How easy are Parabolic v. Standard Rollers to use? I cycle a track bike and want to do some training over the winter. After a bit of research I've decided to go with rollers.

I haven't used them before but I'm sure with a bit of perseverance I'll get the hang of it.

My budget is €400 max inc. delivery and I think that resistence will be necessary considering the lack of gears.

So far I've boiled it down to:


CycleOps Aluminium Rollers with Resistance Unit
Elite V-Arion Parabolic Inertial Rollers with Integrated Resistance Unit.


I like how simple the CycleOps look and the option of using outdoors but am mildly worried that the non-parabolic rollers will be a lot more difficult and that I wouldn't be able to watch tv etc. eventually. 

Would you say that parabolic rollers only lessen the learning curve and are much the same as standard rollers after, or are they always easier?
I've never ridden parabolic rollers myself but I do have a pair of cylindrical pvc rollers. It takes a bit of practice, but after a short amount of time I was able to watch tv quite easily from my cylindrical rollers. A bit after that, I was able to sit up, lean back down, take a drink, and ride with one hand or one foot while watching tv. Not all at the same time, obviously.

It is my understanding that parabolic rollers are easier to learn to ride simply because you can't ride off the edges. However, riding off the sides isn't a big deal. The bike comes to an immediate stop. The friction of your tires isn't enough to overcome your body's lack of inertia. You smell burnt rubber and may leave burn marks on your carpet, but that's about it. If you put a towel under the rollers, you won't have to worry about the carpet.

One other thing to consider is the diameter of the riding surface of the rollers. I believe that on average parabolic rollers are smaller than cylindrical rollers. Smaller rollers heat up more quickly and as a result are harder on tires. 

I've really only addressed the issues between parabolic and cylindrical rollers here because that seems to be the brunt of your question. For a more comprehensive disucssion of rollers, see this question and the questions that are linked to in the accepted answer on that question.