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Rollers vs. Trainers

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Old 11-02-06 | 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by ohmyspokes
just ordered and used 6001727 code to get 20.00 bucks off. total of 94 shiped.
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Old 11-02-06 | 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Jamtastic
just ordered and used 6001727 code to get 20.00 bucks off. total of 94 shiped.
Give us a review after you've tried them out. Please.
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Old 11-02-06 | 05:30 PM
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I'm going to get those soon as well, and I'll post my reflections.
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Old 11-03-06 | 03:52 AM
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rollers And 'LA COURSE EN TETE!'
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Old 11-03-06 | 05:41 AM
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i know this isnt the advice youre looking for....but ditch this insane idea altogether. If you dont want to ride in the cold, buy some CC skis, or join a pool, or start running, or rockclimbing, or take up hopscotch; ANYTHING is better than stationary exercise inside. Especially for folks who insist on pedaling all the time.

(i used rollers one winter after a friend gave me a set - I had to give them back).
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Old 11-03-06 | 08:27 AM
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I am going to ride in the cold, just not the same number of miles I was putting in during the summer...

Also, I hate running.
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Old 11-03-06 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by stevo
iANYTHING is better than stationary exercise inside. Especially for folks who insist on pedaling all the time.

What's wrong with stationary indoor exercise? While those other things may keep you in shape they do not specifically target cycling muscles. Sure it might be a good idea to branch out some to stave off boredom and take a break from cycling. There isn't anything wrong with stationary indoor exercise and if you want to not feel like crap physcially and bad about how much slower you've gotten come march it's a good idea to work some in if your work schedule, lungs or tolerance for misery prevent you from doing much outdoor riding.
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Old 11-03-06 | 09:07 AM
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Somebody was telling me that speed skating develops your muscles better for road and track biking than mountain biking can. I never understood this and assumed they were ********. For staying fit during the winter CX skiing will pump your cardio to the max and is heavenly compared to slaving away on a trainer, despite what muscle groups are used. Too bad I live downtown so theres no good CX skiing around...

Actually, I remember staying at a friend ski chalet a few years ago and he had an exercise bike we would put on the balcony and spin like crazy on until we became huge steam vents. It was pretty fun actually, but we always moved on to beer pretty quick.
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Old 11-03-06 | 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Shiznaz
Somebody was telling me that speed skating develops your muscles better for road and track biking than mountain biking can. I never understood this and assumed they were ********.
Eric Heiden won like 5 golds in speed skating at Lake Placid in 1980. Then he retired and became a bike racer and even rode in the TdF.
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Old 11-03-06 | 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by stevo
i know this isnt the advice youre looking for....but ditch this insane idea altogether. If you dont want to ride in the cold, buy some CC skis, or join a pool, or start running, or rockclimbing, or take up hopscotch; ANYTHING is better than stationary exercise inside. Especially for folks who insist on pedaling all the time.

(i used rollers one winter after a friend gave me a set - I had to give them back).
why exactly is this your advice?
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Old 11-03-06 | 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by GirlAnachronism
Also, I hate running.
To be honest, I would rather go out running in the snow and slush at night when it's 10 degrees out, than stay inside spinning away on the rollers. Anyway, I think running should be an integral part of any exercise program.
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Old 11-03-06 | 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by lunacycle
To be honest, I would rather go out running in the snow and slush at night when it's 10 degrees out, than stay inside spinning away on the rollers. Anyway, I think running should be an integral part of any exercise program.
i think you're kind of overlooking the fact that we don't just ride for exercise. on the list of reasons why I ride, that's not even in the top 5...sometimes you just need to get your riding fix and if you can't go outside, the rollers/trainer is there for you...
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Old 11-03-06 | 11:56 AM
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Originally Posted by jyossarian
Eric Heiden won like 5 golds in speed skating at Lake Placid in 1980. Then he retired and became a bike racer and even rode in the TdF.
We also have Clara Hughes, who has won 2 olympic cycling medals and 3 olympic speed skating medals, including gold.

But these are both anecdotal and don't necessarily mean anything.
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Old 11-03-06 | 12:20 PM
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I just think that running is incredibly boring and I don't enjoy it at all. I try to run about once a year, and it usually lasts for about two weeks before I realize that I'm torturing myself for nothing. I'd rather get some kind of exercise doing something that I don't totally hate. Plus, then I'll kick ass on my bike come spring.
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Old 11-03-06 | 12:26 PM
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Some people run on treadmills, but they are huge suckers.
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Old 11-03-06 | 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by bitpartinyrlife
i think you're kind of overlooking the fact that we don't just ride for exercise. on the list of reasons why I ride, that's not even in the top 5...sometimes you just need to get your riding fix and if you can't go outside, the rollers/trainer is there for you...
I understand what you're saying. Although, I don't ride the rollers to get my bike fix. I ride them to maintain some form of conditioning. I go running to keep the weight off over the winter, as running burns nearly twice the calories as cycling for the same period of time. Anyway, I enjoy being out alone in the cold evening air, with the orange glow of the street lights on the snow and in the sky. Toiling away on rollers in a stuffy room isn't as appealing.
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Old 11-03-06 | 06:18 PM
  #42  
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reading books:

i have tried this with less than optimal results. first of all, a lot of my trainer rides have intervals of high intensity, making any concentration impossible. plus, with all of the sweat, my books were crunchy and warped. to make things worse, the angle at which i ride has so much weight on my hands, that it was uncomfortable to hold the book, and forget about being able to notate or highlight anything. maybe this is just me, but i would also consider getting one of those adjustable music stands with the clamps to hold the pages down, and try to jiggle as litle as possible while riding. tv's and dvd's, however, are very conducive to trainer riding.
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Old 11-03-06 | 06:32 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by bbattle
Give us a review after you've tried them out. Please.
I got those rollers a couple of months ago for $109. The alloy is nice, they roll very smooth, and they aren't eating my pro race 2 tires. I do wish I would have sprung for the set with the footrest. Sometimes I wack my junk trying to get moving. A doorway helps. All in all, I think it was a good buy.
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Old 11-03-06 | 07:18 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by fenester
Hi, I'm also looking at a trainer/rollers for the winter. Hope you don't mind my jumping in on your thread.

Question: Noise-wise, could you say that one or the other is quieter? Specifically, transferring to the floor. I don't mind if I hear lots of noise, but I'm still on good terms with the downstairs neighbors.

Thanks,
fen.
when i was looking around at rollers i was concerned about noise also. i asked around and was told that the PVC rollers were quieter than the Alloy rollers. so i got the PVC. i've never been on alloy rollers so i'm not sure if they are actually louder but i can say that i never had any noise complaints from riding my pvc rollers indoors.
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Old 04-12-12 | 06:28 PM
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I know this is an old thread but,

I use the Cyclops Al rollers with the mag resistance unit. Turn that up high and you get pretty much all the resistance you want, I do intervals on the rollers.

For days that I feel like being lazy or just zoning out, or if I really want to push harder for intervals I have one of the Kreitler fork mounts, put the fork in that it's like being a trainer, except that the rear end of the bike doesn't feel dead.

All the resistance you want, rollers and trainer in one.

Works like a charm.
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Old 04-13-12 | 02:31 AM
  #46  
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I'm sad this is a necrothread, because I was going to complement OP on her Dresden Dolls screen name.
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