Aside from a two week-long artogview (articles + blogs + reviews) extravaganza dealing with all things winter cycling that’s about to come in the near future, it was deemed necessary to gift you with a super quick, super informative and super synopsissy (not a real word but you get it) on cycling rollers versus trainers.

Ready?

Here we go..

Apples vs. Bananas vs. Screwdrivers

While one of those things is not like the other, and two are tied together with somewhat of a familial bond, they each not only look aesthetically different, have unique tastes and one works better when hanging a picture on the wall, they all provide different benefits. Knowing why each one of them is different than the other and what it provides for you is the first step in understanding it.

We’ll break it down here so you never have to worry about using a banana to put your Ikea Henriksdal dining room table together again.

Rollers

Bicycle rollers, like the Kreitler Alloy 2.25″ Rollers or the Kreitler Challenger 4.5″ Rollers With Headwind Fan enable you to master your spinning technique. When you’re atop multiple sets of rollers—like a lumberjack on logs of wood with water underneath him—once you get sloppy, you’ll quickly become unstable. Without correction, you’ll fall in the water (or whatever surface your training stop of… we don’t suggest water), so you’re forced into a proper training mode.

Rollers, which do not hold your wheel in place, provide a more realistic cycling experience that focuses on balance, steering and pedal stroke, as for it’s quite difficult to stay atop your rollers without applying power through the entire rotation.

As for a little science behind them, your balance is coming from the gyroscopic effect of the wheels in motion. The faster you go, the more stable you will naturally become. While many do not even attempt rollers because of their advanced-appearing training feel, it’s not as scary or daunting as you may think. Like any regime, after a good 2 or 3 times on and off, you’ll get the hang of it an on your mission of powerhouse training. With this said, it’s probably a good idea to rest your rollers on a surface that wont hurt too much if you take a tumble, and many beginners set their rollers near a surface they’re able to hold onto in case this occurs—like a setting up in a doorway where walls are close.

Most affordable sets of rollers do not offer variable resistance, (yours will naturally come from the changing gears of your bike) where up to a point you’re able to pain your 53×11 up to 70km/hr without a large amount of difficulty and the power you will be generating will be a function of your speed, not strength (compared to trainers).

One of the greatest advantages of rollers is that there will be zero downtime when you’re training. Meaning, you’ll be ultra efficient. Every second that you’re on your rollers you’re spinning with perfect technique and not lolling around, where for every hour you’re on your rollers it’s like 90 minutes on the road.

No, contrary to popular belief, and only perpetuated through sunday morning cartoons, if you fall off you rollers you wont fly directly through you television set.

Trainers

Much like the stationary bikes you would see at the gym, trainers, like the CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer or the Kinetic Cyclone Trainer hold the rear wheel of your bike off the ground so you’re able to ride in place to simulate a ride that will never take off, giving you a stable ride that allows to you to focus on things aside from balance.

Trainers give you everything you will need to keep in cycling shape even when you can’t head out on the road or trails and were specifically designed to work on your power very efficiently in a highly controlled environment. They require better technique than stationary bikes, and provide a more realistic experience, where the geometry and resulting body position of a stationary bike may be significantly difference from a racing bike.

Most trainers allow you to change the resistance on the fly, so if you’re not feeling challenged and/or want to switch it up to get rock hard calves the gods will envy, do so, and many trainers are equipped with sensors that monitor your performance, so you’re able to focus in on variables like power output, cadence and even virtual speed and heart rate to analyze and fine-tune your specific training needs.

From wind trainers that use a powered fan to provide resistance on the rear tire to magnetic trainers that use a magnetic flywheel to create resistance on the rear wheel, fluid trainers that combine a magnetic flywheel and fluid resistance trainers, utilitarian trainers that use the output power used to drive a useful device, such as a generator, and even virtual reality trainers that give you the experience of riding real trails, roads or courses to get you the most unique training experience offered, there are an array of unique and highly affordable systems that will keep you going even when you can’t be outside.

Trainers also allow you to focus on other things, may that be a tv show on in the background, the sound of death metal to keep you amped or the book your partner has been nagging you to read, which comes with pros and cons. While you’re able to multitask while training, it’s important to remember that this increased stability may enable you to you to work in intervals or risk being sloppy. Simply remember why you’re training and stick to your goals.

Tips

Rollers and trainers are not only both small, easy to transport and store like a dream off-season, they are beyond affordable and a must for your winter, off-season or training schedules.

Since you’re not outside with Mother Nature’s natural cycling breeze, remember to either prop a window open to cool yourself down and avoid overheating, or if you don’t buy a system with a fan included, direct one towards you to keep you comfortable and oxygenated.

Because you’re unable to stand up to pedal on rollers it’s important to take a short break every 15 minutes or so. If you’re on a trainer, change your peddling position sporadically to target different muscles which will allow you to train much longer.

Trainers can also be pretty tough on your rear tire overtime, so it’s best if you have a reserve tire that is either trainer-specific or old, and know that if you opt out of a trainer mat that is usually sold separately from your system you’re risking damaging whatever surface you’re training on.

Wether you opt for rollers or a trainer, riding inside versus out provides its own set of challenges that may take some time getting use to, but it’s important to alway remember that you’re training for a reason so don’t give up if you feel challenged, so pump on.

Head over to our Indoor Cycle Trainers page and jumpstart your winter training today!