29er with an indoor trainer or rollers?

[gcavy1]

been a while since I've posted.
Had our second kid this summer....I'm overweight and out of shape, and low on time.

thinking about a stationary trainer or rollers to help get things back on tract this winter.


Obviously they work with 700c road bikes, but I'm curious if they'll work with a 29 tire.

Anybody have any experience? Am I going to need to get a 29er slick?

thanks for the info.

[dmboarder]

My fluid trainer works with my Karate Monkey just fine. It doesn't work on my Epic because of the thru axle, but I've heard there is some sort of adapter you can use. I didn't want to use up my knobby tire so I stuck a cheap Giant flat guard 700-38 on the back.

Flatguard PPT Tires - BlackBelt Flat Protection (Tires) - Bike Gear | Giant Bicycles | United States

It works like a champ...if you must use the trainer.

[Stugotz]

Here's some info that I found comparing the 2 that I got of the Cyclingtipsblog.com website:

Rollers or Trainer?

April 28, 2009

If you’re looking at getting a set of rollers or a trainer and aren’t quite sure which one is for you, I’ll explain the differences of each.

Both rollers and trainers are great ways for you to train indoors because they allow you to use your own bike that you’re accustomed to, they’re relatively cheap (compared to a indoor exercise bike ergo setup), they’re easy to store and transport, they’re quick to set up and take down, and they’re easy to bring to races to warm-up on.

There are a few differences that you should consider before purchasing however. Which one you buy really depends on your goals for using them. If you want to work on spinning technique and base fitness, go for rollers. If you want variable resistance workouts that require lots of power, go for a trainer.

Here are a few points on each:

Rollers

Rollers allow you to practice your spinning technique. Once you get sloppy with your spinning, you’ll quickly become unstable and you’ll be forced to correct it.
Most affordable sets of rollers do not offer variable resistance. Your resistance will come from changing gears on your bike. This is okay up to a point and you’ll be able to spin your 53×11 up to 70km/hr without a massive amount of difficulty. The power you’ll be generating will be a function on your “speed“, not “strength“.
You won’t be able to perform all-out sprints or power intervals on rollers while standing up. Too much throwing around the bike will knock you off balance.
One thing I love about rollers is that there is zero downtime and your training is very efficient. Every minute that you’re on them you are spinning with perfect technique and not slacking off. There’s a saying that 90mins on the road is equivalent to 60mins on the rollers.
I find that the increased concentration that rollers require make them a little less boring and easier to handle mentally.
Your balance on rollers is coming from the gyroscopic effect of the wheels in motion. The faster you go, the more stable you are. It’s not as difficult or scary to learn how to ride on rollers as you may think at first. It’ll take you 2 or 3 sessions before you get the hang of it. Try staring out by setting up in a doorway where walls are close by.
Contrary to popular belief, if you happen to fall off your rollers, you won’t go flying into the television set and through the wall.

Trainer

Most trainers will have a gadget that will allow you to change resistance on the fly. This means that you can do more “strength” and “power” intervals against this added resistance.
The increased stability that a trainer provides allows you to do intervals where you can stand up and get a little more sloppy with the bike.
You won’t need to concentrate as much when using a trainer. This is great if you’re flipping through channels on the TV, reading, taking lots of breaks, whatever.
A trainer may be hard on the rear tire because of the increased resistance. I’d recommend using an old tire and putting something underneath the area where the trainer is sitting. The rubber will sometimes heat up and flake off and completely ruin your carpet. You won’t make that mistake twice.
If you’re intimidated by the thought of balancing on rollers then a trainer may be a better choice. There’s no learning curve involved with using a trainer.
A trainer is smaller and easier to transport, so it may be a better option if you want to use it to warm-up before races.

One last point about both rollers and trainers: they can be noisy and annoying to your neighbours (if in an apartament) or your husband/wife/roommate. If you can, nothing beats getting outside and enjoying the ride!

[gcavy1]

My fluid trainer works with my Karate Monkey just fine. It doesn't work on my Epic because of the thru axle, but I've heard there is some sort of adapter you can use. I didn't want to use up my knobby tire so I stuck a cheap Giant flat guard 700-38 on the back.

Flatguard PPT Tires - BlackBelt Flat Protection (Tires) - Bike Gear | Giant Bicycles | United States

It works like a champ...if you must use the trainer.

thanks, what brand of trainer do you have? (just wondering if some have more adjustable than others for wheel/tire combos)

[gcavy1]

Here's some info that I found comparing the 2 that I got of the Cyclingtipsblog.com website:

Rollers or Trainer?

April 28, 2009

If you’re looking at getting a set of rollers or a trainer and aren’t quite sure which one is for you, I’ll explain the differences of each.

Both rollers and trainers are great ways for you to train indoors because they allow you to use your own bike that you’re accustomed to, they’re relatively cheap (compared to a indoor exercise bike ergo setup), they’re easy to store and transport, they’re quick to set up and take down, and they’re easy to bring to races to warm-up on.

There are a few differences that you should consider before purchasing however. Which one you buy really depends on your goals for using them. If you want to work on spinning technique and base fitness, go for rollers. If you want variable resistance workouts that require lots of power, go for a trainer.

