Cycling
The Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll for an efficient pedal stroke
Ron Fritzke explains the benefits of the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll indoor trainer in developing an efficient pedal stroke.
A few years ago, I thought I would try my hand at the 'old man' road bike racing. I have a habit of going 'all in' whenever I get involved in anything. So, I hired a coach and sprung for a carbon fibre bike. I had come from a rather advanced competitive running career, so I was confident that I would be able to hold my own. But something bothered me about what my coach said at the initial testing session. He told me that developing an efficient pedal stroke would take a few years. And sure enough, learning to pedal in 'circles' instead of merely pushing down on the pedals is a skill that can take a very long time to develop.
A Bike Trainer Doesn't Help...Or Does It?
To a great extent, riding your bike during indoor training sessions on a bike trainer is not inherently effective in helping develop proper pedalling techniques. After all, it is just as easy to 'mash' your pedals on a stationary bike trainer as it is out on the road.
As an aside, I admit that my bike/trainer arrangement makes a 'creaking' sound that alerts me that I am not pedalling efficiently when I turn up the pedalling intensity. But that 'alarm system' is not by design ... it is due to a problem where the skewer and the 'cup' that holds the skewer onto the trainer come together.
But the Kurt Kinetic company produces a product that not only helps your conditioning when you are relegated to riding your bike indoors but also serves to alert you to your pedalling efficiency (or lack thereof).
The trainer is called the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll.
And you know what? The trainer moves with the movements of the rider ... and if the rider is not a smooth pedaller, the whole unit will 'rock 'n roll' like a Diva on stage at Wembley Stadium. When I am on my Kinetic Road Machine, I can mash my pedals all I want (except for that annoying creaking sound) ... I can twist around to get a drink off of the kitchen counter ... and I can reach over to get a towel to wipe my disgusting sweat off before it drips onto the hardwood floor. All without repercussions. Not so with Rock and Roll .... on Rock and Roll. |
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A Hybrid Between A Trainer and Bike Rollers
Try bike rollers if you want to get a taste of 'real' indoor riding. When you screw up on bike rollers, your bike heads for the exit sign, and you end up on the floor.
Yes, bike rollers reward the efficient cyclist with a smooth ride, but the penalty for any transgressions may be too severe for all but the most entrenched bike snob. The pride that an elitist cycling gain from mastering bike rollers is understandable and hard-won, considering the penalty that bike rollers can dish out when they aren't given due respect.
But for the rest of us, the Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll trainer is a tremendous 'hybrid'. It provides the proprietary fluid trainer design that the rest of the Kinetic product line features, and it adds a sense of realism that no other trainer on the market can match.
I have spent a reasonable amount of time detailing the advantages of developing a smooth pedal stroke using Rock and Roll. But there is also the benefit of getting up out of the saddle and experiencing a natural and realistic swaying motion when you are on this bike trainer.
Listed for a tad under 350 euros ($500), this is a trainer for serious cyclists ... the kind who spend 3500 euros ($5000) or more for their road bikes.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- FITZKE, R. (2011) The Kurt Kinetic Rock and Roll for an efficient pedal stroke [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article072.htm [Accessed 2/5/2025]
About the Author
A converted runner, Ron Fritzke now spends his time staying fit on one of his four bikes, on the roads, over forest trails, and even in his living room on his indoor bike trainer.
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