Sweetspot I can go quite a while. Did a TT on Zwift last night, 20 mins at a little bit above FTP. I’m in a cool basement with my industrial fan, it generates enough airflow to make any paper in the room start to flap.

I’ve also started wearing a Bjorn borg sweatband, that really seems to help with reducing perceived heat, probably by keeping my face a little drier so evaporative cooling is more effective. I feel like the drier you can stay, the easier it is to cool yourself (assuming you aren’t dumping bottles of cold water over your body while on the trainer, that seems like it wouldn’t be good for your gear)

But, assuming that you can’t manage the heat by shedding it any better, I’d say that you’d get similar training effects by reducing the interval lengths, adding rest, but increasing the number of repeats so you get similar time in zone. Eg, instead of 3x20 mins, do 5x12 mins.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

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

Im not too sure of what you are asking. Ive done plenty of sweet spot work and work above ftp of intervals of 3-30min and really havent experienced issues relating to heat generation. If i put two fans on me, front and back, its been enough to not just cool me but keep me pretty dry as well, even when its 80F+ in the room . I typically only use one fan though

I use two rowenta standing fans and theyre only a foot or two away from me for reference

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Strava

This was a solid hour nonstop.

Just one fan that seems to be having an issue. I'm going to try to improve the fan situation, but still want to optimize the training by not doing something dumb.

I think for now I'll try to do sets instead of non-stop hour. Like 5x12 or 4x15 or something.

I'm thinking $150 Harbor Freight 30" pedestal fan. That would up my cfm by a factor of 3x.

What fan are you using now??

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

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

JasoninHalifax wrote:

What fan are you using now??

A blue cheaper "disaster recovery" air mover. The kind that looks like a cylinder and has a rectangle air outlet with 3 speeds.

I swear the other night I had it faced right at my chest and barely felt much. Maybe it has a problem.

I remember when the gym at work was open, I'd use their Cycleops erg with a powertap on it and cart over the big 30" shop fan. That 30" shop fan was a hurricane compared to what I'm using. If I wasn't doing over Z2 in the gym with that thing, I almost felt cold! That's what I'd want.

Either way, I think 92% for an hour in my little pain closet might generate too much heat right now until I upgrade fans or something.

You just need more cooling. A basic commercial 20" fan should be pretty good. I have one of these right in front of my bike around top-tube height. I also have an 18" wall mounted fan behind the bike that I can pivot for the bike or treadmill.

I tried using the basic box fans for a while, but they don't really work very well for cooling during exercise.

You shouldn't be continually building up heat unless you have the heat up and are trying to do some heat acclimation.

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Yeah, you want a big enough fan that you feel cold when you get on the bike. You probably don’t need the 30” pedestal, you still need enough space to move around.

I like my 20” industrial fan, I usually run it on the middle setting and it’s in the floor, angled up so the airflow hits my face and chest. The pedestal might not hit your chest all that well.

Sounds like a small aircraft though. I need to use earbuds while I’m riding. I also had to get out the rubber floor mat because it was pushing itself across the laminate.
This is what it looks like now (before I put down the rubber mat)

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

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

Get two Lasko performance series blower fans. Will be better than any rotary fan you can buy, similar price to that $150 fan you reference but probably also smaller and quieter. Never had cooling issues with that setup and I push quite a bit of power. Extra bonus, my cooling is sufficient enough that there is no dripping sweat anywhere, so no mess and no worries about bike corrosion.

STANLEY 655704 High Velocity Blower Fan - Features Pivoting Blower and Built-in Outlets

https://smile.amazon.com/...ZQJC35SFRTWBEA8XVMK0

That’s my fan. It blasts very well. I turn it on after my warmup. I also crank down my a/c but will open a window if it’s chilly outside.

I have that same fan, an industrial fan that does sound like a small aircraft when its running lol. Certainly cools you well, almost too well...but the noise becomes deafening after a while

I invested in the Rowenta fans because they are silent, and still put out a lot of air. Something to look into...

It does sound like OP just doesn't have a good fan system. A good fan pointed right at your core and blasting does good work! Also, i'm sure the coaches here would be pretty taken back hearing " held 92% FTP for an hour", that's just racing in practice. I'd always break up efforts into intervals with rests for training...

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Strava

Cool. Yeah, you're right. I measured my closet and a 30" wouldn't fit well at all.

But I use Aftershox headphones with the earplugs on the trainer so fan noise isn't an issue.

I'll see what I can do.

Your biggest issue is you probably don't have enough cfm of airflow. What size fan do you have?

I bought this fan Lowes for ~ $140. 5400cfm fan. You want as many cfm as possible blowing over you.

Your second biggest issue is venting. You need to get heat out of your workout space or allow other air to flow in. If you're in a small interior room, door shut and have a fan but can't get the hot air out or other air in except under the door it's going to be a hot box. If you have a window open it.

I also set my trainer up next to my back slider door. When I ride zwift in the mornings it's often 20-50F outside. That door is all the way open, the screen door is open (so my dog can head out, get her ball, drop her ball, stare at me, then the ball, then stare at me, then stare at the ball, then stare at me, then stare at the ball & stare at me the entire freaking ride - I blame the border collie in her).

My LR will typically get down to 61-62F in a 1:30-2h ride. (make sure you turn off the heat first)

Before I used the ceiling fan, 2 oscillating fans and the slider open, maybe down to 65 from 70. Never enough air flow either.

