Rollers or Turbo?

[Mapster1989]

I don't want to wish away the summer (if that's what you call it) but I'm starting to plan for the winter and I want to keep up my training.

So my question is, rollers or turbo?

Obviously I know the physical differences between the two but which would you prefer and do they make a difference in terms of the training that you can do on them i.e. can you do something on one and not on the other.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hill Wimp]

I don't want to wish away the summer (if that's what you call it) but I'm starting to plan for the winter and I want to keep up my training.

So my question is, rollers or turbo?

Obviously I know the physical differences between the two but which would you prefer and do they make a difference in terms of the training that you can do on them i.e. can you do something on one and not on the other.

Thanks in advance.

Glad you posted this as i wanted to know the same.

 

[Mapster1989]

Glad you posted this as i wanted to know the same.

No problem. Only started properly cycling last year and I struggled my way around in the crap weather that we had in winter. Now I'm tapping out the miles I want to keep up the training with a view to racing next year so I want to buy either some rollers or a turbo.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I have both, but the rollers have sat unused for nearly two years.

They are different beasts, have differing functions and offer different gains. There are bound to be links I could post on the topic, but I prefer to suck and see for myself.

Rollers: Mine do not offer variable resistance (perhaps some do). They are excellent for smoothing out your riding (direction, pedal technique and overall coordination and fluidity). You can do 'pieces of work' on them, but as on the roads you will be putting some of your effort into staying vertical and straight. There is an initial period (quite long in my case) of acquiring the skills and confidence to use rollers. It is (almost) like learning to ride all over again. Rollers are very good for doing longer, smoother, steady-state pieces - but this can be dull. Worth having a cheap HRM too, as it will may help you to refine your sessions. Setting the thing up to fit your bike is VERY IMPORTANT. If you get the front-wheel roller in the wrong place, it can be tedious and unstable. Have an amusing programme and vary it, or you will end up going mad and eating the wall paper.

Turbo: I have a Tacx Flow, which measures a modest number of data. The great advantage of a Turbo is that you can ride to bursting point and still not fall off. This may sound silly, but it isn't. In a training environment, it can be helpful to go into a bad place of pain and burn and not fear collapsing onto hurty tarmac.

With a Turbo, you really need a programme and you need to stick to it. Vary it if you can, as Turbos are even duller to use than rollers. You can get much more resistance from a Turbo, so you can go for Wattage or you can spin to crazy speeds or both...

If I had to have one or the other, it would be the Turbo.

With both gizzmos, you MUST keep the sessions shortish and you need a good, prepared session to stick to. There are billions on the Web, often pyramidish in form. 45 minutes including warm-up and cool-down is quite enough for me. Both machines will drive you mad if you just get on and pedal for x minutes.

Caveat: I am not a serious racer and never have been. Other views may vary and will probably be more helpful.

Both machines are inferior to a nice ride on a nice bicycle along a nice road. They are training devices, not a form of foul-wather cycling.

.

 

[Spinney]

I had rollers (bought one very snowy/icy winter a few years ago when I couldn't even go jogging for a bit of exercise). I did use them, but never progressed beyond the stage where I had to put them in a doorway, in case I fell off. I've sold them now.
If I was to buy another, I'd get a turbo so I could read/watch TV while cycling, without having to concentrate on staying upright.

(Not that I train seriously - they were for a bit of exercise, not serious cycle training).

 

[VamP]

Turbo.

 

[Hill Wimp]

Whatever i get isn't for training as such, although i do want to be able to keep up the good work i have achieved so far since May when i got my bike. However i know that there will be a lot of days in the winter when i won't be out there and if i have one of these i have no excuse.

Great advice so far,thanks.

 

[zizou]

Both have their positives - A turbo is better for getting a more focused workout in but rollers will help improve your general riding much more.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I've had both & hated them both. they are both soooooooooo boring,

Alan...

 

[Mapster1989]

Keep the advice coming. It seems you all prefer to Turbo.

Both machines are inferior to a nice ride on a nice bicycle along a nice road. They are training devices, not a form of foul-weather cycling.

Yeah I understand that... but if we have a winter like we did in the previous one, I would prefer to rack up the miles on the turbo as opposed to riding on black ice and almost freezing to death!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I have a turbo trainer ............. it is in the loft .................... tried it a few times found it really really properly boring

 

[Rob3rt]

They serve different purposes on the most part. So the choice will depend, ultimately, on what you want to get out of them.

If you wish to batter yourself senseless, a turbo is a no brainer IMO. You can get into a proper state on the turbo which would be unsafe to do so under any other circumstances. I wouldn't be without mine, I am a proper turbo fiend and ride it up to 10 hours a week.

If you wish to just maintain a bit of fitness and do long aerobic sessions, rollers might help alleviate the boredom and improve your riding skills.

There are some crossover points of course.

If I had to choose, I would definitely go for the turbo trainer.

 

[HLaB]

I've got a turbo up north and a dedicated bike for it. I think the turbo offers more interval and care free training (no worry about balance) but I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of skewer change, tyre change or wheel change and I wanted something a bit quieter (block of flats) so I opted for Rollers down here. I think they are slightly less mundane but fortunately I only lost one training week and only on 2days could I not cycle to/from work (and that was only because the drivers reaction to a few cm or less of snow was chaotic and I didn't feel safe).

Edit: last year when I was on the turbo I was more explosive in sprints but using rollers I have better endurance and balance; whether or not it is related to the trainers

 

[zizou]

Keep the advice coming. It seems you all prefer to Turbo.

I dont, i prefer rollers.

In the winter i will mix it in with some training on the watt bikes in the gym and track cycling too if i didnt have either of those options id get a turbo in addition to the rollers

 

[byegad]

Road. Does that help at all?