Rollers or trainers

[G-]

I'd post on the other site but Daizee instructed me to keep road stuff off her board.;) Since I'm getting a road bike and am planning on increasing my weekly mileage I'm wondering about an indoor trainer. Especially with my hours. I'm not to keen on going for a ride at 11PM after getting off a job. Which type of trainer would a mountain biker get more benefit from Rollers or a resistance trainer?

[Dave K]

I don't think rollers will do you much good if you mostly ride MTB. Rollers are more for working on spin form and balance and not as much for intensity cardio which I think is probably what you need more of if you ride MTB. MTB already gives you plenty workout on your skills, you just need to keep up or improve your cardio which is what a resistance trainer is good for.

I recommend CycleOps or Tacx mag. CycleOps Fluid if you wanna hear the TV over it or otherwise keep the noise down.

[jodyams]

I seem to recall a similar thread on the ARR forum.

Was it Kyle P who described the different types of resistance trainers, and also described the strengths/weaknesses of each one?

Perhaps Kyle (or whoever the trainer guru was) could recap, or point us to that thread? I would be interested in knowing more info on trainers too. :confused:

[TechniKal]

trainer guru... just what I've always wanted to be.. can't ride the drops at CP, but I kick ass on a stationary bike :) Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other stuff, I have been spending a lot more time on trainers than I want to recently.

Anyway, I've never ridden rollers, so I can't comment on them. For trainers, there are three main types - wind, magnetic and fluid.

Wind is cheap, simple and loud. The resistance is exponetially progressive - doubling the speed requires ~4x the effort - similar to what you'd have to do on a 'real' ride. They are very loud though, so loud that you probably wouldn't want to use them in an apartment or near a sleeping SO/child.

Magnetic is not too expensive, simple and quite. The resistance is linear - doubling the speed requires ~double the effort. This is good for speed work but bad for strength work - which is why you see resistance adjustments on mag trainers - set it high to do strength work, lower to work on spin. Mags and plenty quite.

Fluid combines the best of wind and mag - it's more quite than a mag trainer with the realistic resistance of a wind trainer. They tend to be heavy and expensive, though.

Riding a trainer can be unbelievably, amazingly boring - especially if you're just putting in miles. Get some 'Spinervals' tapes or make up a workout. The tapes/workouts make it much more tolerable. They even have some trainers that hook up to computers and let you 'race' other folks. Kinda cool, but I couldn't imagine spending that kind of cash on an indoor bike with the nice winters we have here. Get a good fan, too. And check out the trainer cycling classes at 360 and Bicycle Sport Shop - pretty fun and a great workout.

[jodyams]

heehee... Yup, Technikal is a trainer guru! ;) But, from what Justin tells me, you are a mtn biking guru too...

I was thinking that if I had a trainer, I would have to set it up in the garage because of the noise... but then I'd have to either make up my own workout, or get a small tv and a vcr hooked up in there too....

Well, I have no money for it right now anyway... It'll have to wait...

[big sky]

Originally posted by jodyams
I'd have to either make up my own workout

I recommend Joe Friel's "The Mountain Biker's Training Bible". Excellent book on training and includes specific workouts that can be done on the trail, road, or stationary trainer. Its in my briefcase right now!

[Dave K]

Originally posted by big sky
I recommend Joe Friel's "The Mountain Biker's Training Bible". Excellent book on training and includes specific workouts that can be done on the trail, road, or stationary trainer. Its in my briefcase right now!

also, Joe Friel's www.trainingbible.com makes your training plan for you. FREE.

[Wumpus]

I have kreitler dyno-myte rollers(red drums). They provide good resistance for interval training. These are pretty tough, I stay in the 39T. These are/were used by the US and Russian cycling teams, I hear. Some of the rollers with the bigger drums are mainly just for spinning.

If you are looking to be able to veg out while riding indoors --it is extremely boring for MTBikers -- a trainer would be better so you don't have to concentrate on balancing.