Rock Your Riding Routine with the Best Bike Rollers

The first time you see someone use a set of rollers, there’s a bit of magic to it; the bike and rider are balanced perfectly and working energetically, but nobody’s going anywhere. Truthfully, it looks a lot harder than it is. Novices think that riding rollers is like doing a “trackstand” where the rider balances upright without moving at a stoplight, but that’s not the case. Once in motion, the gyroscopic effect of the spinning wheels goes a long way towards keeping you upright and riding. Getting started? That’s a bit tougher—but most riders learn it quickly. You won’t need to be a cycling wizard to use a set of rollers.

The majority of bike rollers work the same way: your bike’s rear wheel sits between two metal rollers, one of which is mechanically connected to a third roller under your front wheel. When you pedal, your wheels turn both rear rollers, which in turn spin your front roller, which spins your front wheel. There’s usually no resistance added: rollers are different in that regard from cycling trainers, which apply a load to the rear wheel.

Used properly, rollers will improve your balance, teach you a smoother pedal circle, and generally increase your sense of confidence on the bike while also keeping you sharp during the off-season or in bad weather. We’ve selected nine of the best out there; choose one and let the good times roll.

Best Bike Rollers

The Expert: As a former professional BMX racer with decades of experience everywhere from Colorado double-black-diamond downhill trails to 210-mile weekend tours, I’m obsessed with finding the right gear to make my ride better. Rollers were an important part of my training method for more than a decade and I’ve used both portable and full-sized models.

How to Buy Bike Rollers

Build

Rollers are simple devices, but they're under a lot of stress and pressure. Most of them weigh under 20 pounds but they are intended to be ridden by 275-pound bike-and-rider combinations for long periods of time at high speeds. So you’ll want to be conscious of build quality and parts availability, particularly for the belt that transfers power from the back rollers to the front. Get the best you can afford.

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Resistance

It seems obvious that you’d want magnetic or flywheel resistance on a set of rollers, right? Not so fast. Unlike bike trainers, which fix the bicycle in place and offer a broad variety of resistance, rollers are meant to enhance your balance and pedaling circle. They help make you smoother, not stronger. And unless you’re an experienced cyclist, a bit of resistance can make it much harder to ride them safety and well. Don’t add resistance until you’re absolutely comfortable with free-spinning rollers.

Storage and adjustments

You’ll want to know both the size of your wheels and your bike’s wheelbase before looking at rollers. Measure from the front axle to the rear; that’s your wheelbase. Not all rollers fit all bikes. And if you’re only going to ride a standard road or gravel bike, don’t bother getting a one-size-fits-all set of rollers. It won’t offer any benefit.

How We Evaluated Bike Rollers

We spoke to several top amateur and pro riders in multiple disciplines to find out what they wanted in a set of rollers, then solicited feedback on various rollers in the market to winnow out questionable choices and focus on rollers with a solid record of performance. We then made sure to include rollers from multiple segments of the market; not everyone wants to spend $1,000 on an occasional-use item, but some cyclists put nearly as much roller time in as they do road time, so it’s important to consider what would work best for those riders and all the riders in between.