Cheese Head

Since all these threads about indoor riding are popping up and well....... it's getting cold here in the Mitten. I've been thinking about getting something to use for indoor riding. What do you all use and suggest? Rollers or trainers? Pro's and con's of both? Is this something I can pick up used on Craigslist. Like the treadmill/stairclimber that someone had to buy for their new year's resolution that was used maybe once then became a clothes rack.

Thoughts??

SpikedLemon

I have a spinbike that I bought some time ago for indoor. It's parked in front of my basement TV w/ Netflix and next to the missus' eliptical.

I've not used a trainer for my bike but you can easily find exercise bikes/spinbikes on craiglist/kijiji.

Cychologist

A trainer is easy to use. Rollers not so much. Rollers are better at teaching handling skills, if you don't kill yourself learning to use them.

I suggest a trainer and if you want to upgrade in a year or two, try the rollers.

brawlo

I have both and recommend the trainer option.

The rollers I only use for warming up and warming down for track events and sometimes training. They're good for smoothing out your pedal stroke. They do require a significant amount of concentration just to stay on them, especially if you considered doing any kind of efforts. This can then take away from how you apply yourself to your efforts.

For the trainer, I wouldn't go rock bottom, I'd be looking at something that you can use on Zwift. Check their website. I have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine but don't do the online stuff because I live in the country and our internet is absolutely crap. From all reports, even the beginner riders not just the A grade ones, it's a great training tool. Other than that, there's a whole heap of other training options to use with a trainer

chaadster

I think that, nowadays, a trainer offers a lot more than rollers do. It used to be that trainers were flimsy, noisy, had little resistance, and no one had any notion of a power meter. Today though, trainers are so advanced that they not only deliver on those shortcomings of the earlier generation, but they add electronic control, built-in power meters, external device connectivity, and bespoke software for training.

Indeed, it's rollers that have the short end of the stick today, and aside from their simply different riding experience, really don't have a competitve position vis-a-vis trainers. They have their place in some training regimens, but I don't know anyone who has only rollers (to the exclusion of a trainer or stationary), and can't think of a good reason anyone interested in a modern, rounded training program would.

Bandera

"Back when" we had real winters in North America a pair of X-C Skis or Speed Skates provided winter racing and training outdoors for roadies and trackies, great good fun and just as hard if not more so than the cycling season. The skiers and skaters used cycling as off season training, as we did the opposite. There was no real "off season" for anyone, which was good and refreshing.

It should come as no surprise to learn that Cycling is a Pedaling sport, any improvement in developing an efficient supple cadence pedaling style is worth the effort.
A set of rollers and a fixed gear provided the feedback for a calm relaxed well controlled bike handling and supplesse.
The same FG machine went out for the invaluable base miles as weather permitted, and still does today.

Trainers have their place in structured workouts in miserable weather, but lack elegance and style.

-Bandera