Question for cyclists about rollers

hanwyz

Hi, so I have recently inherited 4 bikes, (3 racing, 1 hybrid) and am planning to get out riding. I was thinking of getting something so I can use them indoors when its wet out (or I'm just too nervous of cars). I was looking at the two options, i.e. a turbo trainer or a set of rollers, and am thinking the rollers will fit me better (quieter, makes more use of core strength and improves balance) even though the cardio won't be as intense (tbh, I really don't care about that - will avoid palpitations at least). My balance is pretty shocking, which means I can't change gear and I struggle signalling as I hate taking 1 hand off the bars.

So my questions are
1) What experiences have people had with rollers?
2) Any particular brand you would recommend (I'm in a very small flat - made smaller by having 4 bikes sat in the middle)
3)What's the best way to get used to them?

Thanks everyone

xMyOnlyStrengthx

I don't cycle much personally, but my dad is a racer with a hardcore training schedule!

He has rollers for when it's too wet to train outside, and he started out by holding onto the back of something solid, like a chair with someone sat on it. I've had a go on the rollers and it's super hard and takes balance and practice, but they've made the world of difference to his cycling so I'd say go for it!

EvgeniZyntx

See Rochelle's guide

http://youtu.be/3WCUN7-nezQ

Look into Elite rollers - different models with different features.
My choice - Elite Arion Mag.

Edit: use door frames, not chairs.

hanwyz

Thanks for the pointer towards the elite range
I've just been doing some research into these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-v-arion-parabolic-inertial-rollers/
opinions?
I'm thinking these will be good due to the resistance unit

EvgeniZyntx

I have the non V versions and am satisfied. The resistance ones seem like a better choice today.

hanwyz

Ok, thank you. Definitely an investment I need, wiped out today while attempting to change gear (still not used to racing bikes...)

EvgeniZyntx

Ok, thank you. Definitely an investment I need, wiped out today while attempting to change gear (still not used to racing bikes...)

Wait, rollers will not make you more comfortable on the road - they are a lot more treacherous than road riding.

How did you wipe out?
Instead, do not use clip-ins until you learn to change gears with a good degree of comfort.

bwogilvie

I much prefer rollers over trainers. Trainers are really boring. Rollers are boring too, to be honest, compared with cycling outdoors, but they require more attention than trainers (making them somewhat less boring) and they're good for your balance and pedaling. I really like my TruTrainer rollers, with a built-in resistance system that closely mimics the effects of wind resistance when cycling outside. But I don't know whether they're distributed in the UK.

It looks as if Elite has discontinued the V-Arion; it's not on their website or catalogue. I would get a set with a resistance unit (or one to which you can later add a resistance unit), which makes it more versatile. It's nice to practice spinning at a high cadence, but if you want to maintain your cycling fitness during the winter or bouts of bad weather, being able to train with the effort required to ride outside is also useful.

hanwyz

They may well be harder than on the road, so if I practice in a doorway on rollers, I'll be more confident outside. It's an old bike with the gear levers on the cross bar, so have to take my hands off the bars, then press with a fair amount of force to change gear (which throws my already useless balance off). I'm not using clipless pedals, I use toeclips with straps instead as it's what I grew up with. I'm also used to a mtb over a racing road bike so....I wiped out by basically losing my balance totally and flipping over the side of te bike (I really don't know how...)

I've ordered the V-arion from wiggle, think it was one of the last available... I'm looking forward to testing them out I must admit. Thanks for all the advice