After years of my friends raving about riding pants for winter cold and water I finally broke down and bought a pair. Game changer. Makes riding in the cold and wet much more comfortable.
Gear that has improved my riding this off season
I was thinking about getting myself a trials bike as well, but back when I was really young I had a bmx and rode with a few racers. Anyways, I got myself a used b,xto work on my bike handling skills, near me is an indoor spot with a foam pit. So far, work has kept me from going, but the plan is still to go at least twice a month and learn a trick or two...and that elusive manual. Over here it has been raining almost non stop for three months with temps hovering around zero deg. So not in the mood for riding outside....old school indoor trainer I have had for a decade, I guess. Or longer. Smart trainers/rollers...too expensive. Got to keep my kid riding.
Other than that, a heavier kettlebell (32) and some rings on the ceiling but my right shoulder is still a little delicate after moving house. Carrying cases full of books on your own is no fun.
Posted by: tashi
Holy cow, you can get smart rollers?
Very cool.
I have a feeling it is the rollers that are making the biggest difference. I started with a workout program where the rollers automatically adjust the resistance to a desired power output. I use crank based power meters to provide cadence and more accurate power readings. After a week of solo workouts my efficiency numbers had already improved by 50%.
Now I just enter a crit every day. Go for the sprints with each lap. It's pretty fun. I just figured out why they were so hard though, turns out it is a mass start so when I moved myself into the lead group off the start line I was racing with a bunch of cat 1 riders it would seem. Painful trying to keep in that pack. I have only had one big crash so far. My sprints need some work as well, standing and sprinting on rollers is a lot harder than asphalt. I van get up t about 1000 watts but after that I start to lose grip and balance!
They were on sale for about 900$ and so far they have been worth every penny. We will see how well they wear.
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
Posted by: Sethimus
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
I remember asking myself that question before I bought my taxc setup which uses the back wheel, I could not see myself pedalling on these roller thingys.
Rollers are great for improving balance and learning how to hold a line. It only takes a short while to get used to staying upright.
Also, fun at parties.
When we used to have parties, that is.
Posted by: Sethimus
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
After 1-2 rides I was fine just riding along. Now 2 weeks of regular use and I am able to turn and wave to my wife or take a hand off bars etc without issue. Still working on no hands....
I would have been happy to watch tv while riding these within the first 1-2 hrs of using them. If you are just riding along, it is easy as pie. The problem is when out of the saddle sprinting, but that is getting better too. In saddle sprints are totally fine. Hard efforts are fine. I have a wall on one side and I keep a step ladder just in case but I don't even need them to start or stop so they mostly just hold my phone etc. It's nice to have a feeling like riding a real bike rather than being locked on a trainer. I know they have tilt tables to give a rocking motion when riding a trainer but this folds up smaller and I just buy some new rubber in the new season. Couldn't be happier with the purchase. My rollers have wheels on the bottom to allow the whole thing to go forwards and backwards, which definitely adds to early confidence and more natural feel.
Damn, modern rollers sound sweet, even without the connectivity. A parabolic shape and the float sound really helpful in giving a more realistic feel as well as helping you stay on for hard efforts. I’m pretty comfortable on my straight rollers but I don’t really rock out on them cause I think that would be pushing it.
I’ve seen too many buddies get way faster with a winter of Zwifting, I’m gunna have to get on it. It also seems like training is necessary for me to ride well now that my balls are on the saggy side of 40…
Dexshell waterproof socks - until recently I have been able to use Shimano Winter boots through the worst of the UK Winter Slop and Grime (TM) but a switch to flats and non5-10 friendly feet means I had to get some new waterproof socks and they are way better than the old Sealskinz I remember!
Posted by: Sethimus
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
I learned years ago in about ten minutes. I was advised to start within a door frame so you could put a hand out in either direction. I could ride no hands pretty quick too. I found indoor training pretty dull. Modern Kicker type trainers are better because you can get subscriptions to Trainer Road and the like which kind of forces you to do actual training. But I know people that ride trainers for three hours to prepare for Ironman triathlons. I couldn’t do it. But that means there are always deals on lightly used trainers out there from people that bought them with good intentions but never got into it.
Posted by: andy-eunson
Posted by: Sethimus
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
I learned years ago in about ten minutes. I was advised to start within a door frame so you could put a hand out in either direction. I could ride no hands pretty quick too. I found indoor training pretty dull. Modern Kicker type trainers are better because you can get subscriptions to Trainer Road and the like which kind of forces you to do actual training. But I know people that ride trainers for three hours to prepare for Ironman triathlons. I couldn’t do it. But that means there are always deals on lightly used trainers out there from people that bought them with good intentions but never got into it.
those are smart too…
Posted by: andy-eunson
Posted by: Sethimus
how hard is it to stay on these rollers? do you need to concentrate much on keeping your line? could you watch tv while riding?
I learned years ago in about ten minutes. I was advised to start within a door frame so you could put a hand out in either direction. I could ride no hands pretty quick too. I found indoor training pretty dull. Modern Kicker type trainers are better because you can get subscriptions to Trainer Road and the like which kind of forces you to do actual training. But I know people that ride trainers for three hours to prepare for Ironman triathlons. I couldn’t do it. But that means there are always deals on lightly used trainers out there from people that bought them with good intentions but never got into it.
A buddy of mine has a customer who regularly sits in his basement staring at a white wall for hours on end, to get himself ready for audax length rides. Just the image of me sitting on my indoor set up in front of a white wall gives me the creeps.
Hmm....maybe I should check out used smart trainers, never had that idea of buying used with electronic stuff.
I'm going to add these to my list. Haven't ever been this happy with a pair of flats. They grip fantastically but allow you to reposition easily. Not sure they are improving my riding, but I do like them. Not sure why people are so concerned about maximum grip. I hate it when you get your foot in the wrong place and then can't move it to the right spot. Drives me nuts.
Posted by: syncro
Posted by: Hepcat
Man this thread just reiterates what a bunch of broken old f*cks we are.
lol - speak for yourself
No, he can speak for me. I really need to get on that program.
Like some have already said, I started riding in pants last winter. Started with a pair off RF Ruxtuns and they were pretty good. I have a few pairs now including a pair of Enduras. They are next level. An Arc’teryx shell and winter rides have greatly improved.
I’ve been night riding for several years now but finally got some high quality lights, wow.
Last edited by: FLATCH on Jan. 21, 2022, 5:15 a.m., edited 1 time in total.
Posted by: Hepcat
Man this thread just reiterates what a bunch of broken old f*cks we are.
Despite a litany of aches and pains and chronic injuries I'm pretty impressed with myself and friends I ride with because we are still getting out into the forest a lot and riding strong/skillfully. The people that look broken down to me are the typical middle-aged folks with sedentary jobs and junk food/Netflix habits.
The current crop of MTB pants are great as they pedal well with knee pads and don't overheat. Race Face and Endura both make solid options.
I'm a fan of the sticky shoe + pedal combo. I'd much rather have new pedals/shoes be too grippy than not grippy enough. As they age both items get less grippy with wear/damage. So if they start off a bit too grippy a few months later they'll still work well. If they start out just okay they'll start slipping as they wear and that's not safe nor fun. Since you can remove pins it seems like a combo that's too grippy could be adjusted strategically by just removing a few pins until you hit the right amount of grip.
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