gthomson

Just wondering what people use to cool down during indoor training rides? I have a smaller 3 speed fan which would be used to cool a small room on a warm night but I'm finding in my somewhat competitive group rides or races I start to get real hot after about 30 minutes.

Sweat is just a given no matter how hard I ride on the trainer but when I'm putting in a good effort I start to feel a bit unwell getting into the 45 minute mark and it takes me a long time to cool down after my ride and shower. Wondering if it's just a new fan to resolve it or whether I head over to the Pills & Ills forum under the 50 plus group. Something I'm noticing more frequently then I've noticed in the past.

spelger

small 10-12 inch fan only. aimed on my head/shoulders slightly from the side about 20 inches away, no better place for it. typically on speed 2 of 3 unless i get real hot. but...add to that i am in the garage so that helps greatly. i will turn it on about 5 mins in, too cold in the very beginning.

my take is that you just need more air flow, get more fan, or if you'r in a closed room indoors try opening a window and hav ethe fan pull air from it, that woul;d be a free test.

caloso

I work out in an uninsulated detached garage, so it's pretty cool and damp in the winter but sweltering in the summer. I have a 18" circular pedestal fan aimed at my upper body. I also put a cheap box fan that I put near the cracked garage door to pull in fresh air. When it gets really warm, I bring out the air mover and blast it at my torso.

tempocyclist

I train in my garage under the house. It stays pretty cool. I have a three-speed floor fan like in the photo below, plenty of brands available and they're all pretty similar. It's 45cm / 18 inches. Does the job on the "2" setting.



Actually, I wouldn't mind having two fans, one either front side blowing in from an angle.

superdex

I picked up one of these after searching for a quiet fan. It's quiet-ish, but it's plenty powerful. I has it pointed more or less at my chest, so not in my face and not only on the legs --and I've never had it higher than the lowest setting. When it's cold in the pain cave, I'll drape a T-shirt over the handlebars that'll block most of the breeze until I'm warmed up:



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YKXF9VC

surak

I've used a Lasko air mover in the front and a pedestal fan behind me, and on intense rides with both on max that's been barely enough. But I ended up making my body acclimatized to cooler temperatures and suffered during even moderately warm temps outside last year, so I've scaled it back with lower fan settings and more endurance/less intense indoor riding.

CliffordK

One model newer than this one. I've loaned it to a friend and haven't gotten it back yet. But, I've never been real big with stationary riding.

sdmc530

I have a dewalt jobsite fan that runs off my dewalt battery packs. I love that little fan. I have a standard box window fan moving air as well.

gthomson

I think I need to up my game on the fan based on what I'm reading and glad to know it's not just me who gets super hot when riding hard. Opening a window makes a ton of sense, just hard to conceive this winter with the extreme cold temperatures we've been having here in the northland. I was doing that back in December when it was warmer but Jan - Feb. have been so cold, I probably couldn't get the window shut!

Really starting to wish it was spring so I can just ride outside. Oh well, keep Zwifting for now.

MinnMan

I'm very similar. The fan is within arms reach so I can turn it on after I warm up. I'm actually chilly at the outset of my ride because my basement in the winter is usually between 57 an 62 °F. The fan is aimed at my head and chest.

I don't use the trainer much in the warmer months. When the ambient room temperature gets above 66 °F, I have a second fan, but it's still uncomfortable...

spelger

sometimes as low as 40 when i start, when it is that cold i need to use toe warmers inside my shoes. but by the end i am pretty darn hot and quite wet, gotta get inside soon after shutting everything down.

texbiker

I use a ceiling fan on the middle speed and a Honeywell TurboForce Power fan. It's about 12" diameter. I have it on a Wyze smartplug which allows me to turn it on when I get warmed up.

genejockey 

One generic, Home Depot-type box fan, on a chair, to the right of the bike, aimed at my legs and chest. It's within easy reach to turn up or down. A second fan the same size, but it's one of those round ones on a base that allows you to pivot it up and down. It sits on the floor to the left of the bike and is aimed up at my chest and face. If it's cool in the garage (i.e. under 65) I start my warm up with both off. Then I turn the floor fan on to a speed that reflects the workout I'm about to do. The box fan, I turn on, and up as needed, since I can reach the switch with a bit of a lean from the saddle.

If it's REALLY warm - like if I can't ride outside due to air quality - I have a third fan that's MUCH higher powered, but noisy as all hell.

spelger

ya know what's funny, in the early days when i got started (2 or 3 years ago) with indoor trainer stuff i could only position the fan blowing from the side. i actually got half hot/half tolerable. that only lasted for a month or so till i got things set up properly. and then i had to tear it all apart last summer to make room for the Spit. fan location is ok for cooling but blocks some of the big 40" screen i have.

gthomson

Not sure if anyone is on Instagram but I follow GCN, Zwift and Pain Caves and the set up that some people have is incredible. Like, 3 industrial strength fans all around them, big screen TV's specific pain cave lighting (not sure what the point of that is) all their accolades and cool bike related art work on the wall....the list goes on.

My pain cave it just part of my at home office in which I run Zwift from my laptop and view on my 22" monitor. The fan just sits on my filing cabinet. Pain cave is appropriately named on both accounts.

MinnMan

Some people just use their laptop or tablet for zwift. That's not for me. I have an old (15+ y.o.) 60" screen for zwift. It's supposed to be immersive.

I only have a fan on one side, normally. If there is a second fan, then from both sides. I don't have a stand to position a fan in front of me, and it would block the screen.

superdex

my pain cave is the last few square feet against the wall of the room we also use as the "gift wrap/craft room" -- I have a 32" roku tv and a multiple-year old PC tower with a $90 graphics card in it. What ever gets the job done, right?

nomadmax 

spelger

when you are on the trainer do you mount the training wheels?

nomadmax 

Given to me as a gift by a good friend after a nasty crash. I keep them there to remind me, no matter how good you are, inattention can be a killer.

Marylander

That is my setup: 2 big fans like you've got set an angles to me. Also, I got some cheap smart plugs (2 for $10) so I can turn them on after I've warmed up a little.

Bruizer

Here’s my fan set up. I started with the two cheap clip on fans. They were ok, but just. My wife got me the Dyson two years ago for Christmas. What a joy that has been. Comes with a remote for all adjustments, it’s very powerful, and quiet.

spelger

funny stuff, good that you both have a sense of humor.

Zoxe

I have a pair of Honeywell HT-900 (7 inch diameter) and a single HT-908 (12 inch diameter). I have all 3 plugged into a cheap RF remote outlet intended for Christmas tree lights (I can stop/start the fans during my warmup).

This setup works, but if I were buying again I would look at one of the Lasco air movers.

(Pain cave setups: We upgraded our TV in the main room and I snagged the 15yo 45" LCD. It's much better than the old 20" monitor I had rigged up, but the old LCDs throw off a fair amount of heat in an enclosed space).

himespau 

I have a kickr headwind that I got used off eBay (works but has an annoying rattle - but I also didn't pay their insane full price for it).

When that's not enough, I have a 20" box fan that I can reach over (maybe 2 feet away) and turn on (and then adjust speed as needed). Very rare for me to get that on max and have the headwind on max. Usually on long rides where I'm at my limit but the headwind isn't up all the way (because I have it regulated by my heartrate and I'm just on a long tempo ride so legs/lungs are done but hr isn't at max) is when I need the box fan the most.