Kreitler Rollers and Flywheel

Kreitler is a company with a reputation that precedes it for anyone familiar with indoor roller racing, creating beautifully smooth rollers available in various diameters, and extra optional accessories, but the price of its Alloy Rollers makes them a significant investment and one that only a small proportion of riders will be willing to pay.

Made in the USA, the rollers on test are made with 6061 alloy drums turned on a CNC lathe to make them near-perfectly cylindrical. This version also features alloy end caps to help increase weight and coasting momentum as a result.

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This set costs £425 on its own, the optional Flywheel adding £145 – a total of £570. The Flywheel adds weight and increases the momentum for a more realistic riding feel, and also increases any power required to hold a given speed.

Box section painted steel tubing holds a frame for the drums, with six rubber feet holding it in place when riding – most of the time, anyway.

Setting up

It is worth spending time measuring the bike you plan to use and setting the rollers up accurately, and Kreitler suggests setting the front drum slightly in front of your bike's front axle (that's a lot of fronts, admittedly!). The axles of the rear rollers are fixed in place, while adjusting the position of the front roller is very simple with ring-pull tabs; it is tool-free. Getting this stage correct is key to being able to ride on the rollers and maintaining control. I found it useful to use a plumb-line to see the location of the bike's front wheel axle relative to the drum.

These rollers feature 3in (75mm) diameter drums, with Kreiler also making a set with 2.25in (5.7cm) and 4in (10.2cm) drums to suit different riders. The larger the drum, the less power is needed to achieve a set speed. Kreitler has information on its website relating to all diameters plus accessories, and this will help you decide what's right for you.

Accessories

The flywheel is an accessory that has two functions: it increases the resistance and, therefore, the power required for a set speed, and also increases the momentum. In other words, the weight of the flywheel keeps the rollers spinning for longer when you stop pedalling, making for a more realistic ride feel. I don't tend to coast all that much when on the rollers so that was of limited value for me, but you might well be different.

Other accessories available from Kreitler include a headwind fan that is run off the drums, and a fork stand to hold the bike in place.

Rolling...

With the rollers set up and ready to ride, my initial thought was that they are narrower than others I have used. They measure 36cm across. While it didn't cause problems, despite being confident riding rollers I did feel I was having to concentrate a little more until I was fully used to the setup.

I used the rollers both with and without the flywheel and the difference was noticeable. Kreitler has measured the power required to ride at 20mph (32km/h) on just the rollers at 176W. The power required to ride at the same speed with the flywheel attached was 223W – that's 47W more.

The rollers do their intended job well, feeling smooth at all speeds, with no jerkiness or roughness in the movement.

The only issue I had was during a more intensive training ride when I experienced a slight creep forward by the whole roller during use. While it wasn't significant, amounting to just a few centimetres, it suggests the rubber feet used for traction aren't always totally successful, or that the floor surface might make a difference. Following this ride, I braced the frame against a fixed object to stop any unwanted movement.

Value and conclusion

While the performance of the Kreitler rollers is excellent and they certainly feel smooth, I can't help feeling they aren't dramatically different enough from cheaper rollers that the increased cost will make sense for most people and most situations.

We reviewed the Tacx Galaxia recently, which is £219.99, and Stu thought that was steep. Its Antares, one of the most popular out there, is even less and is also more portable. Frequently seen at races, it gives a smooth enough and strong enough base for almost all riders, and at £165 is much cheaper than the Kreitlers.

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The price of the Kreitler rollers plus the flywheel – as tested here – is getting into smart trainer territory, and for many people I suspect one of those would be a more sound investment.

If you want the best alloy rollers out there, though, Kreitler gives you exactly that – a rather agricultural-looking steel box-section frame with excellent rollers that spin beautifully.

Verdict

Self-proclaimed Rolls Royce of rollers, at Rolls Royce pricing