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Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers

With the Antares you can now focus even more on your goals in training: improve your fitness and pedal stroke and reinforce your sense of equilibrium at the same time. Tacx Antares rollers distinguish themselves through the heavy conical rollers that create the momentum of mass inertia. When collapsed the rollers measure only 80 cm and are therefore easily transportable. The Antares rollers are Tacx's revolutionary contribution to the new found popularity of track racing. The concept of rollers is quite old. It is how indoor training for cyclists started out. In 1972 Tacx BV launched the manufacturing process of its first rollers. This later turned out to be a stroke of genius. Many people who own a sports or racing bicycle want to stay fit, even in winter. Over time three models were developed. But then there also were the rear wheel trainers, pushing the original rollers into the background. These rear wheel trainers are collapsible and allow you to train at high resistances. But the rollers offer advantages for training that no other trainer is capable of offering. Just think of improving your pedal stroke, your equilibrium, suppleness and concentration on your steering. To put it in a nutshell, the rollers are the perfect tool for cyclists to have next to their cycle- ergo- or VR trainer.
Average Customer Rating:
4.421 out of 5
4.4
 out of 
5
(133 Reviews) 133
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (133 reviews)
5 stars
76
4 stars
48
3 stars
3
2 stars
1
1 star
5
124 of 133(93%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Questions & Answers:
18 Questions | 41 Answers
Customer Reviews for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Review 1 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Value:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Performance:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Buzzwald
Featured Review
Date:March 29, 2010
Classic, simple, efficient
Pros: Attractive, Comfortable, Durable, Great Value, High Quality, Lightweight, Rugged, Versatile
"These Tacx rollers don't really seem to have changed much in 20 years since I first used them - thedesign was sorted back then so it appears there's no need to make any significant design alterations. They work, reliably and efficiently. My only point of hazard is that these rollers do not have any mechanism to increase resistance so you'll need to be spinning in your highest gears for some time to get your heart rate into 80%+ of HR-Max. I understand there are other much more expensive Tacx models which do provide such a resistance mechanism. However, the purpose of rollers is as much about technique as it is about an aerobic workout. Rollers help cyclists to steer straight, condition body balance on the bike, activate core strength and execute full peddling motion. For these reasons, I tend to do 1-2 shorter spinning sessions on the rollers per week and then use an indoor trainer with resistance to do intevals, build strength and really pump up the heart rate."
2 of 2 found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Quality:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Value:
3 / 5
Avg 3 / 5 from
Performance:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Snorkel
City: Leeds
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Featured Review
Road Cyclist
Date:March 10, 2010
Maximise Your Workout
Pros: convenient
Cons: Expensive
"Well put together from good quality components and materials. Very easy to set up out of the box and you'll be riding in no time. Great benefit of rollers is that you simply pop it on the carpet, put your regular bike on it and off you go: no set up or clamping and no additional wear on your frame. When your done it slides under the bed, behind the sofa or against the wardrobe and your done. Gives a surprisingly good workout, smoothing out your pedal stroke and improving your core balance. The great benefit I found is the convenience of rollers means you maximise your indoor training. Good product."
Review 3 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Value:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Performance:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
RollingThunder
City: London
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Featured Review
Road Cyclist
Date:November 16, 2009
Better than turbo...
Pros: Attractive, Durable, Good Fit, High Quality, Lightweight, Rugged
"This thing is fantastic. It works things that turbo trainers can't. Where you can sit back and pedal whicst watching TV on a turbo, this thing engages you totally.
Your core strength is improved, as is your cadence and balance. The need to stay on the stright and narrow does wonders for your concentration and your bike handling skills. Your upper body cyclign strength also improves. Your leg power is also improved by the resistance that the rollers give.
The horror stories about people's first attempts, coupled with youtube videaos of roller mishaps, gives a misleading idea. It really doesn't take too long to get used to. Just start in a doorway!
Each time I get on this, I'm soaking within a few minutes as muscles that usually lie dormant are being worked. Ten miles on the rollers feesl like 20 on the road at high cadence.
I have noticed that each time I use the rollers, the next ride on the road is smoother with improved technique. It has never stopped being helpful to me and I recommend that you get some of these.
Far better than rollers!"
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Value:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Performance:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
AlxA
City: North West
Country:United Kingdom
Age:19-24
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Featured Review
Triathlete
Date:October 20, 2009
Hard Work!
Pros: Adjustable, Good Fit, Great Value, Rugged
"I purchased these rollers so that I could spent some more time on my (road) bike. I opted for rollers over a turbo because I wanted to work on my focus whilst riding, balance and riding position. I opted for these rollers over the similarly priced Elite rollers because there is a resistance unit available for tacx rollers and I'd like to be able to upgrade should the situation arise.
