solid and sealed units, drums very round, etc. All of this said, I won't buy Assoss jerseys or shorts or bib tights. Why they are so expensive for nylon lycra, I don't know. I have hear people swear by their comfort.

As for the poppy cock comment about quality and price, I have owned a Minoura trainer and also a Cyclops trainer. The latter costs about twice as much and you can tell the difference. I have used $40 head sets and also my Chris King. Both feel the same but the King has required no maintenance for 5 years now. I would replace the cheap head sets every two or three years.

flet f5c

https://www.performancebike.com/shop/...estore_ID=1473

Chucklehead

I would think that something like this would be well worth the investment if I lived in a place like that...

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

dave-j

Yup. Insideride. Worth the money.