Life In The Saddle

Back when I was racing for the Isle of Wight team, we used to have these funky little fold-up rollers to warm-up on. They were a bit basic: you removed the front wheel, and clipped the fork to a strut, then the back wheel sat on two mini rollers. They were a bit basic, but they were a lot easier to transport than normal rollers. They certainly did the job, even if your back wheel did occasionally stray off the rollers... I have never seen those little "flip-out rollers" for sale anywhere, though. Then last year, Feedback Sports released the Omnium Warm-up Trainer . Instantly, it appealed. The Omnium looked like a set of "flip-out rollers", upgraded. Portability and practicality So, why would you buy an Omnium trainer rather than a set of traditional style rollers like the Tacx Antares , or a turbo trainer? The main reason is almost certainly going to be the portability and practicality offered by the Feedback Sports Omnium. With the rollers on the Omni...

It is the start of turbo trainer season. Dark winter nights and icy roads may well drive you inside before long; to sit on a static bike in front of the television. I don't often find myself riding indoors, but when I do, I'm grateful of having a good quality trainer to ride on. Here's what I'm using this winter... The Elite Crono Hydro-Mag ElastoGel Trainer. It probably has one of the longest turbo trainer names out there. There is a good reason for that though, because it is a feature packed static trainer that is a great tool to add to your 'pain-cave' arsenal. Here is what sets it apart from the pack, in my opinion... Fluid and Magnetic Technology Combined Fluid resistance turbo trainers are renowned for providing a smooth progressive resistance as you increase your effort and speed. Fluid technology gives a great road-like feel, and the resistance can be controlled by moving through the gears on your bike, with a harder gear equalling a higher l...

Autumn is rolling in, which means shorter days and wet and colder weather. For some that means night riding, for some that means indoor training. I like to do a mix of both, and having borrowed a set of Tacx Antares rollers from a friend last winter when the weather got bad, I decided that adding a set to my training arsenal would be a great addition. Mention cycle rollers and the blue conical drums of the Tacx Antares will often spring to mind—they are widely recognised to be one of the best value and best made sets of rollers available. They have not changed a lot since their first incarnation, but they have been tweaked to make them a superb example of the product. In this post, I give a review of Tacx Antares, then in a subsequent post I will give you some example sessions that are perfect for rollers . Built to last Tacx have a strong reputation for building high-quality products. The Tacx Antares Rollers follow suit—they use high-quality bearings in the rollers and str...