GamJams Reviews: Trainers and Rollers - E-Motion

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my E-Motion rollers. I have been coveting these rollers for over a year, since Pete Cannell told me that I could actually get decent sprint workout on them. I rode them once and completed the 2-hour Have Mercy spinervals video in full, complete with sprints and spin drills. I was a believer.

I was formerly a fan of my Kreitlers - they were solid as a rock and the customer service I received from the company was above and beyond the call of duty. My Kreitlers helped me muddle through the lower categories as I began this strange journey in cycling. They were a huge factor in me getting through the winters without being literally bored to death from hours on the trainer. I am a firm believer that they were invaluable as a training tool. BUT, I couldn't do fast spin drills and I could not stand up/sprint for any amount of time. So, it was inevitable that I'd eventually get my fix.

I bit the bullet a few months ago - which says a lot since we were still in good weather when I got them. I ordered them directly through the website, even though I might have gotten them for a few bucks cheaper through ebay or something. I just figured that the extra $$ for some peace of mind and a warranty was well worth it.

$795+shipping and about a week and a half gets them delivered to your doorstep, all assembled and ready to rock. I just played with the resistance setting and hopped on. They were super-awesome-cool from the get ... smooth and totally comfortable. It took one or two roller workouts for me to work up the nerve to stand up and give it a whirl. I wasn't very confident at first but within a few minutes I was rocking some decent sprint drills. I can stay on the rollers for 2 hours or so, where my Kreitlers made my shoulders stiff after about an hour. At the risk of TMI - E-motion rollers, much like my new TT fit courtesy of Josh at CycleLife, is much more amenable to my girly-bits (that's a Mel-ism ... give credit where credit is due). I'm sure boys will find the E-motion rollers to be more comfy as well.

The one downside to the E-motion rollers is lack of portability. I miss being able to take my Kreitlers to a race, to a friends house for an indoor training party, or just to fold them up so my living room doesn't look like a bike-rat lives here. E-Motion rollers do not fold and are just a bit too tall to really fit under, say, a couch or other piece of furniture to be out of sight when you're pretending to be a normal person who lives a normal life in a normal house without bike BS as far as the eye can see.

If you can stomach the $$ (come on, we spend way more than that for way less useful bike BS), take a whirl on the E-motions ... be prepared to fall in love ... At least as much as you can fall in love with indoor training equipment.