# Should I buy a roller/ trainer?



## gitoutdaway (Nov 28, 2007)

ok, so I live in NYC and its cold and rainy/snowy for too long, most years I just hibernated and made up for it in the spring, but now I'm actually getting FAT so its time to do something about it, I'm 35 and life has caught up to me...

For all of you who have bought rollers, trainers, etc, is it worth the money?? Do you actually use them or do they just take up space in the closet after a month?

I know it varies and depends on the person but I'm just looking for an overall asessment of their usefullness, and I guess suggestions, maybe which one to get etc.

I COULD just strap on a pair of jogging shoes too, but I love my bike so if its something people like me actually use a lot then I guess its worth it,

does this make sense? thanks


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## Yoji (Jan 7, 2007)

I live in Toronto so I guess our weather is quite similar. Like you, I used to shut down during the winter and lose the meagre level of fitness that I had attained during the "good" months. I eventually decided that I was tired of being dropped, and bought a trainer so I could keep riding in the winter. 

I bought the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine fluid trainer because I read very good reviews about this machine, and because it has a little gizmo that outputs power in watts. At that time, I had just started reading about "training with power" on some web forums, and the stuff people were talking about seemed to make a lot of sense to me and I thought I would try it out. (You might want to check out SST, FTP, 2x20 intervals with a search engine, or buy the book "Racing and Training With a Power Meter" for more information if you are interested).

Last winter was my first serious attempt at using the trainer, and by the time the spring rolled around I had not only maintained my fitness level but actually improved it. During the first few group rides of the year it was pretty obvious who had kept busy on their bike during the winter and who hadn't - quite fun too as some of those folks that I had had trouble keeping up with disappeared behind me.

This being said, it is very difficult to maintain motivation on a trainer because it is very boring. If it wasn't for that little power gizmo, the feedback it gives, and stuff I learned about training with power I would have lost interest. As it turned out, for me, it was money well spent and I am riding it again this winter - more than last year actually. 

If you get one, I suggest a fluid trainer like mine. You should try to learn something about training so you can optimize your riding time and get a decent fitness return on your invested boredom. You'll also need a very big fan (I have my trainer in the basement and I also open the side door to let the cold air in), lots of water, maybe a head band (I added one this year to catch the sweat before it dripped off), a rubber mat to put under your bike, a towel, and some way of keeping yourself entertained while riding. Rock music on the ipod works for me, but others will watch tv or dvds. 

Good luck.


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## bill (Feb 5, 2004)

a trainer or rollers (I prefer rollers -- much less boring) forces you to do structured workouts. there's nobody to chase, no terrain, no wind, so you have to think about and decide what your workout will be. you can gain specific fitness better than road work, although there is something to that hardness you can get only on the road.
I actually don't mind rollers. I HATE the trainer, and I use it only for race warm-up and then not even. But rollers I even look forward to -- absolutely controlled environment, the radio is on, it's warm, no one is mad at me for being out of the house, etc., etc.


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## GerryR (Sep 3, 2008)

I live in Montana and winter is not usually a nice time to even try to ride outside. After doing a fair amount of research here and asking a couple questions I bought roller and really enjoy them. They do not allow you to just zone out because you can fall over or ride off the sides. They were hard at first but not too long and I can tell that my pedaling is smoother now than it was. I can even ride staring at the front wheel without any problems. I got mine from Performance and have been very pleased with them and they were only about $120 with shipping.


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## Yoji (Jan 7, 2007)

Some more information from a different forum.

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t467441.html

(Am I allowed to post this here?)


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## gitoutdaway (Nov 28, 2007)

thanks for the replys! are roleers preferred because they're more "fun
than a static trainer? or is there another reason?


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## bill (Feb 5, 2004)

gitoutdaway said:


> thanks for the replys! are roleers preferred because they're more "fun
> than a static trainer? or is there another reason?


because they are not fixed into a stand, the way trainers are, you have to balance, and you have to spin in a way that doesn't upset your balance. you have to feel the bike and ride a straight line, and roller use of necessity tends to round out your pedal stroke. the value of this skill is not without all controversy. while old-schoolers talk of "supplesse" and the beautiful efficiency of a nice round, even pedal stroke, wags point out that this benefit is largely theoretical; research has failed to prove any real benefit and in fact has shown that the pedaling of elite riders isn't any more round than anyone else's and may even be less so.
I think that they're great and that they pushed me to another level of cycling, and most people who use them feel the same way. but you should know all sides.


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## Yoji (Jan 7, 2007)

For me, rollers are NOT preferable, and if you check out some other cycling forums you'll see there is always an ongoing debate between roller people and trainer people.

The thing with rollers is - you can fall off them. To not fall off, you have to always maintain a good focus on what you are doing. With a trainer, you can't fall off, and you can zone out and try to focus on anything but the boring nature of riding inside.

