Rollers

[kgrooney]

I'm interested in purchasing a set of rollers and I am in the process of choosing either e-motion or Kreitler.

According to everything I've read, the e-motions allow a rider to stand and sprint.

Can anyone confirm if you can do the same on the Kreitler units?

[Chris]

Um, you can very briefly, but then you have to get off the ground and put your bike back on the rollers. For all out sprints, I think emotions are the way to go. I have TruTrainer rollers and they are great. You can stand up on them and even sprint a little, but you can't throw caution to the wind like you can on the emotions.

[Ray]

First of all, its too early to talk about rollers - its like political campaigns in that you can think about it quietly but you can't start actively getting on it until about Thanksgiving (Labor Day in the case of politics), maybe a little earlier in extreme northern climates.

That said, I think the consensus is that if you can afford them, go for either a set of e-motions or Trutrainers. The trutrainers are smoother and you can actually coast on them for a while - they probably simulate the feeling of the road the best - and you CAN get out of the saddle on them but probably not with the wild abandon that you can on the e-motions. The e-motions are probably not QUITE as nice as the Trutrainers in some respects, but they're very nice and you can get out of the saddle and sprint like a wild maniac on them, so if that's your thing...

The best of all worlds seem to be some of the home-made contraptions that stick a set of trutrainers in a frame like the ones the e-motions come with so that the trutrainers can float fore and aft like the e-motions and you can sprint like a wild maniac on those too. Do a search, you'll find some on this forum. I'm very happy with the trutrainers on their own but I don't know HOW to sprint like a wild maniac to begin with!

-Ray

[thwart]

A topic covered many times here, as folks can attest to. And usually a lot of replies and opinions, especially as Ray said, in the appropriate season.

Do a search for e-motion or trutrainer (or kreitler) and you'll have pages and pages to read.

[TimmyB]

Forgive me for a somewhat aside, but why exactly would you want to do standing sprints on rollers? I thought the purpose of rollers was to work on spinning and evening out one's pedal stroke/working on bike handling skills? I had thought the general consensus of indoor training was trainers for hard efforts/developing power, rollers for spinning/bike handling. I have 3" kreitler rollers. I don't think there'd be enough resistance to do an all out standing sprint without spinning like a madman... when I do (seated) intervals on them, I find myself having to prettymuch go big ring - little cog to keep a decent cadence. As Chris mentioned, trying to ride standing up on kreitlers will most certainly result in you picking yourself up off the ground. All that being said, the kreitler's don't get much use... my philosphy is if it's not raining, indoor training is forbidden. And even when it is... a rainjacket, booties, and fenders go a long way. Just something to think about. Riding the rollers, watching old tour videos, and pretending to be cipollini is pretty awesome though.

[SpeedyChix]

I would sprint on the e-motion (or modified units to move like them). For sure I lack the skills to even consider doing it on a reg set of rollers like the Kreitlers.

[Ray]

Forgive me for a somewhat aside, but why exactly would you want to do standing sprints on rollers? I thought the purpose of rollers was to work on spinning and evening out one's pedal stroke/working on bike handling skills? I had thought the general consensus of indoor training was trainers for hard efforts/developing power, rollers for spinning/bike handling.
I think it has less to do with optimal training (although there are those here who can speak to that) and more to do with not going absolutely stark raving crazy after a half hour of chasing your washing machine across the basement and not catching it. I don't think the trutrainers are as good for my pedal stroke as my old Tacx were, but I couldn't ride my tacx for more than about 15 minutes without having to go out and murder some poor unsuspecting soul in the neighborhood. I can do an hour on the trutrainers and its ALMOST something you might be able to imagine was sort of fun. At least I don't hate it (and life) after a few minutes of it. I suspect the same would hold true of being able to sprint on the e-motions - it just sort of adds some variety and sanity to an otherwise horrible and hateful activity. So, with these, I actually RIDE them more in January and February when I can rarely ride outdoors than I used to ride my old rollers or any trainer I've ever tried, and it helps in March when I'm back on the roads a lot more than the others, which I never used so which did me no good at all.

But I'm sure someone can expound on the various training benefits too.

