Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did?

Sep 22, 22 8:26

Post #1 of 25 (4012 views)

I've posted this twice already, but am finally working on what I really wanted.

I have a permitted standalone shed of 180 sqft bottom floor and same in the loft but the steep pitched roof means that's just maybe a play area for kids or something.

Current details:
-stickbuilt on standard house "centers", all external facing plywood and exposed wood is treated
-house wrapped and vinyl siding and metal roof
-outdoor rated Romex power supply cable from a 20A plug at the house (permit folks said if it's temp power, no permit on electrical and they saw this setup at finals and were fine with it)
-water exposure rated rubber/plastic vinyl plank flooring
-no windows, deadbolt basic metal doors
-is a weird-ish L shaped building: 8' x 16' x 8'

Current plans:
-already ripped all the old random shelving off the walls, ripped out the non-structure internal downstairs "wall" I had to separate our shit goats from the rest of the shed when we owned those fuckers
-already kicked the spiders out and sprayed/prevention stuff
-foam sealed up anything obvious and leak checked everywhere
-insulation R15 walls roof, standard flooring insulation crawling under shed (in progress)
-dryway downstairs, will paint and keep it light color
-upgrade Romex cable run from house
-combo window ac/heat/dehumid unit that's good for 350sqft
-ethernet run from house router
-add more wall outlets, lighting, lighting switches in convenient spots

Questions:
-Cheapo really big flatscreen TV or cheaper projector? In TT position I would need a TV mount where I can lower the screen down and back up for road.
-Kickr Climb worth it?
-What did you not do you regret?
-Inventive bike storage optimizing space? One will stay on the trainer for storage, so a TT bike, road bike, cross bike, two kids.
-Inventive space saving wheel storage?
-Affordable futureproof best Zwift computer hardware option? Our old Macbook is likely one big Zwift year end update away from not making it!
-I'm afraid for thefts to add windows downstairs in the shed. Would be a neat touch but that kinda is a hit to hvac control efficiency IMO and complex and a new way for a breaking in.

Bike storage IMO is the key to using the space well. I'd prefer cram as much shit in the one 8x8 foot space as possible then have most of the 8x16 space open for the trainer setup and maybe a couch for movies or something.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 23, 22 22:05

Post #2 of 25 (3814 views)

For the TV then I'd suggest 2x stacked TVs over one. I have one 'high' mounted TV and then under 2xside by side 23" monitors. That's as I have 2x zwift pcs and trainers, one mine, one Mrs74s. So on the road zwift for workouts I have zwift at the bottom, and netflix/etc on top as my eyes are on that more. If the TT is on the trainer then I swap it round so I'm eyes on the lower screen and just glance up to see any zwift metrics.

Re the PC, I've said before I'm running 2xNZD99 second hand office desktops which don't meet the spec for Windows 11, but with a $100 graphics card are doing fine to run zwift and stream tv at same time. I don't have it on high detail, but then I'm watching the streaming anyway. My point being, Zwft is designed to run on tablets as well as PCs, and so pretty much any PC you get is going to last 10 years as a zwift only machine. If you are spending more than $300 you are pure wasting money.

A remote control fan unit was the best 'upgrade' to my room. And specifically the 3 fan tower. I tend to sweat a fair bit, and put out a decent power on the bike, but even at 25 degrees that works awesome for me, but also for the warm up and cool down when it's at 3 degrees Celsius outside with only one of the fans on.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 24, 22 3:56

Post #3 of 25 (3723 views)

Have a Kickr Climb. Do not recommend. Just a novelty unless you ride the Essesess a lot.

For the PC, it doesn't have to be great, but I would get better than basic. If I remember correctly, Zwift stresses the CPU more than the GPU. Look at https://zwiftalizer.com/benchmarks to see how much performance even a modest PC can produce. look at the Makuri Island numbers - it is a more complicated environment.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 24, 22 6:58

Post #4 of 25 (3619 views)

Definitely suggest TV over projector. I hate the dull look of a projector. Go with a sharp crisp TV. And mount it low so you can actually enjoy what you are watching.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 24, 22 7:22

Post #5 of 25 (3594 views)

I recently built a DIY rocker plate and absolutely love it, highly recommended but it does take up more space than just a trainer. Not sure how good an idea it'd be with the kickr climb though.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 24, 22 7:41

Post #6 of 25 (3579 views)

burnthesheep wrote:

-combo window ac/heat/dehumid unit that's good for 350sqft
-

What's your fan game like?

