Andy asked:
You know I read this all the time ("get rollers") from a lot of folks, but can you help describe a bit the difference you have seen using rollers vs. a trainer? I assume you have to recruit your core muscles a lot more, to develop stability/balance and smooth spinning - I'm down with that. But do they have some resistance built in? I mean I'm not going to spin up and then cruise easily am I? very curious - how does it feel differently?
Huge difference! In learning to spin and also in bike handling. You learn to ride a smooth stroke and a straight line, but one big thing is that you learn not go jerk around on the bike. It teaches you to relax.
Resistance: That's what your gears are for! Or, for a really good workout, try riding a fixed gear on them. Even in a small gear (for the track), it's a hard workout. No, you aren't going to spin up and cruise easily, well, you will if you are in your smallest gear. I get a much better workout on them than the trainer. I never ride the trainer any more. I even take the rollers to warm up at a bike race and am starting to take them to the track.
clm
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
You know I read this all the time ("get rollers") from a lot of folks, but can you help describe a bit the difference you have seen using rollers vs. a trainer? I assume you have to recruit your core muscles a lot more, to develop stability/balance and smooth spinning - I'm down with that. But do they have some resistance built in? I mean I'm not going to spin up and then cruise easily am I? very curious - how does it feel differently?
Huge difference! In learning to spin and also in bike handling. You learn to ride a smooth stroke and a straight line, but one big thing is that you learn not go jerk around on the bike. It teaches you to relax.
Resistance: That's what your gears are for! Or, for a really good workout, try riding a fixed gear on them. Even in a small gear (for the track), it's a hard workout. No, you aren't going to spin up and cruise easily, well, you will if you are in your smallest gear. I get a much better workout on them than the trainer. I never ride the trainer any more. I even take the rollers to warm up at a bike race and am starting to take them to the track.
clm
clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com