Today’s question is about why you could get numbness while riding inside on rollers, even though it’s the same bike used outside without any problems…

Hi. I can ride my bike 50, 60 miles or more with no numbness in my crotch or hands. 30 minutes on the rollers however and I start getting numbness in both. Any solutions?

Thanks,
Numb Nick

Hi Nick,

Your problem is pretty common when riding inside, whether it be on rollers or a stationary trainer.

The most likely cause is that you are not moving around on the bike and changing positions like you would outside.

Think about it. When you’re outside, you alternate between standing and sitting. You might shift forward or back on the saddle when climbing a hill. You alter your body position to achieve proper cornering form. You change hand positions constantly for braking, shifting, better aerodynamics, etc. Even turning your head to look left or right forces you to change position.

When riding the rollers, you don’t have to do any of that stuff. So, you probably don’t. Thus, you are leaving your body in the same position for 30 minutes, concentrating all your weight on the same small parts of your hands and butt.

If you don’t believe me, just go for a ride outside and count the number of tiny movements you make. Then compare that number to the position changes you make when riding rollers.

The second possibility, since you’re on rollers and have to maintain balance, is that you are tensed up and gripping the handlebar too tightly. This happens to riders that are new to rollers. They tense up their bodies and don’t move at all.

To fix this, do two things:

• Relax
• Move constantly

First, relax your body. You need to be calm and fluid on the bike. Being relaxed will actually improve your balance.

Second, move around and constantly shift your positioning. You want to change hand positions, slide forward and back on the saddle (typically required when changing hand position,) and stand occasionally.

I know I change my hand position at least every couple minutes. I will also stand every 5 or 10 minutes, depending on what type of workout I’m doing.

Try that next time you’re on the rollers and you should be able to ride 30 minutes (and beyond) without much hand and crotch pain/numbness.

After a few years of braving the cold every day, I decided it would just be more efficient to ride indoors sometimes. I purchased a cheap indoor trainer (on sale for $55,) used it for about a month, then it crapped out.

That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because once I returned the trainer, I grabbed a set of rollers, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

The rollers I purchased were the Performance Travel Trac Alloy Rollers. I usually see these in the Performance Bicycle catalog for $130-150. If you watch for them to go on sale, use a coupon, and/or join the Team Performance discount club, you could get them even cheaper (mine were effectively $110, although that was years ago.)

The rollers are lightweight and they fold for easy storage, and the alloy drums are strong, durable, and smooth. You only need an adjustable wrench to adjust the front drum for your wheelbase.

I have been using these year round (but mostly during the winter) since 2004, which means I’ve put about six off-seasons of riding on these rollers. Despite those thousands of miles, these rollers are good as new! Even the connecting band looks good (it hasn’t cracked, stiffened up, rotted, etc.)

I should also mention that these are stored in an unfinished, unheated basement that leaks all the time. They aren’t pampered, but you wouldn’t be able to tell.

I can’t complain about these rollers at all. The price was great and they do what I want – allow me to ride indoors and have it feel like I’m actually balancing my bike. You could pay $400 for Kreitler rollers, but unless you need the resistance units or just like to spend money, it’s not necessary.

Resistance? Well, I can get in the big ring and spin at an unrealistic 40mph on these things. So a stationary trainer does look good from that perspective. But I still work up a sweat on these rollers, that’s for sure!

My final verdict is…

Rollers are way more fun than a stationary trainer, and these Performance Travel Trac Alloy Rollers are inexpensive yet offer great quality. (I see no need to buy more expensive rollers unless you need a resistance unit.)

I love these and highly recommend them for anyone who wants a set of rollers.

Official website: www.PerformanceBike.com

Did you just pick up some rollers for the coming indoor riding season? Great choice! (I am a big fan of rollers over stationary trainers.)

Now you just need to set them up…

The good news is, rollers are very easy to set up. Even better, you only have to set them up once – there is no need to adjust them each time you ride! (If you use a stationary trainer, it requires adjustment each time you put your bike on it.)

Tools needed:

• Adjustable wrench
• Plumb bob (optional)

Now let’s get started…

Step 1: Set the rollers on the floor.

Place the rollers on a flat surface. Unfold them if that is an option.

If unfolding them, make sure the cable is resting in the grooves on the sides of the roller drums. This cable is vital because it connects the drums so they all rotate together!

Step 2a: See if your bike fits.

This is the only real step in roller setup. You need to adjust the position of the front drum to match your bicycle’s wheelbase.

To do this, hold your bicycle on the rollers. Be sure to place the rear wheel over the two nonadjustable drums. The front wheel should rest on the single front drum.

Now look at the bicycle’s front hub and the rollers’ front drum. What you want to do is move the drum forward or backward so that the front hub is slightly behind the drum.

What has worked perfectly for me is dropping a plumb bob from the quick release skewer. I like it so I can drop a plumb bob from the skewer (which is the center of the front hub) and have it hit the back side of the drum. This means the center of the front hub is behind the center of the drum.

Note: If you do not have a plumb bob, you can just eyeball it.

Why not center the wheel over the drum? If the front hub is directly above or slightly in front of the drum, it’s more likely you’ll ride off the front of the rollers!

Step 2b: Move the front roller.

Now, if the drum does need moved, grab the adjustable wrench.

To move the drum, just loosen the end bolts with an adjustable wrench, move the drum into a different set of holes, and re-tighten the bolts.

When finished, make sure everything is tight, and take a test ride!

This is the craziest roller riding video I’ve ever seen. As if it’s not hard enough to ride no hands or one foot on rollers, this guy decides to ride with no hands and one leg! It’s insane!

I think the hardest part is clipping back in without a hand on the bar, but he makes it look easy!

(I first saw the video at http://teamchainreaction.com/video/hungerford/ but that site seems to have been taken down.)