pedal harder

As it gets colder i dress up more and more: First a jersey, then a long sleeve jersey, then toe covers, gloves etc...

I still have fans blasting at me so i end up in a strange mode of being super hot and sweating hard as well as seriously cold and shivering, at the same time. I often go and sit in a hot bath afterwards to warm up my core.

I hate winter.... but not as much as i hate summer when it's 30C in my garage!

Ah , so you use fans

I generally have been fan-less these last few days. Maybe I need to try at low speeds

Like you said - it’s a strange combo of freezing / shivering and drenched w sweat

I don't have quite the same situation, but I just added some remote plug-ins. (Amazon) There are a number of versions of these. I like being able to warm up a little before turning on the fans in the cooler temps and now I can do it without having to get off the bike. Nice cheap addition and glad I got the outlets. I would still have to get off the bike to adjust fan speed, but in my case I leave them on high.

32 is cold. I live in VA and my garage rarely gets below 40. feet, hands and arms need clothing, but other than that it is not too bad once you get going. i turn on the fan after 15 minutes, and usually start with a jacket for 10 minutes.

Have you thought about insulating your garage at all? I have garage insulation foam on the inside of the door and it make a bit of difference. Depending on the R-value you want you can pick up 4x8 sheets from Lowes or Home Depot for as little as like $8.

Space heater for a couple minutes before you start?

Start with easy to remove layers. Remove as needed. You should warm up quickly if you don't use a fan. If you find you are down to your last layer and are too warm you can add in a fan.

I'm confused. What do you find "hard"?

I'm in Dallas, and I don't ride stationary very much. But, when its snowing or freezing rain, or just below freezing outside such that road riding get miserable...I'll put the trainer on my deck or covered porch. Even in the high 20s I generally ride shirtless, with ski gloves, and neoprene booties to keep my hands and feet warm. I still generally need a fan on low (or a breeze if its a bit windy outside).

That said, I don't do any z2 rides on the trainer. If I'm on the trainer its pretty much going to be an SST+ effort for roughly an hour or so.

Can you heat the garage a little before you start?

I don't have my trainer in the garage, but I do work out there for several hours sometimes. I have one of these, and if I run it for 5 minutes when I first go out there it brings the temps up to a very comfortable level. Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector. I wouldn't have it running while riding, but if you got the garage warmed up and then shut off the heater and hop on the bike I think you'd be MUCH more comfortable.

Here in Indiana the garage can get cold. Ours is insulated and attached to the house -- and the 2 years ago it would still get to 32 inside! Last year I put an oil heater style electric heater in it and put it on low. I was really surprised at the difference it made! A few days were chilly, but never got too cold. I never had to think about it. Just set the "number" and let it run.

I moved my trainer into my bedroom... I live in the Rockies and winters are brutal. It's a lot easier to motivate when its in a warm climate and you don't need to wear a puffy to start your workout.

I’ve thought about insulating, but it’s not really right for living in Texas. I’d need a new garage door to make it right and then it gets too $$$

You’re much tougher than me!

For me it’s warmup w hoodie / hat / gloves ... and then as I warm up the layers come off

But as soon as the race / workout ends and I cool down, I’m soaking wet and shivering

I think I’m going to look into a quiet space heater someone recommended,,, but need to see how quiet it is. I’m in garage at 430 and can’t wake up the house!

I feel your pain - I live in BC and this week it has just started getting a little chilly (-8 Celsius 17 F) in my car port where I train on the bike. I've trained on the same bike down to -25 C (-13 F) and it's not too bad, as long as you have the clothing and mental attitude dialed in. What I do is start off wearing running track pants over my cycling shorts and on top I'll have a short sleeve, then a long sleeve, then a cycling jacket. That way I can peel off layers when I need to. I also wear a woolly hat over a fleece headband - that way when my head heats up I can take the hat off and just have the headband over my ears. I wear ski gloves if it's really cold, running gloves if it's just chilly. I also have some Alpaca wool socks and they are AMAZING, if you don't have any then that's probably the single best thing you can get to make winter riding more comfortable. Warm feet make a big difference.

Aside from clothing, I also make sure that every session is zone 3, 4 and 5. It's just too cold to ride zone 2, so it's extra motivation to hit those intervals hard. I use my running for my zone 2 base stuff in the winter because that fits well with running in the slippery snow on the trails (where trying to run fast usually ends badly).

For the mental aspect, I just remind myself that I am so lucky to be healthy and fit enough to be able to do this and then just appreciate the opportunity to push hard and feel my body respond. Also, I have a busy life so when I wake up at 5.30 am to get on the trainer in the car port, I know it is my only shot at riding from September to June, so it's now or never...

It was 12f in my garage this morning.
Space heater helps keep the toes warm.
I rarely ride the trainer for more than an hour at a time.

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As someone who lives in Wisconsin (where we already got 5" of snow this week).... a space heater does the trick. With a remote control fan, I can easily determine whether I want it blowing towards me or not.

Just use what turns me off from training in my hot garage in the summer.
Have your wife come back from work or errands or whatever and park the car in the garage right next to where you train.
Lot of heat comes off that car for quite a while.