Trainer vs. rollers vs. spinner: pro's and cons?
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Joe_H posted 16 weeks ago.
riding your bike that fit to you would be best but a spinner will work ok. have been told rollers are best simulation for riding however forget zoning out and watching TV and/or doing sprints on them and there is a bit of a learning curve on learning how to ride it w/o crashing (or so i'm told -the crashing bit has scared me away from them) trainers will give you a good experience and it's a lot easier to ride and watch TV for those long rides and do sprints/out of saddle stuff while watching spinerval DVDs Magnetic trainers are lower end and are louder. fluid trainers are quieter and supposedly a more realistic resistance but are more expensive. computrainer and tacx fortius are the frigging bomb! but are very expensive (over $1K) but have some great rides including ironman courses
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TriSooner posted 16 weeks ago.
You get the most use and most road-like riding out of a good fluid trainer (Cycleops, Kurt Kinetic). The 40lb fly wheel of a spin bike is un-natural and rollers offer no resistance. Search TriFuel for the several discussions of "Cycleops Fluid" and "Kurt Kinetic."
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triNick posted 16 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
You get the most use and most road-like riding out of a good fluid trainer (Cycleops, Kurt Kinetic).
+1
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PJT posted 16 weeks ago.
I view the fluid trainer as the best primary device for indoor rides, especially if you intend to go long. Rollers are a great tool for developing a smooth pedal stroke, great balance, and the ability to hold a line. But I don't think they are as good as a trainer for things like drills, sprinting, development of strength, etc. So I would go trainer before rollers, but a good case can be made for using both.
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IMP-74 posted 16 weeks ago.
Ok,
seems to me that a good trainer will then be the best choice, and if I can steal some money from myself, I might consider rollers as an addition.
Thanks for the tips, as my LBS has the Kurt available, I'll probably ask them for a good offer :)
BR,
Sami
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Anton posted 16 weeks ago.
+1 to PJT on the Trainer/roller thing. I have both and switch off. Trainers are just an awesome tool for building strength and power and endurance.
Rollers teach "holding a line" which, sorry folks, most triathletes seem unable to do especially when messing with snacks or bottles. Practice THAT on rollers and believe me, you'll develop the skills to keep from weaving around. Holding your line also will help you waste less energy.
Rollers CAN be fit with resistance devices and they make it harder to pedal but still don't come close to a good trainer. You can also put a folded up towel under the rear rollers to increase resistance...that works pretty well but about the same as cycling in top gear.
"A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men."
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SueR posted 16 weeks ago.
Anton is sooo right about holding a line. I am terrified of rollers since a buddy of ours went off his in the basement and put his shoulder through a window (No he shouldn't have set up by a window, but one guy on a roller with six girls in spandex and there's a little hotdogging sometimes)Personally, I way prefer working on my balance and control on a mountain bike. At least the crashes don't wreck my house!
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howard11792 posted 16 weeks ago.
Doesn't anyone like computrainer and tacx? I would sure like one of those. Which one is better?
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lctri posted 16 weeks ago.
I just picked up a set of rollers and I plan to use them this winter in addition to a trainer.
I just finished setting them up as "free motion" rollers after seeing some others doing the same and man are they fun to ride!
Also... they don't offer much resistance, but if you have aluminum rollers, you can add a simple smooth resistance unit with a few neodymium magnets hot glued to a piece of scrap wood. I've been able to get mine to offer up some pretty good resistance - but I don't have a power meter, so this is just perceived.
I'm a science teacher and I put this together to talk about Faraday, Lenz and Newton's Laws.
I agree for longer rides, not worrying about balance would make the rear wheel trainer safer.
If you could invest in one this year, and then another next year, you'd have enough to keep yourself entertained while riding inside.
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TriAu posted 16 weeks ago.
When I was young and tried to jump on some rollers I was terrified. However, when my Dad walked in and saw what I was doing and moved the rollers into a doorway the world was made easier. This is how I learned to ride on rollers, and if you have never done it I suggest learning in this manner. Set the roller up so your shoulders/biceps can 'bounce' off the door frame if you feel like you are falling over (this also works if you have a narrow hallway). Anyway, that's how I learned to ride on rollers without killing myself at about the age of 13. Hope it helps.
WAR EAGLE!
Hi all!
Now as the winter with icy rain/ snow/ everything in between is here, I'll be forced to get indoors with my bike training.
I was wondering about the three options mentioned in the subject for at-home training. I've used a spinning bike for couple of winters now, and it's been quite ok. However, the geometry set-up for the spinner vs. my real ride differs quite a bit, and recently I've started to wonder if it would be worthwhile to purchase either a trainer or rollers.
As I have no experience on either of those, I was wondering if You guys/gals could give some input here. What's the main difference between rollers and a trainer tri-workoutwise, and what's Your opinion on which one to use for indoor rides lasting from 2 to 5 hours? Or should I just stick with the spinner :O
Thanks already for your help!!
BR,
Sami