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I'm thinking about buying rollers.

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
My motivation for riding a bike has always been fun and to be outdoors; fitness and calories are just the icing on the cake. I think I'll struggle with indoor training. I just don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to do it.

I thought about this last November, the weather eventually got better and I took it outside instead. But I lost a lot of fitness barely riding for several weeks. Ski season starts sometime in December, and I have a bunch of long rides in April, so it's better to maintain fitness.

If I'm not going to Zwift or watch TV, will I be able to do this?

Replies

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    I've never used rollers, but I have used a dumb trainer and now a smart trainer.

    I think the question becomes one of motivation. The dumb trainer with no external stimulation was full. An hour on that was mentally draining. Watching TV helped a little but that then reduced the training effectiveness.

    I started using the Sufferfest videos, to get some structure in my training. That helped a lot and I started to look forward to the sessions and got a lot more from them.

    I'm now using a wheel-on smart trainer with Zwift, and that's a step up in experience again. Group rides are a great addition to the range of training activities.

  • _nikkiwolf_
    _nikkiwolf_ Posts: 1,380 Member
    I own rollers. I have to admit I only used them the first winter I owned them. My sense of balance isn't great, so they require focus, I can't casually ride them while watching TV , as I had expected. For that, the type of trainer where you fix one wheel would be better. On the other hand, the rollers are more challenging. And you work up a sweat really quickly.

    Last year I just went running instead of cycling when the conditions didn't allow to ride outside (snow and ice on the road), and bought neoprene overshoes and awesome gloves for short outdoir rides on sunny days with clear roads.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Listen to the trainerroad podcast. Cause it's the CEO of trainerroad they do a good job of selling indoor training 😉

    I use a dumb trainer with a known power curve on trainerroad and watch TV/Netflix/Hulu/Crunchyroll. Their plans are good too, I gained about 15% in my FTP over half of a plan (10 weeks iirc). Sufferfest had amazing plans, but they are the granddaddy's of indoor riding ;)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I bought a pair of rollers and they scare the living crap out of me. Too bad you're not in the Ottawa area or I'd make you a great deal on them (or I can just suck it up and get used to them).

    I do most of my winter training on a trainer & got a smart trainer this year to replace my antique Kurt Kinetic. I'm using TrainerRoad and all I can say is I wishI'd bought one sooner. On rollers you can only vary the resistance by changing gears and a momentary lapse of attention can make for a funny YouTube video. You can use pretty much any of the apps with a speed & cadence sensor to get virtual power.

    Having said that rollers definitely have their place as you have to work on your balance etc.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    I used to roller blade - outside - and it was incredible - I loved it. I did it for years and years.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I thought a lot about a trainer instead. It seems like I can get quality rollers a lot cheaper than a quality trainer. I already have a power meter on the bike. I go to the gym to lift 3x per week, including for leg strength, so I don't feel the need to hammer. Just want to maintain my fitness, stay used to and comfortable in road posture. I'll be skiing 20-30 miles per week (all on weekends) as soon as there's enough snow on the ground and want to be relatively fresh for that. Finally I feel like the balance thing and the way they demand a smooth pedal stroke can only be good in the long run.

    All of this seems to add up to light spinning, and rollers. But I've never done indoor training, I'm reading articles and putting things together. Is my thinking right here?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I've tried using my trainer's rollers a few times...I don't think they are for me...I'm all over the place on those things.

    I think I would like zwift, but I have an analogue trainer and not currently in the market for a smart trainer. I use a variety of indoor cycling videos on YouTube and it works...not my favorite thing in the world and I wouldn't say I'm really "training"...just maintaining some semblance of cardiovascular fitness over the winter. I'm usually not on that thing for more than 30 minutes...usually some kind of interval workout/spin class.

    I'm fortunate that winters are pretty mild here typically, so I can usually still get outside on weekends...weekdays are hard because dark in the morning and dark in the evening when I get home.
  • Skyguy3129
    Skyguy3129 Posts: 2 Member
    I use rollers for all my Trainerroad workouts with no issues, I ride the inside ride rollers with the resistance module, its a great feeling with no restrictions. Riding rollers will improve your bike handling skills and improve your core stability.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited January 2019
    I have to mostly train indoors in the winter as I don't tolerate cold well (Raynaud's).
    My solution to maintaining bike fitness is using a Wattbike indoor trainer at my gym.
    (Putting my bike on a turbo trainer at home in front of the TV just didn't work for me, too much hassle setting it up and putting it away again.)

    Zwift and the like just doesn't appeal to me so I just ride with music, an hour of intervals or 90mins of steady state three times a week is the most I can normally endure.
    It's very much training not riding for enjoyment but being able to do very technical training indoors does allow me to work on pedalling efficiency, power and FTP improvements over the winter but I lose some long duration speed endurance.

    Being an old fart I seem to lose fitness quickly and regain it slowly so the chore of indoor training to keep a high fitness level pays big benefits for me.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Did you ever get the rollers? I have a set that I rarely use but I do get some enjoyment out of them. The learning curve was really steep but I like the amount of focus it requires. I also like the satisfaction I get everytime I go back to them and remember that I was able to surpass that learning curve, though said satisfaction would likely disappear if I used them more often.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    My motivation for riding a bike has always been fun and to be outdoors; fitness and calories are just the icing on the cake. I think I'll struggle with indoor training. I just don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to do it.

    I thought about this last November, the weather eventually got better and I took it outside instead. But I lost a lot of fitness barely riding for several weeks. Ski season starts sometime in December, and I have a bunch of long rides in April, so it's better to maintain fitness.

    If I'm not going to Zwift or watch TV, will I be able to do this?

    I guess I don't understand the question.

    Obviously rollers will function just fine with Zwift, TV, etc. Are you asking if you can still get a decent workout? Of course you can... you just have to put your head down and do the work if there is nothing else to guide you through the workout or distract you from the fact that you're never going to get there. Will you? I have no idea.
This discussion has been closed.

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