🚀 go-pugleaf

Jeffrey S. Childress wrote:
> 
> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?
> Being an ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand
> to buy but about what makes one set of rollers better than
> another. 

The one complaint I had about mine was that the rollers
weren't cylindrical enough.  That is, too much vibration was
generated due to imperfections in the rollers' surfaces.

I don't know enough about rollers to say which types of
construction are more or less likely to exhibit this flaw.

> Is there a reason why I should avoid rollers in favor of
> a stationary bike or turbo-trainer?

I wanted rollers because I preferred to have to concentrate
on balance.  (A matter of personal taste.)  I found that
riding rollers taught me things about balance that years of
road riding had not.


Tom Ace
crux@best.com

In <5qs3tl$smh@camel12.mindspring.com> jschildress@mindspring.com
(Jeffrey S. Childress) writes: 
>
>If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
>ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
>what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:
>
>Does the width of the rollers matter?
>

Real studs ride narrow rollers.

JT

Jeffrey S. Childress wrote:
> 
> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
> ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
> what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:
> 
> Does the width of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the diameter of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the material the rollers are made from matter?
> 
> Is there a particular configuration that is better than another (I
> heard there is a set with two small rollers up front)?
> 
> Is there a reason why I should avoid rollers in favor of a stationary
> bike or turbo-trainer?
> 
> Also,  I know very few people that ride rollers and that surprises me
> (no comments regarding my social life please....I acknowledge there
> could be millions of rollers out there and my social life is just that
> bad).  Nevertheless, that begs the question:  how many rollers are
> sold annually compared to stationary bikes and turbo-trainers?  Anyone
> know where I could go to satisfy my curiousity?.
> 
> Thanks....Jeff C.


A good set of rollers? I'd say Paolla Pezzo is the benchmark for that.

But seriously...
You can simply not buy better rollers than Krietler. They cost more but
are (by popular, but not unanimous, R.B.R opinion) well worth it if you
plan to ride them much.

I'll pass on the resistance questions because I am such a phillistine
that I rigged a Performance magnetic unit to my Kreitlers.

Good luck

> Jeffrey S. Childress wrote:
> > 
> > If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
> > ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
> > what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:

(snip)

> > Is there a reason why I should avoid rollers in favor of a stationary
> > bike or turbo-trainer?

They train rather different things. A turbo trainer, because you can set 
the resistance, is good for doing high intensity stuff in a controlled 
and repeatable manner. With rollers, on the other hand, if you are 
reasonably fit, you can reach the fastest pedalling speed that you 
consider safe on your highest gear without having reached your highest 
level of effort. So you can't really use them for extreme efforts. On the 
other hand, they are very good for developing a smooth pedalling style 
(second only to riding fixed, IMHO) and also promote good balance. 
Additionally, because there is a modicum of concentration required to 
stay upright, I find them less mind numbing to ride for extended periods 
which is a Godsend if you come from somewhere where the weather is too 
bad to train outdoors for part of the year. So in an ideal world you'd 
need both!
	
	One other advantage of rollers over a turbo trainer is that it is 
less damaging to the bike, since the bottom bracket and rear hub aren't 
clamped, so they can twist in the normal way; that is, the stresses are 
no worse than when riding normally. The main damage (with rollers, but 
also with a turbo) is with sweat dripping down onto your 
stem/headset/gear levers, leading to corrosion, since without any 
airflow, it just drips down instead of evaporating. You can alleviate 
this problem by covering this area with a small towel or a piece of rag.

	Tom

Jeffrey S. Childress wrote:
> 
> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
> ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
> what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:
> 
> Does the width of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the diameter of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the material the rollers are made from matter?
> 
> Is there a particular configuration that is better than another (I
> heard there is a set with two small rollers up front)?
> 
> Is there a reason why I should avoid rollers in favor of a stationary
> bike or turbo-trainer?
> 
> Also,  I know very few people that ride rollers and that surprises me
> (no comments regarding my social life please....I acknowledge there
> could be millions of rollers out there and my social life is just that
> bad).  Nevertheless, that begs the question:  how many rollers are
> sold annually compared to stationary bikes and turbo-trainers?  Anyone
> know where I could go to satisfy my curiousity?.
> 
> Thanks....Jeff C.Hey,
   how about Minoura's tri-fold set w/ carrying bag and resistance unit 
compared to the Krietel challenge set w/ their fan unit? we're talkin' 
$199 compared to around $400... any suggestions?

