Goodbye Trainer, Hello Rollers

It's a well known fact that I abhor the trainer. It's a necessary evil to maintain form throughout the off-season but it takes all the fun out of riding - I'd barely call it riding actually.

That's where the rollers come in. No longer are you locked in at the rear axle, and no longer are you driving just the rear wheel. Overall your position is no longer fixed - you can move to side to side much like on the road. Here's where we get the inherent danger. There's nothing but yourself to keep you from flying off the thing. Coupled with the fact that due to less resistance on these machines, you could fly off during a sprint and your wheels are spinning at 60km/h

Tacx Galaxia - Bicycle Treadmill

Screw the danger though, this thing is a million times more fun and engaging than a trainer. If you're riding indoors and just want to ride, accept the learning curve and go with rollers. The model I'm using has some unique features as well...

Rolling rollers

The frame that supports the rear wheel sits on a rocker. At the front end the frame sits on wheels so the whole unit can move back and forth with the bike. When you go for a sprinting effort on fixed rollers, the acceleration can fling you off the bike. The design on mine uses the rocker to absorb that acceleration and keep you from riding off into your tv

Makes for an awful rolling pin

Another unique feature are the concave cylinders - the higher edges act as a warning for the rider that they're riding the edge, as well as nudging you back the middle.

Best piece of training equipment I own, makes indoor riding during the winter actually tolerable