How to Convert Rollers to Motion Rollers

Rollers essentially turn your bicycle into a stationary bicycle for indoor exercise. Rather than just providing two rollers, similar to those found on a conveyor belt, a motion roller provides an additional roller for your front wheel. The back wheel is cradled between two rollers, so the bike can't take off. The front roller supports the front wheel, turning the whole mechanism into a treadmill for your bike. And with the addition of the front wheel roller, you balance just like riding outside for much more realistic motion. Once you have a stationary roller, it's not too hard to convert it to a motion roller.

Things You'll Need

  • Stationary roller
  • Rubber drive belt
  • Tape measure
  • Metal saw
  • Drill
  • Rectangular tube steel
  • 1/4-inch bolts
  • Nylon locking nuts
  • Washers
  • Nut
  • Wrench
  • Socket set
  • Conveyor belt roller with threaded axle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure your bicycle's wheel base by measuring from the center of the rear wheel hub to the center of the front wheel hub.

    • 2

      Dissemble the stationary roller, allowing you to slip a rubber drive belt over the one of its two rollers -- the one closest to the bicycle's crank shaft. The drive belt needs to be about 3/4 inch wide and stretch from the stationary roller to the new front roller to transfer motion from the rear wheel to the front wheel of the bike. Slide the drive belt over the end of the roller, then refasten the stationary roller.

    • 3

      Cut two pieces of 2 1/2-inch rectangular tube steel the length of your bike's wheelbase. These will be used for extension rails. Cut them with a metal cut-off saw, a chop saw with a metal cutting blade or a hacksaw, being careful to make a straight cut.

    • 4

      Drill 1/4-inch mounting holes through the extension rails. With both pieces aligned and stacked on their sides, drill a hole, sideways, through the rectangular tubes, 1 inch from the end. Drill a second mounting hole 2 feet from the first.

    • 5

      Set the extension rails outside the rails of your stationary roller with the mounting holes adjacent to the rails.

    • 6

      Drill holes through the roller's rails, using the mounting holes in the extension rails as a template. Slide 1/4-inch bolts through the holes, using washers on each side of the rails. Don't fasten them, yet.

    • 7

      Measure half the distance between your two rear rollers and make a mark on the extension rails indicating the halfway point.

    • 8

      Measure from the halfway point, along the extension rails, the distance of your bike's wheelbase and make another mark.

    • 9

      Make a third mark, 2 inches back, towards the stationary rollers. This mark will be the location of your third "motion" roller.

    • 10

      Drill holes in the extension rails to mount the the third roller.

    • 11

      Thread a bolt over each end of the rollers' axles, then slide a washer flush to the bolts.

    • 12

      Stretch the rubber drive belt from the rear roller over the end of the front roller.

    • 13

      Slide the extension rails over the front roller-axles, slide two more washers and fasten with nylon lock-nuts and a wrench.

    • 14

      Fasten the extension rails to the stationary roller with nylon lock-nuts. You'll need a wrench or a ratchet set to tighten the nut and a second wrench to hold the bolt end so it doesn't spin.

    • 15

      Adjust the rubber drive belt at the edge of the rollers.