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.
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@wiscot
Isn't it amazing?!?!? You describe it perfectly, the weird sense of having to be 100% aware all the time but needing to be relaxed and keeping it all balanced.
And it truly is a steep learning curve. Another one or two sessions and you'll be cooking up yer eggs while riding like that amazing video of the female pro that was posted here a year or so ago!
I've started taking a different training approach with my turbo sessions recently. I've always used HR to train, so a tempo or threshold session would be based around trying to hold a steady heart rate.
I've had some HRM issues recently and it dawned on me that a I have a power curve for my turbo (and Excel), I effectively have a power meter. I did an FTP test on the turbo and worked out power zones.
A session training with power is so different from a session training on HR. On the latter, I'd be trying to maintain a steady HR while my speed (ergo, power) dropped lower and lower. Now, I just hit a steady speed and hold it while I work harder and harder to keep it there.
Feels like I have to go deeper for the same workout, and it feels a lot of targeted.
@Buck Rogers
The thing about winter training is that it is a well known fact that the cold air is thicker which explains why it is slower/harder in the winter......
@Teocalli
I genuinely put a post on my club's Facebook page asking if it was possible for Shimano Dura-Ace bottom brackets to gain increased resistance when worn. Turns out it was just a bit cold and I was a bit tired.
@Teocalli
Does that also apply when I'm on the turbo or the rollers in my garage? It can get into the 20s or 30s in there sometimes. Thicker air would explain a lot!
@wiscot
Is cold Treacle harder to stir than when hot?
@wiscot
Just a thought, which you probably know stone cold anyway, but if I remember mm's can make a difference to your stability - that is where your front wheel falls on the front roller. Off just a little and you won't be happy... It's worth fiddling with it to see if anything changes. Problem is I don't remember if spot on, a little behind or in front give the best result.
I'm sure the real pros here will set me straight about this - I may be imagining it all since its been 35 years since I trained/raced rollers.
@Rob
Any advice from the Velominati would be welcome. I've seen various ideas about the placement of the front roller vis-a-vis the front hub. Some say the hub should be above the back edge of the roller, others completely behind. Currently my front hub drops right behind the roller.
@wiscot
My front hub is almost-but-not-quite directly above the front roller, when looking at it a minute ago it is set back by maybe 2-3 mm.
@wiscot
But, I should add that I'm fucked if I know if that is correct or not (but I can attest that it has worked for the 100's of hours that I have done on them over the last 4 years)