Turbo trainer or rollers???
Discussion
After getting really into my road cycling I want to increase the amount I train rather than just every Sunday but due to work commitments I am unable to get out mid week so the idea of having something indoors that can be used anytime/any weather really appeals.
I have read back through pages on here to find threads to save me writing this but have not found the info I am looking for unfortunately.
I am in two minds as to whether to go the turbo trainer or roller route, and from what I understand, correct me if I’m wrong please, with a turbo trainer I would require a spare wheel with a tyre specific for the use on the trainer which would mean changing the wheel over every time I wanted to use it. I dont think I could be bothered doing this and therefore the trainer would collect dust like our rowing machine does lol.
With a roller set do you use your standard road tyres already on the bike, and are do they have resistance like a turbo trainer?
I have read a set of rollers can also help increase your core strength due to actual riding, all beit stationary but you still have to balance, is this correct?
Does anyone have any experience of both or either and which do you think would be more beneficial to adding overall endurance and speed to my cycling.
Lastly if you do use either can you let me know what you have as there are so many models to chose from ranging from £100 or so to well over a £1000
I have read back through pages on here to find threads to save me writing this but have not found the info I am looking for unfortunately.
I am in two minds as to whether to go the turbo trainer or roller route, and from what I understand, correct me if I’m wrong please, with a turbo trainer I would require a spare wheel with a tyre specific for the use on the trainer which would mean changing the wheel over every time I wanted to use it. I dont think I could be bothered doing this and therefore the trainer would collect dust like our rowing machine does lol.
With a roller set do you use your standard road tyres already on the bike, and are do they have resistance like a turbo trainer?
I have read a set of rollers can also help increase your core strength due to actual riding, all beit stationary but you still have to balance, is this correct?
Does anyone have any experience of both or either and which do you think would be more beneficial to adding overall endurance and speed to my cycling.
Lastly if you do use either can you let me know what you have as there are so many models to chose from ranging from £100 or so to well over a £1000
I bought a turbo trainer recently for £140 from Evans (Tacx Sirius) and had a similar dilemma.
If I had the space I'd probably go for rollers - but have no experience of using them so can't comment beyond that.
I've used the Turbo trainer once or twice and am yet to be convinced I'll use it a lot. At the moment I've just replaced the quick release for the one that came with the trainer (squarer ends so fits better) rather than changed tyres.
However that's my understanding, because there's more pressure on the tyre you will go through normal tyres quicker, so it's best to buy a turbo trainer tyre. Like you the thought of training tyres / wheels every time I want to use the trainer seems a pain. This has probably been a factor in my limited use so far.
Sorry I can't be more help but with my limited knowledge, if you have the space I'd go for rollers.
If I had the space I'd probably go for rollers - but have no experience of using them so can't comment beyond that.
I've used the Turbo trainer once or twice and am yet to be convinced I'll use it a lot. At the moment I've just replaced the quick release for the one that came with the trainer (squarer ends so fits better) rather than changed tyres.
However that's my understanding, because there's more pressure on the tyre you will go through normal tyres quicker, so it's best to buy a turbo trainer tyre. Like you the thought of training tyres / wheels every time I want to use the trainer seems a pain. This has probably been a factor in my limited use so far.
Sorry I can't be more help but with my limited knowledge, if you have the space I'd go for rollers.
I bought rollers a couple of years ago and all my mates took the piss, saying that there's no resistance and you are just spinning your legs!
That's not true, I would say the resistance is similar to riding on the road with no head wind (rare round here!).
My worst habit when cycling other than blowing snot out if my nose on to the road is resting my legs, as soon as the muscles hurt I frewheeled. I very quickly learnt you can't frewheel in rollers!
It has really developed my cadence and my legs feel stronger as a result.
I went for the Tacx Parabolic rollers which are a bit easier to learn and fold away to the size of s sports bag, but being plastic they do wear tyres quickly.
That's not true, I would say the resistance is similar to riding on the road with no head wind (rare round here!).
My worst habit when cycling other than blowing snot out if my nose on to the road is resting my legs, as soon as the muscles hurt I frewheeled. I very quickly learnt you can't frewheel in rollers!
It has really developed my cadence and my legs feel stronger as a result.
I went for the Tacx Parabolic rollers which are a bit easier to learn and fold away to the size of s sports bag, but being plastic they do wear tyres quickly.
I'd recommend a turbo trainer. I've got a 2 turbos and a set of rollers. During the winter I was doing up to 4 hours non stop on the turbo at least once per week. My average turbo session is about 90 minutes. On the other hand I find the rollers incredibly boring, I struggle to do 30 minutes in a session.
