What trainer do you use
10-30-16, 12:27 PM
#27
Senior Member
I was given the elite arion rollers.
The primary reasons I ride are:
I like going places
I like going fast on human power
I like the outdoors
I like competition
Rollers don't provide any of this immediate satisfaction so I don't use the rollers if I can help it. I get bored in under a minute and can't focus on efforts longer than 10 minutes. That said, it's raining and really windy today so I'm debating setting up the rollers on the porch for an hour or two. They are fine rollers. There are a few levels of magnetic resistance but they provide enough resistance to do threshold efforts (~300 watts) without the added resistance. And they are big and bulky compared to the simple aluminum rollers so not ideal to pack up and bring to a race.
The primary reasons I ride are:
I like going places
I like going fast on human power
I like the outdoors
I like competition
Rollers don't provide any of this immediate satisfaction so I don't use the rollers if I can help it. I get bored in under a minute and can't focus on efforts longer than 10 minutes. That said, it's raining and really windy today so I'm debating setting up the rollers on the porch for an hour or two. They are fine rollers. There are a few levels of magnetic resistance but they provide enough resistance to do threshold efforts (~300 watts) without the added resistance. And they are big and bulky compared to the simple aluminum rollers so not ideal to pack up and bring to a race.
10-30-16, 01:32 PM
#28
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my go-to setup for indoor training, however, is the inside ride rollers: you can actually train with power with them because they offer resistance and they require you to stabilize your bike so it feels a bit more like riding outdoors. works well for those who have to train their TT position indoors, since the energy that goes into holding a line can be significant.
10-30-16, 01:49 PM
#29
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if you can crash on the inside ride... well, that's something special!
seriously -- it's possible to stand up to sprint and ride no hands even on day 1; they're different than standard rollers. riding the TT bike on them is great training, as long as one remembers to account for the change in wheelbase.
seriously -- it's possible to stand up to sprint and ride no hands even on day 1; they're different than standard rollers. riding the TT bike on them is great training, as long as one remembers to account for the change in wheelbase.
10-30-16, 02:35 PM
#30
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I had inside-ride rollers but stupidly sold them back to the guy who sold them to me originally
10-30-16, 04:55 PM
#31
out walking the earth
I have an absolute love affair with inside ride rollers. The original US version, not the euro licensed one (lacks the bumpers). You can do anything on there but max sprints. But really you'd be hard pressed to put out max wattage on anything indoors.
10-30-16, 05:39 PM
#32
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Can someone speak to the differences in rollers versus "inside-ride" style rollers that allow fore and aft movement?
10-30-16, 08:25 PM
#33
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inside-ride rollers with fore-aft float are much easier to ride and have a natural feel to them. When you shift weight around (all the time) you generally bump up one way or the other on fixed rollers. The float on IR moves the rollers around and keeps the feeling smooth.
e.g. I can stand easily on inside-ride rollers, but have to be careful transitioning to standing on normal rollers or I pop up on the front rear roller.
10-30-16, 09:57 PM
#34
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it's possible to do big gear, low cadence, high power work, as an example.
the handling stuff / inability to ride off of them when distracted is a nice bonus.
10-31-16, 09:16 AM
#37
Blast from the Past
Never paid attention to inside ride, very interesting. How well do they handle hard accelerations? Any plans to make them smart?
10-31-16, 09:28 AM
#38
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10-31-16, 07:34 PM
#40
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you have a few settings for resistance of the rollers and then fine-tune with gearing.
it's about as close to outside as you're going to feel when riding indoors.
the owner/inventor was working on a smart-trainer aspect. they went through a beta and even a limited production run, but i *think* it got shelved due to some issues when released into the wild. i could be wrong about that. i don't see it mentioned on their site any longer.
yeah--pricey and nod discounts available (other than a bulk order).
i was super skeptical when i got mine as i HATE spending full retail, but a few people i trust swore by them. since then i have recommended them to numerous friends and clients, and every one of them has been thrilled once they swallowed that pill.
i would not recommend them for everyone (for example, folks in california where trainer season might be a few weeks a year), but for people who spend a large amount of time on the rollers they can be invaluable.
i'm riding indoors from october (mixed indoor/outdoor, but november can be exclusively indoors) through potentially march/april/may. i've found the inside ride help me retain the subtle skills for stabilizing a bike that we take for granted....except when you have been riding a trainer and then suddenly jump in a race. quite often i'll ride nothing but the inside ride rollers and then immediately go into a road race in february or march with literally no outdoor riding.
i've done this from both the trainer and the rollers, and the rollers make it much easier.
i consider them one of the best purchases i've made in cycling.
that said, no one can really tell you if they are worth the entry price.
nice rollers are OK.
inside-ride rollers with fore-aft float are much easier to ride and have a natural feel to them. When you shift weight around (all the time) you generally bump up one way or the other on fixed rollers. The float on IR moves the rollers around and keeps the feeling smooth.
e.g. I can stand easily on inside-ride rollers, but have to be careful transitioning to standing on normal rollers or I pop up on the front rear roller.
inside-ride rollers with fore-aft float are much easier to ride and have a natural feel to them. When you shift weight around (all the time) you generally bump up one way or the other on fixed rollers. The float on IR moves the rollers around and keeps the feeling smooth.
e.g. I can stand easily on inside-ride rollers, but have to be careful transitioning to standing on normal rollers or I pop up on the front rear roller.
