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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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The
SportCrafters roller comes to you completely assembled. All you will need
is to adjust the front drum to your bike. Place your bike on rollers with
the rear wheel cradled between the two rear drums, then select the holes for
the front drum that will place the drum slightly ahead of your front
wheel axle. Use the knobs to tighten the drums to the frame. Make sure the
belt engages the pulleys on the front drum and the forward rear drum on the
opposite side that you prefer to mount and dismount. |
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When
unfolded, the front frame should “snap” down when it is fully extended and
the belt is in tension. Tension should be relieved from the belt when the
roller isn’t being used, by folding the roller, un”snapping” the frame, or
slipping the belt off the drums. |
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Our dealer network is
expanding rapidly. Try the “links” page or e-mail us to locate your
nearest dealer. |
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PVC can distort when exposed
to heat or sun light. This can lead to an unbalanced drum that can cause some
vibration. Some manufacturers warranty PVC drums, but most don’t since they know
this risk exists. Although PVC can be less expensive and quieter than aluminum,
exercise caution when taking your roller outside, leaving it in your car, or
leaving it near a window if you chose to buy PVC. |
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Selection of the proper drum
diameter for your level of training is very important. Larger drum diameters of
4” or more are made popular by a lot of manufacturers, however you’ve probably
noticed these are typically sold with resistance units. Large drums give you a
relatively easy spin on high pressure road tires, and a little more aggressive
spin on mountain bike tires. If you train on hybrid or mountain bike tires and
your body weight is above 170 pounds, you may want to stick with the larger
drums. |
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Smaller diameter drums give
you increased natural resistance from tire compression. Some rollers are as
small as 2-1/4” which promise a very strenuous workout no matter
who you are or what gear you’re in. We don’t recommend this; rollers should
always allow you a moderate workout to simulate a level road. Whether you add
resistance to provide some occasional uphill simulation is up to you, but to
always fight with your roller is a bad idea. |
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We’ve found that drums in the
3” to 3.5” range give you a good workout and relatively easy spin on high
pressure road tires at your normal road speed range. Resistance can be added to
these units if needed for stronger workouts, but most people find drum diameters
in this range to give them the best overall training. Resistance will change
with speed, so your gearing will give you a very wide band of resistance range. |
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It is always best to structure
your workouts to suit your training needs. Using a heart rate monitor will
help you determine the best gearing, speed and resistance to achieve your target
output. We recommend that you strive to ride in
the 10-20 mph range, and most
people prefer 15-30 minute workouts. Rollers are not only physically
challenging, but requires concentration and can be mentally fatiguing to ride
for long periods, so use proper safety precautions at all times and especially
when riding for extended workouts. It is not recommended to exceed 30 mph for
extended periods of time. If you find you need to go that fast to get a good
resistance, then we recommend adding a resistance unit. |
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If you have aluminum rollers,
check each one for damage that would cause runout or a weight imbalance (spin the drum and look for
wobble on the surface or for the drum to settle at a heavy spot). If you find one, please contact us for replacement. If
you have PVC drums, also look for runout and if observed, try to determine where
the unit could have been exposed to heat or sunlight which is what causes PVC to
warp and take steps to avoid exposure in the future. Then please contact us to
have the drum reworked. |
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If runout isn’t noticable on
the drums, then the source of the vibration is either your tires, wheels, or a
dynamic interaction at high speeds (typically 30mph+). If your problem is only
at high speed, you need to add resistance to bring your training speed down to
approx 20 mph. If your problem is at all speeds, try changing tires and having
your wheels checked. |
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Unlike trainers, rollers
simultaneously develop your balance, technique, form and cadence with your
workout routine. Roller training to develop you for racing or long rides can be
compared to aerobic training at altitude for long distance runners. At first,
riding rollers can seem a lot like riding a bike on slick ice. Your inefficient
motions are exaggerated so that you can work to get them under control. You
should use rollers at a resistance level equivalent to level road resistance
because you need to develop your optimum ride technique and efficiency at
nominal resistance. If you add resistance, do so for only short duration, but
always cool down at nominal resistance. Rollers are NOT for the kind of
heart-pounding, leg-burning workout you get with trainers. |
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In addition to off-season
training, rollers are excellent for warming and cooling down and races as well
as in-season indoor workouts. In general, rollers help you to focus on the
qualities of riding on the road like no other indoor trainer.
And, most important... don't forget to HAVE FUN !!
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The key to a good ride on
rollers is a strong desire to be the best cyclist you can be. You need to put
100% focus on success and don’t even think about failure. If you've
never ridden rollers before, the time it will take you to learn will depend on
whether you are more concerned with riding or with falling off. It
also helps to have a coach that knows how to ride rollers.
As it has been mentioned many
times before on this website, the purpose of a roller is to develop your form,
balance, technique and cadence and it can only do that by challenging your
weaker skills, which means it will probably be very challenging to ride. You
will find that riding rollers is a lot like riding a bike on ice. It is not
very forgiving of leaning or steering. So unless you are experienced or have
trained supervision, it would be best to start out by placing the roller in a
doorway such that you can easily reach out or lean against the doorway for
balance.
Make sure your roller is set
up properly; the frame is locked down fully and the front roller drum is
slightly in front of the centerline of your front wheel.
After you get the hang of
riding rollers without needing the doorway for support, get out of the doorway
as soon as you can and ride on open floor. A doorway can become an unnecessary
“crutch” and you really want to be able to ride rollers anywhere, anytime. No
matter where you are, however, MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING ANYWHERE NEAR YOU THAT
CAN HURT YOU IF YOU RIDE OFF! No matter how good you are, sometimes Sh..tuff
happens.
Start with the bike as close
to vertical as possible, in the center of the roller. If you’re new at this,
you may find it easier if you lower your seat to help you get started in a
vertical position. As you become more accomplished, raise your seat to normal
height.
Start and stay in the center
of the roller. You may feel more comfortable at the very start to look at your
front wheel, but as soon as you can, raise your head and look FORWARD. You will
find other reference points to maintain your line. This is a very important
part of roller training. You don’t look down at your wheel when you’re on the
road, so don’t look at your wheel while you’re on rollers!
Stay seated. DO NOT get out
of the saddle or try to “stomp” Keep your hands on the handlebars.
Start in a middle gear. It
is easier to stay balanced with good wheel speed, but not excessive. Change
gears up or down to find the resistance you like at your preferred cadence.
SLIGHT steering movements or
leaning will cause you to move (quickly) off center of the roller. Correct with
SLIGHT and GENTLE steering motion. If you find yourself starting to lean,
correct with a slight steering motion to get the bike back under you. Remember
that the bike will respond to your steering motion much quicker than any attempt
to lean into it. Also remember to steer VERY gently.
In any case, don’t give up.
It may feel a lot like learning to ride a bike all over again, and you'll be
amazed with the results. …. Keep at it! |
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If there
are any questions that you are still unsure of,
or we did not answer, feel free to
contact us. |
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