Trainers

[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