Tacx Antares Basic Trainer

The Tacx Antares Basic Trainer provides a simple and engaging way to train or warm up. The adjustable length makes use with different bikes very easy, and the smooth, quiet running of the rollers gives a decent road feel.

If the thought of getting on an indoor trainer and mindlessly pedalling away for an hour or so fills you with dread, then rollers could be a very good option. They are a more engaging way to train indoors as, just like on the road, not paying attention is going to cause you to fall off.

Half an hour on these basic rollers passed far more quickly than an equivalent spin on my smart trainer hooked up to Zwift, so if you find yourself getting really bored, these basic rollers are a great solution.

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Rollers also allow for the development of basic cycling skills such as pedalling smoothness. The only way you're going to stay in the centre of the rollers is by using a smooth pedalling technique, so away from the simple physical workout, you can also perfect your pedal stroke.

The Antares Basic rollers don't have any resistance built in. The resistance comes from your tyres and there is a surprising amount of effort required to get your biggest gears going.

Up at those top wheel speeds, the rollers do produce more noise than a turbo trainer, so you might want to give these a miss if you live in a block of flats.

For warming up, the rollers are very good. Not only can you get a good sweat on while you wait to start your race, the focus required to not fall off and look like an idiot really helped me to get in the zone for racing.

Lobbing a bike onto the rollers is simple, and folding them away is easy, so if you are running late for the start, they're not going to hold you up.

If you are just looking for a warm-up option, I'd also consider something like Feedback Sport's Omnium hybrid rollers. They are quite a bit more expensive at £350 but they eliminate the possibility of falling off in the car park.

> Buyer’s Guide: 14 of the best home trainers – get fit indoors

The Antares Basics are cheaper than the Elite Arion Parabolic rollers (£199.99) and the JetBlack R1 (£189.99), but if you can spend a little bit more, the Tacx Galaxia Advanced rollers come in at £219.99 and add movement to the rear wheel to better simulate the feel of riding on the road.

Conclusion

Rollers are far more immersive than even a gamified app such as Zwift, and if you want a basic set then these Antares Basics are brilliant. The ride is smooth and they are quick to deploy, so getting going is easy. For pre-race warm-ups, I'd highly recommend them.

Verdict

Smooth rollers that make indoor training engaging