Roller Riding Bike Geometry

[Andrew R Stewart]

Yes that's right. I am replacing my old indoors bike, usually used on rollers with an occasional trainer stand confinement. I ridden rollers for many years and have no issues with no hands and slow races. The various bikes I've used have usually been my road bike until 1998 when a built a spec fixed gear "track" bike. This bike's steering geometry is not extreme (74* HA, 35mm rake with 700x25s and a BB drop of 65mm). It rode well enough on rollers for my needs.

But I do wonder what other more experienced guys think about the geometry and that rollers, not roads, will be the bike's primary use. Is maintaining the same trail and front center as a bike ridden on roads (not roller drums) the best? I know it works, what I wonder about is if less trail positively changes the stability while on rollers.

Any thoughts? I'll likely just dup much of what I know works, still I do think about changes. Andy

[busdriver1959]

I think that by far, the greatest factor is the relationship between the front roller and the vertical line passing through the front axle. Everything else is minor in comparison. All of the rollers I've owned had a front roller that was adjustable in half inch or so increments. I would think that adjusting the wheelbase so the front axle lands directly above the front roller is the best thing you could do.
I recently helped a rider that was having trouble getting comfortable riding his new rollers. Somebody else had told him that the front roller should be well ahead of the front axle. The results were predictable. Once we adjusted the front roller back to where it should be, under the axle, all the problems went away.

Earl Glazer

[Andrew R Stewart]

For those who don't know much about rollers busdriver1959's advise is good. And considered rollers 101 set up. Of course I follow this as close as the adjusting allows for (and it's easy to drill other drum axle holes in the Weyless rails).

My roller learning story is of the customer (a very good one so names won't be said) who bought a set and returned to ask how we learned to ride them as he was having challenges beyond what he thought was normal. We again described the routine, align the rollers with a vertical marker to look at, place a chair along side for support and mounting ease. Hand on bars close to the stem, other on the chair back. No toe clips or cleated shoes at first (there were no clipless systems back then). Spin up to speed in a medium gear and try to steer the bike under your balance point (and not push off the chair). A simple lifting of your chair holding hand to test the balance. Keep the spin up and consistent. He again returned and we suggest that he bring in his bike and the rollers for a trial in the shop. He did and as we helped him set up he asked why we had the rollers backwards... with the rear wheel between the two closely spaced drums... he then placed the bike's front wheel between these two drums and tried to get going. Of course he steered right off the side as with two drums contacting the front wheel he wasn't able to steer the wheel to make corrections. We set the bike correctly and got him going pretty quickly. I later at home tried to ride my set backwards and it's REALLY hard to do, not impossible but very hard. Andy.