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Price: $309 |
Kinetic Z Rollers: Quality in a Compact Package
When it comes time for recreational roadies to purchase an indoor training tool there are two main choices: trainer/stationary bike and rollers. The trainer is the most common choice and turns your road bike into a stationary bike (the Kinetic Rock and Roll Trainer being one exception, click to see the RBR review). Rollers have a stigma of being hard to use and tend to be avoided by recreational roadies, but they can be a great training tool. (See Riding Rollers 101, below, for a primer.)
Rollers are a simple training device that consists of three cylindrical drums with bearings held together by a frame. The two rear drums are closely spaced to hold the bike’s rear wheel while the front drum is placed forward under the front wheel. The front and one rear drum are connected with a belt so that when riding the front drum spins your front wheel. The result is that you can literally ride your bike without actually going anywhere or being rigidly attached to anything as you would be on most trainers.
Personally, I find sitting on a bike locked into a trainer almost unbearable. A stationary bike feels nothing like being out on the road. Rollers offer the opportunity to ride your bike unencumbered on an endless 15 inch (38 cm) wide strip of perfectly smooth pavement. The engagement required to keep the bike on the rollers helps keep you awake and focused on your workout.
Rollers and trainers are very different training tools, both offering ways to improve your riding. Trainers are great for power workouts as resistance can be very high. Rollers offer relatively less resistance so you trade power for finesse and leg speed. You can get an amazing cardio workout without completely thrashing your legs by using low resistance with high cadence. Riding a live bike takes concentration and bike handling skills to keep control and this adds to the workout. A rough pedal stroke on rollers means fighting to hold your line. Time spent on rollers will do wonders for your bike handling skills and the supple pedal stroke you develop is a great complement to the power you build on the trainer.
Unique Z Design Makes for Easing Carrying, Storage
Most rollers fold for storage and to take the stress off the belt so it will last longer, though you can find non-folding versions. The Kinetic Z Roller design is unique in that the base frame is tri-folding (hence the ‘Z’ in the name) which results in a much more compact package compared to standard bi-folding rollers. The aluminum frame members and plastic hinge joints make for a relatively light weight compared to the common steel frames of competitors. The total weight of roughly 20 pounds (9 kg) and compact folded shape make easy work of carrying the rollers and storing them in your home or vehicle.
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Rollers are more intimidating than difficult. Most of us have no problem flying downhill on our bikes and carving the occasional corner, but we are terrified of a short fall off of a set of rollers at a speed of zero. We can thread the needle between potholes, rocks and other road debris but 15 inch (38cm) wide roller drums seem like an impossible challenge. Riding rollers is really easy once you get the hang of it, but it will take a few sessions to get comfortable.
If you are a pro you ride your bike up to the rollers and bunny hop right into place. The rest of us need a little help in the form of a chair, workbench or other solid object (preferably at handlebar height) to support us while we get clicked in to the pedals and start spinning. For first time roller users a great place to start is in a doorway or hallway as this provides solid support on both sides to help you start and catch yourself if needed.
Once clipped in, hold onto the bar tops with one hand and your other hand on your support object. A high cadence andwheel speed are your best friends on rollers, so start pedaling in a moderate gear at a cadence you can hold smoothly (90 RPM is a good target). Look straight forward at the ground at least 6-12 feet beyond your front wheel and find a stationary focus point. Do not look down at the rollers to see how close you are to the edge – just like out on the road the bike will go where you look.
As you start to feel comfortable with the feel of riding the rollers gently release your support hand and place it on the handlebar. Remember to keep pedaling and looking forward. If you find yourself wobbling or drifting, the natural tendency is to stop or slow down your pedaling and look down to check your front wheel. This is the recipe for an unintended dismount. Instead, do the exact opposite by executing a snappy but smooth acceleration while keeping your eyes forward, and you will find stability again.
The first few rides on rollers can be difficult, but don’t give up. On rollers, just like riding outdoors, you need to stay loose on the bike and focus on where you want to go. Pedal smoothly and hold the handlebars gently. Steering input is unnecessary as the bike will naturally want to go in a straight line. After a few rides your confidence will grow and before long you’ll be riding hands-free, grabbing a water bottle for a drink, and performing high cadence 150 rpm intervals with ease. {/sliders}
Overall, I found the construction of the Z Rollers to be very sturdy out of the box (they come fully assembled). When unfolding the rollers, the four joints permit quite a bit of frame twisting, especially with the belt pulling taunt on only one side, but once on the ground everything was solid. It takes about 10 seconds to unfold and set the belt in its groove.
