thinking about using rollers. ive noticed dave mirra uses www.insideride.com kind of pricey ive noticed the cheaper ones looks like POS and i dont want them unless theyre decent. do you guys have any thoughts about using them vs a standard trainer.
my thoughts were;
time isnt as dragging because of preoccupation of staying up and staying focused. no time to relax and look around. workout is considerably better requiring more core work to stay up
whatre your guy’s thoughts about them and/or my false thoughts i would think would be different than a regular trainer.
thinking about using rollers. ive noticed dave mirra uses http://www.insideride.com kind of pricey ive noticed the cheaper ones looks like POS and i dont want them unless theyre decent. do you guys have any thoughts about using them vs a standard trainer.
my thoughts were;
time isnt as dragging because of preoccupation of staying up and staying focused. no time to relax and look around. workout is considerably better requiring more core work to stay up
whatre your guy’s thoughts about them and/or my false thoughts i would think would be different than a regular trainer.
I got a set of inexpensive ones: metal rollers and box steel frame. I made two DIY modifications to add magnetic resistance and wheel rollers on the front drum. I’ve got a bit more than 50hours on them over the winter and they have held up very well. I went from coming off the rollers every 5 minutes to be able to ride no hands one leg in about 2 months of 5x1hr weekly sessions.
Time will still drag but for me it is easier mentally than a stationary trainer. Rollers really don’t work the “core” anything extra, at least not in my experience. Rollers will teach you smooth pedal stroke and microbalance on the bike. You will learn quickly how pressure on the seat, moving the body CG and handlebar contact effects balance.
If you are reasonably strong most rollers, without a resistance module, will not have enough resistance for hard sessions like 5-20min intervals. The magnetic resistance mod I did adds about 50-100w of headroom for workouts. 90rpm in 50x12 is about 400w for me so that is enough to do everything but all out 5sec sprints.
I wish I had been on rollers a lot sooner as they have made indoor training tolerable and improved my bike handling skills as nothing else has.
Insideride rollers are like having training wheels on your bike.
To me, there are only two sets of rollers to buy. If you want to save money, get a set of Tacx rollers. They’re plastic surface drums, but phenomenally well made and have a machined surface so they actually work pretty well. If you want “the best”, then get a set of Kreitlers. And if you want to show off how awesome you are, get a set of Kreitlers with Hot Dog rollers.
Kreitler Al rollers plus a $20 neodymium magnet from Amazon that I simply stick on the frame really close to one of the drums for plenty of resistance.
I have been using the inside ride rollers for a while (fall of 2010) and really like them. I have showered them with enough sweat to rot out two sets of speedplay cleats and have had to do no more than wipe them down after use and lube the spring and bearings on occasion. The paint job is peeling and a bit bubbly but considering the number of hours in the saddle quite reasonable. The bumpers on the front maybe seem amateurish to some but have come in handy when riding the aerobars on the rollers. As others have said, good for your pedal stroke and enough resistance with the magnet to simulate hard efforts.
Insideride rollers are like having training wheels on your bike.
Why would you say that? Have you been on one?
I have been using mine for the last 3 years. I basically do all my training on them except the long rides if the weather is nice. I do 4-6hr rides on them on a regular basis. Just last Sunday I rode mine for over 4 hours. I sold my fluid trainer after I got the emotion. just can’t ride a regular trainer anymore.
No need to take wheels off or get trainer specific wheels. the forward/backward motion is really nice since it simulate outdoor riding when you get off the saddle or make any sudden movement. also because it is moving with you, it will alleviate some of the saddle pressure that you get when riding regular trainer = less soreness.
the side bumpers are there just for safety. But you will notice yourself hitting them less and less often as you get used to riding it.
I dumped gallons of sweat on mine and no issues what so ever and never cleaned it once. Maybe I should. I also have the wireless remote to control resistance which is nice when you want to simulate wind or hills while riding. But you should be able to hit very high watts (>400) on just the first resistance.
Cost wise, I think cost per minute spent on it is really cheap compare to other things I have in my house. You spend thousands of $ on a nice treadmill but most use it maybe once or twice per week (30-60min) and forget using it in the summer. emotion gets used 3-4 times per week for 90min+ each session.
Kreitler rollers with 2.25" drums are good for 95% of your training. Simply shift your bike’s gears and you can do everything from easy spinning to FTP+ efforts (unless you’re a real monster). Personally, with “slow” tires/tubes, I can get anywhere from ~120W - 350W with just gearing. The only thing you’re likely to need more resistance for is all-out sprinting. You probably don’t want to do too much of that on rollers, anyway, though.
I started out with the 3.0" drums, but ran out of “top end” as I got stronger. Even for an FTP of 200W, I would still recommend the 2.25" drums. With my race wheels on (or just training wheels with fast tires & latex tubes), my easiest gear on the 2.25" drums is just over 100W. That should be sufficiently for easy spinning for you, and you’re FTP is only going to go up, right?
For reference… My tire & tube choices are:
“slow” = Conti Gatorskin Hardshell with heavy butyl tubes
“fast” = Conti 4000S with Bontrager latex
That difference is good for a couple of gears. Tires & tubes DO make a difference!
Alloy end caps are supposed to be more durable, but I’ve been using my Poly end caps regularly (I live in Missouri, and don’t own a stationary trainer) since 2007, and they’re fine. I’ve actually never even had to replace the belt.
My ftp now is only 200w so i didn’t know if 3.0 and 2.25 is a better option
I’ve got 3" AL Kreitler and I cannot imagine outgrowing them.
Remember, also, there are flywheel attachments for right and left and the killer headwind attachment. If you run out of gears with all that, you’re ready for the tour.
Sorry to ruffle the feathers. Maybe my analogy was a bit over the top, but the idea behind it hopefully got through.
But that being said, yes I have been on them. Honestly I think your description of them is dead on - and I think it’s a difference of opinion over what rollers are supposed to do. The Insideride rollers compensate for mistakes and choppy/less-than-smooth riding. To me, rollers are a tool to improve my form, balance, and confidence on the bike. There’s a reason most people don’t do long hard intervals sets on a set of standard rollers - because it’s REALLY hard to do! I remember the first time I tried to stand on a set of normal rollers - next thing I knew, I was halfway across my dorm room. That being said, you can bet I learned to be a lot smoother standing up.