You may want to start the ride with a layer or two up top, but once the intervals start take them off. I always ride the trainer just in bib shorts. My basement is in the low 50's this time of year, and, depending on the workout, I sometimes start with a layer on top. I've never had congestion issues, but have also never ridden the trainer in temps under 50.

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I recently rode in a car garage of a house. There were 6 of us doing a Boxing Day ride. We started and it was +1C in the garage, and we ended it had warmed up to +8C. I started off the ride dressed for sub 10C riding weather - base-layer, jersey, thin vest, arm-warmers, knee-warmers, thin-over-shoes (DeFeet Slipstream), tuque.

By the end of the ride, I had taken off, the vest, arm-warmers, tuque, and I was riding with the jersey wide open and getting really sweaty!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Put a space heater in the garage and just do it! Remember, that which doesn't kill you...

Only postpones the inevitable! ;-))

I've been riding on the trainer in the garage most days since Christmas due to sub-freezing temperatures here. The garage is not insulated, so it's probably around 40F inside and much colder outside. I start with a sweatshirt layered on top of a compression base layer and s/s cycling jersey. After 8-10 minutes, the sweatshirt comes off and by the end of the ride/workout, I'm plenty warm and usually sweating. I haven't had any congestion issues but I really have to force myself to drink.

One recommendation would be to remove layers before you start sweating. As soon as I start to get warm, I take the sweatshirt/jacket off to avoid sweating and getting a chill early-on. Later in the ride it's fine because my core temperature is higher.

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My paincave is in our garage. Insulated, but I refuse to turn on the heat out there (too cheap). I start by wearing several layers and remove them as I warm up. One big tip: Bring your shoes into the house so they are warm. Helps stave off the cold toes.

Do you get congestion issues when you exercise in cold outside?

I just bought a wireless remote plug outlet for my fan. It was only $12 and has already proved its worth for cold trainer rides. It is really nice to be able to turn on the fan without having to get off the bike once you finally warm up and there is no temptation to tough it out at the start with the fan on.

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Wireless-Electrical-Household-Appliances/dp/B00DQDJJKU/ref=pd_bxgy_60_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GGGZESZJEAW6F0700C6W

Your OP is more about breathing than about staying warm, right? For me, once the temps reach down to about 35F, I start to get an irritated throat when working out. The colder and dryer the air, the worse it gets. I will have a cough and a scratchy throat the rest of the day. I try to take a hot shower right after a cold garage trainer session or any cold run. I find that helps relieve some irritation in my throat. I have also resorted to sucking on cough drops to get me through the day without annoying my coworkers.

Keeping your bike shoes in the house is a great trick.

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I do laps around the parking garage of my condo. Feels fantastic to get off the trainer!

You are exactly correct in regards to my question being about breathing, not physically cold. We have two young ones, so runny noses/coughs are standard business here in the winter, but do feel like those hard efforts might make it worse. Good advice below and I appreciate the response.

I've tried riding the trainer in 0 to 5 degC temperatures in the garage but didn't find it agreeable!
With a fan on I was too cold without wearing lots of clothing. In particular my knees dislike the cold and I really don't want to ride in tights or leg warmers indoors!
With the fan off I'd quickly get too hot and sweaty regardless of the ambient temperature. I could find no middle ground. So I now turn on a space heater a little while before a I start and get the temperature to a minimum of 10 deg or so. Then ride in shorts and a top which I discard once the intensity gets up.

I've no problem riding outdoors in low temperatures but I really dislike it on the trainer.

Probably not the issue you are having, and I don't know if this applies to you, but if you do hard efforts in the cold with a fan you can actually overheat. Seems totally counterintuitive.

Your body restricts blood flow to the skin if the skin is cold (I think the temp is below ~50F), regardless of how much internal heat is being generated by exercise. So if you are doing a really hard effort in the cold with a fan blowing, your skin will be freezing and you'll sweat to expel energy, but it won't work very well because your body is restricting bloodflow to the surface. In other words your body's systems to regulate your core temperature become confused and kinda dysfunctional.

Better to get a couple good fans and ride in the house.

Thats really interesting and wasn't aware. I definitely use a fan despite the temp and will eventually end up just riding in my shorts. I moved the trainer indoors and will be doing the ride there. Thanks for the info.

Dryer cold air can affect some people depending on the effort level.

I try to avoid hard intervals when it is very cold without a long warmup.

Also, even though it is a cold garage, airflow matters. That's why you see runners with bare legs running at a freezing temp but cyclists bundled. Airflow.

I'd say start out by doing some calisthenics indoors to warmup then jump on the bike in the garage with less clothes.

Took me awhile to get a clue! I'd ride the trainer outdoors in the evening when it was usually in the 20s. I was sweating a lot anyway, so cranked up a fan. I was still sweating like crazy *and* freezing (my skin that is), and getting overheated all at the same time. Then I read a study regarding this issue and it made some sense. I'm much more comfortable in the house. Just get as many fans as you need.

I'd enjoy seeing the source on this if you're able to share.

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I tried looking on google just now, and I must not be using the right search terms. I recall linking to it on this forum, maybe 2-3 years ago?

I appreciate the effort.


I'm trying to rectify how or why this may be.

Exercise, especially high-intensity, tends to increase the internal temperature that causes skin vasodilation. (As can dehydration).
Perhaps you were existing in some weird intersection of exercising causing a higher set-point, cold environment removing enough heat and everything balancing while leaving your skin blood flow relatively low.

Kinda the opposite of the theory of drinking tea in the desert to raise core-temp, induce sweating and ultimately cool yourself?

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To the OP, so we do not hijack your thread too much.

2 Questions
1. Do you have increased congestion when riding outside in the cold?
2. Do you have increased congestion when riding in the garage, but it's not cold.

It's fairly typical to have cold-induced bronchospasm, especially while exercising, that can also have increased mucus production.
Additionally, it's typical that an airborne irritant (exhaust, chemical vapors, chlorine, mold, other things found in the garage environment) can also cause the same.

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Sounds sort of plausible but cross country skiers don’t seem to have this issue and I would think the airflow they experience is similar if not more than a fan.

I came across this thread:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Dear_Sweaty_People_on_Trainers_P4373586-2/


By searching "rruff cold sweat site:forum.slowtwitch.com" in Google.


Looks like the one.

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It's isn't an issue when your skin is adequately protected.

The relevant part:

EDIT: Just came across this from Koolvest... which could possibly explain why training in particularly cold air doesn't work very well. If your skin gets cold your body will constrict blood flow and convective cooling... even to the point of overheating...? Seems like a faulty design ;). But if that does in fact occur it *could* explain why you sweat so much. Your convective heat loss is shut down because your skin is too cold.

"Vasoconstriction is a condition that must be considered when artificially cooling the body. Vasoconstriction is a body�s physiological response to extreme cold and is dangerous when the body is trying to get rid of heat. It has been scientifically proven that applying conductive or convective cooling at temperatures below 55� F to the human body will cause the capillaries closest to the skin to constrict, cutting off blood flow to that area effectively insulating the body from the perceived cold climate. This is extremely dangerous and has been known to elevate a person�s core temp even though they are wearing an artificial cooling system. Ice vests cooling systems are most commonly associated with this dangerous condition."

I added to the other thread to prevent derailment of this one.
Interesting conversation, in my opinion.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Re%3A_Dear_Sweaty_People_on_Trainers_%5Brruff%5D_P6527077/

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