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Just got a set of Tacx Antares Rollers from wiggle... absolutely awesome, they dont budge at all.. and are relatively quiet when on a rug/carpet.

First ride took me 2mins to get used to it, then i did 40mins solid and then 5 mins sprints.. 30secs 180RPM and then 30secs rest. Really really good!

Doing some riding when watching an episode of top gear and it flew by.

Quite impressed, will update after a few weeks of regular use.

[quote][cite] trailstar:[/cite]and are relatively quiet when on a rug/carpet.

First ride took me 2mins to get used to it, then i did 40mins solid and then 5 mins sprints..

Just take care, I've heard of people going off the side hitting the carpet then going through the TV at speed.

Haha, I was told rollers where dangerous but thought it was nonsense - that's gotta be on youtube?

there are epic stationary crashes on youtube. There is a great one which I can't find of a kid complete with chrome messenger bag and shades who managed to land inside the footprint of the rollers with his bike on top of him.

I found it and its no where near as funny as I remember it.

hahaha! I've done about 2hrs total and had nothing near a crash! :)

jinxed it now.

[quote][cite] trailstar:[/cite] 30secs 180RPM and then 30secs rest.

180rpm? Is that the roller, your back wheel or your cranks?

Probably cranks. It's quite fast but you get used to doing mega spins when you're on rollers.

did you ever get the rollers in your first post? Seem like a bargain.

Yeah they do look good. I've not had any spare cash since then and so I haven't gotten round to buying them yet. My brother has a turbo trainer that I can use whenever I have time so until I have a bit of spare cash they're not a priority. The main reason I'd like rollers is because I could keep them in my flat and there's no point in having access to two turbo trainers so rollers make more sense. I'll write up a full review if/when I get them.

Are rollers inferior for a work out because of the lack of resistance? Trying to understand....

I don't know the technicalities but to me they seem purer, though you need to have a pretty big gear to make them worth it. Turbos can be linked up to computers to monitor stats and screens to make it look like you are cycling though the tour or something but none of that really interests me.

That aspect doesn't bother me, but it's the idea of not having any variable resistance that worries me about the efficacy.

I've never tried them, true enough, but I imagine spinning like a maniac against nothing...

I think they improve your pedal style greatly and they also improve your ability to hold a straight line.

apparently...

[quote][cite] Joshvegas:[/cite]I think they improve your pedal style greatly and they also improve your ability to hold a straight line.
It's mostly about balance and holding a line.

As for changing resistance, you can change resistance of rollers by: changing your gearing (on a geared bike this is easier); adding a resistance fan/flywheel (depending on the manufacturers options); or reducing the diameter of the rollers.

180RPM at the cranks, just fast spins all the way through the workout.

They improve your balance and holding a line, you'll end up burning calories as well. It wont replace riding on the road at all, but a great tool for winter riding instead of dark + cold + icey death riding :D

death riding, now there is a potential sport. kinda like rollerball (the original) but everyone on bikes?

Scrap that, wasn't 180rpm... Did my maths wrong :) now I have a speedo capable of cadence I hit 160rpm tonight!

that felt pretty quick, reckon I could go quicker but it felt like I was going to fly off the rollers!!!

[quote][cite] trailstar:[/cite]I hit 160rpm tonight!

get some video up.

I got a turbo for christmas and have been doing interval training on it, 30 sec high speed 30 sec recover and alsorts of other interval types. There's no chance of going out on the roads here in Moodiesburn.

This is good wee site for relieving the boredom.

I don't have a cadence computer yet, i need to wait for the next pay day.

I got a polar heartrate monitor with cadence and speed and such all mounted in a convenient cycle computer Its worth the extra mulah in my opinion.

I recommend the Strada Double Wireless. I have that on my geared bike and the speed sensor is on the rear so you can use it on a turbo. I think the one thing about interval training is that it is there to get your threshold power up, and unless you have HRM and a power metre to work that out in the first place it is hard to get the right zone to get the right benefit.

yup. I must admit I wish I could get 'speed' on my trainer but I went conventional in a moment of weekness and read the instructions.

Totally gotta go double wireless I agree

[quote][cite] euan:[/cite]I recommend the Strada Double Wireless. I have that on my geared bike and the speed sensor is on the rear so you can use it on a turbo. I think the one thing about interval training is that it is there to get your threshold power up, and unless you have HRM and a power metre to work that out in the first place it is hard to get the right zone to get the right benefit.
Heart rate zones are fine by themselves but it's surprisingly difficult to control your heart rate. Power is obviously the best thing to use but you can do intervals based on "2nd top gear at 24-25mph" etc. and they work quite well.

I exceded my theoretical maximum heartrate considerably in a moment of madness and decided to drop a few cogs.