The only good set of rollers, turbo trainer etc. is a dead set.
There is nothing more calculated to put people off cycling for life.

Jeffrey S. Childress <jschildress@mindspring.com> wrote in article
<5qs3tl$smh@camel12.mindspring.com>...
> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
> ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
> what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:
> 
> Does the width of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the diameter of the rollers matter?
> 
> Does the material the rollers are made from matter?
> 

I have a set of Kreitler Dyno-Lite's which have small diameter rollers (3
inch I think) which are supposed to increase peddling resistance without
attaching a magnetic or fan unit.  They are great rollers, give an
excellent workout, and worth every penny -- but I'm selling them if you're
interested.  For some reason, I can do a century on my road bike with no
problems at all;  I go on the rollers for 10 minutes and my penis gets numb
for the next 10 minutes or so.  After that article in Bicycling about
impotence, I decided not to take my chances and sell them.  I rather buy
good winter gear and hit the road in the wintertime.

In message <5qur59$hke$1@nuacht.iol.ie> - Garry Lee <glee@iol.ie>21 Jul 1997
05:13:13 GMT writes:
:>
:>The only good set of rollers, turbo trainer etc. is a dead set.
:>There is nothing more calculated to put people off cycling for life.

I second that, although I still ride mine when weather doesn't permit.

___________________________________________
Chris Phillipo  -  webmaster@tread.pair.com
TREAD Publications - TREAD Online! Cycle Magazine.
http://www.tread.pair.com/ - http://www.tread.pair.com/bikemag/ 

In article <Pine.A32.3.91.970720162605.15628A-100000@chem1.usc.edu>
Tom James <tomjames@chem1.usc.edu> writes:

   With rollers, on the other hand, if you are reasonably fit, you can
   reach the fastest pedalling speed that you consider safe on your
   highest gear without having reached your highest level of
   effort. So you can't really use them for extreme efforts.

I disagree. I am reasonably fit and I can easily max out on my rollers
with no resistance unit. I've gotten my heart rate up to 200 many a
time at speeds of only about 35-40 mph. In an all out sprint I can get
to 55 mph, so I'm nowhere near hitting the limit. I've never crashed
doing this, although my control diminishes dramatically when the
cadence goes above 140 or so and by the time I hit 160 I'm all set to
launch myself into the next room. But of course doing this trains your
ability to control the bike as well as your strength, so it is
actually useful to do.

"Al Castro" <acastro@tigerinfo.com> wrote:

>Jeffrey S. Childress <jschildress@mindspring.com> wrote in article
><5qs3tl$smh@camel12.mindspring.com>...
>> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for?  Being an
>> ex-engineer, I don't care so much about what brand to buy but about
>> what makes one set of rollers better than another.  For example:
>> 
>> Does the width of the rollers matter?
>> 
>> Does the diameter of the rollers matter?
>> 
>> Does the material the rollers are made from matter?
>> 

>I have a set of Kreitler Dyno-Lite's which have small diameter rollers (3
>inch I think) which are supposed to increase peddling resistance without
>attaching a magnetic or fan unit.  They are great rollers, give an
>excellent workout, and worth every penny -- but I'm selling them if you're
>interested.  For some reason, I can do a century on my road bike with no
>problems at all;  I go on the rollers for 10 minutes and my penis gets numb
>for the next 10 minutes or so.  After that article in Bicycling about
>impotence, I decided not to take my chances and sell them.  I rather buy
>good winter gear and hit the road in the wintertime.

Thanks, but I'll pass, for now.

You know, when I have ridden rollers I haven't had the same problem
BUT it does seem harder on the entire crotch area for some reason.  I
wonder if it's because you tend to stay a little more stationary in
the saddle then when you are on the road.
 

> If I were to buy a set of rollers, what should I look for? 
> Thanks....Jeff C.

Jeff,

I happen to be working on an engineering project that uses rollers. I have
just also read the entire thread on your initial post.