Assembly was painless. Attach the three rollers and band, adjust the distance between rear and front rollers and go.
I've never used rollers before and I was a bit worried having seen other peoples first attempts on YouTube. My first attempt was eventful. I set them up in the middle of the living room, jumped onto the bike, tried to get going and promptly fell to the side. I decided to relocate and as others have stated, opted for the corridor/door frame method. This allowed me to balance using my elbows and get some sort of rhythm going. After about 10 minutes I was cycling fairly well and by the end of my first session I had started to get the hang of it and was able to rebalance without the walls when I started to wobble.
I was also worried about mounting the bike (due to the height) and overcame this by positioning myself over the top tube and then lifting the bike onto the rollers. I then clipped in one foot, balanced against the wall, clipped in the other and started going. Hopefully my balance will improve and I will be able to eliminate the wall.
I look forward to my next session and I am thrilled at being able to add more cycling to my training plan.
I also purchased a training mat (Cycle Ops) and this was definitely a worth while purchase - protects the wooden floors and caught a load of sweat - by the end of the first session I was dripping and I had not really pushed hard."
3 of 3 found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
Quality:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Value:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Performance:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Glyn
City: Walsall, west mids
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Featured Review
Road Cyclist
Date:June 14, 2009
training rollers
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Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Comfortable, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality, Lightweight
Cons: Limited Color Choices
"I purchased this item to help me continue my intensive training for my cycle ride from 'John O'Groats to Land's end'.
This was vital to my training as I was able to utilise vital minutes to help increase my mileage - it does take some getting used to balancing on the rollers but when confident you will be speeding on them.
Easy to assemble, and easy to stroe away.
My challenge to cycle from John O'Groats to Lands end was successful , completed in ten days and I firmly believe that these rollers played a huge part in helping build my stamina and take on the challenge.
Train in the comfort of your home - hey watch the footie at the same time too .
I would strongly recomend this product
"
1 of 1 found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
BridBiker
City: Bridlington
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Road Cyclist
Date:February 5, 2012
Excellent Indoor Trainer
Pros: Durable, Great Value, Attractive, High Quality, Adjustable, Good Fit
Cons: no resistance adjustment
"I think it's fair to say I'm classed as a fair weather cyclist so being able to get my legs spinning when it's not over 5 degrees and the wind less than 10mph is a real help.
These rollers were a doddle to put together and set up for my bike. I've never owner a turbo or rollers and I was tied on the decision between the two, being slightly put off by the latter due to some scary you tube videos of first timers.
I shouldn't have been worried I took to it like a duck to water and the parabolic shape really helps to keep you centred.
The rollers are very smooth and quieter than turbos. I like not needing to change a wheel for a turbo tyre and not being fixed makes it really feel like riding a bike. As a result more than just your legs get a work out and you do need to concentrate which means the time fly's by. The faster you go the more resistance you feel. That said some form of resistance unit would be the only product improvement I would suggest.
I bought them for £124.99 on offer and I expect I'll get many years of use out of them. Tacx do seem to be one of the best manufacturers at getting spare parts to the online retailers should you need them which was one of the main reasons I chose this particular make.
There are a couple of quick release levers on the inside which allow the whole unit to shrink up into a more compact size. They could quite easily sit behind the sofa or under a bed.
Buy them you won't be disappointed"
Review 7 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
1 / 5
Avg 1 / 5 from
Bojoa
City: Berkshire
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Female
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:February 5, 2012
Let down by a simple design fault
Pros: Lightweight
Cons: Low Quality, Poor Fit
"Having read many of the reviews of this product I was confident it was a good purchase. It was easy to assemble and, like many of the other reviewers Istarted to get to grips with using it within a fairly short time .
BUT, the clips holding the frame in position are not strong enough to stop the traction band pulling one side of the rollers out of line. (This was with the rollers in the second to smallest setting for my ladies cycle.) This made the rollers unparallel, noisy and less stable. Stretching the band and swapping it to the other side did not help. I was going to return it but as I am happy with it otherwise have decided that a length of wood cut to the right size and slipped into the underside of the frame as a brace will be less hassle than packing it up and waiting for a replacement.
A shame that the product is let down by such a simple design fault.
"
Review 8 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
ronrocks
City: Northwich
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:January 27, 2012
good, economy priced rollers
Pros: Durable, Great Value, Comfortable, Adjustable, Lightweight
"Easy to assemble, clear instructions, and a good price for this specification. The information on this producty might have included an indication of how long it takes to fully acclimatise to the demands of this product ie, very small gear needed initially, andf big problems with balance, mounting and dismounting etc, but otherwise, i'm well satisfied."
