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Trainer vs. Rollers
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With the winter season coming up (and the end of my first year of tri-ing) - I'm looking at an alternative for cold/ wet / dark days. Can't make up my mind between rollers (improve pedal stroke, work high cadence) and a trainer (work using power, able to do intervals, use for warmup on race days, etc.). If you had to pick owning any one - which would it be? Any brand / model recommendations? Thanks!
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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You get more out of a good trainer. You can stand and do hard intervals where you don't have to worry about flying off the side of the 18" drums. Now, I have both, and find value in both, but I bought the trainer first. I would recommend the Ops Fluid2 Trainer. Doesn't leak fluid and is pretty smooth/quiet. Magnetic trainers don't give you the same flexibility as fluids do. Fluids get harder as the rear wheel spins faster. Magnetics don't (I think). Wind trainers are like the fluids in this regard, but are loud as a freight train.

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Animal!!!
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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I have both. A trainer has the versatility of size, you can set it up anywhere - great for warming up in "tight" races or watching TV without really bothering with equilibrium. But rollers have the best "feel" and I like them better for cooling down, having easy spins and of course developing a better handling & stroke. I'd recommend you get both (try some used in ebay) if that is within reason for you and then see which one you spend the best time on.
Regards,
Rick

Ricardo Wickert | Team Magnesium Pur - Germany | My sporadically updated blog: The Thin Grad Line | My team-issued TT bike: Trek Speed Concept 9

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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [muppet] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with muppet, have the cyclops and rollers as well for all of the same reasons. had a mag to start with but just not the same as a fluid for feel that changes as your pedaling does.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [muppet] [ In reply to ]
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I was just getting ready to post this same question of trainer vs. roller. Great timing!! I have a mag. trainer and want a quieter replacement. I originally thought a fluid trainer, but am considering rollers. What is your typical workout on rollers? Is a long (2+ hour) ride better on rollers than on a trainer? Finally, how about heart rate? I'd assume the rollers would keep the HR closer to the HR during a road ride, whereas I always find my trainer HR to be about 10 beats below.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [Colin] [ In reply to ]
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Once you switch to a fluid traininer - you should be able to get the HR up by increasing your cadence/gearing. I've never had a problem getting my HR into my target zones. There are some rollers (Kreitlers for one) that you can hook up to a wind-fan. That's what I do, and you essentially get the resistance of a wind trainer (the noise too) and the benefits of rollers. I sometimes use it for tempo workouts, but never for LT+ workouts as I find it hard to keep a straight line with blood squirting out of my ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Animal!!!
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
With the winter season coming up (and the end of my first year of tri-ing) - I'm looking at an alternative for cold/ wet / dark days. Can't make up my mind between rollers (improve pedal stroke, work high cadence) and a trainer (work using power, able to do intervals, use for warmup on race days, etc.). If you had to pick owning any one - which would it be? Any brand / model recommendations? Thanks!
I have the Minoura mag rollers and after 8 months, have been happy. Has a clip-on magnetic resistance unit that simulates the hills, and the jumbo size drums are very smooth. I notice it has increased my cadance and polished my balance/tracking (useful for those no-hands jersey pullovers or finish line banzais). Also, you can set any bike on the unit and immediately ride as is, trainers require you mess around with the back QR and front riser block.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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If you can't have both, I'd opt for a fluid trainer. I have a Kurt Kinetic trainer that I like very much, but have also heard excellent things about 1-Up. Worth checking out...


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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [Colin] [ In reply to ]
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2+ hours on rollers? Yikes! I've spent a lot of time on my rollers, but the longest single session has been 75 minutes. At that point, the workout is far more mentally challenging than anything else. A good (?) Jackie Chan movie makes the time fly more quickly, though. As for a trainer, Kurt Kinetic is sweet. Having both makes a winter's worth of indoor cycling much more tolerable.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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I have both a fluid trainer(cyclops) and rollers(kreitlers), and i'm goign to disagree with most people here and say that you should get the rollers. Ever since getting my rollers a year and a half ago, i havent ridden my fluid trainer since. I find that time passes SO much more slowly on the trainer. Rollers take a bit more concentration, and thats why time passes faster. As for people who say the resistance cant get quite high enough with rollers, i tend to disagree. There are several options for getting resistance up higher: smaller roller drums, cheap high resistance tires, lower tire pressure, and/or a resistance unit. You can even put a tshirt under one of the drums to increase the resistance.

I personally dont find that i need to get the resistance up that high for winter training since its just prep work and base training. Therefore, i find the technique aspect of rollers perfect for this.

