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The Inside Ride rolling road is like a treadmill for walkers and runners, but is bigger.
It took machinist Larry Papadopoulos four years to develop. All the parts were custom made and the software is proprietary. It was unveiled at Interbike last October and earned "Best Road Innovation" from VeloNews Magazine. Riders can sprint on the flat or can climb hills up to a gradient of 16 percent.
According to Inside Ride, the treadmill "enables the rider to self-regulate speed and power output by simulating the real-world forces that one encounters on the road or trail, such as wind, rolling resistance, acceleration and gravity. This is accomplished through the use of a nylon tether, which attaches the computerized resistance unit to the seat post. The design allows full range of motion for both rider and bicycle you wont even know it is there."
Allen Lim – a PhD-c at UC Boulder and elite level cycling coach – said the Super Trainer does things no static indoor-trainer can:
"Although we have a good understanding of the power profiles and resistive forces associated with competitive cycling, the physiological responses associated with competition have never been measured directly. This is because the power fluctuations and course profiles associated with outdoor cycling are extremely difficult to replicate in the laboratory with available stationary trainers or ergo meters.
"The development of this treadmill is a potential solution to simulating cycling in the laboratory, and a logical next step towards understanding the true physiological response to road cycling."
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