Because I don't think an AC alone comes close. I had a Zwift teammate who raced from Djibouti military barracks with good AC, but no fan, and he'd melt down pretty quick.

I think you should wall-mount several serious fans.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 24, 22 8:22

Post #7 of 25 (3550 views)

An Apple TV can run Zwift well enough and is a pretty cheap option. You can buy some heavy duty Velcro and stick it to the back of the tv to save space.

Ditto with a raspberry pi 400 if you run fulgaz and want a dedicated sever for the videos, since storage on an ATV is limited

the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [trail] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 9:53

Post #8 of 25 (3289 views)

trail wrote:

burnthesheep wrote:

-combo window ac/heat/dehumid unit that's good for 350sqft
-

What's your fan game like?

Because I don't think an AC alone comes close. I had a Zwift teammate who raced from Djibouti military barracks with good AC, but no fan, and he'd melt down pretty quick.

I think you should wall-mount several serious fans.

I'm listening to others here and going flatscreen instead of projector.

Otherwise, I plan to try to get the most volume per amperage I can suffer out against the lights/tv/computer and a/c unit running. I will upgrade the drop's gauge to the shed. I've 20 amps to play with. As I do recognize fans as supremely important to indoor training so will not skimp there.

Drywall comes on last dry day for 3 days so I have to hot foot it all from the driveway into the shed. Most all the insulation is up indoors downstairs. It got quieter and quieter in there as that went up slowly. Opened door once to see a storm outside I didn't know was there.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [Duncan74] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 13:23

Post #9 of 25 (3201 views)

ditto on the remote control fan. I wish I had listened and spent the additional $$ for the remote. It would be nice to warm up with no fan or on first setting and then be able to crank it up as necessary for the main workout, and turn it down for a cool down without having to stop and get up in the middle. Especially, if you're late to a race and don't have time for a warm up. Having the fan on high can be a little much at the start when it's cold out, but if you don't turn it on at all, you're melting after 10 min. Get the remote.

Wireless sport earbuds. They help block the noise and keep the playlist going. I have some cheap Soundcore ones which work just fine for the application. They're great handling sweat and can be worn in the shower. I've not tried that. Not too expensive if something happens.

Spares of everything you need. Tires and other things for your set up that can wear out. I've learned it's no fun getting all ready to go and breaking a belt for my rollers and having to miss a few days waiting for a new one.

I sweat a lot so I use big wrist bands to wipe sweat instead of reaching for a towel.

sounds like a nice set up, enjoy!

Great things never come from comfort zones.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [Barry S.] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 13:26

Post #10 of 25 (3195 views)

If you have fans without remotes, smart plugs are a great way to make them semi-controllable (on/off, no speed control). They're like $15 or cheaper on sale and you can hook them up to Google/Alexa and use voice commands to turn them on once you start riding.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 13:53

Post #11 of 25 (3176 views)

For me of all the money and time I spent doing and redoing my training room over many years what makes a world of difference:

1) Dedicated HVAC that allows me to manage training room temperature independent of my house
2) Independent Air flow boosters to drive the air out of the ductwork via Bluetooth directly to me "godsend"!
3) Dehumidifier to keep relative humidity levels under 35% -very little sweat, no dampness, no mold, the training room never smell
Note: I moved to a smaller room at some point to faster manipulate temp/humidity levels... everything is managed by my iPhone.

I live in NC so my outside training @ 80% humidity levels have more than enough for acclimatization... :)

Last edited by: IceZ4: Sep 27, 22 13:57

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 14:03

Post #12 of 25 (3158 views)

Which low noise fans do you have? I have an industrial high noise fan from Menards and I'm getting tired of it since I have to crank up my airpods volume.

No need for a fancy Wahoo fan for sure.

Last edited by: arkmann: Sep 27, 22 14:03

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 14:49

Post #13 of 25 (3126 views)

I actually think it may be reasonable and simpler to NOT get a big TV/projector, and just use an ipad.

