So I got some Elite Arion rollers. Not the cheapest option , and not the most expensive, these are just smooth plastic rollers in a plastic frame, no adjustments, no hook-up, no need to use fancy software.
I’m a complete amateur at this, obviously, but I’d read that using rollers as opposed to some kind of stand feels more like riding on a road. I’ve also read that it improves your bike handling and exercises muscles that don’t get much of a look-in normally, because of having to keep your balance.
Well, I’ve done a scary half hour so far and I concur. I don’t miss having some kind of setting adjustment: you can use your gears for that. Five minutes has you sweating, and because you keep going at a steady pace, you’re actually putting in more effort than on a road, where you vary your pace so much more.
High cadence pedalling for 30 minutes feels like proper exercise, and keeping the bike upright and pointing in the right direction does require extra effort and poise. It’s actually quite shocking how much you move the bike around simply by shifting on the saddle or moving your hands on the bars. That’s a real eye-opener.
I don’t like the noise they make, but I’m please so far, and now have an option for rainy, windy, or icy days.
McMinn & Cheese 
3 responses to “Roll away the scones”
I’m impressed with this. I’ve not tried rollers and gather they take a while to master – although I’ll be dusting off the turbo soon enough.
Did you go through the ‘in the doorframe’ stage or straight to the patio? & how difficult is the stop / start?? so many questions!
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I didn’t do the doorframe stage, because our house (being a crappy 70s build) doesn’t really have even one suitable doorway. And nice of you to call the wreckage of our back yard a “patio”.
The barbecue is strategically placed here. I rest my hand on it in order to mount the bike and get started. It is tricky, because the wheel starts moving as soon as you put pressure on the pedal. The frame is supposed to “incorporate a footrest” but you can’t really do that with cleats. So you have to awkwardly climb on, cling to the barbecue, and get your feet in the pedals. DON’T LOOK DOWN but look somewhere ahead in the middle distance, and you can get it going and balanced. If you look down, you start falling sideways immediately. Once you’ve been going for five minutes or so, you can start to shift your vision.
Stopping is as easy as stopping pedalling, and then reversing the mount with the dismount.
I had music on. Don’t know about watching films or something. I kind of don’t like the idea that you would do anything else really, but it is a lot more boring than real cycling, and of course your sweat doesn’t dry in the breeze.
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I think I’ll have to try to find someone with one of these to try it out -maybe kitted out with MTB knee and elbow pads! I did spot the barbie and wondered if that was part of the configuration. The first 5 minutes seems a little terrifying from your description.
I’m also wondering about being able to ‘touch the ground’ when the bike is an extra few inches up in the air? And I hadn’t thought about that slippery aspect of the rollers starting immediately. I guess its all good for maximum pedalling time?
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