Here's my humble opinion.

1. You can't get better rollers than Kreitler.
2. Minoura rollers are good for about 2 years of heavy use. (I've gone
throug a set in a year)
3. I have used Kreitler for about 10 years and the best ones are the solid
aluminum (not the PVC caps) The PVC caps, Challenger Rollers by Kreitler,
are much better than anything else on the market... except the better
Kreitlers.
4. Spend your money once. Get a set of Kreitlers.

Michael J. Stevens (Samrott)
Remove the "SPAM" above to reply
<mhesteve@mindspring.com>
Visit Samrott's Homepage <http://www.mindspring.com/~mhesteve/samrott.html>

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. Proverbs 15:33

Garry Lee (glee@iol.ie) wrote:
: The only good set of rollers, turbo trainer etc. is a dead set.
: There is nothing more calculated to put people off cycling for life.


I don't think anyone will argue that using rollers & wind trainers
are not much fun. But a good way to get the benefits of the acute
sense of balance that rollers provide is warming up for a race,
especially criteriums. Urban areas aren't very good for warming up,
and if you use rollers for 30-45 minutes before every race, after
a year or two or three you'll find that your balance and ability to
steer from the hips has improved tremendously without much mental
effort at all.

cheers,

Henry
fredly@connectnet.com

:>reasonably fit, you can reach the fastest pedalling speed that you 
:>consider safe on your highest gear without having reached your highest 
:>level of effort. So you can't really use them for extreme efforts. On the 
:>other hand, they are very good for developing a smooth pedalling style 
:>(second only to riding fixed, IMHO) and also promote good balance. 
:>Additionally, because there is a modicum of concentration required to 
:>stay upright, I find them less mind numbing to ride for extended periods 
:>which is a Godsend if you come from somewhere where the weather is too 
:>bad to train outdoors for part of the year. So in an ideal world you'd 
:>need both!

If you look around, you'll also find rollers with resistance units, the best
of both worlds.  I would suggest the widest rollers you can get, I find my to
be narrow, and once I become somewhat fatigued, I start to drift one or two
inches either way, it's not much further than that to the end of the roller
and onto the floor :(  Also, mine are a bit too short wheel base wise, so any
steering input is magnified, know your wheel base and the wheel base the
rollers accept before buying.

___________________________________________
Chris Phillipo  -  webmaster@tread.pair.com
TREAD Publications - TREAD Online! Cycle Magazine.
http://www.tread.pair.com/ - http://www.tread.pair.com/bikemag/ 

webmaster@tread.pair.com (Chris Phillipo) wrote:


What is the proper roller dimension given your bike's wheelbase.  I
have heard the front axle should rest straight above the axis of the
front roller.  I have heard one person say the front axle should rest
1/4" behind the center of the front roller.

Which is it? 



>:>reasonably fit, you can reach the fastest pedalling speed that you 
>:>consider safe on your highest gear without having reached your highest 
>:>level of effort. So you can't really use them for extreme efforts. On the 
>:>other hand, they are very good for developing a smooth pedalling style 
>:>(second only to riding fixed, IMHO) and also promote good balance. 
>:>Additionally, because there is a modicum of concentration required to 
>:>stay upright, I find them less mind numbing to ride for extended periods 
>:>which is a Godsend if you come from somewhere where the weather is too 
>:>bad to train outdoors for part of the year. So in an ideal world you'd 
>:>need both!

>If you look around, you'll also find rollers with resistance units, the best
>of both worlds.  I would suggest the widest rollers you can get, I find my to
>be narrow, and once I become somewhat fatigued, I start to drift one or two
>inches either way, it's not much further than that to the end of the roller
>and onto the floor :(  Also, mine are a bit too short wheel base wise, so any
>steering input is magnified, know your wheel base and the wheel base the
>rollers accept before buying.

>___________________________________________
>Chris Phillipo  -  webmaster@tread.pair.com
>TREAD Publications - TREAD Online! Cycle Magazine.
>http://www.tread.pair.com/ - http://www.tread.pair.com/bikemag/ 

Chris Phillipo wrote:
> of both worlds.  I would suggest the widest rollers you can get, I find my to
> be narrow, and once I become somewhat fatigued, I start to drift one or two
> inches either way, it's not much further than that to the end of the roller
> and onto the floor :(  Also, mine are a bit too short wheel base wise, so any
> steering input is magnified, know your wheel base and the wheel base the
> rollers accept before buying.