Here are a few points on each:

Rollers

Rollers allow you to practice your spinning technique. Once you get sloppy with your spinning, you’ll quickly become unstable and you’ll be forced to correct it.
Most affordable sets of rollers do not offer variable resistance. Your resistance will come from changing gears on your bike. This is okay up to a point and you’ll be able to spin your 53×11 up to 70km/hr without a massive amount of difficulty. The power you’ll be generating will be a function on your “speed“, not “strength“.
You won’t be able to perform all-out sprints or power intervals on rollers while standing up. Too much throwing around the bike will knock you off balance.
One thing I love about rollers is that there is zero downtime and your training is very efficient. Every minute that you’re on them you are spinning with perfect technique and not slacking off. There’s a saying that 90mins on the road is equivalent to 60mins on the rollers.
I find that the increased concentration that rollers require make them a little less boring and easier to handle mentally.
Your balance on rollers is coming from the gyroscopic effect of the wheels in motion. The faster you go, the more stable you are. It’s not as difficult or scary to learn how to ride on rollers as you may think at first. It’ll take you 2 or 3 sessions before you get the hang of it. Try staring out by setting up in a doorway where walls are close by.
Contrary to popular belief, if you happen to fall off your rollers, you won’t go flying into the television set and through the wall.

Trainer

Most trainers will have a gadget that will allow you to change resistance on the fly. This means that you can do more “strength” and “power” intervals against this added resistance.
The increased stability that a trainer provides allows you to do intervals where you can stand up and get a little more sloppy with the bike.
You won’t need to concentrate as much when using a trainer. This is great if you’re flipping through channels on the TV, reading, taking lots of breaks, whatever.
A trainer may be hard on the rear tire because of the increased resistance. I’d recommend using an old tire and putting something underneath the area where the trainer is sitting. The rubber will sometimes heat up and flake off and completely ruin your carpet. You won’t make that mistake twice.
If you’re intimidated by the thought of balancing on rollers then a trainer may be a better choice. There’s no learning curve involved with using a trainer.
A trainer is smaller and easier to transport, so it may be a better option if you want to use it to warm-up before races.

One last point about both rollers and trainers: they can be noisy and annoying to your neighbours (if in an apartament) or your husband/wife/roommate. If you can, nothing beats getting outside and enjoying the ride!

hey, thanks for the info. I wasn't actually trying to decide between rollers or a trainers, just wondering if they'll work with a 29er wheel/tire combo.

[AZ]

Some trainers have more adjustment to fit a 29er but running a typical dirt tire on one is mind numbing due to the noise. A smooth tire is much quieter and will last much longer.

[dmboarder]

thanks, what brand of trainer do you have? (just wondering if some have more adjustable than others for wheel/tire combos)

It's a Giant Cycletron fluid and is quite adjustable. It even fit my wide-ass tandem.

[HalFliP]

Just picked up a CyleOps Mag+ at Interbike.....

Works great on my 29er.....didn't try to stuff my knobbys in there....just picked up an extra road wheel from a buddy and threw on a spare 10sp cassette. When I want to use the trainer swap wheels....done deal.

[walangkatapat]

I bought the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine a couple of months ago and my Niner EMD works great. The Kenda Kwest tire is mounted on the rear, no problems so far.

[Rabbitized]

I do rollers as warmup before races. Its a bit of a tight fit with my 29er, but it works and Im very pleased with it.

It makes a lot of noise though, because of the tires. With slicks there is nothing

Cheers

[octavius]

im getting a budget 700c road wheel with a ten speed block and a slick. dont need to worry about rotors/dics on the turbo. magnetic ones are less noisy than fans...
make up some inspiring playlists on itunes to spin to because its pretty mindnumbing. stereolab and kraftwerk work well to my crazy ears...
regular 30 or 45 min sessions (3 a week) plus a big ride at the weekends is great for horrible january (in scotland anyway, know its still warm, light and sunny elsewhere for the lucky ones).
...and start getting sweaty. you'll notice a different pretty quickly. did this for the last few years on my old 26" and its great once you get in the habit.
happy spinning

[RWGreen]

Expensive, but nice.

Inside Ride, Inc.: Home of E-Motion Rollers - Home

[Caffeine Powered]

Expensive, but nice.

Inside Ride, Inc.: Home of E-Motion Rollers - Home

A now defunct fitness shop had those for daily group workouts. I used them instead of their Cycleops stationary trainers or the Fluid Trainers with my road bike. Once I brought my Ferrous with Michelin 28mm road slicks mounted and spent too much time fiddling with the wheel base of the EMotion.

As for what I use in the house, I have Kreitler rollers for the road bikes and a CycleOps Fluid Trainer I share with the wife. The Fluid trainer quickly switches from a 650c road bike to a 700c road bike to a 29er. It does it easily enough that my less than mechanically inclined wife can remove my bike and set hers in without me hearing about it for a month.

As for you, you should consider a 700x28 slick or a less aggressive hybrid tire for less noise from the trainer. You could put a standard road wheel in your 29er so long as there's the same number and spacing of gears for you to use.

There's also a 5mm spacing difference between a 29er and a modern road bike. It won't hurt the wheel or the frame to compress the rear end, but you might find it difficult to do it depending on the stiffness of the rear end.

If you're not planning to ride outdoors for a while you might be better off switching the tire for a while. Besides, everyone needs practice fixing tubes/tires. Why not do it in the comfort of your living room?

[emeterio]

Hi there, do you know some rollers that can actually fit a 44.5 wheelbase?

Thanks in advance.

[Geralt]

Hi there, do you know some rollers that can actually fit a 44.5 wheelbase?

Thanks in advance.

CycleOps says a 44.5" maximum for their rollers.

Kreitler standard frame rollers(not the Kompact model) will fit 44.5" easily.

[emeterio]

CycleOps says a 44.5" maximum for their rollers.

Kreitler standard frame rollers(not the Kompact model) will fit 44.5" easily.

Thanks for the info dude