Rollers vs. Trainer
01-13-15 | 02:40 PM
#51
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 139
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From: CT
Bikes: 2010 CAAD9-5, 2013 Supersix Evo
Central CT near Middletown. Been here for 25+ years, but moving closer to Litchfield hills in the near future. The wife's family is from the Danbury/Bethel area. Always love riding south of there. Great country roads.
01-13-15 | 03:29 PM
#53
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Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Los Angeles
Bikes: 2013 Cannondale SuperSix - 1998 CAAD3 R500 - 2012 Demo 8 Carbon
You live in LA… there are only a couple days a year we can’t ride outside.
That said, I bought a trainer for TV time. I try to get a workout while I watch. Rollers would be useless for me.
That said, I bought a trainer for TV time. I try to get a workout while I watch. Rollers would be useless for me.
01-13-15 | 04:20 PM
#55
In the wind
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 150
From: Calgary AB
Bikes: Giant TCR Advanced Team, Lemond Buenos Aires, Giant TCX, Miyata 1000LT
I have both and there are a couple of downsides to rollers to keep in mind that have been mentioned in some of the previous posts.
1) I find using rollers for hard intervals to be challenging. If you push yourself to the point where you feel a bit wobbly at the end of the interval rollers can be problematic. You have to keep pedaling at a reasonable pace to maintain your balance and if you push an interval to exhaustion you can run into problems (loose your balance). Given I have had this experience I tend to hold back a bit on my intervals on rollers for safety sake.
2) Rollers are not great it you want to watch a movie / sports during an extended low to moderate intensity ride. You need to maintain decent concentration while on the rollers (to remain centered) and if you get caught up in a movie or game it's easy to drift off to the side of the rollers and run into problems (fall off).
Ideally having both is the way to go but if I had to choose one I would go with a fluid based trainer for overall versatility.
1) I find using rollers for hard intervals to be challenging. If you push yourself to the point where you feel a bit wobbly at the end of the interval rollers can be problematic. You have to keep pedaling at a reasonable pace to maintain your balance and if you push an interval to exhaustion you can run into problems (loose your balance). Given I have had this experience I tend to hold back a bit on my intervals on rollers for safety sake.
2) Rollers are not great it you want to watch a movie / sports during an extended low to moderate intensity ride. You need to maintain decent concentration while on the rollers (to remain centered) and if you get caught up in a movie or game it's easy to drift off to the side of the rollers and run into problems (fall off).
Ideally having both is the way to go but if I had to choose one I would go with a fluid based trainer for overall versatility.
I'm pretty safe on the rollers while watching tv, but during the last olympics I rode right off while watching the snowboard halfpipe competition.
01-13-15 | 04:38 PM
#56
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 10,588
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From: Southern California, USA
Bikes: 1979 Raleigh Team 753
We have both. Trainers are used for warming up. Rollers are for riding better.
I've posted this before - but appropriate here.
https://vimeo.com/109371142
I've posted this before - but appropriate here.
https://vimeo.com/109371142
01-13-15 | 06:04 PM
#57
In the wind
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 150
From: Calgary AB
Bikes: Giant TCR Advanced Team, Lemond Buenos Aires, Giant TCX, Miyata 1000LT
Reminds me of Einsteins gedankenexperiment: if a rider is spinning on rollers on board a train that is travelling at the speed of light, what is the speed of the spoke at the top of the wheel?
01-13-15 | 06:07 PM
#58
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 10,588
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From: Southern California, USA
Bikes: 1979 Raleigh Team 753
Relative to the train - about 60mph. Relative to what you measured the train speed from - the same as the bottom spoke. But Strava would flag it.
We did get a Strava KOM for this.
We did get a Strava KOM for this.
01-13-15 | 07:48 PM
#59
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 139
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From: CT
Bikes: 2010 CAAD9-5, 2013 Supersix Evo
01-13-15 | 08:03 PM
#60
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From: Nor Cal
01-13-15 | 10:28 PM
#61
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Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,458
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From: Very N and Very W Ohio Williams Co.
Bikes: 2001 Trek Multitrack 7200, 2104 Fuji Sportif 1.5
Bill
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