Hi all!
First off, I have to admit that I'm one of those odd souls that actually like riding on rollers for long periods
I never use it as a substitute for being on the road, but more for those times when I HAVE to be on the bike and its either dark outside, or there is some other pressing reason I need to be close to home.
I have my rollers set up in the garage and facing an old TV/DvD player... Most days I just listen to the radio while spinning, but often I'll pop in a DvD recording of the TdF and watch the OLN coverage of a particular stage as both inspiration, and distraction...
I've been getting more and more confident on the rollers with time, and as a method of relieving soreness in the backside, I'll stand in the pedals and row for a few minutes out of the saddle, whereas before I would actually stop and rest... In order to prevent dumping the bike off the rollers while doing this I've learned that one has to be VERY smooth and deliberate with the pedalling technique while standing. No mashing down on the downstroke, or twitching of the bars at any point. I'd like to think that it is teaching me some good technique as far as effeciency and fluidness of motion.
While I am out of the saddle on the rollers, I find that my legs begin to burn in much the same fashion as a stiff hill climb, but quite a bit sooner. The only explanation I have is that it is never possible for me to truly stand "all the way up" in the pedals because of the lack of resistance on the rollers as compared to the friction and resistance of the road (particularly in a hill climb) While on the rollers, it almost feels as though I am in a permanent "partial squat" due to the fact that you have to continuously balance your body weight on both pedals and keep some weight on the pedal during the upstroke to maintain balance. Think of it kind of like using a unicycle without a seat, or holding a squat with about a 110 degree angle on the knees. The burn feels like that...
My question for the more experienced in cycling training is this: Does time out of the saddle on rollers do any harm? My read is that it does something to build muscle strength because of the burn I feel, but I fear also that operating my knees continuously under load this way without a moment in the cycle for rest at full extension may be damaging.
The overal feeling of exertion feels different than climbing out of the saddle on the road... In that scenario, there is almost a "rest period" in the stroke where you momentarily use gravity and extension of the leg to provide downforce, and this is almost absent in the feeling you get standing on the rollers. On the rollers it feels more like a constant weight pressing down on your shoulder and concentrating on the knees...
Anyone have opinions? I'm still pretty new at this
Thanks in advance!
Feanor
First off, I have to admit that I'm one of those odd souls that actually like riding on rollers for long periods
I never use it as a substitute for being on the road, but more for those times when I HAVE to be on the bike and its either dark outside, or there is some other pressing reason I need to be close to home.I have my rollers set up in the garage and facing an old TV/DvD player... Most days I just listen to the radio while spinning, but often I'll pop in a DvD recording of the TdF and watch the OLN coverage of a particular stage as both inspiration, and distraction...
I've been getting more and more confident on the rollers with time, and as a method of relieving soreness in the backside, I'll stand in the pedals and row for a few minutes out of the saddle, whereas before I would actually stop and rest... In order to prevent dumping the bike off the rollers while doing this I've learned that one has to be VERY smooth and deliberate with the pedalling technique while standing. No mashing down on the downstroke, or twitching of the bars at any point. I'd like to think that it is teaching me some good technique as far as effeciency and fluidness of motion.
While I am out of the saddle on the rollers, I find that my legs begin to burn in much the same fashion as a stiff hill climb, but quite a bit sooner. The only explanation I have is that it is never possible for me to truly stand "all the way up" in the pedals because of the lack of resistance on the rollers as compared to the friction and resistance of the road (particularly in a hill climb) While on the rollers, it almost feels as though I am in a permanent "partial squat" due to the fact that you have to continuously balance your body weight on both pedals and keep some weight on the pedal during the upstroke to maintain balance. Think of it kind of like using a unicycle without a seat, or holding a squat with about a 110 degree angle on the knees. The burn feels like that...
My question for the more experienced in cycling training is this: Does time out of the saddle on rollers do any harm? My read is that it does something to build muscle strength because of the burn I feel, but I fear also that operating my knees continuously under load this way without a moment in the cycle for rest at full extension may be damaging.
The overal feeling of exertion feels different than climbing out of the saddle on the road... In that scenario, there is almost a "rest period" in the stroke where you momentarily use gravity and extension of the leg to provide downforce, and this is almost absent in the feeling you get standing on the rollers. On the rollers it feels more like a constant weight pressing down on your shoulder and concentrating on the knees...
Anyone have opinions? I'm still pretty new at this
Thanks in advance!
Feanor
