eju@drutx.UUCP (UrygaE) (10/17/85)
I have been considering buying rollers (probably Kreitler) but haven't yet because I'm hesitant to spend that much money when I have the following questions and therefore wonder how much I might ever use them. 1. How easy is it to learn to ride rollers and what's the best way to learn. 2. Can you get to the point where you can ride and daydream or concentrate on spinning and getting a good aerobic workout and not have to worry about falling off? 3. Is starting up and stopping any problem? Do you need to be in a doorway or near some support? 4. This may sound stupid, but what happens if you do ride off the rollers? I ride a wind trainer which doesn't pose any of these problems but I'm thinking that riding rollers would feel more like actually riding the bicycle. Is this true? Any comments from experienced roller riders, especially anybody who has ridden both wind trainers and rollers would be appreciated. Gene Uryga
reintom@rocky2.UUCP (Tom Reingold) (10/20/85)
> I ride a wind trainer which doesn't pose any of these problems but I'm > thinking that riding rollers would feel more like actually riding the > bicycle. Is this true? > > Any comments from experienced roller riders, especially anybody who has > ridden both wind trainers and rollers would be appreciated. > > > Gene Uryga > It *looks* pretty difficult to ride rollers, but so does riding a bike to someone who doesn't ride. Actually, you will feel uncomfortable for about three or four days and then will feel quite at home. If riding in a door way makes you feel better, then by all means, do so. However, prepare yourself for the fact that you *will* fall a few times. You will be surprised to find that falling is not painful or catastrphic. It only feels like it will be. Hang in there. Tom Reingold
wagner@uw-june (Dave Wagner) (10/22/85)
I recall a big discussion in this group last fall about rollers vs wind trainers; looks like we're about to start another one. It may prove interesting, however, since there are some new products on the market. > From eju@drutx.UUCP (UrygaE) Sat Feb 5 22:28:16 206: > I have been considering buying rollers (probably Kreitler) but haven't > yet because I'm hesitant to spend that much money when I have the > following questions and therefore wonder how much I might ever use them. > 1. How easy is it to learn to ride rollers and what's the best way to learn. It takes only a few minutes to get good enough to stay up; considerably longer to keep a straight line while riding. Also, getting started without leaning on anything requires some practice. > > 2. Can you get to the point where you can ride and daydream or concentrate > on spinning and getting a good aerobic workout and not have to worry > about falling off? Unlikely that you can daydream, since even the most subtle deviation of the front wheel from a straight line will result in riding off the side pretty quickly. > 3. Is starting up and stopping any problem? Do you need to be in a > doorway or near some support? See #1. > 4. This may sound stupid, but what happens if you do ride off the rollers? You stop dead in your tracks; the rotational momentum of the wheels is not enought to cause you to move forward. Not good for the wheels, though. > I ride a wind trainer which doesn't pose any of these problems but I'm > thinking that riding rollers would feel more like actually riding the > bicycle. Is this true? OK, here's where we had a lot of different opinions last year. One school of thought says that rollers are more realistic; as far as developing balance, this is undeniable. However, the other school says that because of the tendency to bounce up and down on rollers, you tend to pull your downstroke instead of pushing down as hard as you would out on the road. Your stroke becomes *too* smooth, and you'll notice it when you get back on the road in the spring! > Any comments from experienced roller riders, especially anybody who has > ridden both wind trainers and rollers would be appreciated. > > Gene Uryga I used to have rollers (el cheapo MTD), and I didn't like them because they didn't provide enough resistance. Sure, you can shift to a higher gear, but that only increases the resistance until you have accelerated the rollers up to the faster speed; from then on it doesn't feel much different. You can get a good aerobic workout on them, but I don't feel that you can build up your strength much. Then I bought a Saturae wind trainer, and let me tell you, I can't imagine what kind of gorilla would want to add an extra set of fans (which are now available)! They are an outrageously good anaerobic as well as aerobic workout (which you select by the gear ratio you choose to work out in.) Incidentally, the Saturae trainer is very stiff. I tip the scales at just over 200 pounds, and it doesn't flex around underneath me. Now I'm interested in buying those blower tubes that Specialized has just introduced. Does anybody know if they will fit last years' trainer model? Dave Wagner University of Washington Comp Sci Department wagner@washington.arpa {ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!uw-beaver!uw-wally!wagner "The surest thing there is is we are riders, And though none too successful at it, guiders, Through everything presented, land and tide And now the very air, of what we ride." - Frost