MMPC

Headache after using the rollers? Can't say I have and can't imagine what about them might give you a headache (other than setting them up, eh Koffee?).

Guest

Man, stuff that requires activation or building usually intimidates me. It took me 3 weeks to get the enthusiasm to hook up my TiVo. Luckily, they had patient customer support, so it wasn't so bad. I don't know who I'll call if I can't figure out how to set up the rollers.

Koffee

roadwarrior

Yeah...the roller has to hit your front wheel where the street would hit your front wheel. If you move that point backward, it's like reducing the wheelbase of your bike making it a lot more twitchy. Look at the front wheel and where it touches the ground, then put the bike on the rollers and make sure that same point is touching.
Another thing that helps is taking some air pressure out of the front tire. Just a few pounds will do it to make the steering a lot less reactive.

cpk0

i think it's just the motion. you know how after you get off a boat you can still feel the rocking motion, sometimes? I've been getting that with the rollers, feeling a little unbalanced after i get off them

teamawe

Well I did 30 minutes this morning (no touches) and my only complaint is that it worked the heck outa my legs. No coasting and no standing. It was the inability to stretch that bugged me. I'll have more time Wed. morning and I'll probably take a break every 30 minutes just to stretch for 30 seconds or so.

Two thumbs up from me. I have had a trainer for 3 years and only done over 30 minutes 2x. Rollers are far more enjoable and you get the added addrenaline rush when you swerve and almost go off. =)

Maj.Taylor

Keep at it. You'll soon be able to sit up, and even stand up. No need for breaks. (And those little adrenaline rushes are fun, almost like the squirrely paceline. ) Oh, and get a few cycling videos to watch while you're there in front of the TV. It's a blast to climb Sestrieres with Lance.

lotek 

Me.

I'm really chuffed about all of this. I think Rollers are one of the most misunderstood
pieces of cycling equiptment, almost as bad as tubulars.
My favourite bit of misinformation is that you are going to ride off the rollers and across
the room and into furniture, walls or worse out the balcony and over the rail! yikes.

Keep up the good work, as Maj Taylor says soon you'll be no handed etc.
Koffee just build em, call me if you need to!

Marty

teamawe

Thanks Maj. I'm going to sit up (no hands) tomorow. It is possible my next email will come from an Intensive Care Unit. Whatever the outcome I'll keep you all posted. =)

MelloBoy

heh
i actually did that. i got a little too power happy, put too much torque down onto the rollers and rolled my way off of them into my tv stand that was day 1 and 2 though. since, i haven't had much problems aside from the occaisionall slipping off the frame and landing my crotch on the toptube when i try to get started

melloboy

Maj.Taylor

No! Call me!!! Not him! Me, me, me!!!

teamawe

You are BOTH too late, I sent her a PM earlier. So back off!

Koffee to spend even MORE time here with all this attention.

Guest

Thanks to everyone for the offers. Seriously, I have to clean up my place so I have room to put together and ride the rollers, I have to do some laundry, I'm working on a project to meet a deadline I promised for Maj. Taylor, and I've got to do some photography work to send to the east coast today, as well as some other work with my parent's business. So I'll jump off now, and if I don't have it figured out by this evening, I'll log back on and start asking the questions. God, I hope I have the tools!

Koffee

MelloBoy

OT
oooh
i didn't know you were a photographer Koffee
i do occaisional freelance stuff for my friend's web design company
melloboy

tspinning

damn it! one more expence commin down the pipes, im gettin out of work at 5, and if (i assume they are) my lbs is open im buying a set of rollers. This new hampshire weather is keeping me off my bike and working till dark isnt helping either, i figured i'd buy a trainer, but it seems i can do more over time with rollrs, perhaps a trainer next year, anyway, i'll let you know of my troubles, trials, and no doubt scars as they begin to appear, thanks for the motivater...for now, its back to work!

Guest

Ok, I haven't heard from anyone, but I finally got the stuff out of the box (the Kreitler folks put the rollers in a big brown box I found). It looks like there are only two screws, but I see more places where it looks like screws should go. I've done the google thing, and so far, I can't seem to find any directions online. Does anyone know if I will need to buy some more screws? And does anyone know where I can get the instructions online?

Koffee

Maj.Taylor

Do you have screws or nuts to place on the screws protruding from the ends of the rollers? If they are partially assembled, you may indeed have only two nuts. Each roller has a screw on each end that fits into a slot on the frame. Therefore, each roller should require two nuts. If the rear rollers are already in place, and the frame is already assembled to fold in half, then you may indeed have only two nuts with which to secure the front roller to the frame. You drop the front roller into the slot that best provides a fit for your bike and then secure it with the nuts.

Mind you, I do not have access to my Kreitlers at the moment so I'm working from the memory of assembling them 20 years ago. They also may have changed, or you may have a different model. At the time, I purchased their top-of-the-line model with aluminum rollers and the Headwind attachment. The above also does not take into account securing the Headwind attachment, should you also have purchased that.

Maj.Taylor

Who is this guy? I like him already! Welcome, Luigi!

Maj.Taylor

I remember now! You were in Breaking Away! You're the guy who always walked around speaking in Italian and looking to race Team Cinzano.

(BTW guys, I beat you to the Koffee. )

lotek 

Nah, he was the Cinzanno guy who flicked our hero!

Marty

teamawe

Ya, the major did a sneak attack and programed Koffee into his speed-dial. =)

Ok here is update #2 from Mastering Rollers 101.

Rode for 45 minutes this morning. This was done outside of the door way about 2' from my couch. I used the arm of the couch for my foot to get started.

Was able to stand a few times. Not like standing and leaning over the bars for a really good stretch, more like lifting my butt up off the saddle 2 inches for a few pedal strokes. It was'nt much but helped the comfort level.

No hands....well.... I didnt die. I also didnt really ride with no hands either. =) I was able to lift my hands off the bars a couple of times, but not really sit up. I finaly said the heck with this and went for it. I promplty rode off the left side of the rollers (my first fall off). So after a quick remount I went for it again but thought better of it since I was enjoying the workout.

I have observed that a 39x17 is far more squirly then a 52x18. I can start in the small chainring but its far more reactive then pushing the big one. So I am making it a point to do at least 10 minutes each ride in the small chainring at moderate RPM's (<95). I'm pretty smooth at higher rpms so I figure the lower is an area I need more attention.

Overall I'm very pleased with my investment. I have paid attention for years to my spin while on the road. Its a great validation to have jumped right up on the rollers and see that I can accelerate, slow, push big gears and spin smaller ones all while maintaining a straight line (staying in the middle 3-4" of the drums). For the most part I'm just starting at a spot on the wall in front of me big ringing it at 22mph with my MP3 blaring and staying dead center in the middle of the drums.

Maj.Taylor

First, she called me.

Second, if you go back to the thread's beginning, you'll see I advised using a bigger gear than I figured you were using. (Experience helps. I also thought the same at first about a smaller gear.) It's great to hear the good news. Keep it up!

BTW, the next time you try no-hands, concentrate on keeping your upper body still. Learning to do that will nicely translate to the road in two ways--better upper body form, and learning how to better control your bike with your lower body. The latter is something you could possibly never learn and apply without the experience of rollers.

DocRay

No, but you sure can fall off after you swerve off the roller...don't ask me how I know.

Dished rollers aren't any easier, just bob sideways 'til ya puke.

lotek 

I never said you can't fall off em. . . and don't ask me how
I know or how I got the permanent chainring tat on my right leg
I haven't tried the dished rollers or the old American Classic with
4 or 6 small rollers.

Marty