How long did it take you to balance on rollers?

[Starfish]

Yike, I just checked out that YouTube video. Rollers look SCARY!! I can just see myself flying right off of there to the side.

[OakLeaf]

I can just see myself flying right off of there to the side.

Even that's not a big deal - trust me, I've done it. It's not like falling on the road, because you have no forward momentum. It's more like tipping over from a FTU, except you'll burn your tire or the carpet a little bit.

[7rider]

I've fallen off my DH's rollers, too, and was surprised at how "no big deal" it was. I don't think I'd want to do it on purpose...but it's not the end of the world!

Someone on another site posted a link to e-motion rollers - truely a do-it-all trainer. Incredibly expensiver, but cool.
Check out the videos for riding here:
http://www.insideride.com/index.php?...d=64&Itemid=50
I think an interesting one is the last one, labelled "Mounting/Dismounting".
I don't know if it's something I'd try on "regular" or even parabolic rollers, but it's something to aspire to!

[OakLeaf]

I think an interesting one is the last one, labelled "Mounting/Dismounting".

Now THAT is balance!

I've ridden rollers at exhibitions in the past... I had to keep going until someone was free to give me their shoulder so I could get off!

[awm03]

Yeah, those e-motion rollers look great. For $735, they'd better be! I bought the Minoura rollers for $140 with the wheel guides & the dismount step.

So how long did it take you all to ride on rollers? 2 weeks? 2 days?

[7rider]

So how long did it take you all to ride on rollers? 2 weeks? 2 days?

Probably the latter. Maybe 3. But "attempts" ... not days. I don't ride them every day.

My first attempt was for only a few minutes...on hand on the handlebars, one hand on the railing, my DH standing in front of me, saying "Look at me, don't look at the bike. You can do it!" I'd let go of the railing -- keeping it hovering right next to it, in case I felt I needed to grab it.

I think my second attempt lasted about 7 minutes, and then my butt was killing me! Since I can't stand on the bike, I couldn't really shift positions, so all my tense pressure was concentrated on my butt. I was gradually increasing the amount of time my hand stayed off the railing.

By the third attempt, I made a grab with my second hand for the handlebar. And then I had a revelation. It was actually easier to keep the bike steady with 2 hands on the handlebars and NONE on the railing. Go figure!

By then, it was just a matter of getting comfortable on the bike while rolling. I'm still no expert on it, yet I move the bike around while rolling to explore the edges of the rollers and I'm working on riding one-handed so I can get that water bottle while riding! Smoothness and confidence comes with frequent use, I think.

[Aint Doody]

I have the emotion--which I love & believe is worth every penny. It probably took me about 2 weeks to feel comfortable. At first I could only ride without holding on for 10 min at a time. And if I had to scratch my nose, I had to stop & grab on. It's all mental. And the part about relaxing is so important. But don't relax so much that you don't pay attention to what you're doing! The rollers are a tremendous work-out. I still stop to drink, as my bottles fit rather tightly in my cages. And definitely get a fan to blow on you. Good luck!