# Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers



## mcb2080 (20 Dec 2009)

Hi, I am thinking of buying the above so that I can get some cycling done during the winter as I will not be able to get out much in east kilbride (we can get snow during the summer here )

Anyway, I have a hybrid with 26 inch wheels with schwalbe marathon supreme tyres (sort of slicks) Would the bike wheels fit a roller, or is a roller set up for 700 wheels? Can you adjust the fit on the roller to accommodate both sizes?

Also are the schwalbe tyres ok for a roller or would I need proper slicks or turbo trainer tyres on the back and front of the bike?

Thanks

Mark


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## Young Un (20 Dec 2009)

The rollers are adjustable for and aft allowing you to get the right fit on your bike so there is nothing to worry about there. Your tyres should be fine, but you may want to change them over to normal slicks to reduce vibrations, decrease the sound generated, and to increase the life of your current tyres.


Steve


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## mcb2080 (20 Dec 2009)

Cheers for the reply

I have gone ahead and ordered the rollers.

I am now looking for a very cheap set of slicks as they will be purely for the rollers.

As you say, my marathon supreme's cost about £60 so I would imagine I could get a set of slicks for about £20.

Any suggestion for 26 x 1.5 - 26 x 2.0 slicks?

Thanks again


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## Bill Gates (21 Dec 2009)

Yeah. All rollers are adjustable for different wheelbases. The single roller for the front wheel should be positioned so that the front wheel spindle is is 2 to 3 inches behind the centre of the roller for best stability. There will be instructions with the rollers.


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## mcb2080 (21 Dec 2009)

Thanks very much Bill for the tip.

Can't wait to get started on them.

Cheers


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## Bill Gates (22 Dec 2009)

Bill Gates said:



> Yeah. All rollers are adjustable for different wheelbases. The single roller for the front wheel should be positioned so that the front wheel spindle is is 2 to 3 inches behind the centre of the roller for best stability. There will be instructions with the rollers.




Whoops got that wrong. 

When you're looking at the front wheel from sitting on the saddle it looks further than it is. Just measured the distance and it is less than 1.5 inches and if anything I would say the best position is to adjust the rollers so that the front wheel spindle is about 1 inch back from the centre of the roller.

Apologies.


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## SimonC (22 Dec 2009)

mcb2080 said:


> Thanks very much Bill for the tip.
> 
> *Can't wait to get started on them.*
> 
> Cheers



That will change once you have got them.


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## mcb2080 (22 Dec 2009)

SimonC said:


> That will change once you have got them.



LOL, I am looking forward to the hard workout


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## mcb2080 (27 Dec 2009)

Just tried the rollers there, took about 10 minutes to feel comfortable on them.

Done a 25 minute workout just to see what it felt like and I quite like them.

Going to try for about an hour tomorrow.

For losing weight is it better to do say 20 - 30 short 2-3 minute bursts of 18-20mph rather than just a 60 minute cycle at about 12mph?

Cheers


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## Young Un (27 Dec 2009)

mcb2080 said:


> Just tried the rollers there, took about 10 minutes to feel comfortable on them.
> 
> Done a 25 minute workout just to see what it felt like and I quite like them.
> 
> ...



Well, to loose weight you want to be aiming for staying in 60-65% of your max heart rate, so initially it may be better to spend a long time just plodding along. However, that is not saying that the short burst won't make you loose weight, they will, and they will make you fitter and a better cyclist to boot!


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## mcb2080 (27 Dec 2009)

Young Un said:


> Well, to loose weight you want to be aiming for staying in 60-65% of your max heart rate, so initially it may be better to spend a long time just plodding along. However, that is not saying that the short burst won't make you loose weight, they will, and they will make you fitter and a better cyclist to boot!



Thanks for the reply Young Un, I am going to work out what 60-65% of my max heart rate is.

I have a heart rate monitor strap and watch that lets you set it to certain parameters so that I can keep it within the 60-65%

Thanks again


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## Young Un (27 Dec 2009)

No problemo. I would say it would be quite good to do a session of each - so a session of weight loss, and then later in the week, a session of fitness, perhaps doing some 4 minute efforts, with a 4 minute rest. $ minutes because this is where you start to work at lactate threshhold, increasing your fitness I believe.

Hope this helps.


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## mcb2080 (27 Dec 2009)

Young Un said:


> No problemo. I would say it would be quite good to do a session of each - so a session of weight loss, and then later in the week, a session of fitness, perhaps doing some 4 minute efforts, with a 4 minute rest. $ minutes because this is where you start to work at lactate threshhold, increasing your fitness I believe.
> 
> Hope this helps.



Thanks for the tips, I am going to look for some training plans.