I do have two separate TVs for my pain cave - a 32" for my treadmill, and a 50+inch for bike/zwift. They're cool and all, but after awhile, it's actually faster and more convenient to just run a tablet up close. If you get a bike table like the one from Wahoo, the tablet up close gives you a really good field of view, and you don't miss much from that mega TV.

The TV is slightly more immersive, but I've found that it's nowhere near immersive enough to make me not notice that I'm riding an indoor trainer. I've even run Zwift on my phone in a pinch, as I didn't want to turn on my TV, turn on the BT dongle, turn on my headphones, and that works fine too.

You can always add one later if you decide you do want to go big, but the tablet is really flexible, cheap, and mobile.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 16:29

Post #14 of 25 (3070 views)

I'm pretty happy with my setup now.

I have my workout area next to my desk in my home office, so keeping everything clean and minimal was important.

Cheapo Tacx Flow smart trainer - that's new this year, love it.
I have an old bike that's dedicated to trainer duty, no worries about setup, swapping wheels, etc. its always ready to go.
I couldn't justify the price of a Wahoo desk, and didn't care for the bulk, so I installed adjustable shelving tracks on the wall in front of the trainer with a shelf that's big enough to hold my laptop, phone, and a pair of reading glasses.
Mounted my industrial fan on the wall above the laptop, so it's blowing down onto my head and back. That's connected to a power bar mounted to the wall where I can reach it from the bike. I can also reach the fan and adjust speed if I need to, but prefer to use the switch on the power bar.
there's another power bar that's always on, for laptop and USB chargers
external bluetooth speakers for when I don't want to wear headphones. loud enough to overcome the fan noise, and workout area is far enough from bedrooms that the family doesn't really hear it.
all my workout clothes and towels are in the closet in my office. Also a mini-fridge where I keep a few water bottles cold.
a folding wooden chair so I can sit down to put on and take off socks and shoes. minor, but it's nice to have.

I used to have Zwift connected to the big screen TV, but I realized that I preferred the laptop where I could reach the keyboard. Now I'm off Zwift entirely, but when I had it I found that the laptop up close wasn't really any worse of an experience as the 55" tv further away.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [lightheir] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 17:06

Post #15 of 25 (3050 views)

lightheir wrote:

I actually think it may be reasonable and simpler to NOT get a big TV/projector, and just use an ipad.

I do have two separate TVs for my pain cave - a 32" for my treadmill, and a 50+inch for bike/zwift. They're cool and all, but after awhile, it's actually faster and more convenient to just run a tablet up close. If you get a bike table like the one from Wahoo, the tablet up close gives you a really good field of view, and you don't miss much from that mega TV.

The TV is slightly more immersive, but I've found that it's nowhere near immersive enough to make me not notice that I'm riding an indoor trainer. I've even run Zwift on my phone in a pinch, as I didn't want to turn on my TV, turn on the BT dongle, turn on my headphones, and that works fine too.

You can always add one later if you decide you do want to go big, but the tablet is really flexible, cheap, and mobile.

I second this. I bought a refurb iPad off amazon for dirt cheap and set it up in front of my bike. Easier to get the right height set as well as to move it around if you need to do your workout somewhere else for whatever reason. I like a TV for the treadmill, but opt for the iPad during trainer sessions.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [Parkland] [ In reply to ]

Sep 27, 22 18:55

Post #16 of 25 (2993 views)

This is also NC. So dehumid is part of the hvac I bought.

As for the TV I have used a 10 year old 42 inch plasma for two years now and love that. I get the laptop going while dressing then just attach the hdmi and go. Same this time.

The TV is not only Zwift. Kids and I to have a more fun movie spot without the “mommy likes a clean living room” needs. So bigger tv and more boisterous sound system than the “proper” living room in the house.

Well, either way drywall arrives Thurs. I dread but need to crawl under the crawlspace of the shed to install that insulation. Layer up in case if ant bites under there.

I will take photos when done.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 22 6:25

Post #17 of 25 (2838 views)

X2 on a mini fridge. I picked up a red bull one second hand. Now I pretend I’m blummenfelt 🤙

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 22 6:41

Post #18 of 25 (2823 views)

I like my 'grotto of mild discomfort' to be as simple as possible. Bike on trainer, fan, large TV. I have a very small set of shelves for storing towels and fueling. If I'm doing low intensity stuff, I might watch a movie, and for higher intensity I run Zwift or whatever on the TV.

