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As a freshman rollerista, my feelings for this training machine have gone from terror to respect to indifference. After a month using rollers I can essentially ride the thing for as long as I want to—with a pause every twenty minutes to relieve pressure on my… tenders.
But, with three months of winter ahead, what will I do to stay motivated and keep improving? Here are some ideas, some of them borrowed from fellow cycling hamsters:
1. Increase your cadence. Strive for an average of 100rpm over the length of your workout. Then raise it to 105, 110 or even higher if you can.
2. Over-inflate your tires--the harder the tires, the bouncier your bike, and the more challenging it will be to ride smoothly. Extra golden star if your tire blows out.
3. Get your butt off the saddle. Try doing it for a few seconds at a time. It will improve your sprinting form—and your undersides will appreciate it.
4. Get some hot dogs (a.k.a. ultra-narrow rollers). The poor-man alternative might consist of marking the drums with tape, a few inches from the edges, and making it a goal to stay within the marks. Riding outside the marks will be penalized by eating a donut—while riding the rollers.
5. Jumpstart your acrobatics career. Ride with one hand, with no hands, then with one leg, then with one hand and one leg, finally with only one leg. (By the way, this is doable. See the video below.)
6. Put two rollers side to side. Ride on one set, and bunnyhop to the other in mid workout.
7. Same as #6, while eating a donut and reading The Wealth of Nations.
Techniques #5, 6 and 7 may not improve your pedal stroke, but they might get you a concussion—or a job with Cirque du Soleil.
I'll let you know how it goes.