The lack of resistance pisses me off. You can get some rollers with resistance but I have no experience of these. I only use the rollers for a warm up at races now.
My main turbo trainer is a Tacx Fortius, its expensive but isnt a monotonous as most turbo's, I also have a Kurt Rock N Rolla, I bought it to use in the garden when I was too pushed for time to get out on the road. Its a great trainer! but I struggle to do much more than an hour on it.
My rollers are Tacx Antares.
Amazingly I've managed to fall off both the rollers and the turbo!
The lack of resistance pisses me off. You can get some rollers with resistance but I have no experience of these. I only use the rollers for a warm up at races now.
My main turbo trainer is a Tacx Fortius, its expensive but isnt a monotonous as most turbo's, I also have a Kurt Rock N Rolla, I bought it to use in the garden when I was too pushed for time to get out on the road. Its a great trainer! but I struggle to do much more than an hour on it.
My rollers are Tacx Antares.
Amazingly I've managed to fall off both the rollers and the turbo!
swerni said:
I'm the other way round.
I find a turbo really boring.
On the rollers I have to concentrate all the time, else end up in a heap.
My rollers have got 3 resistance settings on them.
I won't do more than an hour on either.
To say one is less boring than the other is a relative term
Both are f
king dull.
I forgot to mention that my turbo trainer is interactive, so it varies the resistance based on a DVD of real road sections from races, i find it makes it much less boring. I find a turbo really boring.
On the rollers I have to concentrate all the time, else end up in a heap.
My rollers have got 3 resistance settings on them.
I won't do more than an hour on either.
To say one is less boring than the other is a relative term
Both are f
king dull.Agree with NitroNick. Rollers are really boring and offer no resistance. They are for warming up at races really.
Turbo with Watt, HR, Speed measurement is more interesting and more relevent. You can measure your power and effort level and do intervals. Also stops you from getting bored. You can also stand on a turbo, replicating sprits and get some blood to your man bits!
Get a Tacx Flow - this has power measurement.
It's true you will need a different tyre (quiter and won't wear out so fast). So rather than change a tyre everytime you use it people get a different wheel, so you just change wheel instead. Ideally you'd have a bike that just sits on the turbo but you have to be really in to it do that.
DK Turbo
Turbo with Watt, HR, Speed measurement is more interesting and more relevent. You can measure your power and effort level and do intervals. Also stops you from getting bored. You can also stand on a turbo, replicating sprits and get some blood to your man bits!
Get a Tacx Flow - this has power measurement.
It's true you will need a different tyre (quiter and won't wear out so fast). So rather than change a tyre everytime you use it people get a different wheel, so you just change wheel instead. Ideally you'd have a bike that just sits on the turbo but you have to be really in to it do that.
DK Turbo
i use a turbo with a sort of 'mule' bike permanantly set up. Has no brakes but just the std brake levers for replicating road position, use down tube gear levers, old steel Eddy Merckx frame, doesn't matter about getting covered in sweat etc. Just jump on and off you go for an hour of pain ;-)
daz3210 said:
rhinochopig said:
HereBeMonsters said:
Have you considered a "normal" exercise bike?
A clothes horse is way cheaper.But, a part of training is developing power / endurance in the position you will ride / race in. An exercise bike typically has a very different riding position so whilst it's fine for lungs and legs, you lose some of the bike specific elements such as core / arm strength.
I use a Cycleops Fluid 2 trainer. It's pretty basic, all you can do is change gear to increase resistance but you get a good workout in top gear, similar to grinding out a long climb. It's not exactly the same as you don't have the gravity pulling you back but I use a heartrate monitor and keep my cadence steady to ensure I'm working at a reasonable rate.
It would get incredibly boring staring at a brick wall (mine is set up in the garage..), but I got a cheap stereo from ebay which I connect to the laptop. I pass the time doing sufferfest, watching sport or even documentaries on the iplayer depending on what I want to get out of the session. My record so far is four hours straight.
It would get incredibly boring staring at a brick wall (mine is set up in the garage..), but I got a cheap stereo from ebay which I connect to the laptop. I pass the time doing sufferfest, watching sport or even documentaries on the iplayer depending on what I want to get out of the session. My record so far is four hours straight.
I've got a set of rollers off my brother for a while and they are uber boring. They also feel really sluggish. I was getting confident on them then flew out the side and cracked my ribs on the kitchen work surface so haven't felt the urge to get back onto them. I think I may set up a small TV in the kitchen just to distract me.
swerni said:
Both are fking dull.