Anyway, I cant stand more than 90 mins on the rollers or trainers, and usually I have to quit after 60 mins... It just gets too damn boring!

wilson
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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Buy a Cyclops fluid2 trainer and sit it in front of your biggest TV and loudest stereo. You'll be in business all winter. The Cyclops fluid trainers have a really smooth feel due to the flywheel and fluid resistance. I like a trainer better than rollers because I can mindlessly ride in front of the TV. Try and do that on rollers and you will fall off. -Marc
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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I have a set of rollers that can be used with or without fans for easy spinning or for higher intensity workouts. But I also have a fork attachment that can be used in place of the front wheel for days when I want to do intervals or other really hard workouts and want to eliminate falling off the rollers in a latic acid induced haze. It makes it much easier to ride hard when you don't have to worry about crashing.

Now a question: Besides me does anyone else pedaling technique riding on their aerobars when training on your rollers?

Don B
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [burgerdp] [ In reply to ]
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Still in my first year of Tri I bought a set of rollers and struggled with balance but agree that for working on spin and balance they are a must, trainers are better for longer workouts but they do allow you to get lazy on technique. As far as getting down on aero bars on the rollers I have done it albeit for short periods of time, once again as I begin to tire the slightest loss of technique especially on the aero's starts some serious weaving. FWIW I started out on rollers inside a doorway, this allows you to stay up by gently (preferably) touching the door jam with your elbows. I felt like a clod at first but with persistence progressed out to the middle of the room, rollers definitely make you a better spinner.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [wilson] [ In reply to ]
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Actually - that's a good point - base miles are much better ridden on rollers. And actually - I use my kreitler rollers (with wind fan) generally more in the winter than my trainer. The trainer I save for LT workouts when it's raining outside in the spring/summer (or if I'm too tired to concentrate). however, once I ride the rollers a few times - I'm not concentrating that much - just naturally you get better. Also - if you get rollers - park yourself in a door frame (or narrow hallway) so that your elbows can push out and stabilize you if you're moving to close to the edge. Saved me plenty of times.

Also - get some x-training in with xc-skiing and snow shoeing and enjoy that wonderful cold white stuff!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Animal!!!
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going to say rollers without a question for almost all cases. I am still in my first year of riding, and actually started riding on rollers during the winter on an old road bike. It made my balance and pedalstroke very even right from the start and I think contributed to a natural-feeling high-cadence stroke. The only time I rode the trainer (cycle-ops fluid 2) was for LTHR TT work. I would rather ride the rollers as time seems to fly with tv, movie, or football game on. Added a resistance unit when I ran out of gears, so base miles were in the right HR range. Also, I must be the exception to the rule, since looking at last years logs, I did quite a few 3 and 4 hour roller rides in the basement. I will admit, after the weather turned, I couldn't even look at the trainer or rollers, let alone ride them, without me turning into the HULK and almost throwing them out the window. Maybe a more moderate approach is better!
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [auscoe] [ In reply to ]
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I'm going to jump on the rollers banwagon. But I have a suggestion for those who have a hard time spending long rides and getting any strength work on the rollers. Do sets of half hour/45 minute sessions on the rollers, and 10-15 minutes of lunges or stair sets (for those who live in buildings with a good set of stairs). You can do them just with your body weight, or with a backpack with weight in it (books or the like) strapped on to make it tougher. Then jump back on the rollers after. Makes the time fly, and makes you pedal smoothly with tired legs (like after a climb).Repeat until your legs wobble to much to get yourself back on the rollers.:) Just one of the ways to pass the time while the snow piles up...
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [Smitty] [ In reply to ]
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I think all of you that prefer trainers instead of rollers because the balance issue immediately should start using rollers all the time! If you have balance problems on rollers on indoor intervals - you are dangerous on the road. Get used to the rollers on the thoughest intervalls, this balance training will improve your race speed, it's always fastest to ride a straight line.
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Re: Trainer vs. Rollers [ajo] [ In reply to ]
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I don't agree with you on this one - I consider myself a pretty nimble rider, can ride for a very long time without my hands on the bars in a straight line with wind, and have squeezed pass people in sprints where there was barely enough room. I prefer doing my LT+ intervals (when in doors) on a trainer because I don't want to concentrate on my balance or perfect circles or speed per se - I'm traing my legs to apply power and my cardio-pulmonary system to deal with the stress. Now - I believe that rollers have their place, but not when I'm squeezing my eyes tight just to keep the effort going. I think intervals while doing tempo work can go either way - I've done them on rollers and I've done them on a trainer, depending on how alert I was feeling. All this being said - I still prefer road work, and will be out there until there is snow/ice on the ground.

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Animal!!!
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