binge read everything on here and got myself eMotion Rollers for training inside. I’ve only ever ridden outside so I don’t have much to compare to…but I’m a fan of it.
I originally planned to use this as a backup for when it’s icy out…but after the first ride I can for sure see an advantage to constant pedaling without stopping. So I will likely try to work it in weekly even in good weather.
Meanwhile, I have been unable to accurately test my FTP, (along with I want to test 2, 5 min and 12 min power) due to not being able to find a good road outside. I’d like to do that by Jan / Feb.
my skills keeping myself balanced on the rollers are super beginner. I did an hour at my endurance pace and didn’t feel like I was going to fall…but for example I was unable to get my water or a towel. I’m sure that’ll come with time…but for now, since I won’t be putting a TON of hours on:
Is testing on rollers a possibility? or is it too sketchy?
a) approx how many rides / hours until you were comfortable testing?
b) same question for watching a movie…will I ever get skilled enough to just zone out and watch a movie? or is concentration necessary to not fall and break my teeth?
(I am aware Inside Ride e-motion have a fork option for the rollers but I don’t think I’d enjoy that…I enjoy the fore-aft motion)
or should I just get myself a normal trainer and flip flop sessions between that and rollers and use the trainer for testing?
Back in 2020 when TR folks were doing Group FTP tests, I believe Jonathan was doing his on rollers. So it may be possible. I think it comes with time. I started riding rollers a couple of years ago but stopped. I should go back to it. I didn’t do it enough to get comfortable trying to reach for my bottle though. You can cheat and have a bottle sitting on a stool or table nearby until you are comfortable grabbing it from the cage. I do think that the more you ride, the more you will become comfortable doing it. Good luck.
Not may be, it is possible. I and many others have done various FTP tests on rollers. It takes some skill and I was always happy I had a wall next to me on one side for a bailout, but I only used it in cases of VO2 and higher efforts that got sketchy mostly on the recovery more than the work segment.
^^^ is that a skill learnable by an averagely athletic person in a few weeks? or is that months?
I am ok taking my time learning to get better but I kinda wanna get the testing going ASAP to guide my training better…so I’d consider buying maybe an e-flex plus and kickr for a season and just re-sell it or something if I get comfy enough on the rollers.
thank you for pointing out I don’t lose the fore-aft…it didn’t register how that would work until I went and looked. maybe the fork addition would be the best option to get up and running with testing almost immediately?
Sorry for the quick answers before, was mid over-under workout and squeezing in answers between sets.
I do think the fork stand is a worthwhile option consider the low cost while maintaining fore-aft and a lean function. Additionally, since it maintains the basic resistance function and inertia of your rollers, testing and riding with the fork stand will still be very similar to pure roller use.
Swapping to a Kickr and E-Flex introduces more variables because it’s rather different from the rollers. The E-Flex is a great system and still my go to option, so I’m all for that if you want to head that direction.
Outside of that, it’s hard to know how long it will take any rider to get really comfortable on rollers. So much depends on your basic riding skills and balance, along with the time you can spend on them learning. I think most riders can gain the basic ride skills and ability to eat and drink in maybe a week or two. Stepping to a test may be possible then too or take a bit mote work.
i’ll give it a few weeks and if I’m not up for a test I’ll get the fork to at least get me through the winter and get testing going as my rollers skills develop.
also thank you for your other older posts on the e-motion system. you definately put me over the top to go that way and I really like them a lot…
Congrats on the purchase and I’m glad my info was helpful. I’d love to buy the official E-Motion rollers to replace my DIY hacked ones, but I just don’t have as much use these days because of the E-Flex. I think Inside Ride makes likely the best rollers with the largest feature set. I had a chance to snag a used set from a local rider at a great buy, but couldn’t even twist my own arm enough to get them
Keep us informed on how it goes or if you have any questions. Best simple things I can offer:
Start with relatively higher gearing and wheel speed. This creates a sort of stability that is helpful and takes less of the balance that is roller specific vs outside.
