Bicycle rollers are a type of bicycle trainer

Bicycle trainer

A trainer, or turbo trainer, is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. They are commonly used to train for races, or when riding conditions outside are not favorable...

 that make it possible to ride a bicycle indoors without moving forward. However, unlike other types of bicycle trainers, rollers do not attach to the bicycle frame, and the rider must balance him or herself on the rollers while training. Bicycle rollers normally consist of three cylinders, drums, or "rollers" (two for the rear wheel and one for the front), on top of which the bicycle rides. A belt

Belt (mechanical)

A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts mechanically. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to transmit power efficiently, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys. In a two pulley system, the belt can either drive the pulleys in the...

 connects one of the rear rollers to the front roller, causing the front wheel of the bicycle to spin when the bicycle is pedaled. The spacing of bicycle rollers can usually be adjusted to match the bicycle's wheelbase. Generally, the front roller is adjusted to be slightly ahead of the hub of the front wheel.

History

Bicycle rollers are nearly as old as the bicycle itself. Mile-a-minute Murphy is pictured riding on them as early as 1901.

Riding on rollers

Balancing the bicycle without riding off the rollers is an extra challenge for the rider and requires much more balance and attention than other bicycle trainers. Some find that this helps them focus on the workout, while others prefer the stability of a trainer. Bicycle racers use rollers to finely tune their balance, a skill needed for drafting (racing)

Drafting (racing)

Drafting or slipstreaming is a technique where two vehicles or other moving objects are caused to align in a close group reducing the overall effect of drag due to exploiting the lead object's slipstream...

 or the close quarters of a peloton

Peloton

The peloton , field, bunch or pack is the large main group of riders in a road bicycle race. Riders in a group save energy by riding close near other riders...

.

Novices often start by placing the bicycle rollers in a hallway or door frame where there is a nearby wall for support in case of a fall. Removing sharp and dangerous objects from the area is a must, and bicyclists often wear a helmet, even though they are indoors. Beginners quickly discover that it is easier to maintain one's balance by focusing on a point a few yards ahead, rather than looking directly down at the front wheel. For the same reason that it is easier to ride a narrow straight path when riding faster, it is also easier to stay on the rollers in a higher gear, hence causing the wheels to spin faster, because smaller steering corrections produce quicker lateral movement of the wheel contact patches. The user has no forward momentum

Momentum

In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...

 while on bicycle rollers, reducing possibility of injury to the event of falling off balance.

Rollers

The rollers themselves may be made from wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

, aluminum alloy, or plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

. Aluminum alloy is usually a better choice because plastic rollers tend to bend and misshape from their regular cylindrical shape after use. Some rollers also have a concave cylinder shape (parabolic) to help keep the rider in the center of the rollers.

Frame

The frame may be made from welded steel or extruded aluminum. The frame may fold in the middle for storage or transport.

Variations

Rollers are available in different widths (from 10" to 18") and diameters (from 4.5" to 2.25" for higher resistance). Some bicycle rollers use two front drums or cylinders instead of just one.

Resistance may be added by having the spinning rollers driving some additional mechanism such as a fan. Some rollers have an internal flywheel on the back cylinder. This mimics real-world resistance to continuous acceleration and makes it possible to coast for up to 30 seconds.

It is possible to remove the front wheel and mount the front fork in a stand (usually sold separately) to duplicate the stability of other bicycle trainer

Bicycle trainer

A trainer, or turbo trainer, is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. They are commonly used to train for races, or when riding conditions outside are not favorable...

s.

Some rollers place the roller frame inside an external track so they can move (slide) fore and aft - which allow for simulating extreme pedalling off the saddle, as if climbing a hill. Strong elastic bands or springs are attached to each corner of the frame and pull and hold the roller frame in the tracks. A bicycle on the road can move fore and aft relative to the rider, and these rollers attempt to duplicate this effect.

Roller racing

Rollers may also be used for roller races (goldsprint

Goldsprint

A Goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of spectators.While roller racing has a history going back to the beginning of cycling, Goldsprints are fairly new and closely related to bicycle messenger culture. It began in...

s). Two or more bikes are placed on rollers side by side, the rollers are connected to a timing system. Timing systems either use modern electronics and digital projection, or a large analog clock with a hand for every rider representing their distance traveled. Roller racing was popular in 1950s Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, often preceding films at the cinema or taking place in between dances at dance halls.

Roller racing still takes place in Britain today with London's bicycle messenger

Bicycle messenger

Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...

 community organizing events going under the name of Rollapaluza. Systems such as OpenSprints are provide compact and economical digital roller racing equipment, whereas Rollapaluza custom make all their own equipment.

See also

• Bicycle tires for indoor use
• Bicycle trainer
  Bicycle trainer
  A trainer, or turbo trainer, is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. They are commonly used to train for races, or when riding conditions outside are not favorable...
  
  
• Exercise bicycle
  Exercise bicycle
  An exercise bicycle or bike, or stationary bicycle, or Exercycle is a device with saddle, pedals, and some form of handlebars arranged as on a bicycle, but used as exercise equipment rather than transportation...
  
  
• Goldsprint
  Goldsprint
  A Goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing and social event. Riders on stationary bikes compete against each other in front of spectators.While roller racing has a history going back to the beginning of cycling, Goldsprints are fairly new and closely related to bicycle messenger culture. It began in...
  
  

External links

• OpenSprints - Open Source
  Open source
  The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
  
   hardware and software for Roller Racing
• Rollapaluza - Roller Racing in:London
  London
  London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
  
  
• WONKY - Roller Racing Videos in:London
  London
  London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...