How to Ride on Rollers
Sometimes people have trouble maintaining a straight course while riding their bike on the street, especially when reaching for a water bottle or removing a snack from a pocket. Because riding a bicycle on rollers requires greater equilibrium that riding a bike on a street, the proper use of rollers can greatly increase your balance and coordination when pedaling outdoors. Many professional cyclists train on rollers during winter months because it is an excellent way to tone the muscles used for pedaling.
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Instructions
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Position your rollers within reach of a wall, allowing enough room to mount your bike from that side. If you lose your balance while pedaling on the rollers, you can reach out and steady yourself with the wall.
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Set your bike on a moderately easy gear before mounting and lean the bike against the wall.
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Position a sturdy chair beside the rollers opposite the wall so that it faces forward, close enough to reach from your bike and far enough away from the rollers that you won't run into it while gliding back and forth over the rollers while pedaling. You will use the chair to steady yourself. Some more expensive rollers come with a removable training half-loop support bar to use in lieu of the chair.
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Mount the bicycle from the wall side. Using the chair's back for support with one hand and clip your toes onto the pedals if using clips. Place your free hand on the top portion of the handlebars. Be sure the bike is completely vertical and that the front wheel is straight.
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Begin pedaling while maintaining a grip on the chair's back, bring the rpm of the wheels up to around 40. When you feel at ease at that rate, increase your pace to about 80 rpm.
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Do not look at your wheels or the ground; keep your eyes aimed ahead of you. Initially, you will use the chair for support, but as your cadence increases, you should barely touch it only to maintain balance. Once you feel comfortable, release the chair.
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Alter your riding style as you gain confidence with the rollers. Keep your bike in a lower gear for your first session at least, but as it becomes easier practice shifting to higher gears. Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to ride without your hands, practice retrieving your water bottle or a snack from a pocket and rolling back and forth from one side of the rollers to the other.
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Reduce your pace when you want to stop. Beginners can once again use the chair's back for support and you can "coast" until the wheels stop turning. When you feel that you no longer need the support of the chair, you can unclip your toes from the pedals if using clips and have your feet free for support before you lose enough rpm to maintain balance.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not rush yourself. It can take several days and possibly weeks before you are comfortable enough on the rollers to coast and/or ride without your hands on the handlebars.
Do not use your brakes to stop rolling. Some rollers with heavier mechanisms will not stop rotating immediately and may propel your bike backward, off the rollers, should your wheels lock.
When you begin to drift off the rollers to either side, remove your toes from the pedal clips, if using them, so you can put your feet down and avoid falling over. When the wheels of the bike leave the rollers, the ground stops them immediately, so there is little danger of forward motion once off the rollers. The greatest danger is falling over sideways.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit competor/athletic in road cycle racing image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
