Even though once you learn you never forget, it never hurts to brush up on your cycling skills in the off-season. Specifically I’m talking riding rollers. Back in 1998 I purchased a pair of Kreitler Challenger Rollers after reading an article about the benefits of riding rollers as opposed to a rear wheel elevated trainer. For the past 8 years I have abused them, ignored them, sweated on them and loved them. Here is the skinny.
Back in the early 70’s Al Kreitler began turning out high quality bicycle riding rollers from his shop in Ottawa, Kansas. He produced them there until the fall of 2001 when his company was purchased by Mountain Racing Products. It was there that the Kreitler line joined its other siblings including the White Brothers Forks and Tamer seat posts. Quality craftsmanship seems to run in the family. On a set of rollers, quality craftsmanship turns into a quality ride.
According to Paul Aieta, the sales and marketing guru for Mountain Racing Products, this quality craftsmanship is the main ingredient in a set of Kreitler rollers. “There are many ways to cut corners in a set of rollers. Compared to other rollers we offer perfectly balanced end-caps, high quality bearings, perpendicularity of end-caps, steel frames and most importantly a set of precision drums,” said Aieta. “Because of intensive quality control, our roller drums are closer to perfect than anyone else’s. When you ride these rollers and look down you can’t even tell the drums are moving,” he continued.
Initial set up is minimal and nearly ham fist proof. After opening all of the cartons and identifying a well lit assembly area you simply follow the instructions and assemble one side first and then the other. Take special care not to over tighten the cap nuts or the threads will be stripped and the axle ruined (stripped threads are not covered under warranty). Many times the axle nut tightening sequence will set up a twist in the frame so that one of the feet does not touch the floor. If this happens, simply have someone hold down on one end of the roller frame and gently twist the other end of the frame in the opposite direction so that all of the feet will contact the floor. In all cases, the frame will conform to the floor surface when the weight of the bicycle and rider are on the rollers.
the front drum you are ready to ride. All current Kreitler roller models will accommodate bicycle wheelbases from 31.5” to 46.75” in one inch increments. An intermediate extension kit is available to accommodate wheelbases from 48.5” to 63.75” and there is also a tandem/recumbent kit which expands to accommodate wheelbases from 57.375” to 72.63.” The intermediate extension kit can be used in conjunction with the tandem/recumbent kit to accommodate wheelbases in excess of 89.” That’s one big mo fo.
It is recommended that toe clips be removed while riding rollers as this will greatly reduce your chance of injury if you ride off of the rollers. It is also probably not a good idea to learn to ride your rollers in front of your brand new plasma television. Setting up in a doorway or near any safe support area is the best way to get the feel of this new experience as you will invariably need to bail. Also, it is possible to spin on a set of rollers astride your knobby tired mountain bike, but for the smoothest sensation, ride with slicks.
I do remember the first time I hopped on my rollers. In no time I was wobbling all over the place and crashing into the brick wall in my garage. Here is where that “once you ride a bike you never forget” thing comes into play. While everyone’s ramp up time is different, you will eventually get it and you will reap the benefits of never forgetting.
When I asked Paul Aieta his thoughts on the benefits of rollers he explained, “Roller riding develops pedaling techniques and balance skills that cannot be honed on a stationary trainer. The activity of riding on rollers is much more enjoyable. You are riding a bike, not a machine.”
The first thing I noticed after spending time on my Kreitler rollers is how straight of a line I was able to hold when on the road. The next time you find yourself hugging the white line because the cars whizzing past don’t seem to fit on the road with you that idea of keeping it straight will be second nature.
The steering on your rollers is much quicker than anything you will experience on the road. Just as there is no slop in the production of a set of Kreitlers, there can also be no slop when steering your bike on your rollers. A normal correction on the road to avoid a pothole or broken bottle will result in a trip off to the left or right of your rollers. I have also noticed over the years a tendency to shift my right foot forward on the pedal because of the lack of clips or straps. This is the kind of imperfection of my pedal stroke that I only noticed when riding my rollers.
So who can benefit from a set of Kreitlers? Apparently a lot of people. Because of the weight involved and the shipping costs the bulk of the Kreitlers sold are in North America. Even so, just recently a set was shipped to a 70 year old man in Hong Kong who had owned a set 20 years ago and was now looking for another set to help him lose weight. Norwegian mountain biking champion and former Olympian Gunn -Rita Dahle has also been spotted warming up for races on her Kreitlers. Dahle is the 2002, 2004 and 2006 World Champion as well as the 2004 gold medal winner for women’s cross-country mountain biking in Athens. In other words, her credentials aint half-bad.
But let’s face it, the main reason someone buys a set of rollers is to maintain fitness levels when the snow flies. While hopping on a set of rollers in the confines of a warm basement may not sound like boatloads of fun, it is a great way to stay in shape. The Kreitler website also has a wattage chart for those interested in tracking their fitness levels. This chart shows the comparison of all of the different roller (there are three different sized drums) and accessories.
For a complete listing of the different products available a visit to the Kreitler (www.kreitler.com) website is suggested. The Challenger Rollers I reviewed are currently available for around three and a half bills and are available from your local bike shop or online. They come with a lifetime warranty on the frame and drums. The only item you should probably ever have to replace is the rubber belt connecting the rear drum with the middle drum. Life expectancy on that varies greatly but mine is showing minimal wear after 8 years. Keeping the rollers, when not in use, in a folded position, greatly extends the life expectancy of the belt. Overall a sturdy product for a lifetime of abuse.