This is a difficult review to write because, unlike most of the things we buy associated with cycling, training equipment is not a go-faster component or an aesthetic treat. Training equipment is intended to make you a better cyclist through some serious suffering. Inevitably you develop a love/hate relationship with it. You love it because you know that for every hour you spend using it your performance on your next ride will be improved, but you also hate it because if you're doing it right, it hurts and thus your relationship with your trainer is two-fold.
The debate surrounding the benefits of using rollers compared to a turbo trainer is never-ending and we're best leaving that argument for another time. Both have their merits and people will choose whichever trainer best suits their requirements. Even though a turbo trainer offers a wider range of training scenarios - by locking your wheel in place you can simulate climbing far more easily for example - rollers will more often be seen as the choice of the purist who would prefer to be training on the open road.
Rollers are a no-nonsense way of improving your balance and increasing the efficiency of your pedalling stroke. When put like that it sounds patronising: we all know how to ride a bike, after all; but these are key skills which, if properly developed, can improve every aspect of your riding. You remain far more alert when using rollers too, actively engaged in maintaining your balance so switching off and allowing your mind to wander is not an option.
Before we discuss those benefits in detail though, let's look at the rollers in question themselves. The Elite Ghibli rollers operate in a very simple fashion with three drums mounted on a steel frame. A drum sits under the front wheel and two drums at the back support the rear wheel. The front drum is connected to the "middle" drum via a thick rubber bungee. As you pedal, the middle drum drives the front drum and both rotate at equal speed. If you keep pedalling, you stay upright.
At first the Elite Ghibli parabolic rollers look terrifying because the riding surface area is little more than 30cm wide. "How on earth can I stay on these things?" was my first thought. On the road we use more of the space available to us, but only because the road has debris or potholes to avoid - and the Elite Ghibli rollers have a neat trick to help you stay on that narrow band. The parabolic shape of the plastic drums makes them look like oversize cotton reels, but being ramped at the edges, your front wheel is gently nudged back into the centre should you begin to stray towards the outer edges. This feature makes them ideal for novices, but also for the experienced roller during a sprint session.
The position of the front drum is adjustable for different wheel sizes, and there is sufficient scope of movement fore and aft to suit a road bike or a mountain bike with slicks. The Ghibli rollers weigh 11kg and are fairly easy to move if space is limited. They also fold in the middle to help with storage and fit neatly under a bed. I use my road bike and as I am lazy, keep the same tyres I use on the road. I have found the tyres, Michelin Pro3 Race, wear at the same rate when using the rollers as riding on the road. The rollers have another simple but effective feature to ensure a safe and correct position: there is a guide on one side which allows you to set the distance between the drums to match the wheelbase of your cycle.
One aspect of indoor trainers that can put some people off is the noise. At speed the Ghibli rollers do make a gentle "thrum" but it's consistent with your pedalling so it isn't that invasive. I'd liken it to a small car idling. I set these rollers up in my garage so I don't disturb anyone, but there are mats available to reduce the noise if you have to use them indoors.
The Elite Ghibli parabolic rollers are an ideal training aid for when the weather is cold and you really don't feel like riding outside. They are a basic model, available from the usual suspects from £125, and are an ideal way to try rollers without splashing out a huge amount of cash. If they keep you riding through the wet and windy British winter, they may just prove to be your best investment of the year.
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