How long did it take you to balance on rollers?

[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!

[awm03]

1. It helps to make sure your front brake isn't sticking. Otherwise, it makes for very jerky pedal strokes.

2. 20-year-old son technique works great! I was hanging onto the washing machine & the bike for dear life. This makes for an unnatural riding position & too much upper body stiffness, which becomes worse when I try to move both hands to the handlebars. Disastrous wobbling! Better technique: have 20-year-old son grab you by the shoulders while you get in normal, comfy, relaxed biking position. When he lets go, he's there to spot for you. I was able to go a whole 10 seconds using the 20-year-old son technique! Unfortunately, 20-year-old son had to go to a Christmas party and couldn't spot for dear old Mom after a few minutes.

[awm03]

Substituted DH for 20-year-old son. I was able to ride for several minutes this time. He walked away to catch some scores on TV, I stopped to catch my breath. Started up *all by myself* & rode for a few minutes more!!!

1. Aint Doody is right: it IS mostly mental and upper body relaxation is the key. The trick is getting over the fear so you can relax (or learn to relax while you're scared to death ). I focused on getting my elbows in close & low, & keeping my forearms very loose. Lamaze breathing helps too (also good for needle phobias; useless for childbirth though).

2. Once you've ridden unaided, lightbullbs start clicking on in your head. You realize the bike can still wobble quite a bit but you won't fall. You see that the bike can travel on the rollers, but you won't ride off. You see that you can slow your pace a little or look down, & you won't crash. All of a sudden you go from zero confidence to 70% confidence.

3. I was so fired up after riding. This will open whole new worlds. It's a great workout & it really will improve one's technique. I think after I really get the hang of it, I'm going to switch from cages to clipless pedals (finally). Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

4. I'm almost 53. At this age, the comfort of safe routines & old habits beckons. So when you push yourself & take a gamble on something new & difficult, it's exhilerating.

Once again, thanks to all for your encouragement. Your posts really helped a lot.

[Geonz]

Good for you! Here's to lots of exhilaration You're a braver mom than I am.