I've got to disagree.king dull.I guess it really depends on why you are considering one, but for me personally, I don't find mine dull. Don't get me wrong, it's not going to be as stimulating as going out for a proper ride, but then again I don't find riding in the pouring rain, riding in fog or getting hit by a car particularly stimulating either!
I bought mine for those occasions that I can't get out in decent weather or decent light and for the mileage I have to do, my turbo is an absolute Godsend. For that reason alone, I'd say it's not a "dull" experience using it, because the alternative is not going out and consequently, not improving my fitness.
For the record, I've got a Tacx Fortius (which was about 850 quid + the PC), I use it mainly in "catalyst mode" (where performance is graphed infront of you) and I start to fight boredom after about 2 hrs. If I'm going to have a long session (my record is 3hr 45mins!), I just rack up the water bottles, bang on some hard house tunes and prepare for the pain
Personally, I love mine. I would highly recommend one!!
Edited by dangerousB on Tuesday 19th June 13:59
Rollers and turbos are really for interval training not a replacement for a couple of hours on the road.
I use rollers and use my cadence, gearing and tyre pressure to give me the resistance I need for HIT.
Rollers will give you a core work out and improve your riding by reducing the amount of upper body movement you do. A turbo allows you to play with resistance and work more on power. Due to the stability of a turbo you can do really high cadence efforts as well as out of the saddle stuff which is very very difficult to do on rollers.
I use rollers and use my cadence, gearing and tyre pressure to give me the resistance I need for HIT.
Rollers will give you a core work out and improve your riding by reducing the amount of upper body movement you do. A turbo allows you to play with resistance and work more on power. Due to the stability of a turbo you can do really high cadence efforts as well as out of the saddle stuff which is very very difficult to do on rollers.
My turbo performs four functions:
Allows me to fine-tune position
Gives me somewhere to store one of my bikes
Gives me somewhere to work through the Babylon 5 box set
Allows me to pile-up more miles in the winter
The summer bike lives on it during the winter and vice-versa: I have a cheap wheel/cassette with a Conti trainer tyre that I swap from bike to bike.
I've not used rollers, but I don't think you need a turbo that offers anything more than low noise and reliably consistent resistance.
Allows me to fine-tune position
Gives me somewhere to store one of my bikes
Gives me somewhere to work through the Babylon 5 box set
Allows me to pile-up more miles in the winter
The summer bike lives on it during the winter and vice-versa: I have a cheap wheel/cassette with a Conti trainer tyre that I swap from bike to bike.
I've not used rollers, but I don't think you need a turbo that offers anything more than low noise and reliably consistent resistance.
Some really great advice here, many thanks, didnt expect to see so many responses when I got home 
If using a Turbo with another wheel with a special Turbo tyre on it does this effect the way the chain wears as the design of the sprockets may be slightly different?
I'm hankering after changing the wheels from the ones that came with my Scott anyway as apparently they are not very good quality and are also quite heavy, doing this would give me a spare I suppose... but the Mrs may not be too happy.
I am going to Evans tomorrow as my bike was making some unusual noises on the L2B on Sunday and they sounded like they were coming from the BB so will ask to see some and maybe even try one or two out.
(Why does every hobby I pick end up costing me a small fortune lol)
If using a Turbo with another wheel with a special Turbo tyre on it does this effect the way the chain wears as the design of the sprockets may be slightly different?
I'm hankering after changing the wheels from the ones that came with my Scott anyway as apparently they are not very good quality and are also quite heavy, doing this would give me a spare I suppose... but the Mrs may not be too happy.
I am going to Evans tomorrow as my bike was making some unusual noises on the L2B on Sunday and they sounded like they were coming from the BB so will ask to see some and maybe even try one or two out.
(Why does every hobby I pick end up costing me a small fortune lol)
What amazing service from Wiggle, ordered Saturday night whilst had nothing to do and could not believe they arrived this morning, not even one working day later and I didnt pay extra for quick delivery!
I went for Elite Arion Parabolic Rollers in the end and have only had a quick 10 minutes on them after setting them up and can nearly get my balance without holding on to something. Probably another few attempts and we should be ok.
I went for Elite Arion Parabolic Rollers in the end and have only had a quick 10 minutes on them after setting them up and can nearly get my balance without holding on to something. Probably another few attempts and we should be ok.
swerni said:
I've got the Elite's as well but with variable resistance, great piece of kit.
Don't get over confident and do it somewhere with a soft landing.
x2. I like them a lot and use my Garmin 800 to make sure I'm in the right zones etc. Much prefer them to the turbo I had before. Hope you enjoy them.Don't get over confident and do it somewhere with a soft landing.
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