I should clarify... that's what I've done in the past. Moving to ABQ in a month and have committed to not training indoors on my bike. I plan to cross train periodically w/ rowing, in addition to weight training, and in those instances it's not feasible to ride outdoors mid-day, I'll just row. Indoor training, for me at least, sucked all the fun out of riding.

Last edited by: Mudge: Sep 28, 22 7:36

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [arkmann] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 22 7:43

Post #19 of 25 (2780 views)

I have two Vornado fans, one low to the floor and one that has a stand that puts it at waist level. Between the two of them, it’s a good amount of airflow for bike or treadmill run. A plus is they look kind of vintage, so they go nicely in the workout room of my very old house.

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 22 16:43

Post #20 of 25 (2669 views)

Not sure I understand the bad rap that projectors get, particularly with your setup with limited windows. I’ve been running a short throw ceiling mounted projector casting to 10 ft screen for a couple years with great satisfaction. Cost for these items on Amazon were a few hundred total, not even close to the cost of a large tv setup and far more immersive. Side benefit the projector has a Roku connected and can do double duty for movie watching with my boys. Have this connected to a dedicated older desktop PC with upgraded power supply and graphics card. Runs everything in ultra high def and basically was a computer gathering dust otherwise. There’s a Facebook group page with a wealth of resources to explain how to get set up like this for little cost and surprisingly easy to do. Like others have noted the remote control fans are also a key piece of equipment to get.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Sep 30, 22 8:12

Post #21 of 25 (2435 views)

I'm set up in an attic, and I have an old vanity with little doors from a bathroom hanging on the wall--that way my fuel source isn't nibbled up by mice. If you are in a shed, assume some little buddies will get in and protect your snacks!

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [ In reply to ]

Sep 30, 22 12:42

Post #22 of 25 (2367 views)

If this were my setup I'd put a PRx rack (or similar) and weights / dumbbells in the 8x8 space and use the 8x16 for a permeant TV / bike / trainer setup. Bike storage? You said you had an unused upstairs? Perfect.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [wcb] [ In reply to ]

Sep 30, 22 13:35

Post #23 of 25 (2332 views)

I went with a Mantel Mount TV mount. This allows me to have the TV at multiple levels depending on my workout.

MantelMount - The Original Pull Down TV Mount Above The Fireplace

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [Egn85] [ In reply to ]

Oct 3, 22 7:22

Post #24 of 25 (2145 views)

Egn85 wrote:

I went with a Mantel Mount TV mount. This allows me to have the TV at multiple levels depending on my workout.

MantelMount - The Original Pull Down TV Mount Above The Fireplace

Thanks for that.

Other news, downstairs has 100% insulation up and hvac installed. Drywall up on all but one wall. I spent the time to "do it right" and carefully trim all the sheets so each wall only gets the lower and upper sheet in entirety. It was a royal PIA to trim the sheet that had the hole for the hvac and also the cutouts for the rungs of the ladder to go to the "attic". But a single trimmed sheet is always stronger and visually more pleasing than a hacked up bit of several.

Sad news, will be paying an exterminator to evict some ants. But better to do that now than seal it all up and have the place overrun and/or eaten to bits. From the hurricane didn't find any leaks but did see opportunities to manage the water flow off the roof a bit better and drainage around it.

Re: Pain cave shed version 3.0, what did you wish you did? [burnthesheep] [ In reply to ]

Nov 17, 22 6:27

Post #25 of 25 (1682 views)

I laid the insulation on the upper flooring for the winter. Drywall/insulation done and painted. 50% of cheapo cedar planks for ceiling up. All the rubber fake wood flooring down. New dedicated outlet for the hvac installed.

It stays a nice temp without much effort.

Picking up a 55" tv for $230 at Costco to go with a mobile tv stand cart I found on Amazon that includes a little laptop tray on it. Leave bike setup on trainer to one side and roll tv in front of that. Leave couch over there. Done.

Needs a bit of decoration, but otherwise........done. Will take pictures once tv/cart/trainer is set back up.

For movies, if you turn the lights off since there are no windows it is essentially a black hole in there. So movies should be pretty neat with kiddos. Crank up the Star Wars!

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