Quantcast

Trainers?

Woos

Chimp
May 25, 2006
16
0
Kitsap, WA
What's a trainer? You guys... *ahem*... hunnies... are talking about them for winter training, and I'm curious. I have a hard time riding in the winter because the cold, dry, pacific northwest air makes breathing painful. So can someone link me something or post a pic? I'm interested because biking was gonna be my main exercise for getting fit for teh wedding, but it just didn't happen. Now I have 5 months and I'm nowhere near my goal, and I need something to do inside the warm, cozy, breathable condo.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
I use a set of rollers like these:


They have nicer ones now that have a little concave to them so you don't drive off the sides, but that's part of the challenge and helps to keep me somewhat focused ;)
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
WARNING: Rollers are great, but they are no where near as easy to use as the ones posted by McGRP!

If your focus now is aerobic exercise and weight loss, start off easy, use the bolt-in trainer.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
WARNING: Rollers are great, but they are no where near as easy to use as the ones posted by McGRP!

If your focus now is aerobic exercise and weight loss, start off easy, use the bolt-in trainer.
LOL! I can't even tell you how many times I have ridden off my rollers while watching bike videos (especially when they're in helmet cam mode), but I do like them as a whole. They keep me focused on my riding and pedal stroke.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
I find the easiest way to get started on any given training session is to track-stand next to the rollers and bunny-hop onto it.
 
Y

yadadada

Guest
A trainer is Satan's way of punishing cyclists in the off-season
I have to second that... I used my fluid trainer for a few months two winters ago, and it hasn't gotten any use since. I'd rather go to the gym, or just go running, despite the cold. Two weeks ago I sold it to someone who will hopefully use it more than I will.
 

thePINKster

Monkey
Jan 31, 2006
184
0
bay area, Cali
A trainer is Satan's way of punishing cyclists in the off-season
hahahaha.. true that.

i used to use a trainer and totally lost motivation to go on it because i like actually going somewhere when i ride. i was using it to help with my pedal strokes and when i was using it i was DEFINETLY more pedal efficient, but it's hard to stay rigid on it.

i'll jog instead or ride in the mud. mud is half the fun of winter riding anyways. it's a great way to practice drifting and cutties :happydance:
 

altagirl

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
160
0
Utah
LOL! I can't even tell you how many times I have ridden off my rollers while watching bike videos (especially when they're in helmet cam mode), but I do like them as a whole. They keep me focused on my riding and pedal stroke.

Heh. My husband has been trying to convince me that we need to buy rollers. I said I'd wreck off of them and he claims this is impossible, he had them for years before we met and he can't imagine how that could happen...

Maybe I'll just stick to going to spin class.
 

Quo Fan

don't make me kick your ass
It's easy to crash off rollers. Loose concentration for about a millisecond, and you are careening off the rollers into some stationary object. Rollers will definitely improve your balance and your spin. If you aren't balanced, crash. They will also teach you to ride a straight line.
 

altagirl

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
160
0
Utah
It's easy to crash off rollers. Loose concentration for about a millisecond, and you are careening off the rollers into some stationary object. Rollers will definitely improve your balance and your spin. If you aren't balanced, crash. They will also teach you to ride a straight line.
It also seems like crashing in the living room would be worse than in the dirt... (good variety of pointy objects and things I don't want to break!)

Though it does seem like it'd be good for your technique. I just need a padded room do try it in!
 

redFoxx

Monkey
Apr 15, 2005
319
0
Seattle
Here's our setup for trainers - CompuTrainers. My bf works at RacerMate so gets the setups so we can "test". There's software with different courses, you can race against your previous times or other riders' saved rides. We have our iPods and we have the TV there, plus we don't have to worry about falling off. It's the best of the trainer world, but still...gets boring occasionally.

 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Heh. My husband has been trying to convince me that we need to buy rollers. I said I'd wreck off of them and he claims this is impossible, he had them for years before we met and he can't imagine how that could happen...