With this fan I spend the first 5 min with a beanie and long sleeve on and the shirt usually doesn't come off until ~ 15 minutes in. The fan is also on medium which has managed to keep me pretty dry even for up to 2:20 w/ a 45 min tempo/threshold block

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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I'm ashamed to admit this, but this might be a big issue here. I just realized the way I had this setup I couldn't replace the moved air. So temp back there was probably creeping up. We have a window in the bathroom I can open up. I'll do that for sure!

Summer isn't an issue, I just ride outdoors. If it rains in summer, rain gear and whooohoooo not 95 deg outside. So, I don't have this issue in summer much. I have some routine segments outdoors to do 5min, 9min or so, etc...



True. Which was why I included that comment. I have no issues indoors heat wise doing 5x5min stuff at 115% or 40/20's in 10min sets and such. Just enough cooldown between sets. 1x20 at max up Epic KOM is a common occurrence that doesn't seem too much an issue since I cooldown after that.

To OP, I would avoid this fan. I have one. Its okay. But, unless its below ~45 degrees outside and I can open a window, I need a second one (in addition to my ceiling fan). In the summer, this fan does virtually nothing for me even at the highest setting. If cooling is an issue for you, this fan will not be a good investment. The second fan I have--like the one JasoninHalifax uses--is far more effective.

But to answer your original question, yeah, I almost never do intervals of the length you describe (maybe I should be!). Shortening them up with rest breaks will certainly help.

Really? I usually run hot and it works fine for me. I just have it placed just to the left of my front wheel pointed up towards my head and upper body. I rarely even have it on the highest setting.

IDK if you can fit a fan in the window or not. If you can, place a small fan there blowing out to help vent the warmer more humid air.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

That Stanley fan is rated at about 289cfm. I think it’s the same fan as the lasko blower fans. The mastercraft 20” utility fan is 5700cfm. Now, you might be able to direct the lasko/Stanley fan a little more precisely, and I’m sure they’re quieter, but there’s a reason that everyone who uses them that I’ve seen on YouTube runs 2 of them (at least).

At 5700cfm, the utility fan will recirculate all of the air in my training room every 15 seconds.

As a bonus, the 20” fan is only $60 at Canadian tire. There are also versions with remotes (available as several different brands) and I know it’s available for a lot less than I paid for our American friends. That’s a lot less than 2 lasko blower fans would have cost, and I can’t hear it with my Bluetooth headphones in, so the noise isn’t a factor for me.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

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

Yeah, I set it up similarly. for me, even on the highest setting, I find it provides very little cooling in warmer or hot temps.

I'm not sure why amazon rates it at 289cfm, I think they mean 2890...even my rowenta fans are 2500cfm each and I don't feel it's 'super' powerful. That single standing fan at 5700cfm would be such a monster of a thing to have in front of you lol

It's weird seeing those blower fans suggested. I've only ever seen or used them when I was a junior janitor in high school and put them on the bathroom floor to dry it



This is a great idea, why didn't I think of this...

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Strava

That's why they pay me the big bucks hahaha!

not going to lie, that 5700cfm fan is cold...on medium which is probably closer to 5000 cfm. I don't have to turn up the stereo any louder with that fan blowing vs the 2 oscillating fans I used to use.

There are some pics on IG of the set up i believe.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Before starting the next workout I did a little sleuthing.

Found out our Roomba had come through and opened back up a couple vents I had shut for working out and I forgot to leave open during the prior workouts back there. Closed those for the workout. Then took a look at where I had the blower hanging in the closet facing me. Turns out, its "stream" is more focused as it is a blower instead of a fan with a big swath. So the "stream" was barely hitting me and the bulk was just a few inches to my side. Moved it back.

Next, I did some intervals instead of longer uninterrupted work on Zwift last night. I was able to do the same total duration of time from the "failed" hot workout but at more power (doing under/overs). Simply by having the minutes between sets to cool off and rest. I did 9min of 2off/1on at 93%/105% for a total of 5 sets. 4min in Z1 between sets. I felt like it was "just right" in that you could tell those sets #4 and #5 were the adapting sets.

So, good stuff all around until I can grab a better fan.

I have 5 fans.

Like anything else, progressive overload and recovery are your friends.

E

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

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I use a single floor based multi speed fan by Vornado positioned directly in front of the front tire. It is angled upwards so it blows cool air head-on similar to actual riding. It is more than adequate. Part of the conditioning is to tolerate elevated body temp, otherwise when it’s time ride outdoors during hot weather it is a shock to the system. To be fair, I’m in a cold weather state (CO) and in the winter the pain cave is 60F.

In addition to the fan I also drape one of those towels that has the water absorbing dots in it, across the back of my neck. Every 10 mins I sit up and wave it a few times and it recools itself. I keep this on during the treadmill run that follows during a brick session. It’s incredible how well it works to control heat build up.

I don't understand why people seem to always suggest "blower fans" rather than large diameter rotary fans. If you can explain I'd appreciate it.
Your ability to dissipate heat is dictated by airflow velocity, area and location of skin exposed to this airflow, temperature difference, humidity and mositure on skin.

A larger flow, even at lower velocity, such that it hits most of your body will, IMO, be far superior to a localised blast on your chest or face.
Low humidity air on a sweaty body will produce significant evaporative cooling and is ideal. if the air is too cold or too localised it will tend to be uncomfortable. If you have insufficient fresh air (i.e. you're just circulating air within the room) then the temperature and especially the humidity will rise, leading to decreased cooling as the session progresses. If you're set up well, a 2hr session should be no worse than a 10 minute session from a heat perspective, as you will have reached equilibrium relatively early in the session.