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Look Pro: Rollin’ Dirty

Tommy Simpson goes rollin' in the deep.

When it comes to training, no one loves riding outside and loathes riding inside more than I do. On the other hand, riding outside is dangerous, especially with something like the Tour de Trump running the show. So I’ve been working on my road safety by not riding on the road and riding my rollers instead.

The added benefit of the rollers is that I do it in the early hours of the day, when no one is stirring apart from the odd mouse, so there are no witnesses. No one wants to see a shirtless man crying. Not even a mouse.

The rollers are the quintessential winter training and warm-up device. Merckx rode them. I was going to list other people who rode them but then realized that the list is as complete as it needs to be with just that name on it. I’d never ridden them until last Spring, when Marko sent me his, saying I could have “those diabolical bastards”. I rode them on my road bike until it got light enough to accommodate morning rides outside which was twice. Then I forgot about them until we fell back again a few weeks ago. (Daylight Savings? More like Daylight Shavings.)

With the days getting short and my gut getting wide, I’ve turned once again to the rollers for my morning Spanish Turbo Sessions. Except this Fall, I’ve been riding my Don Walker track bike (which was here until ridden only for the Festum Prophetae Hour) which adds the benefit of an unforgiving fixed wheel to the fun of riding these torture devices.

On the plus side, nothing will give you a more Magnificent Stroke than this heinous combination will. Thirty minutes feels like a lifetime; forty-five like an eternity. I’ll let you know what fifty minutes feels like when I get there. At which point, much like with The Hour, I’ll no doubt climb off, citing road conditions.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Buck Rogers says:

Dec 2 2016 at 3:36 am

@ChrisO

@Buck Rogers

@Rick

@BacklashJack

I have seen the kinetic rocking trainer. Although it does look pretty cool, I really have no need or desire to be out of the saddle while on the trainer. Also, I feel like I am more likely to rock too far on the kinetic and take the bike, and trainer down on top of me. I am fine just sitting down and going forward for now.

Great discussion! I just use it as another justification for another bike!

Anyways, I HAVE to get out of the saddle every 15 minutes for 5 minutes or so, at least, just to save my arse from going numb on the rollers/trainer. I cannot imagine riding for 1-3 hours and not getting out of the saddle at all. That just cannot be healthy!!!

When I do long trainer rides I do regular intervals out of the saddle, although in the UAE we often had to make ourselves get up on the pedals.

I remember a chap came out to ride with us, very good rider, while he was there on business and commented afterwards how his arse was numb because you just sat down for so long, whereas at home you naturally stood up every now and then.

And he was from Ipswich (which will mean something to @Chris) but for non-Englishers it’s a famously flat part of the country.

Must be my northern Vermont heritage. You cannot go 2 k's in any direction without hitting a climb up there!
SamV says:

Dec 2 2016 at 9:37 am

I'd used rollers predominantly for years, but then got a used turbo last year and leaned on that for most training, and mixed in rollers for recovery and some pedal stroke work. Last night I did my first honest-to-goodness workout on them in probably a year or so and goddamn I forgot how effective they were. I did intervals to an album with 2.5-3.5 minute tracks using HR as the metric. The intervals were roughly 95%-90%-95%-recover-95%-90%-95%-recover-95%-90%-recover-end.

It was only a 32 minute album, but by the end of it I was losing form to the point that I almost went rolling off. I'm optimistic about gains this winter...
Rick says:

Dec 2 2016 at 1:09 pm

@Buck Rogers

@Rick

@BacklashJack

I have seen the kinetic rocking trainer. Although it does look pretty cool, I really have no need or desire to be out of the saddle while on the trainer. Also, I feel like I am more likely to rock too far on the kinetic and take the bike, and trainer down on top of me. I am fine just sitting down and going forward for now.

Great discussion! I just use it as another justification for another bike!

Anyways, I HAVE to get out of the saddle every 15 minutes for 5 minutes or so, at least, just to save my arse from going numb on the rollers/trainer. I cannot imagine riding for 1-3 hours and not getting out of the saddle at all. That just cannot be healthy!!!