Four feet support the rear two drums and four additional feet support the front drum. The tri-fold design allows the rollers to conform to and be stable on slightly uneven ground, which is great for warming up in parking lots before an event. The feet are rubber-tipped to protect the floor from scratches and to keep the rollers from sliding around.
Wheelbase adjustment for different bike sizes is simple and requires no tools. Just unscrew two knobs on the front drum and move the drum to a different set of mounting holes in the frame. The Z rollers will accommodate bike wheelbases in the range of 38.2 to 43.3 inches (97 to 110 cm). Unless you plan on using several different bikes of varying sizes, this is probably a once-and-done adjustment. Proper front drum placement puts the front bike axle just behind the drum axle. Setup instructions are included as well as a hex wrench to check tightness of all screws on the frame.
Smooth and Quiet Ride
The Z Rollers ride quality is excellent. The machined aluminum drums and quality cartridge bearings (maintenance-free) run very smoothly – and quieter than my trainer. More aggressive tire treads will make more noise, but typical road tires just hum along about as loud as your typical drivetrain noise. The drums are very round so you don’t get any bumps while riding, but they do have a slightly 
rough texture that helps keep the bike tires from sliding side to side. I have found tire wear to be almost nonexistent, though there is a silver sheen on the tires. By comparison, on my trainer I have to clean up a small pile of rubber dust after every ride.
There is only one drum diameter available on the Z rollers, 3.5 inches (8.9 cm). Drum diameter determines the level of resistance for a given set of rollers, with larger diameter drums offering less resistance. Roller resistance is a combination of overcoming bearing friction in the drums and tire deflection. Larger diameter drums offer a greater mechanical advantage to overcome bearing friction, reduced friction due to lowerdrum rotation speeds, and a larger contact patch due to the “flatter” drum perimeter. The Z Roller’s drums fall right in the middle of the typical size range of roughly 2 to 5 inches (5 to 13 cm).
The 3.5-inch roller size is a good compromise, allowing both easy spinning and harder efforts depending on the gearing you use. In my 52-11 high gear at 90 rpm I can cruise along at a moderate effort. Crank that up to 180 rpm sprints and I can hit my max HR.
But you can’t do 1,000W sprints on the Z Rollers (assuming you’re anywhere near capable of that!). Some companies offer add-on resistance units that can get you to trainer-level wattage, but Kinetic does not offer this option. So if you want to perform high-wattage power intervals/sprints, you will still need a trainer.
Final Thoughts
If you spend a lot of time in the winter training indoors, then a trainer is your best option, because the resistance allows you to really work your leg muscles. Rollers are a great way to up your indoor training regime by combining trainer and roller workouts into your schedule.
Rollers give you a break from the stationary trainer and allow you to work on bike handling and pedal stroke. From experience, I can say that after winters with little roller use I find my spring sprints feel choppy as I pedal squares. When I balance winter training with road, trainer and roller riding, I am noticeably more efficient at laying down the power I worked hard to build up.
With only one roller model available, the Kinetic Z rollers have to check a lot of boxes to be the right tool for most cyclists. Kinetic must have done their research well, because these rollers have the perfect combination of features to satisfy most riders: Superb ride quality, combined with a drum sized for mid-range resistance, and compact folded size make these an excellent choice for indoor training and event warm-ups. And if you hate the stationary aspect of trainers, rollers are a great option to try to give you a more “live riding” feel.
The only knock on the Z Rollers is that there is no option for a different drum size and/or ability to add on a resistance unit. But I think that for the overwhelming majority of riders, the Kinetic Z Rollers are a great option and worth a look.
March 2017
Brandon Bilyeu is an avid recreational roadie who lives in Portland, Oregon, and enjoys road, track and ‘cross racing. He’s also a year-round bike commuter and is a mechanical design engineer by trade. Click to read Brandon’s full bio.
Just a shout out for rollers: a lot of people need just as much work on a smooth and efficient riding style as they do on power and endurance. Pace lines and group rides would be a LOT smoother if everyone spent time every winter riding the rollers.
Not foldable/portable, but 3 levels of (quiet) magnetic resistance and dynamic frame allows out-of-saddle sprinting – very high user ratings, solid, quality construction – USA-made. Check ’em out at http://www.insideride.com
i have a z-roller and using a road bike w/ smooth tread. i have not used it much and recently one of the rear rollers started making noise while using. it sounds like a bearing issue. my guess is the far rear roller and the right side bearing. any known issues? i am a trained bike mechanic and have used, demo’d and sold a few of these and have not had any prior problems.