What?? They are not adjustable, wheel-base wise?  Well this consitutes a
BAD SET of rollers.  Make sure the ones you buy are adjustable.  They
also come in two widths, I believe.  Standard (15") and "hot-dog" (9")
but I think only one company offers the hot-dogs.

Fatigue-induced drifting may explain all those late-in-the-race crashes,
eh?


Tim
--
Timothy J. Lucia                    Phone:  (508) 442-0477
Sun Microsystems Computer Company   Fax:    (508) 442-1646
Five Omni Way Ms UCHL05-104         E-mail: timothy.lucia@east.sun.com
Chelmsford, MA 01824	            Pedal faster!

Tim Lucia <timothy.lucia@east.sun.com.NOSPAM> wrote:

>Chris Phillipo wrote:
>> of both worlds.  I would suggest the widest rollers you can get, I find my to
>> be narrow, and once I become somewhat fatigued, I start to drift one or two
>> inches either way, it's not much further than that to the end of the roller
>> and onto the floor :(  Also, mine are a bit too short wheel base wise, so any
>> steering input is magnified, know your wheel base and the wheel base the
>> rollers accept before buying.

>What?? They are not adjustable, wheel-base wise?  Well this consitutes a
>BAD SET of rollers.  Make sure the ones you buy are adjustable.  They
>also come in two widths, I believe.  Standard (15") and "hot-dog" (9")
>but I think only one company offers the hot-dogs.

>Fatigue-induced drifting may explain all those late-in-the-race crashes,
>eh?


>Tim
>--
>Timothy J. Lucia                    Phone:  (508) 442-0477
>Sun Microsystems Computer Company   Fax:    (508) 442-1646
>Five Omni Way Ms UCHL05-104         E-mail: timothy.lucia@east.sun.com
>Chelmsford, MA 01824	            Pedal faster!

Didn't say they weren't adjustable....said I was too ignorant to know
how to adjust them!

In message <5rrkq6$38p@camel4.mindspring.com> - jschildress@mindspring.com
(Jeffrey S. Childress)Fri, 01 Aug 1997 03:03:53 GMT writes:
:>
:>Tim Lucia <timothy.lucia@east.sun.com.NOSPAM> wrote:
:>
:>>Chris Phillipo wrote:
:>>> of both worlds.  I would suggest the widest rollers you can get, I find my to
:>>> be narrow, and once I become somewhat fatigued, I start to drift one or two
:>>> inches either way, it's not much further than that to the end of the roller
:>>> and onto the floor :(  Also, mine are a bit too short wheel base wise, so any
:>>> steering input is magnified, know your wheel base and the wheel base the
:>>> rollers accept before buying.
:>
:>>What?? They are not adjustable, wheel-base wise?  Well this consitutes a
:>>BAD SET of rollers.  Make sure the ones you buy are adjustable.  They
:>>also come in two widths, I believe.  Standard (15") and "hot-dog" (9")
:>>but I think only one company offers the hot-dogs.
:>

Of course they are adjustable.  They have five settings, that doesn't mean
that your bike won't be out of the range of these settings.  Especially a
touring bike.

___________________________________________
Chris Phillipo  -  webmaster@tread.pair.com
TREAD Publications - TREAD Online! Cycle Magazine. <07-30-97>
http://www.tread.pair.com/ - http://www.tread.pair.com/bikemag/ 

In article <5qur59$hke$1@nuacht.iol.ie>, Garry Lee <glee@iol.ie> wrote:

> The only good set of rollers, turbo trainer etc. is a dead set.
> There is nothing more calculated to put people off cycling for life.
garry:
off topic, i know, but thanks again. i'm gonna get as "easy seat" and see
what happens. thanks again.
pcl
btw-a good set of rollers are quiet, stable and secure, with a bracket for
gripping the seatpost so you dont go thru the wall (these things have been
known to happen)!