# Distance on rollers?



## phazer (Oct 5, 2005)

I do most days if I don't have enough time to go out for a ride due to work about 30km's on my rollers. Was just wondering how it compares to sya 30km's on a flat road during a normal ride? Anyone got any ideas?


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Simple answer is to compare your roller speed to your road speed and invert the fraction. Not a perfect comparision, but it'll do for this purpose. 

It isn't the mileage that matters, it's the time at effort. If you don't have time for a good workout, then you don't have time for a good workout.

That's notwithstanding the extras like getting dressed or needing to drive somewhere before you start riding. If those sorts of things, or running out of daylight are the reasons you don't have time, then no matter. 

The lesson is not to record your workouts by distance, but by time. There's a lot of difference between 30 km upwind and 30 km downwind, but a hard half hour is a hard half hour.


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

An additional factor is that on the rollers you're always pedalling. Whereas on the road you have "coast time" or soft pedal time. When I do 2 hours on the rollers, it's a constant 2 hours with no stopping or breaks for traffic lights.

I just wish my rollers could simulate hills


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

danl1 said:


> It isn't the mileage that matters, it's the time at effort.


yeah, that. I track training miles and hours in different columns, and indoor training sessions just get a dash in miles...


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## MR_GRUMPY (Aug 21, 2002)

Unless you have a resistance unit on your rollers, it's like riding on a slight downhill, all the way.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Distance on rollers? I pedal and pedal and never seem to get anywhere. 

Do you really spend two hours on the rollers in a session caseLawZ28?


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

Pablo said:


> Distance on rollers? I pedal and pedal and never seem to get anywhere.
> 
> Do you really spend two hours on the rollers in a session caseLawZ28?


1.5 hours to 2 hours almost all the time - when I do the rollers. I've done 3 hours a number of times.

I live in North Carolina, so I only hop on the rollers when I have to though (ie - dark or freezing out).

I'll watching something on Tivo or plug my computer into my flat panel TV and get some Cycling.tv going.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

It's hard for me to stay motivated beyond an hour, but maybe that's a good excuse to get cable and TIVO.


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

Pablo said:


> It's hard for me to stay motivated beyond an hour, but maybe that's a good excuse to get cable and TIVO.


Or subscribe to cycling.tv. That's what I prefer, unless there is something that I really want to watch on the tivo, and not just something to have on tv for the sake of having it on.

But regardless, I highly recommend Tivo.


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## Fender (Feb 26, 2002)

CaseLawZ28 said:


> 1.5 hours to 2 hours almost all the time - when I do the rollers. I've done 3 hours a number of times.


Doesn't your "you know what" go numb after a 20-30 minutes? I've done 1.5 - 2 hours taking a 5 minute break every 30 minutes otherwise its just too painful.
________
Subaru Pleo


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## GeoCyclist (Oct 31, 2002)

*A different take on rollers?*



phazer said:


> I do most days if I don't have enough time to go out for a ride due to work about 30km's on my rollers. Was just wondering how it compares to sya 30km's on a flat road during a normal ride? Anyone got any ideas?


I’ll take the 30km of flat road over and hour on my rollers any day of the week. I ride with a polar 725 HRM, and my roller workouts have turned into a 60 minute max calorie burned contest. I can burn a huge amount of calories on my rollers, but seldom match the same burn on the road, unless I’m climbing. I know I don’t push as hard on the open road; as I have to save something to get back home! I don’t think I’d be able stay on the rollers very long if I didn’t have some type of goal like max calories burned to aim for. I know this isn’t the best of cycling training routines, but it lets me eat / drink whatever I want.

PS; I prefer mp3 with some really hard rock for roller time!!!


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## Sub (Feb 13, 2004)

I train by time and effort, add up miles only to impress those non cycling folk.


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## levels1069 (Jun 9, 2006)

anything more than 1.5 hours on the rollers get dangerous for me...
i get bored and start experimenting with no hands, pedaling out of the saddle, and closing my eyes. next thing i know i am face down on my floor with my bike contorted against me haha


p.s- does anyone else try standing on the rollers and pedaling for a minute or so? its hard as hell but i think it helps my out of the seat climbing balance and power distribution a great deal....neat little trick i found


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

levels1069 said:


> anything more than 1.5 hours on the rollers get dangerous for me...
> i get bored and start experimenting with no hands, pedaling out of the saddle, and closing my eyes. next thing i know i am face down on my floor with my bike contorted against me haha
> 
> 
> p.s- does anyone else try standing on the rollers and pedaling for a minute or so? its hard as hell but i think it helps my out of the seat climbing balance and power distribution a great deal....neat little trick i found


I do that some, but not a lot. You have to be so careful in positioning yourself and pedaling that it's more dangerous than beneficial. Out of the seat climbing isn't really rocket science and is more of a "by feel" thing; at least I think so and is what others have said.


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## allons-y (Nov 15, 2006)

i can easily do 1.5 hours. 2 is ok. 3 is pushing it.

for starters, having someone to ride/talk with really helps. as do movies/tv whatever. by yourself, an hour can drag on for well, 5 hours. with 2 friends to talk to, an hour will fly by.....then 2, then 3, etc.. just keep a convo going. it helps immensily. its base miles after all...

riding no handed on rollers is easy, i did it on my 2nd ever time on rollers. it takes about 10-15 messups (ride offs, wall grabs, falls, etc) but then you can do it fine. at least i could. Now i can multiple minutes on end if i feel like it.

levels1069 - i try and stand for a bit every here and there. i cant really ride hard or fast, but i do agree it may help with power distribution and balance, but it feels wierd......mostly to stretch and change up position, but its somethjing i try to do a few minutes every time i ride. not being able to "throw" the bike like you would will on the road is what messes me up.

as for tracking it.....inside riding is perscribed in hours, not miles. most of it is base training, sometimes a few interval workouts, but instead of doing 25 miles, i do an hour and a half or so, etc....to keep up my training logs, whatever the mileage is on my computer i enter, but that is only so my computer and log line up (pet peeve). hours is the importnat thing to track/workout to....

I just wrote some tips for roller/inside ridnig, since i really dont mind it and everyone seems to hate it. on my blog, link below, check it out, leave commments if you want, etc...


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## phazer (Oct 5, 2005)

OK, going to go for 1 hour max kcal burns sessions then on my rollers.


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## tete de la tour (Oct 26, 2006)

when you are on the rollers does the front wheel spin as well ? I have been considering rollers for my training indoors as I find my hydraulic trainer to be boring and after a while seems well, just blah.. im sure the indoor trainer will keep me on my toes more. please chime in on how it works.

thanks
Tete


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## CaseLawZ28 (Jul 14, 2005)

tete de la tour said:


> when you are on the rollers does the front wheel spin as well ? I have been considering rollers for my training indoors as I find my hydraulic trainer to be boring and after a while seems well, just blah.. im sure the indoor trainer will keep me on my toes more. please chime in on how it works.
> 
> thanks
> Tete


Yes. You'll either be on your toes or on your ass.


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