I don't know about power feedback from rollers, but as I said earlier, if you don't have some kind of feedback you can use to set training zones and measure your progress, you will likely give up on whatever you buy.


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## gitoutdaway (Nov 28, 2007)

thanks, I appreciate the honesty, space is a consideration too as i live in a small NYC apt and rollers take up a lot of space. Honestly I'd be happy to have something just to crank for an hour or two whenever I can just to maintain some level of cardio fitness and burn the extra calories, I had originally thought of planting a fluid trainer in front of the tv and watch the evening news while pedaling....


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## JustTooBig (Aug 11, 2005)

It really comes down to personal preference. Each has their own pros and cons, it's up to each person to determine which device suits their needs. I've ridden both for 25yrs, I personally prefer rollers. They do NOT require total concentration -- I can watch movies, training videos, eat/drink without falling off the rollers. It's not that hard. Some rollers fold up and are quite easy to store, others do not and require a bit more imagination.


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## gitoutdaway (Nov 28, 2007)

ok, thaks again. I am wondering if people here with experience had a brand/model of trainer to recommend? I have heard of Cycle Ops and I was showed a trainer by Blacknurn the other day, does anyone know about these two brands and/or have any other suggestions as to what to get?

thanks


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## MontyCrisco (Sep 21, 2008)

I've had my Cycleops Fluid2 for a month and so far so good. I do use it, but I also don't just hop on with no plan - I'm working through some workouts in Arnie Baker's book, and alternating that with Spinervals and also some longer rides where I do some steady time trialing and a few harder sprints to mix things up. The key is having music, DVD or TV to watch while you do it. Even having your laptop to play a movie is useful to break up the monotony. 

The Blackburn fluid trainer I looked at seemed cheaper both in price and build quality. In particular you want something that won't wear out if you use it 3x a week or more, and that seemed like the major drawback there. The Fluid2 has a beefier resistance unit, cooling fins and a flywheel that acts as a small fan to further cool off the unit, all of which are missing in the cheaper Blackburn. Fluid trainers give slightly more realistic road feel since resistance ramps up with speed, but some of the nicer mag trainers will do this too. Fluid tends to be quieter, but in any case try before you buy if you're worried about neighbors complaining.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

MontyCrisco said:


> ......... but I also don't just hop on with no plan - I'm working through some workouts in Arnie Baker's book, and alternating that with Spinervals and also some longer rides where I do some steady time trialing and a few harder sprints to mix things up. The key is having music, DVD or TV to watch while you do it. Even having your laptop to play a movie is useful to break up the monotony. ...........


I think having a plan, other than riding for X amount of time is a key to making the trainer tolerable. If you have a schedule, time passes is smaller chunks but you don't think it lasts forever.

I'm a big fan of one legged drills, and slow cadence high tension sessions. Also some high spin sessions. The proverbial 2 x 20 minute time trial sessions are killer but apparently very effective.

Speaking of big fans, get one and put it in front of you so you don't melt down.

I listen to my Ipod while riding as I find the TV distracting. Music on the other hand, stimulates me.


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## Samhain (Jun 14, 2008)

I considered both a trainer and a roller, but went with a trainer. I do not like the idea of possibly falling off a roller or losing control and riding into a wall. With a trainer I just throw a movie on and zone out. I watching my HR and cadence every few minutes to make sure I don't get too lazy.


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## BeeCharmer (Apr 30, 2003)

Samhain said:


> I considered both a trainer and a roller, but went with a trainer. I do not like the idea of possibly falling off a roller or losing control and riding into a wall.


Just to be clear, YOU WILL NOT RIDE INTO A WALL (OR ANYWHERE ELSE) IF YOU FALL OFF THE ROLLERS. You will simply fall over.

A good brand for rollers is Kreitler. You can usually find a good used set on ebay for the price of a new set of a cheaper brand. They fold and they are worth every penny, especially for beginning riders. Don't discount the common theme that they are more interesting to ride then a trainer; this will keep you coming back for more instead of parking them in a closet and, in the end, that's the point, isn't it?


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## multirider (Nov 5, 2007)

Kurt Kinetic Road Machine -- very high quality, well built, sturdy, no seals whatsoever so no chance of leakage, quiet, good power curve that ramps up pretty gradually but goes to 3000 watts. I got the Rock and Roll base which makes riding the trainer almost the same as outside. Better feel when seated, vastly superior when out of the saddle. Plus the $50 power meter is very cool.


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## Kawboy8 (Feb 26, 2006)

*Spin Bike*

For Christmas my wife decided to buy a spin bike. We already had a Cyclo-Ops Fluid and liked it, but I have to say I like the spin bike better. It is nice not to mess with switching out the bikes depending who wants to ride. My daughter doesn't do much cycling, but she does like spin classes, and my father -in- law will actaully ride the spin bike. So...really everyone benifits.


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