Training at home - rollers or trainer?

monkeypants

From reading other threads and queries on the forum I know that many of you train at home during the winter months. I was looking online and I saw that the two most common versions of equipment available are fixed wheel trainers (turbo trainers?) that come in wind, magnet and fluid varieties and rollers. The rollers look like an accident waiting to happen, at least for me, but I'm wondering what the opinion out there is.

The options beyond that are many, at least between CRC and Bike24. I have the Tacx Booster and Sartori in the affordable trainer category, versus the Tacx Antares and Galaxia in the rollers. Any recommendations or hints?

P.S. Doesn't have to be Tacx, they're just the name that I recognised. Branding, eh.

shaka

Satori ,hate it but its good

Darkglasses

Antares user here.

Beasty

Really need to get the rollers out of the box at some stage and give them a go. Tacx VR has been unused for over a year now as the Wattbike has come into it's own. Turbo trainer is reserved for when I'm travelling or warming up for TTs

Junior

I use both... But a WATTBIKE ? Seriously Beasty you must have more money than sense.. would you like to adopt a son ?

smacl

Tacx I-Flow VR trainer, more expensive and a bit awkward to set-up, but excellent in terms keeping you interested and training hard. I'd love to try rollers myself, but also a bit nervous of them. I'd say rollers would be better for maintaining bike handling ability and balance whereas the turbo is more about grunt work. If I had both, I'd probably alternate between them in the foul weather.

monkeypants

Darkglasses wrote: »

Antares user here.

Does it need a mat or something underneath it? My living room has a wooden floor, but that's okay because the missus isn't going to let me cycle in there. The kitchen floor is tiled. I'd be wary of it slipping.

Beasty

Junior wrote: »

I use both... But a WATTBIKE ? Seriously Beasty you must have more money than sense.. would you like to adopt a son ?

Great piece of kit though, and worth every penny ...

.... if you can afford it

Oh, and my bequests are sorted thanks "junior"

Raam

Junior wrote: »

I use both... But a WATTBIKE ? Seriously Beasty you must have more money than sense.. would you like to adopt a son ?

I'm first in line.

Beasty

To be clear, I've already got one, but thanks for the offers guys...

Harrybelafonte

monkeypants wrote: »

Does it need a mat or something underneath it? My living room has a wooden floor, but that's okay because the missus isn't going to let me cycle in there. The kitchen floor is tiled. I'd be wary of it slipping.

Dint see it slipping. Though falling off it in kitchen won't be nice.

I use rollers, have a turbo but it's still in the box for racing warm ups. I've only fallen off twice, once I managed to get into a TT tuck on the track bike, wobbled a bit when sitting back up, grabbed the wardrobe door handle which duly opened and I crashed off and became jammed between the bed and the wardrobe. Luckily my son heard and ran upstairs to help me unclip. Second time was on roadbike, I don't like using the roadbike on them though, not sure why.

Raam

Beasty wrote: »

To be clear, I've already got one, but thanks for the offers guys...

It's OK, we don't want your house, just your bike stuff.

Chips Lovell

I've had both, but sold my rollers because I needed to clear some space. Rollers are far more fun if you're just spinning it, but the turbo works best if you need a bit of resistance.

Raam

Fun on rollers...

http://www.cyclo-cross.info/cyclocross/2013/01/28/nys-steelt-de-show-en-drinkbus-op-de-rollen/

triggermortis

I got Tacx Galaxia rollers and they've helped highlight the fact that I have almost no balance or bike handling skill.
Bike24 was the cheapest I found, and good delivery time too.
I thought I would have had a few horrible accidents with them by now, but it's not been too bad, butI've not been thrashing it yet due to my above mentioned limitations, just zone 2 spinning.
I did find the set up a bit difficult and after making my own adjustments I feel more comfortable on them and have learned not to let my attention wander whilst I am on them.
Happy with them so far

AaronB

tacx fortius VR, have it about 5-6months, use it about 2 -4 times per week

colm_gti

Had a turbo, hated the severely restricted movement of the bike, sold them, bought a decent set of lights, and have manned up and trained outdoors since.

Though I'm toying with the idea of getting a set of rollers for warming up before TT's and races...

Beasty

colm_gti wrote: »

Though I'm toying with the idea of getting a set of rollers for warming up before TT's and races...

Problem with them is they significantly increases the chance of crashing before you even get to the start line ...

crumliniano

I got my first turbo in December. I too agonised over Rollers Vs Turbo. I like the idea of rollers more but a turbo came up second hand first so I went for that. Also I was worried that the more affordable models of roller didn't have variable resistance. What I have found with the turbo though is that I tend to use the gears on the bike rather than the resistance adjuster on the turbo to vary resistance/effort - so maybe this shouldn't be a factor in the decision anyway.
I have been using the turbo outside and my patio isn't the most level, so the turbo is probably more suited to this too.

colm_gti

Beasty wrote: »

Problem with them is they significantly increases the chance of crashing before you even get to the start line ...

Just set it up between two cars :P

Alternatively....http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;product=10653;page=1;menu=1000,5,69;mid=18;pgc=1749:1754

morana

smacl wrote: »

Tacx I-Flow VR trainer, more expensive and a bit awkward to set-up, but excellent in terms keeping you interested and training hard. I'd love to try rollers myself, but also a bit nervous of them. I'd say rollers would be better for maintaining bike handling ability and balance whereas the turbo is more about grunt work. If I had both, I'd probably alternate between them in the foul weather.

I havent trained at all in a long while but I got a loan of one of these last night so I will do a session tonight before I watch LFC beat the gooners!

I need something to inspire me hopefully its this! If I can get the Paris Roubaix with Tchmil chasing Museeuw it would do the trick I reckon!

manwithaplan

morana wrote: »

I havent trained at all in a long while but I got a loan of one of these last night so I will do a session tonight before I watch LFC beat the gooners!

Your night: Pant, pant, pant, FFS, groan

morana

manwithaplan wrote: »

Your night: Pant, pant, pant, FFS, groan

And thats after the game!

Caroline_ie

I use HTFU and get out. I got a CX, ice tires when needed, a Magicshine light that make joggers swear at me ( that happened again tonight) and a hatred for indoor cycling that I cultivate with much passion.

manwithaplan

morana wrote: »

And thats after the game!

That's what the FFS, groan was about. Great match. As a gooner, I was disappointed we didn't get the third.

Should really say something cycling-related. I like bikes.

mossym

manwithaplan wrote: »

That's what the FFS, groan was about. Great match. As a gooner, I was disappointed we didn't get the third.

Should really say something cycling-related. I like bikes.

turbo trainer here, but confused why you guys are talking about a session before the game...my two hour turbo session covered the whole game..:)

morana

manwithaplan wrote: »

That's what the FFS, groan was about. Great match. As a gooner, I was disappointed we didn't get the third.

Should really say something cycling-related. I like bikes.

yeah we bossed it for an hour and then we were hanging on! I like bikes as well

Darkglasses

monkeypants wrote: »

Does it need a mat or something underneath it? My living room has a wooden floor, but that's okay because the missus isn't going to let me cycle in there. The kitchen floor is tiled. I'd be wary of it slipping.

I've only ever used it in the garage to be honest, for extra coldness. I can't imagine it'd need a mat once you're steady enough on it.

Beasty

manwithaplan wrote: »

I like bikes.

morana wrote: »

I like bikes as well

I agree - stick to the bike talk

At least we won ...

monkeypants

Decided to go with the trainer in the end, put through an order yesterday evening.