simulates balance and feel of my bike on the road because it is my bike churning out the distance

feels VERY unstable, cannot stress this enough. I haven't fallen off in years, but I can never get over the feeling of instability, even as I churn out the miles. It takes COMPLETE concentration. Do not attempt to watch TV while riding this. At least for me, it is not like running on a treadmill in front of a tv. But if you concentrate or get the hang of it, it's a great workout.

generally pleased

Easy set up. The wide version is great...I'd probably be dead if I'd gotten the normal one.

It cost more than I would have liked to pay...but maybe that's just bike stuff in general.

If you're reading reviews for this product, you've probably read that they are very loud. While they are not quiet exactly, I think that to say they're loud is a bit much. You hear them humming as you ride, but it's nothing that would keep someone from watching TV or listening to music while riding (granted, it would have to be turned up a little). Not the kind of thing you want to ride on while someone in the same room is trying to sleep or study, but I think that the noise is fine.

Many reviews I looked at about rollers said they were very hard to use. I would have to disagree here too. I've had mine about a week and am able to get up on them (with the help of a wall) and ride for at least a mile without much trouble. Longer distances will take some practice, but they are not IMPOSSIBLE to ride like I thought they might be. I just started riding last year, and I'm pretty sure that I'm about as awful at riding in a straight line as one could be... a little practice and you'll be fine.

Width
Ease of Use
Rollability :P
Expandanble to a mag unit

Picks up some strange dirt type stuff off of my rear tire. More than likely just due to my crappy trainer tires. Relatively easy to clean off and hasn't reappeared.

So far so good! I have the wide model which is definetly a blessing when the front wheel tends to wander with me being a beginner to rollers. I have a mag unit on the way as the rollers provide excellent resistance for foundation miles and the like but leave something to be desired for sprints etc. Rollers are very quiet unlike what was noted by a previous poster. They roll well and fold down nicely to be put away out of the doorway. Overall an excellent product. I may attempt to make them into free motion rollers one of these days

shiny.

Horrible. Noisy. Significant vibrations not only from drum runout, but from the type of belt used resonating and flapping around at certain speeds - which just amplifies the noise.

Incredibly noisy. We're talking about it rattling the whole house at 30mph.
The drum tolerances are lousy, and construction is just not that great. Obviosuly you don't expect something amazing on a price point like these, but still, the noise is outrageous. Don't buy these. Fork over an extra 50 bucks and get Sportcrafters rollers.

seem to built well, easy to learn, price

loud

these were my first set of rollers, so my basis for comparison may not be the best. however, they certainly do what they're supposed to do. i took me about 20 minutes to get the hang of it and ive been on them ever since. ive probably put 500 miles on them so far and i dont really have any complaints. they're sorta loud (all rollers are) but they certainly get teh job done. i could imagine what riding a really nice set would be like, but for my purposes they're fine. the drums are reasonably large so their not too hard to ride. no mag unit with mine but i'm spinning at 39x11 right now on slightly low tires so ive got some room to grow before ill need it. anyway, i wouldnt take a chance with some used rollers from ebay. i would invest now in these for maybe $30 more and they should last you at least 10 years.

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none

Folds nicely. Quality of build & materials is nice.

i wish there was a speed-watts chart on Minoura's website for thesistance unit.

I have had these for about 7 years. I use them with a kreitler fork stand because I can't afford to have an accident in my apartment. These things work really well for improving your form and fitness without stressing your bike or tires. If you use a fork stand, use your ears and a slick hardwood floor to see how smooth you are. It gets very noisy at over 30mph but balancing the legs and a rug help with that. The resistance unit has different levels but gaps in resistance seem too large.

Smooth and more exciting than trainers. I can already feel the difference they have made in my riding.

I was expection something no louder than a ceiling fan and got something as loud as an airconditioner. Luckily the noise just blends into the background as I haven't disturbed my roommates with it. I gave it a 3 for value because they look like something that could have been sold for about half of what I paid.

Tried to by rollers locally. Guys didn't carry them saying "they are just too hard to use." Ordered these from ebay and never looked back. I learned how to get somewhat comfortable with them in 15 minutes. It took about 6 hours before I could ride without hands on them. I added the mag unit for increased resistance and found that even in the lowest setting, it is like riding rollers all over again. I'm hoping that I'll be able to remaster rollers and then go up a setting and start the process all over again.

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Stationary bikes, but they are a different ballgame.

Great value - smooth ride - awsome workout

Belt on resistance unit fits too tight. Use a Hoover (vacum) belt instead.

I am really impressed with these rollers and am even more impressed with the workout they provide. Until a few months ago I have been riding a trainer and never got the workout as I have on these rollers. I read a review where someone said that the resistance was too great when using the mag unit. Having been a competitive rider for some years, I assumed that the reviewer was simply not up to par. He was right. Even in the lowest setting, the resistance is too great. The problem presented by this is that the bike is squirrellier when you have to ride it in low gears. Without resistance, I have to ride the bike in the highest gear. The wheels are spinning fast and therefore easy to keep on track, but the high wheel speed added vibration and I assume increases the wear and tear on the rollers. The problem with the resistance unit, I found, was not that the resistance was too high; it was that the belt fits too tight, to the point where it heats up and stinks. I resolved this by using a vacuum cleaner belt instead of the one provided. It works much better!