Review 9 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Nervex
City: Cornwall
Country:United Kingdom
Age:55-64
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Road Cyclist
Date:January 27, 2012
Rollin' along is fun but hard work !
Pros: High Quality, Adjustable, Lightweight
"I bought these to avoid going out on our muddy lanes in the cold weather. The Tacx Antares rollers seem very well made and easy to assemble. They are smooth and quiet with normal road tyres, and a lot harder work than I thought they would be. I use a bike computer to monitor the distance/cadence etc and I now realise how unfit I am!
I use a stone block as a step to get on and off - I tried without a step and it's a long way down. The riding technique came once I rode as if on the road, steering to keep the wheel centred, but it needs constant attention.
Good investment and I'm pleased with my purchase
"
Review 10 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
3 / 5
Avg 3 / 5 from
keefmac
City: Borders, Scotland
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Triathlete
Date:January 24, 2012
Only Average - too many flaws for good!
Pros: Great Value, Attractive, Adjustable, Lightweight
Cons: Low Quality, poor quick release design
"I got these rollers to improve my bike handling and my "round pedalling" (rather than just mashing away on the turbo!) and it's definitely working. I've also discovered that they give your core a good work out as well - must be all the stabilising that goes on when trying to balance!
Don't worry about falling off - just remember that with all gyroscopes, the faster the wheels are spinning, the more stable they are - i.e. pedal like heck!!
3 complaints:
- one of the rollers has a loose something inside and it rattles
-the drive belt was not properly finished off when I unpacked it from the box.
- the quick release lever on the drive belt isn't actually strong enough to withstand the pressure from the drive belt. The result is the front wheel roller slowly works its way back toward the other 2 on one side!!
Would I buy it again? Probably not, because of the quick release design flaw from Tacx. Wiggle (as always!) have been fantastic at sorting out the other problems."
Review 11 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Jems
City: London
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Gender:Female
Budget:Value for money
Date:January 24, 2012
Noisy but amusing
Pros: Durable, Great Value, easily stored
Cons: noisy
"I've been looking for a while to find some way of using my Brompton as a way of staying fit. Over the last few years I've had two serious bike accidents and I've decided to stop cycling on London roads.
Bought the Antares and immediately discovered design flaw - the clips which are supposed to lock the metal sides in place, didn't. Toyed with the idea of sending the whole thing back, lost the will to live, then decided to Heath-Robinson it up.
Drilled strategic holes and shoved the allen keys through to hold everything firm. Then adjusted the distance between the two back rollers to accommodate the small back wheel of the Brompton. Huge amounts of imaginative swearing, much palaver, then more swearing.
However, once done, it's a hoot! I'm not sure I can imagine a time when I will be able to use this out in the middle of the room, but within the safety of a doorway it's v.good. The small wheels on the bike make it much less stable, so I suspect it's more of a challenge to keep it upright - as a result, my inner core's tightening up a treat, hoorah!
It's also knackering.
It's also WAY noisier than I was expecting which is a undeniable bummer. (Same noise levels before I made the adjustments). Am currently using it in short bursts to lower my blood-sugar levels (I'm diabetic) - significantly more amusing than having another injection or going out for a run.
Overall, I would recommend, but with above caveats..."
Review 12 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
leeh1710
City: Aldershot, UK
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Mountain Biker
Date:January 19, 2012
Good workout
Pros: Great Value, Adjustable
Cons: upsets the cat!
"Really easy to set up. As others have said it takes a little time to find your balance but it's a good workout for the whole body. A bit too noisy with off road tyres but ok with slicks although the cat still freaks out!"
Review 13 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
bluebear72
City: glasgow
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:January 19, 2012
Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Pros: Adjustable, Good Fit
Cons: poor insructions
"i have never used rollers before so cant really compare this to other products.
they are easy to set up as long as you look at the picture on the box and don't follow the instructions.
wouldn't call them ultra quiet but they are quiet enough to use while listening to music etc.
took a few attempts to get used to them, recommend holding onto something till you get up to speed, and buy a fan to help cool you down"
Review 14 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
sfusion
City: Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Cross Country MTB
Level:Advanced
Gender:Male
Budget:Value for money
Mountain Biker
Date:January 6, 2012
Pros: Lightweight, Versatile
Cons: loud
"I returned my first set of these rollers due to a loud chattering sound. The replacement set sadly had the same problem. A quick search online revealed I'm not the only one who's had this problem. The chattering is lateral movement of the bearings on the axle. Tacx suggest you reseat the bearing. I found this not to work. My solution was to add rubber grommets between the axle and the bearing, now the rollers run almost silently!