I vary my seated position on the trainer. Every 15 minutes or so I take my hand off of the bars and sit straight up. I reduce my cadence as resistance increases given the additional weight on the back tire and ride upright for a minute or so. Then I resume my normal position on the handlebars. This seems to keep me from getting too stiff or numb.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 6 2016 at 3:53 am

Brilliant find today on my lunch roller ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BosoKajLw_I

I watched this race and man it was awesome! I have never seen Dwars Door Het Hageland but if you need an hour-plus vid for the rollers, this will not disappoint, esp with Matthew Stephens commentating.
chris says:

Dec 6 2016 at 10:14 am

@Buck Rogers

Ha, awesome. I'll save that for Thursdays session.

You really have immersed yourself in the Euro race scene. I'd never heard of that one!
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 6 2016 at 11:14 am

@chris

@Buck Rogers

Ha, awesome. I’ll save that for Thursdays session.

You really have immersed yourself in the Euro race scene. I’d never heard of that one!

Man, I had never heard of it, either but it popped up on my youtube suggestions and I had to try it when I saw the description which was "The Belgium Strade Bianchi". Esp when I saw that Matt Stephens as co-commentating! I am going to have to go watch it next year! I wonder if they do a cyclosportif of that race???
chris says:

Dec 6 2016 at 11:51 pm

@Buck Rogers

Tro Bro Leon 2018?

Haven't been on my rollers for a while but I came close to losing my lunch in the turbo last night. I think my FTP is probably nothing more than a good indication of 90% of how much I can hurt myself in 20 minutes and bears no relation at all to what can be achieved in an hour or even 45 minutes.

There is much work to be done before the Ronde.
Buck Rogers says:

Dec 7 2016 at 1:32 am

@chris

@Buck Rogers

Tro Bro Leon 2018?

Haven’t been on my rollers for a while but I came close to losing my lunch in the turbo last night. I think my FTP is probably nothing more than a good indication of 90% of how much I can hurt myself in 20 minutes and bears no relation at all to what can be achieved in an hour or even 45 minutes.

There is much work to be done before the Ronde.

That is one race that I have watched many years of on youtube on the rollers. Another awesome, under-the-radar race. I would love to do it as a sportif in 2018! I am planning on doing Strade Bianchi in 2018 without a doubt, though so not sure how close they are to one another. Cannot do too many or I will be in trouble with the VMH and kiddos! Only one or maybe two if they are well spaced, per year!

And as for the Ronde, oh yes, much work to be done. I am riding the rollers four days a week now for the last month, up from three days a week in October but now my right knee is starting to bitch at me a bit.

Need to try to get outside for longer rides as an hour, ten minutes on the rollers is not going to translate well into 230 k's of Flanders at all, even if I do it seven days a week!
Ron says:

Dec 7 2016 at 8:27 am

@chris

@Buck Rogers

Tro Bro Leon 2018?

Haven’t been on my rollers for a while but I came close to losing my lunch in the turbo last night. I think my FTP is probably nothing more than a good indication of 90% of how much I can hurt myself in 20 minutes and bears no relation at all to what can be achieved in an hour or even 45 minutes.

There is much work to be done before the Ronde.

Good lord. Due to a nagging injury, I took 5 weeks off from twice-a-week soccer. I played last night and had serious trouble running for the full 90 minutes. Add to that a 7 month old and very little time for long rides, and my conditioning is HORRIBLE and my waist line has grown.

Ugh, I officially felt old last night having trouble running for a full scrimmage.

Gotta drag the rollers out!
wiscot says:

Dec 7 2016 at 10:45 am

Just got my first set of rollers in like . . . 30 years. Once turbo trainers came out in the late 80s it was bye-bye to the rollers (which were so crap and noisy they could be heard by my folks in the house when I was outside in the garage).

Damn, they're tricky to get used to. First session was basically worthless. I think I rode unsupported for maybe 10 seconds. Second session was better - a couple of 10-15 minute sessions. Determined to get to "second nature" point soon.

What gets me is the strange mixture of having to relax and seriously concentrate at the same time. It really makes you aware of any subconscious tension or flaws in your stroke.