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## aka0019 (27 Dec 2009)

I just got some of these for xmas  I love them! Took me a while to get the hang of them but fine on them now. I haven't been able to see my speed as using my winter bike which hasn't got a speedo. Done an hour though which felt like a decent workout. Only thing is you can't go mad on them like i'd imagine you could on a turbo.

Anyway, let me know if you find any decent training plans. Enjoy 

Andrew


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## mcb2080 (27 Dec 2009)

aka0019 said:


> I just got some of these for xmas  I love them! Took me a while to get the hang of them but fine on them now. I haven't been able to see my speed as using my winter bike which hasn't got a speedo. Done an hour though which felt like a decent workout. Only thing is you can't go mad on them like i'd imagine you could on a turbo.
> 
> Anyway, let me know if you find any decent training plans. Enjoy
> 
> Andrew



No problem Andrew, I will let you know if I find anything decent, and all the best with the rollers.

I am going to buy an Oscillating Fan tomorrow to keep cool as the sweat just stays on you due to there being no wind, seen a decent one in comet for £15
http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/163783/PROLINE-PSF160


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## aka0019 (27 Dec 2009)

mcb2080 said:


> No problem Andrew, I will let you know if I find anything decent, and all the best with the rollers.
> 
> I am going to buy an Oscillating Fan tomorrow to keep cool as the sweat just stays on you due to there being no wind, seen a decent one in comet for £15
> http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/163783/PROLINE-PSF160



Thanks for that, a fan is essential! The amount of sweat that came off me was horrible!


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## Bill Gates (28 Dec 2009)

aka0019 said:


> Thanks for that, a fan is essential! The amount of sweat that came off me was horrible!



Assuming you are wearing a T shirt then you'll find that most of the sweat drips from the forehead. Since I've taken to wearing a (sweat) headband then virtually no sweat drips on the bike or floor. I also use a fan but not on the oscillating mode as half the time the air blows away from you.


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## AlanW (28 Dec 2009)

Young Un said:


> Well, to loose weight you want to be aiming for staying in 60-65% of your max heart rate,



Just to add to this -

50% - 60% is the most important zone of all, otherwise known as the healthy heart zone. This provides benefits like lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass.

60% - 70% great zone for burning even more calories, but is not recommended for beginners.

70% - 80% it you want it all then this is the place to be, fitness, slimming and performance. But NOT recommended until you have done some base building first.

But the key to all of this is knowing your max heart rate, and don't be tempted to use 220 - your age, its a totally rubbish calculation, as everyone is different.


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## mcb2080 (28 Dec 2009)

AlanW said:


> Just to add to this -
> 
> 50% - 60% is the most important zone of all, otherwise known as the healthy heart zone. This provides benefits like lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass.
> 
> ...



Hi AlanW, thanks for the very well explained post, I wasn't sure about training heart zones but you have cleared it up


aka0019, I have found a training plan http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1671 It seems not too bad, I am going to start it today.


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## Bill Gates (28 Dec 2009)

AlanW said:


> Just to add to this -
> 
> 50% - 60% *is the most important zone of all,* otherwise known as the healthy heart zone. This provides benefits like lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass.
> 
> ...




50-60% does bugger all for fitness........and on a turbo/rollers?

60-70% *not *recommended for beginners. Are you having a laugh?

70-80% Blimey. That's where all my base work is done!!

< 65% = IMO this is for recovery, anything else then don't bother for training purposes.

But hey each to their own.


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## Chrisc (11 Jan 2010)

Just ordered a set of these rollers, it's just too depressing with all this damn snow.  Let's see a.) if I can stay on. b.) if it cheers me up c.) if it gets me fitter!


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## Chrisc (12 Jan 2010)

Came today, Thanks Wiggle!
Set up and running in about ten mins. Leaned against the wall for a bit then got the nerve to balance properly. Dead easy!
Completely soaked after fifteen minutes in a garage with an air temp of -2...


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## mcb2080 (13 Jan 2010)

I have just done 1 hour and 20 minutes on mine there, it does get a bit boring but I am just thinking about the weight that I am shifting, and defo get a mat under it if you use them indoors because the sweat....loads of it everywhere LOL.

On a side note, I have read about how you have to make sure that your bike is completely level on the rollers or that you could hurt your back, now to make sure your bike is level from wheel axle to wheel axle would require either the back or the front of the roller to be raised I would imagine, so should there be adjustable feet?

Also, emotion rollers, has anyone tried them or own them? They look the business for getting out of the saddle as well as allowing forward motion, I enquired about these but was quoted $942 delivered but I take it there would be customs tax on this as they would be coming from the USA, just too much sadly.


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