I use a small step stool to get started. I clip in on one side while my other foot is on the stool. then i kick it away as I start pedalling and clip in on the go. I was pretty wobbly at it at first, but it's all good now.

Can't offer any help with your other problem. Although I do notice when i get tired near the end of rides and my pedal stroke gets off it kind of feels like what you describe.

Happy rolling

i’m a ‘roller newbie’ too as i just got mine last oct. i'm an addict now. i found the traditional ‘riding in the doorway’ is very helpful. after ‘riding on ice’ for a couple times, i’m riding rather comfortably on them now (or so i think :) ) since i need some entertainment while riding e.g. watching tv or race dvds, i set the rollers next to the kitchen/bar counter which is about the same height as my shoulder (i’m short). Very easy to grab the edge to get on and off.

Set yourself up next to something to hold onto on ONE side. Start in a big gear (53x15 or something) so that your foot gradually comes around on the first stroke and doesn't throw you off balance.

I found a similar sensation to that of learning to draft close to another rider's wheel. You have to know when to ease off and how to relax the upper body. I think the rocking sensation you feel will subside somewhat as you get smoother. If you position the front roller further forward, you will probably feel more secure, but I don't think there is anything to worry about.
I love rollers, and my next indoor training device will probably be a set of Kreitlers with a killer fan unit.
I built up to doing 2+ hour sessions on the rollers after I learned to relax.

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Why is it bad to use rollers in a doorway?... I'm a longtime roller user and occasionally use the doorway (esp. when getting on and off the rollers).

Thanks (in advance) for your attention.

-gc

Put a fairly thick phonebook inside the frame for a stool for beginners. That is what I used to do. Now that I am old and less flexible maybe I need to go back. Hope that helps, G

A long-time user should be fine riding in a doorway. It is just not the best learning environment for us newbies. It is good in the sense that it should be harder to ride off the edge and it gives you something to balance on for stopping and starting. The problem is if you do manage to take a spill, the injury possibilities are much greater than if you were riding out in the open.

Thanks to everybody else for the suggestions. I am off for my second ride soon.

Sweet

I just use a chair with the back facing the crank of my bike. I use it till I have balance or I am stoping. I can't chew gum and walk and the chair trick works for me. I like space when I ride so no doorway for me . Have a great time on your new toy. The temp rose to positive numbers so I am going for my long run. Happy trails all!!!!

PS The days are getting longer !!!

The fastest way to improve is do Roller Races. We use to do 1 mile match sprints, from a dead start. The bikes were all geared the same (51x14), track bikes were best too. I have my highest heart rate ever from roller racing. Lots of winter fun too.

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"The age group winner is training. Are You?"

That was my most humbling moment in sports. I went to a roller race in a mall in the Chicago area in the mid 70's.
It had four guys with a dial to keep track of your place. A lot like those midway horse games. I thought I was pretty good on the rollers and it looked like my dial was going backwards, next to Danny VanH in my heat. Oh well onward to glory with tail between legs. Aloha and thanks for the bad memory, haden't thought of that one in a while. G

About the rocking, did you check to make sure that the front roller was far enough forward? The axel of the front wheel should be behind the front roller. If it is not, move the front roller forward one notch.

Ryan

I am new to rollers as well and have had a strange, male specific problem with them. They are extremely uncomfortable in the groin area. Any ride over an hour is not even a possibility.

Anyone else have this problem?

It keeps me off them nearly all the time. My bike is properly fitted and I am riding in good shorts. I don't get it.

Do you all use your standard saddle when using rollers?

Due to the low pedaling forces, you're supporting a greater share of your bodyweight on the saddle than you would on an outdoor ride. Combine that with typically fewer seating position variations due to always pedaling against a constant resistance at a relatively constant cadence...

Bet you're using larger diameter rollers, too.

I really like the smaller, 2 1/4 diameter rollers. The smaller rollers give more resistance to pedal against. With the smaller rollers, 115 - 120 psi in the tires will give you a nice endurance/recovery intensisty spin. Soften the tires a bit from there when you want more of a workout. Softer tires on smaller diameter rollers gives enough resistance to pedal against for a nice workout, IMHO. Keeps things simple and avoids the use of add-on fans or whatever.

My bike coach has a most excellent way of teaching roller riding, practically idiot proof. He puts you in a narrow hallway with a platform that gets the rollers at "ground level" and has thin plywood that leans outward towards the walls.

Virtually impossible to fall off.......tho I did ;-)......you just stick your elbows out and lean into the wall. When feeling safe, it is much easier to do the "work" that he wants.......moving from side to side, standing, stopping, starting, etc.

After more than a year, I still ride in a hallway at my home, not because I need to, but it allows me to be more adventurous in pushing my limits.......heck, I'm now very comfortable in my aerobars on the rollers.........without fear of crashing.

I highly recommend this approach.

G

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It's a little like wrestling a gorilla.........you don't stop when you're tired.........you stop when the gorilla is tired.

Here's what I do. I have my rollers in front of my TV so I can watch some videos while I ride. I have a small table on my right that I keep my remotes and my water bottle on. It is high enough that if I need to I can put my hand on it to stabilize myself, but small enough that if (or should I say when) I fall on it, it doesn't hurt.

On my left I have a chair turned around backwards that I can grab onto also. When I get on my bike I throw my right foot over the top tube and I clip my right foot in and lean the bike sideways to the left. As I am doing this I have my left foot on the floor. (The bike is tipped at a pretty steep angle.) I then apply the brake on the bike with my right hand and put my left hand on the chair. Then I just sort of stabilize myself with my left hand and push myself up. I then start to pedal with my left hand still on the chair and as I get up to speed, I take my left hand off the chair and off I go. (Does that make any sense?)

Hope this helps.

Jeff

   

Same problem here, Tucker. I've been switching seats like sticks of gum, but to no avail. I now think it's inevitable because, as others have said, not too much shifting and a lot of weight being supported. Personally, I'm out after a half an hour tops.

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Andrew

"When will i learn, people do not want to hurt but will spend $500.00 bucks to go four seconds faster." - randall t

I'm a relative newbie too and have found the following useful. This will echo most of what's been said already:

1) Telephone book inside the frame of the rollers. For me it's under my right foot.

2) Ride close to 1 wall. Have nothing on the other side except maybe a sofa seat cushion right where my hip will hit the floor.

3) Waterbottle in the downtube bottle cage, not my PD aquarack.

4) Towel over handbars. Save my headset from corrosive sweat.

5) Pedal normally @ 42x17ish. Get into 42x14/13 and stand, but don't bottom out at the bottom of the pedal stroke - you'll tip over. Do every now and then and saddle pain/numbness will be lessened. I worked up the nerve to do this after a handful of sessions.

6) High tempo music - my favorite right now is groovesalad on somafm.com

7) Ride with my gloves on. Save my bar tape from the sweat and your wrists from unnecessary impact, should I fall.

I'm riding 80mm PVC rollers from Tacx (and they're just fine.) I have the front roller set so it's centre is just ahead of the hub centre. If I went I back, the centre would be behind the hub's axis.

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Proud member of Team Tooth Pick (TTP): like a leaf in the wind.

Good stuff, thanks for all the input. I agree that a hallway would be the ideal learning situation. I wonder if my landlord would mind me accessorizing my apartment a bit in order to better accomodate riding rollers?

My second ride lasted about 45 minutes and went pretty well, (one botched start) although I found out about crotch numbness in the process. I think it will help once I get brave enough to stand up (this is possible right?).

I tried moving the front roller ahead (so that it was in front of the axle) but it made steering really poor and created this nasty rubber squeak. With the front roller back directly under the axle steering was more stable, but still a bit of that back and forth motion. I think I will disconnect the magnetic resistance unit for the next ride and see if that makes a difference.

sweet

I tend to get groin numbness too -- as others have indicated, I guess it's not so uncommon. My solution: stand for at least 30 seconds every 5-10 minutes. A little scary at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. It breaks up the monotony, and this way I can ride as long as I want!

Someone told me the front axle should be as close to over the center of the front drum as possible. I have no clue because I have ridden the same set of rollers for 20 years, and they aren't adjustable. I have ridden them and my teammate Phil (who is 6 inches taller than me) has too, with no ill effect. As far as the starting up stuff, I learned alongside a washer/dryer, with a barstool on the other side. I fell a few times and got a concussion on the cement floor after knocking over the stool. I now ride in back of a couch pulled 3 feet out from the wall. When I am done I flip the rollers on the side and push the couch back. I haven't fallen in quite a few years, but that is mostly because I have not been so stupid as to say things like "I have not fallen in years." I'll let you know when I recover from the injuries I am going to get...

some advice: watching car racing, a forward pass in football (punts and KO too), and Paris-Roubaix when it is muddy with alot of wrecks on slippery corners can be slightly disorienting the first couple of times. I had to paint a white line on the bottom of the tv table to keep from looking down at the rollers. Just make sure the line is centered. Keep your front wheel lined up on the tape. It can be tape on the floor 3-4 feet in front of your wheel, it helped me stay focused. Some people have suggested roller races, they are fun, and hurt like a chainsaw wound, but make sure you are pretty smooth at 200+ rpms before you get a little unwound. Sometimes they have someone holding your seatpost and spotting you, but that won't save you all the time. If you can, ride a fixed gear, it will make you smoother (and you will want to use it in races if that is your fancy).

Time for me to go get what I deserve

John

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"Maybe you should just run faster..." TM