Sounds like you're set for winter!! Too bad about the camera.. especially if you had fall colors along your ride!

Hello all, it's been awhile since I've posted. Here's my summary so far for the year - I've done 11 centuries, ridden 5100+kms total, and done a fair bit of climbing. I drove down to the HHH in Wichita Falls and turned in a 4.5 hr century there (riding time, took half a little over 45 minutes out at the rest stops along the way.)

Yet - I've not lost any weight. I've recently lost weight again as I started back to LC. I've still got 30-40lbs left to lose (I've already lost over 30lbs.)

Rollers are a great work-out, and I use mine alot. Want to see some of the fun stuff we've been up to on them? Check out www.bikejournal.com , go to the forum, and look up the "Canadian Paceline Training" thread and "Kids Don't Do This At Home" thread.

Hi y'all. I just got back from a 3 week trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada and had some great biking days. I brought my mountain bike and did some relaxing enjoyable rides... The Confederation Trail is an old railroad bed that spans the Island. And also got some more difficult trails in. One I wasn't sure I'd make it out of but returned relatively unscathed. Took a beating but had a helluva lot of fun. Made me realize how much I missed my mtb.... and also realized the nature aspect of mtbing is what makes me like mtbing a lot more than road. The places you can get to!!!

I've been thinking about the winter months and I know I won't be out in the snow. I'm scared of rollers for fear I'll kill myself. What are the pros and cons of using trainers through the winter? I know nothing about them... can you basically turn your bike into a stationary bike? Can you adjust tension or difficulty? Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

I have never used rollers, but I do use a trainer occasionally. I can only go 45 minutes max on the trainer before I go insane. They are really boring. I prefer to ride in the cold and snow over a trainer.

Yes, a trainer turns your bike into a stationary bike. Mine is a fluid trainer, so the effort increases as the rear wheel speed increases. If I want a harder ride, I upshift, and downshift for easier.

Rollers are great for building balance and an efficient pedal stroke. The negative is that they take a little while to master as there's nothing holding you up - especially tough when getting going.

That said, I still prefer rollers to a trainer because it takes some of the monotony out of riding inside. If you lose too much concentration while riding the rollers, you very well could fall and injure yourself (and/or your house)!

As for me, unless it's truly miserable outside - rain/snow/ice and bitterly cold temps (the teens and under) I also prefer to bundle up and ride through it...

I horsed around on them (rollers) last night for the first time and am getting the hang of it. I did kinda crash a few times while on the rollers but it's pretty easy to not go down. Just don't clip in at first. Also look into the Spinervals DVD's. I've been told Charmichael sells one also, but it kinda turns into a Power Bar commercial. I have a couple Spinervals and they will work you hard!

I set up an area in my basement with an old TV and DVD player, the bike stuff and a BowFlex, so I have my own little gym to use this winter. Normally the weather has started getting cold and blustery around here, but it looks like we still have a few warm sunny days ahead.
I'm getting together with a couple of guys this weekend and might try and talk them into doing another (for me) century. I want to take advantage of the weather as much as possible before it turns.

We finally have a nip in the air once the sun sets. Last night I set a Univega city commuter up in a roller stand out in the driveway and cranked for about 25 minutes. I don't know why, but I really dislike stationary pedaling, it feels so differnt for me. Doing it outside helped considerably.

Rollers will definitely hold your atttention more - and they're not near as boring because of it. Additionally, you can also get resistance units for them. However, you can't do some work-outs like one-legged pedalling, standing is MUCH harder, etc.

You can find a cheap trainer like a mag trainer or something for under $50Cdn if you look. The better quality you get the more realistic the resistance will be. (With the fluid trainers being the best.)

It's cooling off here in the GREAT WHITE NORTH and my outside riding days are numbered.

Now, if I can just get my diet under control.

I bit the bullet Monday and went to the gym and
learned how to set the levels of difficulty and gradient
on the Recumbent bicycles they have there.
I bought an FM Stereo radio at Big Lots for
the absurd sum of $1.07 after tax, and used
it to listen to while I spun and pushed against
the tension on the machine.

I must admit that when I got done I had had a
hell of a workout and felt it Tuesday morning.

But yeh, nothing beats riding the bike. As much
as I hate gyms however, I am going to go to the
gym any day it is raining and I feel I can't ride outside.

I don't want to lose what I have so far in the way of
L/C weightloss to stubborness and lazyness this winter.

Ugh. My diet has been terrible. Need to get back to the basics. (REALLY need my wife to stop making cookies!!)

I hear ya, Rob! I'll be celebrating my 1st anniversary next month with the girl I plan to marry. Since she came into my life, it's certainly become better. But it's also been extremely tough to keep LC all the time! Thank goodness for cycling or I might be up 30 lbs. by now...

My wife keeps making pie..... Hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream.....

So what are we learning here? Our wives/girlfriends are out to kill us with love from the kitchen?

Speak for yourself My wife actually researches ways to make recipes LC. She's got a killer lasagna that uses sliced firm tofu instead of noodles...

That lasagna recipe sounds good! I shouldn't be so critical of my girlfriend - she's actually quite understanding and supportive. Things get tougher when we go out to a party or dinner with a group of friends.

Anyway, I went on a nice autum ride today - thought I'd share a few pictures. They're from my phone, however, so the quality isn't that great. Still, it was a beautiful day!