Yup, it’s been mentioned by more than one rider. There is more body working and overall effort in play once you add motion to a previously rigid system.
You can use higher pressure in the leveling springs to give more support as one starting point. Do rides for a week or so to get used to that, and then work on dropping pressure and adapt again. Rinse and repeat until you are happy with the rocker setup and your performance.
Just like anything new, there are differences and need to adapt. But it can happen and works for most riders I have seen.
Chad, how would you compare there is “more body working and overall effort in play” with a rocker plate versus a “static” or “rigid” trainer to using rollers? The ground isn’t shifting underneath the rider on rollers like on a rocker plate though with something like the Elite Nero rollers there is some forward & back motion.
Rockers and rollers end up pretty similar, at least more so than fully rigid.
I have used fixed and sliding motion rollers. The motion rollers are the easiest to ride and feel awfully close to outside when compared to fixed rollers. As such, the motion rollers (and even fixed) demand more control and muscular demand than any other option IMO.
You are responsible for balance AND position when on rollers, while a rocker plate is just balance. The differences may well be minor in the end, as long as you are looking at someone that has taken the time to adapt and master whichever one is in question. Overall, once you get them down, there should be relative parity on body demands inside on rollers, rockers and outside riding… generally speaking.
I think any of the motion options are a step in the right direction compared to rigid. Does that help?
Thanks, Chad, for the detailed reply. I was just curious as I ride on the Elite Nero rollers now. Well, I was also having a thought that it might be nice to be able to zone out like when I had a Kickr before (which was pre-thru axle, hence the rollers). Seems that except for a maximal effort to exhaustion or wanting to zone out (say get emersed in a tv show or movie or read a book while listening to classical music), rollers are “better” (or not ).
I just bit the bullet and bought the horridly overprice Saris MP1. It is very good. hard to justify $1,300 good unless you can’t find any other way to blow through company provided “Stay Fit” funds, but the fore/aft motion really does add something to the mix that one just doesn’t get with side to side only.
Other way I justified it, is that even knowing that I need to and DO “measure twice, cut once” I ALWAYS screw it up.
Getting ready for winter indoor training, I’d like to add a rocker plate. I don’t have the money for a prebuilt, but also don’t have most of the tools needed for a full DIY. Does anybody sell precut wood to make a DIY rocker? Basically, I’d like to build one like the link below, and own a drill and tools to put stuff together, just no way of cutting the wood into the shape or cutting all the mounts. What I’m looking for is a way to get the wood plates/sheets precut and predrilled, then I can buy the other hardware and put everything together. Is this possible?
It is possible, but I am not aware of a company selling them outright.
An option that many have used is to dowoad the plans from my group (the We Ride South plate is very popular) and take it to a local wood shop that has a CNC router table. I haven’t looked myself, but some cabinet shops and the like may be an option.
Worth making some calls. That said, I don’t know how much you can expect to spend on a “custom” job like that vs buying on od the complete rockers.
What is your budget? Some of the lower prices options like the KOM Cycling and Lifeline (via Chain Reaction Cycles or Wiggle) may be the lowest priced ones with vibe mounts.
Ideally, $500 or less, since I’m buying a new computer as well (from my previous post).
That’s what I’m looking at. The Lifeline would be $300 shipped. I could try it out with just the side rocking, and looking at the build list, adding fore/aft would cost another $100-150. I’m curious about the wood quality as that’s the main part I’d be using. The KOM appears to be the same design, maybe higher quality build, but would cost a good bit more.
Both of those rockers seem to come from the same source (RideNow is the actual company and maker from what I have seen).
The KOM gets different finish, but they are functionally the same. I can’t confirm what you would actually receive, but I’ve seen 2 reports from KOM buyers ordering g the single motion RPV1 and actually getting an RPV2. Not totally sure, but it looks like they discontinued the RPV2 and may just be flushing old stock.
As to wood quick it sounds like decent stuff, but not the top level birch that some of the makers say is “the best”.
So I purchased the 3/4 Birch Plywood and cut it out already.Have the M10 50x50 insulators.Are you guys using M10x25mm flat screws?Wondering if they are to short or using something different that would compensate for the thickness off plywood.Would the bolt be long enough?
I recommend longer screws. My basic rule for a threaded connections is that the thread engagement between both ends should be at least as long as the diameter of the screw at minimum. I prefer 1.5 or 2 times engagement whenever possible, to make sure there is no risk of stripping threads.
I was just browsing AliExpress looking for headsets for my commuter/work trainer bike (please don’t judge, I can’t justify the cost of the premium options which are all that’s available locally) and the following item popped up.
I have seen that before, but not considered it in this sense. It mainly moves straight up and down, although it may allow some twist or lean off angle to the sides.
Based upon my testing, I’d guess that the Left-Right lean is most beneficial. Others recommend fore-aft as the more likely contributing factor to comfort.
This is mainly vertical travel, but it sure could lead to change in loading on the saddle support tissue, so it just might work.
The thing I dislike about this is the potential for constant changes to saddle leg extension. Depends a lot on how much it actually moves though.
For a low price, it seems like an easy thing to test.
So I set up the trainer today to get an idea.Still not finished.I do notice some vibration noise when under load.What are you guys using to absorb some noise?
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