Rollers are HARD!!!

With the prospect of winter approaching, days are even shorter and the weather is turning colder. This means that the riding season will some come to a close. With luck, September will stay warm and dry on the weekends and perhaps even through the first half of October. Any rider though has to choose between indoor winter training or buying winter riding gear. I opted for the former, since weather is only half of the issue; daylight is the other.

So I went to the bicycle shop and decided to buy a roller. Rollers are similar to a conveyor belt for a bicycle with no belt, just the spindles. After looking at rollers and trainers, I decided that rollers are much more difficult to use, but make you a better ride by forcing a higher level of balance and control over the bike.

After watching some epic roller fail videos on YouTube, I decided it was time to give a try. I too experienced epic failure. Balance is difficult, and even the slightest movement from left to right creates monumental direction changes on the rollers. I was all over the place. After 8 attempts, I finally got to where I could be on the bike unassisted (by a wall or door) for about 5 seconds. From what I read, this is typical. Next time, a little better, and the the time after that better still, until I can get on and ride unassisted. Then... the sky is the limit!

Tomorrow's big ride

Well, tomorrow is another big ride (50 miles, give or take) on the new bike. I am sure the weather being less brutal, and the hills being more forgiving will make this ride far easier than the last one (Ramapo Rally). I rode about 17 miles last night when I got home from work early for the holiday, and it feel great to be on the road bike.

Here is the ride for tomorrow: