Trainers

[colorisnt]

So, is it possible to get something indoors that is quiet enough to use for an apartment and doesn't cos as much as another bike?

[tulip]

If I were still a student, I would check into the university's fitness program and see if they had spinning classes.

I find indoor trainers incredibly boring, as well as being loud. I have one, but I dread it. I prefer spinning classes at my Y, or just getting out and riding as much as possible during the winter. Also hiking is a good alternative, as is swimming. And Pilates, of course.

[abejita]

My new Kurt Kinetics trainer will be here tomorrow (Yay!!!!) I'll let you know how loud it is. From what I've read (and the reason I chose it) it is fairly quiet...I guess we'll see.

[colorisnt]

Thanks for the ideas, Tulip. I guess I am hesitant to do classes because 1. undergrads and 2. the fact that the classes don't work with my schedule. I am either teaching or in class during it. I am there to get a workout first and foremost and at my other university, that did not get me in great shape. The talking between people, cell phones going off, etc. was really distracting. I would have to audit a class, but it will have to wait until next semester.

I will definitely have to get in the pool again, but I live to bike lol. And I am not comfortable parking at a park and hiking alone. I would need to find a buddy before the state and county parks feel "safer".

I find ANYTHING indoors boring, but I know it won't be possible to get out every day.

ETA: Abejita, let me know how it goes!

[redrhodie]

I have a Kurt Kinetic, and it's not that loud. I'm in an apartment, and no one has complained, but I am on the 1st floor. I found mine used at my lbs, I think it was under $200.

I was just thinking on my gorgeous ride this morning how I'm dreading pulling it out. It's not much fun, but it's better than nothing.

[Jo-n-NY]

I have a cycle-ops fluid trainer from 2005 which I use beginning now during the week into April when the days get a bit longer for an after work ride. It still works great and is quiet. The price may be a bit on the high side, but it is the next best thing to riding outside. I set up my own routine or just pedal for the duration of a tv show.

[TxDoc]

How about you buy yourself some rollers?
Not the cheaters, which are expensive - just regular plain old-fashioned rollers. They are less loud than a trainer, cost much less, and will teach you much more in terms of bike handling skills and smooth pedaling technique.

[abejita]

So I got my new kurt kinetics trainer today and set it up. It is not loud at all. I had the tv on its regular volume while I was trying it out and I didn't need to turn it up at all.

I got the KK Rock and Roll trainer. I really like it! It is so much more comfortable than any other trainer I've been on. I got in on sale for $399 plus free shipping from gottaridebikes.com

mary

[colorisnt]

May ask for the kinetics for Christmas, then.

I feel like I should ask for nothing for Christmas, but mom and dad insist. I think the only hesitation with me getting one is that my Dad will ride on it and want to upgrade our old trainer (which is loud and not very enjoyable) while he's at it as well. Anything I get, Dad tries out and wants. My mother needs us to permanently separate haha.

Now that I have a budget again, I could probably buy it myself, but IDK.

My uncle and cousin have rollers and swear by them, but how do you get on/off without killing yourself. Or do you not clip in?

[TxDoc]

My uncle and cousin have rollers and swear by them, but how do you get on/off without killing yourself. Or do you not clip in?

It is usually not a problem after trying a few times.
I know a few friends that have a stepping stool next to the rollers to start/stop. Others who spend considerable amount of time on the rollers build platforms.
The idea is to make the rollers more 'realistic' by leveling the surface, so that you start and stop the same way you would do on the road. While, if you simply place rollers on the floor - the riding surface will be about 3-5 inches higher than the flooor (which is not what happens on a real road).
Personally, I thought that a stepping stool was aestethically unpleasing, and just used the rollers as they were for a few years, until this Summer I found time and patience to build a nice training platform around them which makes them look much nicer. It's sort of an endless pool for a bicycle, hee-hee
Several coaching studios have done the same - built platforms with 1-3 roller sets so that they can have the whole team train indoors if needed. It looks quite neat to enter a room and see 12 or 16 roller sets ready to go in the same room!

[malkin]

I just set up the rollers in the hall and touch the wall if I need to.

[TxDoc]

Maybe someone could explain how to use rollers? Do you just put your bike on them and try to pedal without falling over?

Yes, exactly like that. You set the bike on the rollers, and then hop on and start pedaling. Easier than it looks - although not 'easy'.

There are a few tricks that help:
1. when you place your bike on the rollers, before you get on, try to set it in the center so you have room for correction if you swerve a bit when mounting.
2. start pedaling right away, and keep pedaling. Yes, of course you can coast on rollers, but in the beginning it will be easier to find proper balance if you just keep pedaling. After some experience, then you can go back to the normal mix of coasting and pedaling, like you would do on a normal road ride.
3. Keep your pedaling smooth - rollers are a bit unforgiving if you try to pedal in quares, so to speak...

Some people suggest setting rollers in a doorway or near a wall. I always advise against that. We recommend rollers because they are realistic and teach you good bike handling skills and smooth pedaling technique. A wall, a door, a handle is just a way to bail out and make your training no longer realistic. There is no wall or door out on the road. And we do not need one outside: we just hop on and ride.
The truth is that so many of us go out and ride, and really our skills are not that great. For example, if you go out on a local weekend ride and observe cyclists, most people cannot even keep a straight line for long. If they try to drink, they wobble; if they look at the cars, they wobble, if they talk to their buddies, they wobble... not too safe, right?
Just think about it - the most common road tire is 23mm wide. Now if someone painted a long line on the road that's like 5 inches wide - that would be huge compared to our tires, correct? Well, if you take 100 cyclists and ask them to ride straight over that line for one minute, probably over 60% of them would drift off or wobble at some point, and fewer would be able to pedal on the painted line.

One of the first things you learn when training on rollers, is how to pedal smoothly and keep a straight line. Afterwards, you can learn how to do a multitude of tasks (pick up something, take a bottle, drink, eat, change the TV channel, turn around, stand, coast, etc) and still keep that straight line. Rollers isolate good technique and enhance bad habits. But - they give you the opportunity to correct them for good, and fast.

If the idea of hopping on the bike on the rollers still makes you kind of nervous - just build a platform. It will make them look nicer, more realistic in term of wheel-to-floor leveling - and it takes away the feeling of 'falling from a height' that may come into play otherwise. If you feel off balance, you just come to a stop and set one foot on the platform (the 'ground'), like you would do on the road.
It's really good exercise - spend one Winter on rollers, and your skills on the road will improve enormously.

[redrhodie]

Because of this thread, and the feeling of dread it instilled in me, I brought my trainer to my lbs today for re-sale. The proceeds will go toward my new winter bike! Yay! No roads to nowhere for me this winter. I'll be freezin' my butt off outside, no matter how messy it gets. No excuses, baby.

Muirenn, the rollers are set in a frame which has little feet, so they don't touch the floor.

[TxDoc]

Thanks TX!

I'm wondering about the platform. I picture placing the rollers on a piece of wood. That wouldn't be any different from the ground, so I assume I'm missing something here?

Hee hee, sorry, I should have been a bit more specific, the platform is around the rollers, not underneath...
When you place your bike on the ground, the wheels touch the ground at the same level (height) as your shoes. When you place your bike on the rollers, the wheel is about 4-9 inches higher than the ground (where your feet are), depending on the diameter of the roller drums.
So building a platform around the rollers on both sides (with or without a bridge) takes the wheel back to ground level, so to speak. If you stand on the platform next to the bike - you are at the same height (compare to the bike) as if you were on the road.
There's probably pictures somewhere on the internet, if I remember I will take one of my rollers so I can post it here