Rollers anyone?

[mamaof5]

Yikes! Last night I tried to ride the rollers... Even with hubby holding my bike for me I felt like I was going to fly off any second. Now I know how the kids feel when they are learning to ride without training wheels and not wanting us to let go: terrified! My husband says, "just balance and hold your line". But I can't even figure out how to get going on the darn things. Hubby rides them without hands, one-legged, etc. Show off!
I suggested that he create some kind of device that would suspend my bike from the ceiling so that I would have a little play- but not be able to fall off. I think he might actually be considering it...
Any pointers for riding rollers? We sold our trainer and have no money. So this winter it's the rollers or nothing. I figure I better start practicing.

[DebW]

Don't look at the rollers, look out in front - pretend you're riding on a narrow sidewalk. I always start riding with my elbow on the wall until I'm up to speed and feeling comfortable. Then I can dive for the wall again if I start feeling wobbly.

[OakLeaf]

It's been a very long time for me.

But, don't have your husband hold the bike - that will keep it from moving under you. In fact, don't have him hold anything. He stands next to you and you put your arm/hand on/around his shoulder until you get going.

Or, just set up next to the wall as Deb said. If you rely on another person to get on/off, then you have to keep riding until you can holler loud enough to get them back! :D

[7rider]

1. Set up next to a wall. Keep 1 hand on the handlebars and 1 on the wall. Ride and lift your wall hand off the wall...longer each time as you grow more comfortable. Eventually, you'll put that hand on the bars, too.
1a. Until you are comfortable, try it with regular shoes, and don't clip into your pedals.
2. Speed is your friend. It is actally easier to ride rollers fast, rather than slowly.
3. Look at a spot about 10' straight in front of you and imagine you are riding the bike towards it. That will help with holding your line.
4. As you get more comfortable. start to "explore" the edges of the rollers. I once rode right off my DH's rollers - okay, accidentally - and found myself.....upright and standing there by my bike. No big deal - no spectacular surge forward into the wall (or t.v.) or collapse to the ground. It made me realize that falling off rollers is not the end of the world.
5. If you absolutely cannot get the hang of rollers, but see and appreciate the value they offer in training, invest in a pair of parabolic rollers (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=25124&subcategory_ID=4121). I have a pair (not these) and love them. I call them my "cheater" rollers. ;)

[PinkBike]

ditto to everyone else, plus start with your hands on top of the bars right next to the stem. as you get more comfortable you move out on the bars, but i still always start off in that position.

[PinkBike]

oh, and start in a big gear, high cadence is not your friend

[smurfalicious]

Hey keep us posted how it turns out for you! My roommate has an ungodly expensive set of rollers he threatens to put me on. He swears it will improve my balance and ability to hold a line. I told him I can balance and hold a line, and I can work my bike through crazy turns. Problem lies in the fact that my limb length issue means it's hard for me to remove hands from the bars because I use upper body weight to compensate for the lower. My mom has an old Blackburn trainer she's not using, I'd rather talk her out of that! Watching movies and spinning in the winter sounds more my speed!