1) fore-aft "float"; that's what allows you to stand up and sprint on day 1 without any special consideration.
2) parabolic rollers; they tend to push you back to center when you drift to the side.
3) side bumpers (wheels); when concentration lapses a bit and you're about to ride off the side, they knock you back to center.
4) rear wheel bumpers; when all else fails, these make it literally impossible to ride off the rollers as can happen with normal rollers.
biggest benefit, IMO, is that they combine the feel and motion of rollers while also allowing a user to complete a power-based workout. kind of like the best of rollers with the best of a trainer.
still not equivalent to the road, though.
lots of legit sprinters...like world tour guys, not just little old me...have maxed out on 'em.
they are fixed in place and don't involve any stabilization/lateral motion, but damn they feel good. if i knew someone who was a sprinter but stuck indoors and really had to get in true sprint workouts, i'd recommend one.
hell, i'd get one if i had space.
10-31-16, 08:33 PM
#41
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Thanks @tetonrider.
11-01-16, 06:08 AM
#42
out walking the earth
Sure. I thought we were talking real world stuff though. Guys are raising brow at the cost of inside ride if someone has the cash/space for a watt bike or srm bike they'd probably find they could do anything g they want on there. But you'd be hard pressed to hit a max number on most normal trainers. I never have. On inside is my work around d is just to work the long sprint.
FWIW I almost never ride outside. I train almost exclusively on the inside ride. It doesn't seem to hurt.
FWIW I almost never ride outside. I train almost exclusively on the inside ride. It doesn't seem to hurt.
11-01-16, 06:51 AM
#43
Senior Member
Are the inside ride rollers quiet (not that im going to drop that kind of money on rollers right now)? I have the Nashbar rollers that I don't really use much in my apartment (mostly use them to warmup for races anymore) because they are kind of noisy and vibrate. Im sure its a non issue as im on the first floor, but they seem to vibrate everything in the room so I only used them once or twice indoors in the last year.
11-01-16, 07:42 AM
#44
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The smart e-motion rollers already exist in Europe. Their site says very clearly "Not available in North America". Perhaps a licensing issue.
https://www.elite-real.com/en/products/real-e-motion-b
https://www.elite-real.com/en/products/real-e-motion-b
11-01-16, 07:45 AM
#45
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Are the inside ride rollers quiet (not that im going to drop that kind of money on rollers right now)? I have the Nashbar rollers that I don't really use much in my apartment (mostly use them to warmup for races anymore) because they are kind of noisy and vibrate. Im sure its a non issue as im on the first floor, but they seem to vibrate everything in the room so I only used them once or twice indoors in the last year.
11-01-16, 07:48 AM
#46
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BTW I have been using the 1-up trainer since 2003 and it's been solid and reliable. It has a ton of "miles" on it and still works as new. One of the more quiet trainers. I'm considering a kickr snap if I can get a good deal on it. Mainly to keep motivated to train on Zwift this winter.
11-01-16, 03:25 PM
#47
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The inside ride rollers are quieter than my Tacx Bushido Smart trainer, which is pretty quiet. This is on a concrete floor in the basement. On a wooden floor in an upstairs apartment, maybe not. #context
11-01-16, 05:12 PM
#48
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Are the inside ride rollers quiet (not that im going to drop that kind of money on rollers right now)? I have the Nashbar rollers that I don't really use much in my apartment (mostly use them to warmup for races anymore) because they are kind of noisy and vibrate. Im sure its a non issue as im on the first floor, but they seem to vibrate everything in the room so I only used them once or twice indoors in the last year.
The smart e-motion rollers already exist in Europe. Their site says very clearly "Not available in North America". Perhaps a licensing issue.
Elite Real
Elite Real
BTW I have been using the 1-up trainer since 2003 and it's been solid and reliable. It has a ton of "miles" on it and still works as new. One of the more quiet trainers. I'm considering a kickr snap if I can get a good deal on it. Mainly to keep motivated to train on Zwift this winter.
the company also offers great, local support and makes the best vehicle rack out there.
