Rollers or Turbo Trainers

[swampy1970]

Balance on rollers makes you better at one thing - balancing on rollers. I knew a lot of guys that would swear that roller training would make them better at bike handling and they'd be off the back on technical descents faster than you could say "am I going to fast?" Maybe having the back of a bike clamped solid in a portable turbo trainer makes you a better bike handler, because in my experience it certainly doesn't make you any worse...

 

[6fhscjess]

Balance and a smooth pedal stroke help you to hold your line. Technical descents are a whole other animal.

Balance on rollers makes you better at one thing - balancing on rollers. I knew a lot of guys that would swear that roller training would make them better at bike handling and they'd be off the back on technical descents faster than you could say "am I going to fast?" Maybe having the back of a bike clamped solid in a portable turbo trainer makes you a better bike handler, because in my experience it certainly doesn't make you any worse...

 

[swampy1970]

Riding on the road helps you hold your line. Riding in a bunch helps you hold your line in a bunch. Getting used to the interaction between riders as wind direction, terrain and adrenaline levels change. Riding on rollers helps you ride better on rollers.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Quote by Swampy:
"Riding on the road helps you hold your line. Riding in a bunch helps you hold your line in a bunch."

Not so much...the most common shout on group road rides and in amateur racing is, "Hold your line!". Often followed with a descriptive adjective or a comment applying to family lineage. "Riding on rollers helps you ride better on rollers."

Most rollers are 16" wide. Subtracting a few inches for safety margin (again, 'most' rollers do don't have side bumpers), I think it can be assumed that rollers teach or at least reinforce riding precisely, accelerating precisely, riding with no hands precisely, changing hand positions precisely, pedaling efficiently and precisely, correcting rider position errors on the bike to enable precise riding and they promote a relaxed yet deliberate concentration that translates well to the road. They build confidence.

Will riding rollers make you a crit god? No, but it sure isn't going to hurt any.

 

[danfoz]

And Mark Renshaw teaches us how to handle a rider trying to infringe upon our line... With an old fashioned head butt! I gotta admit though learning how to do things on rollers, like taking a drink from a bottle, is good practice to help avoid doing things that cause us to potentially deviate from said line in a bunch.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Quote by Dan:
"With an old fashioned head butt!"

Oh hells yeah! Depending on where you are on the course and in the pack; a head, a shoulder or just ***** slapping the other guy will work.

The thing that has to be factored in is...the end result of said head butt, stiff arm, punch to the face, etc. Bringing down half of the bunch crashed caused by one falling rider can be sufficient grounds for retribution. Right there on the road and in the parking lot. And not all cyclists swing a purse like the YouTube videos.

Leaning on the guy next to you is normal. A head butt is the next logical step in the force continuum. Alpha dog's gonna win.

 

[swampy1970]

The guy on the Tour that disqualified Renshaw licks man steamed choad on a daily basis. Renshaw > Dumb **** Hansen that tried to off him into the barriers. Looking at Cav's lead out train for Dubai. Martin, Pettachi and Renshaw. That's like the motherf**ker of all mini lead out trains.

 

[Ryan Woods]

ukturbotrainers.com have a tacx model I think... bit too pricey for me I think!