Cycle roller trainer - ideas

[Albert0109]

After lurking around for a long while, I have discovered there are many clever people on this forum! Anyone got any ideas how I can make one of these from scratch?
Any of your thought/ideas appreciated, would obviously need bearings for the runners!
This also folds for easy storage.

 

[Paul.]

Nothing too it, make a simple rectangular frame from some 30 x 30 box section, weld on some short legs to save on the bending, and drill it for some conveyor gravity rollers.

 

[brightspark]

After lurking around for a long while, I have discovered there are many clever people on this forum! Anyone got any ideas how I can make one of these from scratch?
Any of your thought/ideas appreciated, would obviously need bearings for the runners!
This also folds for easy storage.
View attachment 40306

buy something like this or look down a scrapyard see if theres any about .depends on how much u got to spend http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roller-Ta...pply_Material_Handling_ET&hash=item4616384616

 

[hotrodder]

Have you ever ridden on rollers before? If not they are scary, scary things initially, then you get comfortable and assuming boredom* doesn't set in complacent. That's usually about the time you leave the rollers at some mph and make a mess of something (at least your pants if you had the forsight to not set them up infront of something solid)

* maybe more applicable to turbo trainers which have more resistance but after what feels like hours and dripping with sweat (as you're stationary so no cooling breeze) you look at a clock and realise it's been 10 minutes

 

[Wozzaaah]

I've never tried rollers but just the thought of them scares me!
Having no ability to control the resistance can't be good can it?

 

[Shox Dr]

Have you ever ridden on rollers before? If not they are scary, scary things initially, then you get comfortable and assuming boredom* doesn't set in complacent. That's usually about the time you leave the rollers at some mph and make a mess of something (at least your pants if you had the forsight to not set them up infront of something solid)

Pussy

 

[Albert0109]

Pussy

 

[Albert0109]

Fancied living life on the edge ha ha!
Just need to work out all the design problems!

 

[hotrodder]

I've never tried rollers but just the thought of them scares me!
Having no ability to control the resistance can't be good can it?

It's about spinning, fixed wheel ideally

Pussy

You never done this then ...

 

[madkayaker]

Hook a generator up to it then the TV will only work if your cycling hard

 

[Shox Dr]

Woz, yup just a few times. I used to do the head to head racing good fun, certainly keeps the mind off the pain in you lungs and legs

 

[GrahamGKD]

Never used these but just pondering about what would happen if the belt comes off and the front roller (and front wheel) stops spinning - presumably you would fall off? From what I can see looking at commercial versions the rollers have to be tapered (smaller diameter in the middle) - conveyor belt rollers (as suggested by TIG Paul) are like that aren't they?

 

[Albert0109]

Never used these but just pondering about what would happen if the belt comes off and the front roller (and front wheel) stops spinning - presumably you would fall off? From what I can see looking at commercial versions the rollers have to be tapered (smaller diameter in the middle) - conveyor belt rollers (as suggested by TIG Paul) are like that aren't they?

Not sure if it matters wether front and rear rollers are connected?
I think the rollers must have a slight taper biased towards the middle!
I don't think you should apply the brakes whilst on one of these

 

[Shox Dr]

No

Never used these but just pondering about what would happen if the belt comes off and the front roller (and front wheel) stops spinning - presumably you would fall off? From what I can see looking at commercial versions the rollers have to be tapered (smaller diameter in the middle) - conveyor belt rollers (as suggested by TIG Paul) are like that aren't they?

They are parallel

 

[Robotstar5]

Using tapered rollers would make using them too easy!

 

[Albert0109]

Quoted from inter web

Stay focused and maintain your balance
Once you are riding away from the wall or door frame, you are completely balancing yourself – even more so than you would riding on the street. This is where your core and upper body really gets a workout. Your arms and core muscles are what keep you balanced; as you sway left or right your arm and ab muscles will engage and pull you back to center. This is accomplished with very slight steering motions, oversteering will cause you to lose your balance or send you off the side of the drums. Aside from physically keeping yourself balanced, it helps greatly if you look forward instead of down at your front wheel, which is very typical to do when starting out. Focus on a stationary object in front of you, as you would do while trying to balance on one leg. Again, this sounds easy, but remember that the drums of the rollers are only twelve inches wide, leaving very little leeway for drifting and swaying. This is the great advantage of rollers over trainers—rollers teach you to reduce upper body movement and maintain a smooth pedal stroke.

When I first started riding on rollers, I bumped my elbow on the wall quite often trying to re-balance myself, so I just threw on an arm warmer for a little extra cushion. After a few hours and a couple pounds lighter, you will be free from the barriers of the wall. Sure you’ll still bump it here and there, but you will no longer need it to rest on – you will right yourself and stay in the center of the rollers by slight steering and and small body movements. Once you get the riding and balancing down pat, you can start shifting through grears, drinking from your water bottle, ride no-handed, bunny-hopping onto the rollers… well, maybe not that crazy, but some can do it. I have my rollers set up in the basement facing the TV, so I can enjoy watching old Tour videos as I ride. I’m really looking forward to next Spring, to see if these things truly keep you in peak riding shape. Check out some of the glam shots below.

 

[voipio]

With the type of rollers depicted by the OP, the front and one of the rear rollers need to be connected by a pulley and belt arrangement so the front wheel is spun by the rear wheel, else there is no way for the bike to move across the rollers in order for the rider to maintain balance. On the other hand there is the other type, where the rear of the bike is clamped into a frame and sits on a roller, often with a dynamo incorporated, allowing resistance to be varied by handlebar-mounted control. Less likely to fall off with this type ;-)

http://www.pedal-pedal.co.uk/tacx-blue-matic.html?gclid=CNrO8Im_x7sCFeLHtAodph8AHA

 

[jinjahbiscuit]

We had a "home made" set of rollers years ago my Dad's mate fabricated (being a welder) for him from some 1/2" square tubing and conveyor rollers. The front roller was (as noted in a previous post) driven from the centre roller using a flat belt.
We had years of fun using them, never had any problems once you'd got your balance sorted out, the belt never came off and they even got used for a sponsored ride (guess the distance "travelled") at our village fete on occasion.
Sadly scrapped years ago when the owd boy bought himself a turbo device.
I bought myself some rollers recently, the tapered type and I must admit they're awful.

 

[lchris21]

I've seen some with small vertical rollers on the edges of the front and rear set, stops you wandering off the edges

you could link it to a small fan to add some resistance, maybe even configure it to add some cooling. I built a stationary "turbo" type a few years ago using a compact cooling fan off a DC motor. Worked well.

If they are anything like turbo trainers than make sure you get some rollers with quality bearings as the noise will drive you mad if not.

Like all stationary exercise equipment, they will test your mental resolve for being so boring..........

I'm currently using the turbo type, and some online training vids as motivation, but be warned, they are horrible, sweaty, pain machines

 

[GrahamGKD]

With the type of rollers depicted by the OP, the front and one of the rear rollers need to be connected by a pulley and belt arrangement so the front wheel is spun by the rear wheel, else there is no way for the bike to move across the rollers in order for the rider to maintain balance. On the other hand there is the other type, where the rear of the bike is clamped into a frame and sits on a roller, often with a dynamo incorporated, allowing resistance to be varied by handlebar-mounted control. Less likely to fall off with this type ;-)

http://www.pedal-pedal.co.uk/tacx-blue-matic.html?gclid=CNrO8Im_x7sCFeLHtAodph8AHA

Good point. I was thinking that you would need the gyroscopic effect on the rotating front wheel to maintain correct balance?