I’ve done time on a traditional electromagnetic roller job. I hated it so much I sold it. However I’m now thinking I might re-want one, for very short workouts which should be more bearable.

What’s a better option? Rollers don’t have enough resistance for some of what I want to do. I did once see a trainer where you removed the back wheel and it had a belt drive arrangement to a flywheel. This looked great but it was expensive. Low noise would be a benefit too.

Elite RealAxiom, not cheap though.

Actually.. just had a thought. It would be really easy to knock one of these up from an old hub, using a friction belt…! Maybe laced up to a small rim from a kid’s bike… hmm..

I bought this

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/training/trainers/tacx-trainers/tacx-t-1820-magnetic-trainer.html

For doing the odd 30-60 min sessions its perfect.

Well. Call me silly, but I have rollers.

If I want more resistance…. I use a higher gear.

Yeah, silly, I know.

You can get rollers with resistance. Not used them but… I would assume that if you want to do some high resistance / low cadence out of the saddle workouts then maintaining balance on the rollers would be quite hard work. Probably better off with a turbo.

I swapped my ancient Tacx for a Minoura LR760 as it has a very wide range of variable resistance as Mrs Blobby has started using the trainer. Happy with it so far. Thought about the new Tacx ones but read some very mixed reviews that put me off.

I’ve just bought one of these:
https://www.bkool.com/

Connects to a PC and you can ride ‘virtual routes’ where the resistance changes automatically, as per the gradient profile of the route.

Apparently you can also get video footage of the routes on some courses – mostly for the Vuelta as BKOOL are Spanish. Not tried that yet as I only got it at the weekend, but looks fun.

Good (and extensive!) review here:
http://www.cycletechreview.com/2012/reviews/bkool-online-training-system/

I’m really looking forward to getting some use on it – looks way more interesting than a standard turbo.

Nick

Rollers with resistance:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-real-e-motion-rollers/

You can get rollers with resistance. Not used them but… I would assume that if you want to do some high resistance / low cadence out of the saddle workouts then maintaining balance on the rollers would be quite hard work. Probably better off with a turbo

As I posted, for additional resistance I just travel up and down the cassette.

Out of the saddle can be a little more tricky, but how much of your time should be out of the saddle anyway.

Its rollers for silly ole me, here. Quick to set-up, knock in an hour, quieter than a turbo and doesn’t feel as if you’re riding with the brake constantly on.
Job done.

+1 for the rollers with resistance. You can do everything on them that you can do on a turbo. Out of the saddle on rollers isn’t tricky when you have learnt how to do it. Because of the snow/ice, i’ve spent the last 2 weeks training on rollers with weeks of 11hours and 10.5hours and i’ve done everything from threshold, tempo, TT efforts, recovery spins, seated hill climb efforts, easy rides.

Yikes! £1169!!!!!!

What about these:http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-v-arion-parabolic-inertial-rollers/

kinetic road machine with the large flywheel are comparatively quiet. Even better when used with a turbo specific tyre.

Garmin speed and cadence sensor, plus usb ant+ adaptor. Hook it up to your computer, get some sufferfest vids and a trainer road subscription.

Then indoor winter training becomes a lot more fun and bearable.

Attach a sprocket to the drum of an old washing machine. Weld bike to washing machine, connect chain to front ring and washing machine. Adjust resistance with differing size rocks in the drum.

Edit. Use sand to reduce noise levels ( or indeed water )

Edit 2. It;s been done before.

Washing machine turbo trainer

^^^^^ gets your whites …… whiter

Rollers with resistance go upto about 600W, which is surely enough for anything other than sprints (8W/kg for anyone not a chubby funster, abrely 6 for me, so take my oppinion with a pinch of salt). Then it’s not the resistance that runs out, it’s the ability to stay on the rollers, you can ride over the roller if you bounce a bit while out the saddle. E-motion ones supposedly help with this by absorbing the movement, especialy the original american ones with the extra rollers stopping the rear wheel from moving).

I’m thinking of getting some as while HITT is all well and good, at this time of year surely most people are doing 2×20 style workouts and higher intensity stuff can wait untill the weather improves and it can be done outside as finding a 5/4/3/2/1 minute trafic free hill is easy, 20 minute uninterupted hills are harder to come by. Or if I want to batter myself with intervals I take the SS out on a group ride.

Out of the saddle on rollers isn’t tricky when you have learnt how to do it

Out of the saddle can be a little more tricky

🙄

Weld bike to washing machine
Thats sounding quite permanent. How does that go with Carbon frames ?.

Then indoor winter training becomes a lot more fun and bearable.
I don’t have a problem with it. May be its just that my tiny mind doesn’t seem to get bored. That and owning a radio helps.

