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It is my personal belief that many people own bicycles, and that many of those people aren't interested in riding for pleasure / exercise when it is raining, snowing, dark, etc. outside, and that many of those people would ride their bicycle indoors if they had a fun and challenging device that allowed them to do so, and that many of those people would build such a device themselves if given the encouragement and advice to do so. Thus, if my calculations are correct, this Instructable my indeed be appropriate for, and benefit many people.
DIY Bike Rollers from Jason Sauers on Vimeo.
Some people prefer stands and other types of trainers over rollers, but to me there are a few appealing aspects of rollers vs others:
More enjoyable
Faster / more intense Workouts
More challenging / engaging
Better all-over body workout
No adapting or installation - just set the bike on and go
Some may argue that it isn't worth the cost (a new set can be bought ~ $200) and time to build your own, but that can be said about almost anything-
I enjoy building things, I had all the materials that I needed, and it only took a weekend to build.
The building isn't particularly challenging, so long as you are familiar with basic construction / projecting techniques, and have access to the necessary tools and materials.
I would not however suggest this as a first project, or for someone who does not have experience with similar projects.
P.S. I do not intended for this to be a set of step-by-step construction plans, as I feel that those who will likely have success in completing a project like this will be able to easily fill-in the b_a_ks that I may leave.
P.P.S. This is another homebuilt setup (much more sophisticated than mine) that I didn't find until writing this - however for me the free-motion feature isn't very important :
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/196027-Home-Made-Free-Motion-Roller-Assembly?highlight=home%20made%20free%20motion%20rollers
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Signing UpStep 1Parts and Materials
Again- my goal is not to create a set of building plans, but rather lay out some suggestions for others to build off of.
I know that there are improvements and tweaks that others will find as they build their own which will result in better and diverse versions.
Some material suggestions:
'
3" PVC pipe 3pcs @ 18"
8ft of low stretch webbing - or tubing, rope etc
6+ Ball Bearings
Steel Rod 3pcs @ 21"
Screws
Plywood
Dimensional Lumber - or other material for frame
Traction tape
I know that there are improvements and tweaks that others will find as they build their own which will result in better and diverse versions.
Some material suggestions:
'
3" PVC pipe 3pcs @ 18"
8ft of low stretch webbing - or tubing, rope etc
6+ Ball Bearings
Steel Rod 3pcs @ 21"
Screws
Plywood
Dimensional Lumber - or other material for frame
Traction tape
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One big surprise is how much peddle effort it takes even though the rollers run very free. I had assumed it would take hardly any. The bike is a road bike with 700 x 23 tires. Is this typical? So far I'm riding keeping one elbow against the wall for support. I can see it will take some time.
Fun project! Thanks! RCT
It is surprising the amount of effort it takes to turn them - if you haven't already, try shifting while you are riding and see how the different gear ratios effect the difficulty.
For a while I rode mine one handed with one hand against a wall - it does take some time to get the hang of it, but your balance will improve quickly
Nice work
I do like the idea, especially the foot pads! I'm off to price parts.
Thanks, Rich
Videos I've watched show the rear wheel slewing side to side rather rapidly. That must feel wierd at first.
(this essentially happens if the belt jumps off the roller or becomes overly slack)
There are two main reasons that I can identify:
1- If the front tire is not turning, it will not want to track side to side, and you wont be able to steer or balance well (you could set something up to hold the front fork fixed and steady, but then you would essentially have a stationary trainer)
2- The added gyroscopic effect of the spinning front wheel helps you to balance. Rollers are reasonably difficult to ride on even with both wheels spinning... trust me. It takes a bit of practice
Let me know if you need further clarification
nice stuff here--I'm prepping to do a version of this. But where did you find 3/8" bore bearings to be able to fit 3/8" rod? All the skateboard bearings I've found are 8 mm or 0.31"...