-Ray

[fiamme red]

Sorry I clicked on this thread. ;)

Even the throught of riding rollers or a trainer at this time of the year depresses me. :bike:

[William]

I taught myself to sprint on standard rollers. Hairy at first for sure. Another positive of rollers is teaching you to hold your line...to squirrely and you're off on the carpet. That applies to sprinting as well.


I do agree....to early yet. :)





William


PS: I can't tell you how many stages of the 95 Tour I've watched riding rollers....I know them by hart. :crap:

[dvs cycles]

Looks good in these videos.
http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=50

[fiamme red]

to squirrely and you're off on the carpet.True. I don't think Mr. Squirrel could ride rollers without a lot of serious carpet burn. ;)

[William]

True. I don't think Mr. Squirrel could ride rollers without a lot of serious carpet burn. ;)


Squirrely = Juking, and Juking = Squirrely = Burnt Squirrel. :)





William

[kgrooney]

Forgive me for a somewhat aside, but why exactly would you want to do standing sprints on rollers? I thought the purpose of rollers was to work on spinning and evening out one's pedal stroke/working on bike handling skills? I had thought the general consensus of indoor training was trainers for hard efforts/developing power, rollers for spinning/bike handling. I have 3" kreitler rollers. I don't think there'd be enough resistance to do an all out standing sprint without spinning like a madman... when I do (seated) intervals on them, I find myself having to prettymuch go big ring - little cog to keep a decent cadence. As Chris mentioned, trying to ride standing up on kreitlers will most certainly result in you picking yourself up off the ground. All that being said, the kreitler's don't get much use... my philosphy is if it's not raining, indoor training is forbidden. And even when it is... a rainjacket, booties, and fenders go a long way. Just something to think about. Riding the rollers, watching old tour videos, and pretending to be cipollini is pretty awesome though.


I was questioning the validity of InsideRide's assertion this can be done. I prefer variety in my training and I appreciate an indoor training session when there is a mountain of snow outside.

Eventhough it's August, never too early to prepare for what's on the way.

[11.4]

I was questioning the validity of InsideRide's assertion this can be done. I prefer variety in my training and I appreciate an indoor training session when there is a mountain of snow outside.

Yes, it can be done. You can always overextend and the eMotions won't be enough to catch you. However, do note that these rollers don't fold and you have a lot of (what I would call) gimmickry. You don't need all that stuff to sprint out of the saddle; what you do need in a sprint anyway is good control.

Rollers aren't the ideal way to do out-of-the-saddle sprint workouts. And do you want to optimize (and spend a lot of money doing so) around sprints that will be only a few seconds of your much longer workout? Lastly, if you want to do real sprint workouts you need more resistance than you get with the eMotions -- the resistance keeps you from spinning out immediately, but if you want a competitive sprint you need to work out against more resistance than they offer. The TruTrainer actually has a good bit more resistance than the eMotions, and it's a lot smoother too (and if it isn't smooth, you can't do much of a structured sprint workout).

When it comes to quality, I've not found anything to match the TruTrainers. I have all three brands -- eMotion, Kreitler, and TruTrainer -- and will use the Kreitlers at the track where they get beaten up quite a bit, do all my training on the TruTrainers, and watch the eMotions gather dust.

[Peter P.]

Check out the videos for e-motions posted on Youtube. They'll give you a great idea of what they're capable of.

You won't be able to do anywhere NEAR that on Kreitlers.

If you choose the Kreitlers, get the 3" diameter rollers. They'll provide a measure of resistance which is sorely lacking in the 4.5" models. The 3"ers should be all you need.

I will concur with 11.4 however, that I have a pair of folding TruTrainers and they are the cat's patootie. Look on Youtube for videos of them and you'll see how easy it is to ride out of the saddle with them. It's not nearly as fluid or easy to do on Kreitlers.

[Dekonick]

You can sprint with these rollers... but you will look like a goofball.

http://www.folica.com/tools/hot-rollers-and-hair-setters

[avalonracing]

Sorry I clicked on this thread. ;)

Even the throught of riding rollers or a trainer at this time of the year depresses me. :bike:


It's like walking into a clothing store in August and seeing winter jackets. Oh wait, you can do that.
Actually, I like seeing cool weather clothing right now. This summer SUCKS!