# Building a Roller Racing Setup
**URL:** https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380
**Category:** Bikes
**Created:** [December 8, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380 "2008-12-08T16:18:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@room203](https://tarck.cc/u/room203)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/1 "2008-12-08T16:18:16Z")
This idea just hatched in my head after roller racing was mentioned in chat last night and I started watching youtube videos.
I posted on my regional board asking if there are any organizations that do it around here, but I dont think im going to find anything, so I thought about just building the stuff.
My dad once built this tachometer contraption for monitoring/logging the RPM of the 4 wheels on an overhead crane simultaneously to make sure they are all in sync. It was just optical speed sensors which picked up a pulse each time a piece of reflective tape passed in front of them. The pulses were sent to a data logger and translated into RPM. So im thinking this could easily be done by mounting speed sensors on roller trainers and sending the data to a computer via serial port or whatever. I think there would probably be more options for interpreting the data with a computer than with a small data logger like my dad used. it could also be projected onto a wall or something. maybe there could even be graphics of riders on a track… i dont know. i’m not a programmer.
From what I recall, the speed sensor things were not that expensive. hmm just looked at mcmaster-carr and they’re $111. I guess that’s fair, but i’d like to find some other options. am i making this harder than it should be?
just found a not-that-helpful bikeforums thread on this. maybe i will look at it in more detail to make sure i didnt miss anything. also found this [http://www.bikecult.com/works/rollers.html](http://www.bikecult.com/works/rollers.html)
oldschool mechanical stuff would be cool, but i think digital would be way easier, not prone to breaking, and deadly accurate. i would also do this with the front wheel not locked down so its more real and people could use their own bikes.
If anyone knows where I can find more info on this stuff, please speak up !
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### Author:  [@edw](https://tarck.cc/u/edw)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/2 "2008-12-08T16:55:29Z")
i would start here
[http://www.opensprints.com](http://www.opensprints.com)
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### Author:  [@spacehippo](https://tarck.cc/u/spacehippo)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/3 "2008-12-08T16:58:32Z")
ME and a friend are currently welding a full mechanical setup… its tough to get everything working the same on each side… but I prefer the look and feel of a bunch of gears and bells and whistles moving around instead of some boring laptop thing.
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### Author:  [@tjayk](https://tarck.cc/u/tjayk)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/4 "2008-12-08T18:15:31Z")
i really wish someone in my area would do this, so i could enjoy it without doing any of the actual work. i’m imagining some epic roller race parties in my head…
also, goldsprints=roller race, correct?
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### Author:  [@room203](https://tarck.cc/u/room203)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/5 "2008-12-08T22:00:01Z")
yeah i guess i should have said ‘goldsprints’
looks like i’m on my own here with the help of [opensprints.com](http://opensprints.com) which looks very helpful.
i suppose once i start in on everything i will document it here.
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### Author:  [@deathhare](https://tarck.cc/u/deathhare)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/6 "2008-12-08T23:38:25Z")
[quote=“tjayk”]…
also, goldsprints=roller race, correct?[/quote]
To my understanding, Roller Racing is not the same thing but people nowadays are slowing thinking it is and calling it the same. Roller Racing has historically equaled this where you ride the bike you brought with you on rollers, not affixed to a trainer. It clearly takes more skill than spinning up on a trainer.
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### Author:  [@why](https://tarck.cc/u/why)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/7 "2008-12-08T23:55:45Z")
My experience with Goldsprints and my own set of rollers tell me that the person with the biggest gear would win this “Roller Race” since actually being tested in Goldspints is your max rpm sustainable for (20?) seconds. Since the resistance of rollers is so low, a person with a 53:11 ratio could easily double the result of a person of similar strength/skill with a 42:17. So despite it being more interesting to race on a bike you brought/with it unsupported, I can’t think of how you’d level the playing field.
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### Author:  [@deathhare](https://tarck.cc/u/deathhare)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/8 "2008-12-09T00:07:34Z")
Everyone runs the same gearing in roller racing.
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### Author:  [@why](https://tarck.cc/u/why)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/9 "2008-12-09T00:10:21Z")
A fairly obvious solution. Makes riding your own bike a bit harder though.
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### Author:  [@deathhare](https://tarck.cc/u/deathhare)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/10 "2008-12-09T00:59:06Z")
True…i guess you have to prepare.
But racing on something that actually fits you is probably a lot nicer than not.
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### Author:  [@Thirsty](https://tarck.cc/u/Thirsty)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/11 "2008-12-09T22:11:22Z")
Couldn’t you also use rollers with resistance to take away the advantage. Or if it’s in a computer you could have a correction factor like an automotive dyno does, just divide roller RPM by the gear ratio on the bike?
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### Author:  [@why](https://tarck.cc/u/why)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/12 "2008-12-09T22:57:17Z")
> [@Thirsty](#):
>
> Couldn’t you also use rollers with resistance to take away the advantage. Or if it’s in a computer you could have a correction factor like an automotive dyno does, just divide roller RPM by the gear ratio on the bike?
Wouldn’t a simpler way of leveling the playing field focus on controlling the variables rather than on introducing new ones?
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### Author:  [@Quinn8it](https://tarck.cc/u/Quinn8it)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/13 "2008-12-09T23:54:23Z")
maybe leave a bunch of steer tube, use on of these:
And a long seat post… Could accommodate most…
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### Author:  [@conor](https://tarck.cc/u/conor)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/14 "2008-12-10T00:03:01Z")
> [@deathhare](#):
>
> Everyone runs the same gearing in roller racing.
boldsprints in boston lets everyone use their own bike with their own ratio. the rollers are hooked up to wind units. ‘two laps,’ 2/3 kilo races. youtube boldsprints.
i like this method 'cause it’s not just a spinning contest. it more closely resembles a real race.
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### Author:  [@why](https://tarck.cc/u/why)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/15 "2008-12-10T00:04:02Z")
I like the spinning contest aspect of it.
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### Author:  [@Daft\_Monk](https://tarck.cc/u/Daft_Monk)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/16 "2008-12-10T07:14:36Z")
you should make the set up they had in Triplets of Bellville
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### Author:  [@CeeGee](https://tarck.cc/u/CeeGee)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/17 "2008-12-11T00:53:35Z")
203,
opensprints is currently finishing up a group buy of the circuit boards. boards for a 4 bike set up for 50 shipped. If you’re not interested in soldering I’d suggest contacting them. I’m using that as my starting point. Im hoping to build a rig this winter break so I’ll let you know how it goes.
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### Author:  [@room203](https://tarck.cc/u/room203)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/18 "2008-12-11T03:25:16Z")
^ THANKS.
I missed that on the front page before. Went ahead and sent him the money. Now to read the documentation…
Some guys on the regional board are really interested in this so I think it will probably actually happen.
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### Author:  [@CeeGee](https://tarck.cc/u/CeeGee)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/19 "2008-12-15T03:43:21Z")
Any idea where you’re going to get fork mounts from or are you going to use them? I can borrow rollers from friends but no one has the mounts and they seem to be around $90 per new from just about everywhere.
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### Author:  [@deathhare](https://tarck.cc/u/deathhare)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/building-a-roller-racing-setup/11380/20 "2008-12-15T04:13:57Z")
[quote=“CeeGee”]203,
opensprints is currently finishing up a group buy of the circuit boards. boards for a 4 bike set up for 50 shipped. If you’re not interested in soldering I’d suggest contacting them. I’m using that as my starting point. Im hoping to build a rig this winter break so I’ll let you know how it goes.[/quote]
Are you going to do races in Nashville?
Please say yes.
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