mrchristian

I'm thinking about purchasing a set of rollers, since what i've heard is that trainers are really boring (no $$$ so it's one or the other) . I'm currently looking at the Nashbar rollers which cost about $100. Anybody have any experience with this item? Am I seriously going to get maimed on these? Is it possible to watch TV or concentrate on other stuff while riding them?

DocRay

No.

shawnj73

They are hard to ride. They will help your form though. No TV watching, you find your hands full while on these rollers.

jyossarian

A friend of mine had a version of those rollers back in the late 80's. While it didn't look hard to balance on, he'd had them for a while and was used to them so he could watch tv, converse w/ all of us, drink beer, etc. I asked if they were hard to ride on and he said it was like riding normally.

djbrod

You can watch TV. It takes a little practice but it's certainly not impossible. I have to watch TV or I would go out of my mind riding rollers.

It will help your form a great deal

mrchristian

Hmmm...alright. Ready to order. Just got to wait for my return (pedals) to get processed so I can get $50 or so. Before I order...if you could have one or the other, which would it be, rollers or trainer?

Oh yeah, another question; will nashbar refund my shipping?

P2SL Marc

I had the tv on the first time I rode them, though I spent most of the ride looking at the floor. They are really not that hard, after a few rides I was able to watch a movie while on them, though it takes a long time to get comfortable enough to take your hands off and drink, I still sometimes stop for that...

PCS2

first time I rode them I had a chair beside me, watched the floor the whole time.

3rd time i was watching movies intermitantly. Now (5th time) no problem watching. Not gonna try the no hands drinking thing for awhile though

That looks like a good price, give a review if you get them!

*edit, I just noticed that you have probably already ordered....I think i'd rather have the rollers, I find my trainer too loud. Now, If I had a quiet trainer I don't know what i'd pick. I don't really like to tune out that much, rather focus on something like technique or whatnot, so I might just have to go with the rollers.

mrchristian

One last question...do rollers eat your tires like trainers do?

mrchristian

I ordered them today...i'll give you guys a little review when I get them.

Nashbar refunded the money for the pedals reallly quickly, even the tax. Very good service.

NomadVW 

Rollers can consume your tires, but I don't think as much as a trainer. I replaced front tire in August cause my old one had a tear in the sidewall. I used the same tire throughout the winter on road and on the rollers 2-3 times per week. I didn't notice any more wear than I would have expected.

My plan is replace tires in October and March anyway.

mrchristian

Alright, here's a short review:

These rollers come in a big box, and shipping is kind of expensive $13.25 and took about 6 business days. First thing about them is that they are really hard to adjust, since you have to unscrew 4 large bolts and move the roller and belt which is hard to stretch. Once you set it, though, it's a big hassle to change, so don't think that you can swap between bikes unless the wheelbase size is exactly the same. I heard that the Kreitlers can be adjusted on the fly, but these were only $99, so hey. The rollers themselves are very nicely built and everything is made from durable aluminum and not PVC, so they will not warp. They're also light and easy to move, so I set them up flat against the wall to save space. Like others in the price range, they don't fold.

Since they are "reduced radius" they are kind of slim and it took me a lot of tries to be able to hold myself in the center and not fly off. Had one pretty stupid crash where I actually broke off a cabinet in my room (with my head...ouch) and I was still clipped in, so move anything fragile nearby (or just be careful). Once I was up and going for the first time, it was far easier after that. All you need to do is lean up against a wall and balance for short periods to get used to it.

As for resistance, I guess I am a lot more out of shape than I originally thought since these things turn me into a sweaty mess in a matter of minutes. Placing an old towel underneath the rollers slows me down to a humble crawl. They run smooth, but do make a fair amount of noise, but I can still listen to the radio/tv easily enough. If I needed more resistance, there is always Branford Bike's resistance unit for $80 which is supposed to work with these rollers, although I am not totally sure:

https://www.branfordbike.com/trainer/train8.html#item3a

They have tons of other accessories for upgrading nashbar units including fan headwind, replacement rollers, belts, ect.

They definately are a lot of fun than any resistance bike I have used and put another variable into riding indoors making them an excellent alternative to a trainer. All you have to get through is the small learning curve, but it is well worth it.

mrchristian

Oh yeah, I can watch DVD's on my computer pretty safely after just a couple tries, to answer my first question. I shall remain holding on with a death grip on the handlebars however.