With the exception of this annoyance the rollers seem very good. Adjustable, quiet [after the grommet modification], fairly light and portable."
Review 15 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
belcher
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Date:January 5, 2012
Highly delighted with his present
Pros: Durable, Great Value, High Quality, Adjustable
"I bought this for my hubby for Christmas - he loves it albeit nearly killing himself before he cracked it! Was one of the best things I could have bought for him especially with all the bad weather we have had. He needs to train hard for his triathlons and even the weather will not stop him now! Compact and appeasing to the eye. Once mastered you will not want to get off it!"
Review 16 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
5 / 5
Avg 5 / 5 from
peterwill
City: birmingham
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Road Cyclist
Date:January 4, 2012
great set of rollers
Pros: Durable, Rugged, High Quality, Adjustable
"wasnt sure if this was as good as it looked but in the end went with other reviews on this website
Im so glad i did this is a great bit of kit my winter training has never been so good mush more fun than a turbo trainer as you have to be aware of your balance
also buying from wiggle made it simple great service would buy from them again
"
Review 17 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
kristour50
City: leicester
Country:United Kingdom
Age:45-54
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Occasional
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:January 4, 2012
indoor training rollers
Pros: Rugged, Adjustable, Lightweight
Cons: Expensive, varying resistance not included in price
"I bought these rollers to enable me to keep fit while the weather has prevented me riding at the weekends.
Takes a short while to get used to balancing on the Rollers but once mastered gives a good workout. The bike rides on the rollers the same way as riding on the road, and therefore is only under the stress the frame was designed to take, and as you don't have to remove the wheels you can hop off the the rollers and ride down the road without any adjustments of the cycle.
The length of the rollers adjusts so should fit most bikes, I have used 3 different bikes on the rollers all ride ok, and fit the rollers well.
I feel at the price the rollers could have varying resistance although a kit is available to enable fitting later.
"
Review 18 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
1 / 5
Avg 1 / 5 from
gilesy
City: Somerset
Country:United Kingdom
Age:25-34
Interest:Triathlete
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Budget:Quality first
Triathlete
Date:December 31, 2011
Cheap, poor quality rollers! Buy Cycleops!
Pros: Attractive
Cons: Low Quality, Wears Out Easily
"Broke after 5 minutes use! these set of rollers have a common problem; the bearings in the rollers work loose and make a horrible noise and vibrate (mainly the back roller) Type 'tacx antares noise' into google before you add them to your wiggle basket. I was advised by tacx to try and reset the bearings into the shafts using a socket, but to be honest they were 5 minutes old, so I opted for a set of cycleops aluminium rollers instead. No quibble return and refund from wiggle - top marks to them. Over the moon with the cycleops set, they don't look as fancy as the Tacx, but the are quieter and much better quality and easier to set up and store away. I was quite dissapointed with the quality of the antares as my Tacx Sirius turbo trainer is great - Definately go for the Cycleops if you want a set of rollers."
Review 19 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
4 / 5
Avg 4 / 5 from
Lovemagnet
City: Mansfield
Country:United Kingdom
Age:35-44
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:December 21, 2011
Awesome
Pros: Great Value, High Quality, Adjustable
"I read all the reviews on here. Which are mostly very positive about this product. There are so many factors working aginst the cyclist getting out on the road. Wind, rain, ice, snow, the wife, the kids, motivation and long hours at work. Owning the Tacx Antares has meant that during these long winter months I can maintain some fitness inbetween road rides. When the kids are in bed and the wife is watching home improvement programmes I put on my shorts clip in and get a good sweat on with the ipod on full blast. It was easy to set up and had no disarsters worthy of a you tube clip it took me 10 minutes holding on before i mustered thye courage to let go and before i knew it it was a piece of cake. Better and more fun that a turbo. Not as smooth as I was hoping but I am sold would recommend this to anyone. At with it current price and a 15 squid off voucher 110 pounds was a steal."
Review 20 for Tacx Antares Professional Training Rollers
Overall:
1 / 5
Avg 1 / 5 from
pedro65
City: Buckingham
Country:United Kingdom
Age:Over 65
Interest:Road Cyclist
Level:Regular
Gender:Male
Road Cyclist
Date:November 18, 2011
Poor
Cons: Low Quality, retaing clips don't hold the adjusment in place
"The set I received had a known fault and had to be returned. Also they are fiddly to adjust which takes too much time to say the least. I am not convinced the rollers would last very long either. My advice would be give these a miss. There are lot better products available that I have taken advantage of.
I have to say Wiggle acted in an exemplary manner in dealing with the problem I had with these rollers.
PDC
"
 
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