Thanks,
Sam
If you want 3/8" ID bearings, it looks like you can get them off ebay for ~$2 each
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-R6-ZZ-Ball-Bearings-3-8-x-7-8-ID-Bore-375-inch-875-/130253727695?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e53ba27cf
dhouggy used actual skateboard bearings in his build - you might want to check it out if you haven't already: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-roller-trainer/
I guess my suggestion is to use whatever is easily accessible and fits within your budget - Im sure you can come up with a more clever solution than mine.
Post some pics and send me a link when you finish it. I'd like to see it.
There's one issue, I can't source material for the rollers that would suit. I live in the UK and the hardware stores have plenty of PVC pipes for plumbing (guttering and waste), but they are too thin/flimsy. Where would you find plastic pipes with walls like yours in the photo? Are they used for anything specific? I'm clueless about this.
Thanks!
I have also seen wooden rollers used - if you can find some decent 3" or so diameter logs, and have a way of drilling them - that may work.
If you can find 2" diameter sch40 PVC - you could also follow dhouggy's instructable http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-roller-trainer/
Best of luck, and let me know how it turns out
I guess my point is that it's important to remember how very much we can do with a few simple tools. Our best tool and our biggest impediment is often our own imagination.
But that's enough ranting out of me for today.
Maybe I'm missing something... wouldn't two rollers on the front tire eliminate the need for the strap and provide more stability? It's mentioned in passing at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_rollers: "...Some bicycle rollers use two front drums or cylinders instead of just one..."
Are four rollers too stable, not stable enough, or just not as much fun? Looks like ALL of the commercial ones are set up like the one in this 'ible. Can anybody tell me why?
Thanks!
- it is more forgiving of the varying wheelbase between different bikes ( a double front roller requires a fairly accurate length match, where as a single front roller doesn't )
- a single roller allows for easier steering ( it creates a single contact point - much like a tire on a flat surface vs. two contact points which is more constrained)
- a single vs a double is cheaper
The strap's function is to turn the front tire - it allows the front tire to track side to side while it spins, and also adds some gyroscopic stability (riding on rollers is much more challenging than riding a stationary bike) If the instability is undesired - Then a stationary trainer would be the way to go - much simpler
We don't have smog checks in NY..... (Yet)
Are you from CA? I never realized they run a car on rollers to perform the smog checks. Learn something new every day.
An aggressive mountain bike tread will create more resistance than a road bike tire, but should still work fine - i use both on mine.
If you can, try a mountain bike on it, and see if it is any different.
Also try shifting gears - if you haven't already (you will probably want to be in a fairly low gear starting out)
There are a few places that friction can be unintentionally introduced -
Do the rollers still spin easily when weighted?
also - if you can, post a picture - and i can try to give you some more specific advice.
i'm pretty busy with school right now so maybe by the end of this week i can get out and experiment with it some more
the rollers are probably 18" long or so and i'd say 2" in diameter without going out and measuring them, i got them from an bargain supply outlet for $3 a piece, they roll nice and smooth and i think they probably came from a conveyor
It is a long piece of webbing - the ends are overlapped and joined -
I used a sewing machine to join mine - but narrow glue lines should also work
Let me know if you have any other questions with it
1) Will 1 1/2' PVC pipe work as well? Not a big issue, but I happen to have it.
2) For the life of me, I can't find similar bearings or a skateboard I could butcher. I have rollerblades, but I can't seem to remove the bearings from the wheels. Any recommendations on how, or what to use instead?
If not, I'll start looking for thrift stores and garage sales... but I'd prefer to make these ASAP, since I'll only have access to my friend's workshop for another week or so.
To remove the bearings from most roller blade wheels - just use a dowel and push them out from the opposite side (after removing the axles and bushings) - may require some persuasion. They should work fine once you get them out
Good luck
Sorry, I'm not sure I follow the significance of the amount of surface area. Do you mean it'll be less stable/easier to fall off?
I was able to pull the bearings out with pliers, after cleaning out some gunk. But it turns out they're only 1/4", so I'll need to use a smaller rod. Hope that doesn't effect the durability. :/