Garmin TacX Antares Indoor Retractable Bicycle Rollers 62 cm

Product Information

The Tacx Antares Basic Trainer provides a simple and engaging way to train or warm up. The adjustable length makes use with different bikes very easy, and the smooth, quiet running of the rollers gives a decent road feel. Riding the rollers requires balance –and it can take some time to master the technique. Learning how to do so is often a journey that begins between two door frames (where there's nowhere to fall), with the rider gradually reducing their reliance on the support of a solid surface as confidence grows. The Tacx Galaxia rollers is a simple-looking roller that has technologies that make riding on it easier and mimics riding on the road. Former World Masters points and individual pursuit champion Andrew Bruce believes rollers are essential for building technique: “I got some old Tacx rollers and for three weeks I thoughts they were ridiculous, dangerous and couldn’t ride them,” the Scotsman said. On rollers, you must maintain your balance so that the bike can move well on the rollers. The bike has some lateral movement that mimics outdoor riding very well.

Rollers generally consist of three cylindrical drums, connected via a belt which allows them to rotate beneath the wheels of the bike. Autumn is rolling in, which means shorter days and wet and colder weather. For some that means night riding, for some that means indoor training. I like to do a mix of both, and having borrowed a set of Tacx Antares rollers from a friend last winter when the weather got bad, I decided that adding a set to my training arsenal would be a great addition.

Mention cycle rollers and the blue conical drums of the Tacx Antares will often spring to mind—they are widely recognised to be one of the best value and best made sets of rollers available. They have not changed a lot since their first incarnation, but they have been tweaked to make them a superb example of the product.

Most sets of rollers include three to five drums or cylinders which spin against each other and your rear wheel while your bike is stationary. For the interactive inner resistance, you’ll need ANT+ FEC and Bluetooth Smart technologies for it to work. The ANT+ FEC can be synced up with your cadence or heart rate monitor and send those metrics to your bike computer or training app. The Bluetooth Smart is used for training apps such as Zwift which will control the amount of resistance. Some “smart” trainers have a similar capability to smart trainers, but they are very few to choose from. The one negative point is getting on the bike to start with. The top of the rollers sit about 6" off the ground and your bike sits on them. The easiest /cheapest solution is to get a low plastic footstool. Delivery timescales are based on working days; Public Holidays, Saturday's and Sunday's are NOT classed as working days.Firstly, you need to make sure that it is the correct distance forward, so that the bike is correctly balanced and easier to control. Second, you need to make sure both runners are equidistant extended, otherwise you put strain on the bearings within the front roller and produce a horrible creaking noise.