What are Bicycle Rollers?

November 14th, 2008 • Cycling/Fitness

I prefer using rollers as opposed to a standard bicycle trainer for indoor training.

In my previous post on winter cross-training, I mentioned that I enjoy using bicycle rollers as a form on indoor training. However, after posting that article it occurred to me that some of you motocross-minded readers may not be entirely sure what bicycle rollers are.

Roller Basics

Essentially, bicycle rollers are a form of bicycle trainer used for indoor training by cyclists. However, unlike the standard bicycle trainer where the rear wheel is fixed into a frame, on rollers the bike is completely free to move. Rollers are made up of a metal rectangular frame holding three metal (they can also be wood or plastic) cylinders. Two of the cylinders are close together at one end of the frame while the third is on the other end of the frame. The rear wheel of the bike is placed in between the two close cylinders while the front wheel is placed on the front single cylinder. The front roller and the front roller of the back pair are connected by a (normally rubber) belt which causes the front wheel to spin as you pedal the back wheel. Because there is nothing holding the bike laterally, you are free to move from side to side, and possibly, right off the side of the rollers. Normally, the front cylinder has the ability to be adjusted from front to back in order to accommodate a wide range of bike sizes and wheelbases.

Resistance

One of the major advantages of standard trainers over rollers is the ability to adjust the resistance. However, some rollers have the ability to change the resistance also. The rollers I purchased (Minoura Action Magroller) have a small magnetic resistance unit that is easily added/removed to add resistance when you want to pump up the intensity of your work out. Also, other models have wind resistance units which allegedly keep you cool while adding resistance.

Benefits

There are a number of benefits to adding rollers to your training program as opposed to riding outside or just using a trainer. First of all, they extend your riding season from just the summer months to the entire season. This can provide numerous benefits for your fitness in the long term because you do not loose the fitness you gained during the summer in the winter. Secondly, the use of rollers helps to smooth your pedal stroke which can have numerous benefits during long distance rides on the road. In addition, the added resistance of some rolling units can help build very powerful legs in a much shorter time period the solely riding on the road, where, it is hard to entirely control the terrain you ride on. Finally, because you are forced to stay on the rolling cylinders, riding on rollers helps to add a lot of stability and straight line precision to your riding which makes you a more confident and safer rider on the road.

Conclussion

Rollers are a great product for indoor cycling training. They are overlooked by a lot of cyclists because they take a little bit of extra time to get used to, but truthfully, I like them much better than a normal stationary trainer. You easily get the hang of using them quickly, and the added benefits of making your riding more stable and your pedal stroke smoother are awesome, especially when coupled with a mag resistance unit which makes them every bit as beneficial training wise, as a normal trainer. If you are a cyclist looking for a way to train inside, I wholeheartedly recommend at least looking at rollers as an option.

Tags: , , ,

Trackback URL.

Viewing 8 Comments

 

Trackbacks

(Trackback URL)

close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus

Other Entries



Related Entries

Contact Me

Twitter Status

Twitter Status


    Twitter follow me on Twitter

    Social Networks