Training in a loft

dinyull

To keep the missus happy I'm looking to move all my gear from the spare room and start training in the loft.

I had an explore last night and there is enough space up there, it's already been boarded out but just trying to foresee any drawbacks?

Anyone with any experience able to give some feedback, cheers?

timothyw

It'll be very hot in the summer, but if you mostly turbo in the winter that probably isn't a problem.

If the floor is boarded, it's likely a lot of noise and vibration will be conducted into the floor below so late night turbo sessions are probably out - you'll want a mat or something to soften the vibrations I'd expect.

markhewitt1978

Noise and vibration are going to be the concerns, especially if it's a hardboard floor. You're going to want to have a mat (or two) beneath your trainer and bike.

Heat is always an issue too, if you can open a window then great otherwise it might be a problem.

fenix

Can't see it going well unless you have a lot of rubber matting to keep vibration's down and collect the sweat.

How big is it up there ? Not sure extra moisture up there iis a good plan ?

dinyull

Noise and vibration aren't a problem. I have a load of spare carpet lying about up there, a trainer mat AND more importantly the wife is willing to trade off the noise for additional space in spare room.

I currently train year round, however next summer I could extend the commute to work to replace the turbo.

The loft isn't massive and moisture is probably the one thing I was most concerned with - so something to think about.



The alternative to the loft is to use the garage - the only problem with that is it's detached from the house and has no electricity supply. I can use TR on a tablet I've got but wouldn't have the use of a fan.

timothyw

OK, one other consideration, will you be OK coming back down the loft ladder with wobbly trainer legs?

But yes, might be worth thinking about a dehumidifier up there if you find it is getting damp there over the course of training, although that will increase the heat up there - perhaps if you can run it on a timer for a few hours post session?

It might be sufficiently drafty for it not to be much of a concern.

supermurph09

Dinyull wrote:

Noise and vibration aren't a problem. I have a load of spare carpet lying about up there, a trainer mat AND more importantly the wife is willing to trade off the noise for additional space in spare room.

I currently train year round, however next summer I could extend the commute to work to replace the turbo.

The loft isn't massive and moisture is probably the one thing I was most concerned with - so something to think about.

The alternative to the loft is to use the garage - the only problem with that is it's detached from the house and has no electricity supply. I can use TR on a tablet I've got but wouldn't have the use of a fan.

If you don't mind trudging out in the cold to the garage then I'd suggest having power put into the garage. You'll no doubt have lots more space and end up with a more comfortable setup. I would have loved the use of a garage over the last 2 years when 90% of my training has been on the turbo, in a converted outside toilet!

dinyull

Would love electricity in the garage but it's a no go @ approx 50m away from the house.

supermurph09

Dinyull wrote:

Would love electricity in the garage but it's a no go @ approx 50m away from the house.

Ah I see

fenix

Extension reel no use ?

dinyull

Would mean running across the street. I mean I could, but would rather not.

bobinski

I train in the loft and as others have said it gets pretty hot in the summer...and pretty cold in winter. I have 2 loft windows, one either side of the loft for airflow which i open in advance. My bkool sits on a trainer mat which rests on a thick rug. I am likley to add a 3rd layer for the winter to dissipate noise/vibration more.I have 2 fans, one, the more powerful, on the floor facing up towards my chest and face and the other, less strong, just to the side of me so it blows onto my trunk while riding. I sweat a lot but the fans and airflow tend to deal with it but be prepared for mopping up a bit at times depending on the intensity of your rides.
As others have said,weak wobbly legs and sore arms used to being in one position are a challenge to getting down the loft ladder in one piece. I have learnt to have chocolate milk and other nibbles upstairs so i build in a bit of recovery time before touching the ladder!

fenix

Ah yeah - a bit dodgy running a cable across the street.

redjeepǃ

I'd say your best bet would be to try and insulate your loft as much as possible to minimise condensation and make sure you've got good ventilation (not just a fan moving air around).

The alternative which might be cheaper would be to try and make your garage workable. If your fan is the only concern then is there any way to use a small generator (outside the garage) to power it ? Even a power inverter and a leisure battery would probably run it for long enough.

I'd say a chat with an electrician may be worthwhile before you decide.

buckmulligan

Do you guys not have any problems with fibreglass insulation?

Our loft was covered with this horrible itchy yellow stuff and one winter I spent a few days adding extra joists, another 6 inches of insulation and boarding the whole lot. By the end of the 3-4 days that it took I had a chronic cough that I can only assume was due to tiny airborne particles of the old insulation that I had inhaled. The new stuff that I laid on top was much better in this regard (fine to handle with bare hands), but that experience alone would certainly put me off working out up there, especially when you've got a fan blasting the air around and up into your face.

Something to consider if it sounds familiar.

ai_1

BuckMulligan wrote:

Do you guys not have any problems with fibreglass insulation?

Our loft was covered with this horrible itchy yellow stuff and one winter I spent a few days adding extra joists, another 6 inches of insulation and boarding the whole lot. By the end of the 3-4 days that it took I had a chronic cough that I can only assume was due to tiny airborne particles of the old insulation that I had inhaled. The new stuff that I laid on top was much better in this regard (fine to handle with bare hands), but that experience alone would certainly put me off working out up there, especially when you've got a fan blasting the air around and up into your face.

Something to consider if it sounds familiar.

BuckMulligan's got a good point.
I suspect fibreglass wouldn't be a big problem so long as it's not disturbed. Whether or not it's disturbed and fibres become airbourne during access or normal training depends a lot on the layout and location/condition of the insulation. I would think the big problem will be that a fan is VERY likely to put fibres up in the air and that could be a serious problem!

@BuckMulligan
If you're working with it again, I'd suggest buying a Tyvek suit or similar to avoid the itching and a face mask to protect your throat and lungs. Tyvek suits should cost about £5 and basic face masks are a trivial expense. You'll definitely get the masks in any hardware shop and I suspect most of them will have Tyvek suits too.

buckmulligan

Thanks for the tips.

Yeah, I had a bog-standard 3M dust mask, but I think as much air gets in around the edges as goes through the filtery-material of the mask, so not sure it helped a great deal. I think they're more suited to things like cutting up MDF where there's a ton of dust and a relatively short exposure; this was more of a low-level exposure to the fibreglass for hours-on-end for multiple days. If I had to do it again, I'd definitely get some kind of suit and respirator, it sounds a bit OTT, but it wasn't a hugely pleasant experience by the end.

Not trying to put anyone off working out in their loft, it sounds like a good use of the space; just something to consider if it sounds familiar and you develop any symptoms like that. As I said, the newer insulation that I laid down on top was a lot more pleasant (IIRC it was recycled plastic and wool) so if you already have stuff like that it might be a complete non-issue.

EBEB

Have you got a spare car battery?

If so you could convert the small DC voltage to a large A.C. current. The gizmos are quite widely sold, but you might need to remove the cigarette lighter attachment. They are called power inverters I think. I doubt trainers use much current so the battery should last ages, or you could add a photoelectric trickle charger.

Edited to add: I didn't think to ask how drafty the shed is. If you needed a fan the car battery would only last a few hours, so you would need to bring it in and charge it every week or so.

buckmulligan

EBEB wrote:

Edited to add: I didn't think to ask how drafty the shed is. If you needed a fan the car battery would only last a few hours, so you would need to bring it in and charge it every week or so.

:? tut tut tut

EBEB

Most people only train indoors a few hours a week and so a car battery would be fine for a normal sized fan.

You can tut all you like. I regret having tried to be helpful to a jerk and won't try again. Bye.