Taxc Flow 2200 with TTS software that enables you to manage resistance and loads of other things. I’ve had mine for a year and rocks.

What’s with the rolling eyes Solo? My statement can apply to all things roller related – none of its tricky once you have learnt how to do it.

Smaller rollers have plenty of resistance. Kreitler medium here and use the block. Add a fan and flywheel for more resistance and inertia.

Or go for the small track rollers 😈

Kurt Kinetic road machine will be my next turbo when my elite breaks. The elite feels dead and has a poor feel as there is no flywheel. I use rollers if I am doing a recovery ride. In 53×12 at 100rpm it’s about 250 watts on the rollers. That’s the same as 53×17 at about 80rpm on my turbo. I don’t want to ride for an hour on rollers at 100plus rpm and I need to do intervals at more than 250W

Kurt kinetic is the best turbo I have used. It is very good indeed. I have the rock and roll. The bit of movement it gives seems to help with comfort on the saddle. I have tried a few other mid range turbos, they were not as good.

Cyclops Fluid ones are nice and fairly quiet.

If I want more resistance…. I use a higher gear.

Already tried this. Top gear is enough for hard efforts but not for flat out ones. 600W isn’t enough, on the road I would be generating 1200W peak.

Generating 1200w on a turbo trainer is going to wreck your bike. Have you considered a wattbike or hiring one?

Garmin speed and cadence sensor, plus usb ant+ adaptor. Hook it up to your computer, get some sufferfest vids and a trainer road subscription.

Then indoor winter training becomes a lot more fun and bearable.

Had a go on this set up at the weekend. A lot of fun, much much better than a standard turbo session.

Cyclops Fluid ones are nice and fairly quiet.

That’s what I was using for the above work out. Very good on the noise front and it felt nice to ride on.

As I said, Kreitler rollers with headwind fan. Need more than 2.3KW, then you should look elsewhere.

Generating 1200w on a turbo trainer is going to wreck your bike.

Why?

Small rollers and the headwind fan, that’s only £500..

Because bikes are designed to move, the forces it’s subjected to locked into place on a turbo aren’t what they are designed for

I’ve heard of carbon bikes getting damaged on turbos but not sure how common. I use my steel touring bike on my RealAxiom, supposedly that can generate over 1000 watts of resistance, then there’s the RealPower that can generate a lot more.

And a Wattbike is…? I have the 3.0 rollers and they are great. Bought them a few years ago back from the US. Flawless and peerless. You won’t improve your pedalling on a turbo – quite the reverse.

Lemond revolution is £400, Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll is £450. So on a watts/pound basis, it’s competitive. I’d buy the 2.5 rollers and see how you get on.

£400 is out of the question anyway. Looking at fleabay really. I might try and pick up some used rollers, now that I have learned that smaller rollers give more resistance and that turbo trainers can damage your bike. It stands to reason when I think about it.

The Lemond Turbo trainer is good, if not somewhat noisy…

Review

Have recently bought a BKOOL as mentioned above – seems very good, more engaging than traditional turbos as you get all the stats and its got some nice online features, suprisingly quiet as well – have been doing big ring sprints at 0620 with no complaints from the neighbours so far (modern flat, top floor).

I recently got some Jetblack rollers and they seem very good – about £150. Having ridden different bikes with different tyres on them I can say that makes a huge difference. If you aren’t getting enough resistance from your supple 23mm racey jobs, throw on some chunky 28mm touring tyres.

had a cycleops magneto for 3 years now which adjusts its resistance, i think an excelent device.

however had a slight prob around xmas, emailed the importers paligap to see if it was something i could sort, and wihout a quibble they not only replaced the resitance unit but also upgraded me to a fluid 2.

the fluid is better again than the magneto, hate to repeat sales blurb but more ‘road like’ in the way the bike pedals and the resistance kicks in. also quiter, although the magneto is’nt really that noisy at all.

so anything by cycleops would be my call, great kit backed up by superb customer servce.

£400 is out of the question anyway. Looking at fleabay really. I might try and pick up some used rollers, now that I have learned that smaller rollers give more resistance and that turbo trainers can damage your bike. It stands to reason when I think about it.

1050w enough for you?

Kind of a stupid question perhaps but my roadbike is singlespeed with a 47/18 ratio, would this be ok set up on a Cyclops Magneto or a Cyclops Fluid 2 ? – both are cheap on treadz at the moment, i kinda like the idea of a set of rollers but as i don’t have gears i doubt i’d get any training benefit unless i buy an expensive set with resistance and i’ve only got £200 max to spend.

Generating 1200w on a turbo trainer is going to wreck your bike

Watched Chris Hoy doing a 1300+ demo on a turbo a few years ago. I remember thinking I’m glad that’s not my bike he’s using…