Rocker Plates

[bigdom]

Does anyone use them for indoor training, I’m interested to know if they’re of any benefit (I’m having saddle issues I don’t experience outdoors) or is it just another way to spend some money?

[Indoraptor]

Rocker plates ( or better still ) full rocking turbos mean you’re using your muscles more like you do on the actual road. They also help with reducing unnatural stresses on your bike frame. So TL;DR rockers are good.

[CatMatt7]

I’ve used one for around 18 months and very much like it, I got one of these https://turborocks.co/collections/all

The Saris plates is ridiculously expensive when you consider you could buy a top end turbo for the same money.

[defblade]

I cut up a £7 camping mat and shoved it under the trainer (4 layers) and the legs (bent in half) to see if I liked the effect at all before spending serious money. Red neck rocker plate.

I do like it, and I haven't bothered with anything better yet as the mat seems to do enough! 1.5 hours is fine; I did get off and stretch a bit at 1 hour today as I knew I was doing 2 hours... but then I'd do much the same outdoors.

Photo was taken of the new saddle, but you can see the mat at the bottom. Oh, and the cut-away in the saddle seems to help, too

[lufbramatt]

There's a big group on facebook about Rocker plates, the feedback on there is invariably that they're a good thing.

One complaint seems to be that the bike can rock the wrong way (especially during sprints) as the pivot is in the wrong place compared to how the bike moves during outside riding, not sure if that really matters but something to be aware of.

I keep meaning to get the bits to make one, but its hard to get decent plywood, all the stuff in wickes/B+Q is garbage with loads of voids etc.

[sociopath]

I bought one for my wattbike and I love it, a lot fewer aches and pains in my back.

Not as expensive as others, but same basic design. I reckon it would have cost me almost the same to buy the parts to build it.

www.bespokerockerplate.co.uk

ETA forgot to add a photo

Edited by sociopath on Monday 25th January 09:47

[WestyCarl]

After 2 yrs without one I made one during the recent lockdown.

2 weeks in and my conclusion is, "it's different", I'm not sure if this is still me getting used to it but I'm not at the "better" stage yet.

For sure it doesn't replicate the feeling of outside riding, however the bike does move allowing a little pressure releif.

[splodge s4]

Defiantly worth having if your doing a few miles on Zwift. I thought it would mostly help when out the saddle & you move the bike left/right as you pedal, sprinting/climbing & whilst it does help, the main benefit is when your sat in the saddle cruising. Without the plate the bike is held still whilst you still naturally rock with each pedal stroke. I also remember looking down & I always looked down the right side of the bike so I wasn't sitting central. With the plate the bike rocks with you so you are connected the same as normal riding, when I look down now i'm sat smack in the middle of the bike. As the bike rocks with you it stops any saddle sores or aches & pains.

[bigdom]

Thanks for all the replies, I've had a bit more of a look at some of the ones sold in the UK - cannot decide yet whether to buy or build.

I've downloaded a couple of the CAD files I found online, so I'll have a play and see if I can come up with something I fancy building.