Its late fall and going into winter. Its a time when visions of plump juicy birds form in your head and when you start to think about what to buy family members. Its also the time to being indoor training.
Here at Tech Talk we like both rollers and magnetic/fluid/wind resistance trainers. Both offer pros and cons. Both vary wildly in price. Which one you get is up to you. Rollers Rollers are the preppy frat boys of training. Sleek, smooth, require near perfect form to use. Your wheels are not locked into place. They spin freely on aluminum or steel cylinders. Rollers generally have 3 cylinders. One in the front, two in the rear. They are attached using a belt drive. Using these things takes skill, patience, a wall, and a good vocabulary of 4 letter words.
The first 10 times you do this, you want to be by a wall or in a door frame. Oh, you think your good enough, ok. Mount the bike on the rollers - rear wheel on the two rear rollers. Center the bike as best as you can. Straddle the bike and clip in one shoe. Start pedaling, clip in the other and let go of the wall.CRASH!Repeat. The thing about rollers is you will need good balance. Think you have an oh so smoooth stroke? Rollers will tell you otherwise. They'll help you develop balance, control and a silky smooth spin. Don't even think about riding aero bars on these things until you have plenty of experience. Oh ya, you also can't zone out. You'll crash off the rollers and into the tv again.
Resistance Trainers
These are the run of the mill trainers. Resistance is provided via fluid, magnets, or wind. The rear wheel is locked into the trainer and spins a small rod that is connected to the resistance unit. Some models allow you to adjust the resistance, otherwise you change resistance by changing gears on your bike. You will want a few phone books, a saddle flipped upside down, an annoying child or sibling to place under the front wheel so the bike is level. Otherwise its the eternal downhill. Couple things about mag trainers. They love to eat tires if not adjusted properly. Too tight - say bye bye to that nice Italian racing tubular. Too loose? You just skewed your skewer. The proper adjustment is to bring the rod up to the rubber until is just brushes the rubber. Make sure your tire is at max psi. Oh one more thing. These guys are L.O.U.D. annoyingly loud. A rubber mat helps. If you live in an apartment complex and are not on the 1st floor, I highly suggest buying your neighbors quality ear protection. While rollers develop spin and form (cue concerto), mag trainers offer pure undefinable power (cue thunder and lightning) and will wear you out in short time. Neat trick with mag trainers, raise the front wheel about 3-6 inches above the rear and you have the eternal uphill.
So which is for you? Do you want pure form and a pedal stroke that makes everyone jealous and the ability to ride a white line on the side of the road? Or do you want giant muscles and power? The best bet is to combine both. Ride in the winter if you can and train on the mag trainer. Or use the rollers and ride hills or bridges when you can.
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