Definitely avoid looking down at your front wheel. Similar to riding outside, make sure you are looking “up the road” a bit. This will give you a more stable point of reference and limit the over-correction that is common with beginners.
This requires trust in your setup so I do recommend being next to a wall at the very least. And do trust the side rollers because they do work. I have bounced on/off mine plenty of times on purpose an accident and they do the job they are designed to do.
RELAX and trust yourself. We are all squirrely to start but even some wiggle is not a bad thing in the beginning. Eventually, you will get to a point where you will be intentionally wandering along the length of the rollers for entertainment and a challenge.
Stealing a quote from Aaron Lutze “Practice makes Progress”. You just have to put in the time and the skills and confidence WILL come. Have a blast taking on a challenge that I wish more riders would do.
I’m avoiding most of your questions but after a month you’ll be comfortable on em. I used mine for track bike and eventually got good enough to mount one legged and all.
One time I sneezed and that was wild.
Best tip I got was to position them in a doorway, against a wall, or next to the bed
long time e-motion rider here (over 10 years). Love them and find the experience far superior to traditional smart trainers. I had to upgrade to a newer model a several years ago because my old ones were not compatible with their smart resistance unit.
I remember the early “learning curve” days where I’d have to start with one foot in (to get things spinning) while standing on a block. The learning curve is short though, I think I was really comfortable within ~20 rides on them (and I’m not a great athlete or bike handler). It’s really just a mental thing you need to get over, it’s actually just like riding/balancing outside if you don’t over-think it. I can do no hands, reaching for stuff on a shelf nearby, etc. The only tricky part past the initial leaning curve is watching TV. If you are watching a big screen and following movement with your eyes, you can tend to ride off to the side as your eyes track that way. I’ve found this is really only an issue with sports where I tend to get a little distracted and “follow the ball”. Some of the curvy sections of Zwift can require a bit of attention as well, but you just need to be aware.
No issues doing any kind of test or interval session except maybe not ideal for all-out sprints (some use them for that, but it’s a little too crazy for me).
Keep using the rollers they without doubt make your riding skills sharper. I ride on E-motion’s too but also did many years on Kreisler Dyno Myte’s. You will improve. I use mine sometimes, depending on circumstances 6 or 7 days in a row. While I ride them I have a bracket that holds my phone and watch YouTube vids while I ride. I can do high power seated and standing. And yes I have fallen off but was due to being careless. You will learn to feel the bike laterally and wil become aware of where you are at on the drums.
I recently saw a youtube video where the person had built plywood platforms on each side of their rollers. That makes it super easy if you have to stop or step off since the ground is much closer.
I’ve been thinking about getting a used set of e-motion rollers just to have an indoor change of pace.
The best tip I saw for riding rollers was to use flat pedals instead of clipless got a while when getting started. Makes it MUCH easier to start and stop.
I’m looking at getting rollers for January - that’s the first thing I’ll do (switch to flats).
I found that clipping in a single foot was the easiest way to learn how to start. You can start with one foot on a solid block/surface while spinning up the bike with the clipped in foot. Once the tires/rollers are spinning, it’s easy to jump on and keep balance. I know some folks start on a wall/doorway (and that is probably the quickest way to get rolling the first time), but at some point you want to learn how to start from the floor without wall help.
I am not able to grab my water from my bike. I’ve been practicing sitting upright (can’t do no hands yet but can do one hand on the hoods). I can grab a towel. yesterday I watched a youtube video on an ipad I placed 6 feet in front of my on a table while pedaling at my normal endurance pace - it was mostly audio…not something I had to visually focus on. I can switch hand positions pretty easy.
dismounting is still a little bit lol - but I haven’t practiced it really…only dismounted when I was done. probably worth doing 10-20 reps one of these days.
I am a big fan of the rollers.
my next big step would be getting up to standing…just to be able to stretch my body a bit. that’ll be my January goal.