Maybe I'll just stick to going to spin class.
Oh, it defintely does happen LOL! I wonder if he's thinking of the fluid trainers...I don't think you can crash off of them, but I have never tried ;) There are newer rollers than mine that have a concave to them so you aren't supposed to be able to drive off the sides, but I don't really know much about those.
 

altagirl

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
160
0
Utah
Oh, it defintely does happen LOL! I wonder if he's thinking of the fluid trainers...I don't think you can crash off of them, but I have never tried ;) There are newer rollers than mine that have a concave to them so you aren't supposed to be able to drive off the sides, but I don't really know much about those.
Heh - I figured I should have taken his usual over-optomism into account. He also claims it's "impossible" to fall off the edge of cliffs that I worry about on a few of our favorite rides, etc. Occasionally it's frustrating (or like he's not aware of the definition of the word impossible), but honestly I wish I could believe nothing bad could happen...
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Heh - I figured I should have taken his usual over-optomism into account. He also claims it's "impossible" to fall off the edge of cliffs that I worry about on a few of our favorite rides, etc. Occasionally it's frustrating (or like he's not aware of the definition of the word impossible), but honestly I wish I could believe nothing bad could happen...
I know what you mean. Sq-Earl (my husband) often gets me to do things that I probably shouldn't because it's "too easy". I think it's a guy thing ;)
 

zoey

Monkey
Mar 19, 2006
138
0
california
Oh, it defintely does happen LOL! I wonder if he's thinking of the fluid trainers...I don't think you can crash off of them, but I have never tried ;) There are newer rollers than mine that have a concave to them so you aren't supposed to be able to drive off the sides, but I don't really know much about those.
Believe me, you can fall off of fluid trainers. I'm living proof, embarrassingly enough.

Even with ipod, and mt bike DVD ROAM on the TV, I can only handle 40 minutes on the trainer. Soooooooo boring.
 

altagirl

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
160
0
Utah
Believe me, you can fall off of fluid trainers. I'm living proof, embarrassingly enough.

Even with ipod, and mt bike DVD ROAM on the TV, I can only handle 40 minutes on the trainer. Soooooooo boring.
It's funny - road biking - I'm bored out of my skull. (Unless I'm completely terrified of crazy drivers). Either way, it's not anything I'd consider the slightest bit fun.

Yet, I can spend an hour or more a day in winter on the elliptical at the gym with my ipod. I guess if I can completely zone out, close my eyes and be thinking about something else, it's way less boring than having to pay attention to doing something boring.

So come to think of it, rollers are probably not for me.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,669
1,847
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
It's funny - road biking - I'm bored out of my skull. (Unless I'm completely terrified of crazy drivers). Either way, it's not anything I'd consider the slightest bit fun.

Yet, I can spend an hour or more a day in winter on the elliptical at the gym with my ipod. I guess if I can completely zone out, close my eyes and be thinking about something else, it's way less boring than having to pay attention to doing something boring.

So come to think of it, rollers are probably not for me.
I thought I would be bored on my road bike as well, but I find it surprisingly busy. I am terrified of crazy drivers and really have to work hard to keep up with Sq-Earl and try to draft with him. I have zoned out on my rollers too...generally leads to crashing. If I have a goal and am focused with some good tunes, I can ride for 45 minutes to an hour though (not that I seem to get that much time lately).
 

altagirl

Monkey
Aug 27, 2002
160
0
Utah
I thought I would be bored on my road bike as well, but I find it surprisingly busy. I am terrified of crazy drivers and really have to work hard to keep up with Sq-Earl and try to draft with him. I have zoned out on my rollers too...generally leads to crashing. If I have a goal and am focused with some good tunes, I can ride for 45 minutes to an hour though (not that I seem to get that much time lately).
I used to have a road bike, which I mostly rode in Alabama. There were almost no cars on the road where I was, but I wasn't into it. (I was riding alone though, which probably has something to do with it.)

I'd try it again, but everyone I've met recently who is into road biking has had some sort of horrible accident on the road. I rode on the road for about 30 minutes in the past year (had to go pick up my car at the dealer a few months ago) and I got run off the road and wrecked into a ditch.

My husband (who used to road bike a lot) nearly got killed just riding to the trailhead about 2 miles from our house. Apparently a driver fell asleep (in a residential neighborhood!), flipped his truck and came within inches of my husband on his bike as he was flipping through someone's front yard.

And the two road bikers in my spin class have long term injuries they're never going to quite recover from due to being hit by cars.

The hell with that. I will ride the road bike in this park we have with a paved path, but I'm not getting on the road with cars anymore. It would be one thing if I liked road riding, but I don't. I'll take my risks riding DH and skiing and dirt biking, etc. At least then it's my own fault when I hurt myself.

So yay for spin class in the winter! ;)
 

VT Mtbkr

Monkey
Oct 3, 2003
403
0
Richmond, Virginia
Trees, rocks and the ground don't move......cars on the other hand are completely out of my control......I'll stick to wrecking on the trails. I've never had the desire to even think about getting a road bike....cars scare me...DH not so much.