Has anyone out there sorted out how best to ride a Cruzbike on indoor rollers. Due to the onset of winter and quake damage to so many of the cycling routes around the city ( Christchurch NZ ) I would like to get a training programme running using indoor rollers during these dark months. I always found them hard enough with a DF bike. Any advice would be really appreciated. Cheers folks.
Cruzbike on indoor rollers.
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RojoRacing
Donut Powered Wise-guy
That's a damn good question, but figure A because when you try and turn the front wheel you don't want the line of the tire to have a binding effect between the two spaced rollers. I'm basing my thoughts of physics and not any real world experience though. I think you could get away with figure B but it wouldn't be optimal and could cause you to constantly fight the steering.
hoyden
Well-Known Member
I plan to try this out very soon. The MN outdoor riding season is having a grand extension that I plan to enjoy to the fullest. When it comes time to ride indoors I will be doing it on Kreitler rollers. My initial plan is to try configuration (b).
Time will come to crank up this science fair experiment.
I hadn't thought of that possibility. Now I am not so sure (b) is the desired orientation.
Time will come to crank up this science fair experiment.
hoyden
Well-Known Member
Learning to ride on rollers took longer than learning how to ride Silvio. I started out on rollers about 4 years ago using a Birdy folding bike with 18" tires. Two years ago I transisition to a RWD USS recumbent; Azub Origami with 20"tires.
Each time I took it slow and easy and I fell off more than a few times. In both cases I mastered the skill such that I could clip in and watch videos and not fall off too often. First I learn how to ride without being clipped in or watching videos.
Total concentration on keeping the bike upright and centered. I have a visual references directly to my front and just below the TV that helps me to stay oriented. Those visual references are about 6-10" apart and represent the maximum left/right excursion before getting too close to the edge.
This skill is totally based on instinctive reaction; no thinking involved beyond staying aware of my overall centeredness on the rollers. I have a wall to my right that is where I go when things get wonky. On my left I installed one of those orange spring mounted fiberglass poles used to mark the driveway for snow plowing. The pole provides visual and tactile feedback when I stray too far left. The spring lets the pole bend without breaking if I fall off.
When I can stay on the rollers for an hour or more and not fall off more than about 1 in 10 sessions then I graduate to clipping in. Then I start the learning process again staying totally focused on staying on the rollers by exercising my instinctive steering reactions. It's a new experience for me to rely on instinct without a lot of thinking; my brain just can't process the feedback in time.
When I can stay on rollers clipped in then I can start to almost watch videos. I focus on my visual references with the TV in my peripheral vision. Then I gradually shift my visual focus up towards the TV screen. Eventually I can master watching the screen with the visual references in my peripheral vision.
I thoroughly enjoy riding a recumbent indoors on rollers, second only to riding outdoors.
Zzzorse
Zen MBB Master
Larry has ridden on Krietlers, hope he chimes in. If I recall he chose (b),
I have a set of Omnium portable rollers where you are forced into configuration (b) because there is no third roller. The front tire oscillated side to side to the extent that I had to build a frame to hold the front wheel in place to prevent side to side movement and steering input.
I have a set of Omnium portable rollers where you are forced into configuration (b) because there is no third roller. The front tire oscillated side to side to the extent that I had to build a frame to hold the front wheel in place to prevent side to side movement and steering input.
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hoyden
Well-Known Member
Here is my setup minus the orange marker. The particle board next to the window provides tactile feedback when I stray too far right. It also provides a place I can stop and rest against while staying upright and on the rollers. The board also sort of protects the woodwork from damage when I fall off.
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Yes - (b) is you only option on Kritler rollers, you have to put the drive wheel between the double set of rollers.
To help make is easy to start and not dangerous to ride if you fall or stop, I build a "base" out of plywood that covered the entire set of rollers. The tops of the rollers barely stuck out from the top of them.
Here is a picture of it:
hoyden
Well-Known Member
Curious, why is that? Do bad things happen if you choose (a)? I have never seen rollers with a platform. I can see how they could make it easier to step on and off. I wonder if the platform part between the rollers is necessary. Do you find your feet in that space?
Looks like MN is going to get another week of nice weather; 50-60F so I will be riding outdoors. The Twin Cities record for the latest first frost was Nov 7, 1900-something. Breaking that record all to heck.
mzweili
Guru
+1
LarryOz
Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
Without the base: It is very hard to set your feet down and keep the bike upright, especially if you have to do it quickly while riding.
hoyden
Well-Known Member
I can see that would be helpful for the part of the platform outside the frame. What about the platform inside the frame and between the rollers? I don't recall ever putting my feet down inside the frame. The platform could be simplified by removing that part.
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
You would then need to add cross members to hold the wood up in the middle. Larry went for fast and simple
ratz
Wielder of the Rubber Mallet
Larry's double rollers are not connected for by the drive wheel. Reverse it and you get power loss to the fan, but I also suspect and his roller powered fan would be powered backwards and not work. Just a guess
super slim
Zen MBB Master
Larry you LOVE working with wood!
bladderhead
Zen MBB Master
ratz said:
Well, he is Larry
hoyden
Well-Known Member
I don't use the belt driven fan. I use a floor fan with remote control. I will try both configurations and will report back what I discover. In the meantime I continue to enjoy the outside ride.
I like the platform outside the Kreitler roller frame because it makes mounting and dismounting easier. I question whether the platform inside the frame and surrounding the rollers is necessary. I will make provisions to add it in if needed. There's a reason I write software for a living and carpentry and mechanics are hobbies. Sometimes I have to fall into the holes I dig for myself before I can learn how to walk around them.
Whether it's easier to ride on big wheels vs little, I will find out. I did not need a platform when I rode on little wheel bikes. I have a lot of experience falling off and even more experience catching myself before falling over. I can see that 700 tires plus being elevated several inches off the floor will complicate mounting and dismounting. I will explore some form of platform.
hoyden
Well-Known Member
I don't put my feet down when things get wonky. I put on the brakes and lean against my wall support to my right. I'll see whether the riding instincts I've learned on the small wheel bikes translates to my 700 wheel Silvio.
When I do fall, and I have fallen to the left and right, I go down and there's almost no catching the fall and staying upright. A platform would decrease the fall height.
ReklinedRider
Zen MBB Master
Having never used any sort of indoor trainer, is there an advantage to these rollers over other types of trainers?