[quote][cite] Joshvegas:[/cite]I exceded my theoretical maximum heartrate considerably in a moment of madness and decided to drop a few cogs.
[quote][cite] Wikipedia (the medical student's best friend):[/cite]Various formulas are used to estimate individual Maximum Heart Rates, based on age, but maximum heart rates vary significantly between individuals. Even within a single elite sports team, such as Olympic rowers in their 20s, maximum heart rates can vary from 160 to 220. This variation is as large as a 60 or 90 year age gap by the linear equations given below, and indicates the extreme variation about these average figures.
The most common formula encountered, with no indication of standard deviation, is:

HRmax = 220 − age

This is attributed to various sources, often "Fox and Haskell," and was devised in 1970 by Dr. William Haskell and Dr. Samuel Fox. Inquiry into the history of this formula reveals that it was not developed from original research, but resulted from observation based on data from approximately 11 references consisting of published research or unpublished scientific compilations. It gained widespread use through being used by Polar Electro in its heart rate monitors, which Dr. Haskell has "laughed about", as it "was never supposed to be an absolute guide to rule people's training."

Oh I knew it was a case of 'pick a number' but 210 is pretty high however you look at it :D

[quote][cite] Joshvegas:[/cite]Oh I knew it was a case of 'pick a number' but 210 is pretty high however you look at it :D
Oh yeah. Definitely. 210 is very high.

[quote][cite] slint:[/cite]This is good wee site for relieving the boredom.
Very cool website. I'll be using it from now on.

[quote][cite] rusty:[/cite]
Oh yeah. Definitely. 210 is very high.

My heart would have skipped a beat but it might have actually propelled itself through my rib cage and onto the window before sliding down the glass leaving a bloody trail of... ehrm... blood

[quote][cite] rusty:[/cite]
Heart rate zones are fine by themselves but it's surprisingly difficult to control your heart rate. Power is obviously the best thing to use but you can do intervals based on "2nd top gear at 24-25mph" etc. and they work quite well.

Only about 450watts on my turbos resistance curve. Apparently it is quite accurate having been independently verified on some forums. 20mph is about 260watts which is actually a decent output for sustained climbing. But its hard to judge with a speedo. You look down and you are only doing 22mph and you feel like you should push up to 25mph and higher.

I'm starting to come around to training with power, but only on a turbo because it gives you something to focus on. I really just want to be out on the bike again rather than stuck indoors and the boredom is making me think about all these things. Like my training for France will be extending my commute home to include Tak Ma Doon at least once a week.

videos... My computers broken at home so I am iPhone weeknights and weekends!! Videos could be hard but no impossible.

I bought the strada cadence wireless, think it's the double that Euan is talking about. It is awesome, love te ease of use, size and the rear wheel mount. Excellent buy!

[quote][cite] trailstar:[/cite]videos... My computers broken at home so I am iPhone weeknights and weekends!! Videos could be hard but no impossible.

I bought the strada cadence wireless, think it's the double that Euan is talking about. It is awesome, love te ease of use, size and the rear wheel mount. Excellent buy!

yeah i spotted that one, i've got the lesser Strada speedo distance etc

Bring on payday and i'll get the dual wireless (i don't do credit)

A whole bunch of rollers and trainers reduced in the sale over at Chain Reaction Cycles if anyone is looking for some.

Trailstar what gearing are you running on the rollers? Quite tempted to buy a set, but don't wanna be spinning like mad on 76 inches.

46-15. Its a great all round gear, for some speed.. good acceleration and i can climb everything i've attempted so far.

This guy did 100 miles on his rollers but with a bit of a twist.

100miles on rollers, jesus.. why! Would you not rather do a 100miler outside?

[quote][cite] rusty:[/cite]This guy did 100 miles on his rollers but with a bit of a twist.

I don't follow.
Did this guy cart his rollers around with him on his bike or did he put the rollers and the bike in a car and goto half a dozen spots along what looks to be a rather nice route on a rather nice day and set them up and do 1/6th of the 100miles at each location?
I presume it was the latter as as much as rollers fold down i still reckon carrying them about would be a cunt of a job plus he is using trainer tyres so riding between locations wouldn't be very clever.
He is riding geared so 100 miles would be a fairly pedestrian weekend run made even easier by doing it on rollers when he could have been riding for real.
And how much of a tit would you feel sitting at the side of the road - sorry well into the carriageway actually - as motorists and cyclists (and peds?) passed you by?

thats really sad, the reason his tyres are orange is coz they are the conti turbo trainer tyre, so it actually means he rode the rollers instead of the road's ( or changed wheels at each location) "its perfect riding weather so i'll go on the rollers"

It was part of a charity thing but he decided that he'd do it with nice scenery instead of in his front room. He did it in around 3 hours because there's far less resistance with the rollers compared with riding on the road.

[quote][cite] rusty:[/cite]It was part of a charity thing but he decided that he'd do it with nice scenery instead of in his front room. He did it in around 3 hours because there's far less resistance with the rollers compared with riding on the road.

Oh ok, the 100 miles of nowhere. I missed seeing that was a link.
Seems like the shittest charity event ever though, perhaps would be alright if it'd been done in the midst of winter but who wants to spend a Saturday of "perfect riding weather" on their trainer in May?
I'd rather just give $75 straight to charity than waste a good riding day, pour corrosive sweat all over my bike and stare at my living room wall for 100miles.
As for the man on your link Rusty, couldn't he have set his rollers up outside a shopping centre or supermarket etc or some kind of fairly populated area out in the counrty, got the 'riding outdoors' pleasure and collected donations to give to the charity too?