Can you ride a bike on a treadmill?

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imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
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That's a bit too tough love... You go too fast, you nail a control panel. You go to slow, you break your face on the rails. Just get a biking machine, it's cheaper;).
 
KeithTalent

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
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Yep, just sit on the bike, hold onto the rails on the side of the treadmill and let the treadmill do all of the work; it will just pedal for you.

KT
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,544
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They make rollers for training on. It consists of two drums for the rear wheel to rest on and one drum for the front wheel. There is a rubber drive band that connects one of the rear drums to the front drum so that it spins at the same speed as the rear wheel. The drums are about 1.5' wide and you basically ride and train on this device as you would riding on the road. It takes a bit of getting used to but once you get the hang of it, it's not too difficult. I used to have a set of rollers for winter training when I lived in upstate NY.

BTW-If you ride off them you just fall over because you have zero forward momentum. I've heard people ask if you go shooting across the room if you ride off them...morons. :roll:
 
Homerboy

Homerboy

Lifer
Mar 1, 2000
30,890
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Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
They make rollers for training on. It consists of two drums for the rear wheel to rest on and one drum for the front wheel. There is a rubber drive band that connects one of the rear drums to the front drum so that it spins at the same speed as the rear wheel. The drums are about 1.5' wide and you basically ride and train on this device as you would riding on the road. It takes a bit of getting used to but once you get the hang of it, it's not too difficult. I used to have a set of rollers for winter training when I lived in upstate NY.

BTW-If you ride off them you just fall over because you have zero forward momentum. I've heard people ask if you go shooting across the room if you ride off them...morons. :roll:
Click to expand...

What he said.
 
F

FreshPrince

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2001
8,361
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what?

wouldn't you just take off? the only reason you don't take off by running on it is because each of your foot actually comes off the tread....if you just ride the bike normal, it would take off and hit the front of the unit...

unless...it's a bike that lets you ride backwards, then all you need is good balance :laugh:
 
C

CatchPhrase

Senior member
Jan 3, 2008
517
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The centrifugal force of the tires will help you stay balanced.
Rubber on rubber will not feel good and it will wear out the belt.
 
D

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
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Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
BTW-If you ride off them you just fall over because you have zero forward momentum. I've heard people ask if you go shooting across the room if you ride off them...morons. :roll:
Click to expand...
There's a scene in Who's Harry Crumb? where John Candy rides off rollers, flies out of the room, and destroys a Fabergé egg. It probably helped perpetuate this myth.

The Super Trainer, an actual treadmill for bikes.
Wii Sports on rollers
 
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: nonameo
centrifugal force of the wheels keeps it up, so yes. you would stay up.
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The gyroscopic effect will help, true, but that's not enough, especially at low speed. Two-wheeled vehicles are dynamically stable...basically, you steer the front wheel back and forth just a little to keep the bike under your center of gravity. You turn by moving the wheel to one side, "falling" toward the inside, and then "catching" it with the wheel as you make the turn, and you end the turn by returning the bike to just under your CG.

As such, you can ride a bike on a treadmill just fine without falling over...it will probably just take a bit of practice to get used to the feeling, and to steer correctly.

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
BTW-If you ride off them you just fall over because you have zero forward momentum. I've heard people ask if you go shooting across the room if you ride off them...morons. :roll:
Click to expand...

Well, I suppose if you had SUPER-massive wheels with a lot of angular momentum, and very grippy tires...:laugh:
 
9

91TTZ

Lifer
Jan 31, 2005
14,374
1
0
Originally posted by: nonameo
centrifugal force of the wheels keeps it up, so yes. you would stay up.
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Wrong. This is a long-standing myth.

As another poster pointed out, it's the ability to steer the vehicle under your center of gravity which enables you to balance it.

Riding a Razor scooter works the same way, and its wheels are so tiny that they have basically no centrifugal force to influence balance.

A snow bike has no wheels, yet you're able to balance it using the same skills you use to ride a bike. Same with a Jet Ski.
 
HeroOfPellinor

HeroOfPellinor

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
11,272
1
0
Originally posted by: LtPage1
How has no one in this thread heard of a stationary exercise bike?
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How could you ask such a question? The feel of an exercise bike compared to a real bike is so different that it's worse than not training at all.

AND do you know how hard it is to find coordinating shorts, shirt, socks, water bottle, helmet, shoes, and gloves to match an exercise bike?! Seriously, you don't want to look like a fool who's bike doesn't match his ensemble.
 
Squisher

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Only if the the treadmill can go at an infinite speed and the bike is totally frictionless.

 
HeXploiT

HeXploiT

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2004
4,359
1
76
Originally posted by: SonicIce
Would you be able to stay balanced?
Click to expand...

The centripetal force of the tires is what helps to keep you balanced so as long as the tires are spinning then yes you can balance. Forward momentum plays no part in the equation.
 
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