Effect of training without fan?

dinyull

Just started turbo training again. Last year was setup in spare bedroom with a big a$$ fan, however with new arrival due in a couple of months the spare room isn't spare anymore.

I've moved my gear into the garage, but don't have any electricity so I'm without a fan.

Started a Base training plan on trainerroad and a few weeks in now. All was going well till last yesterday:

Tried doing the following session, but my HR was mid 180's (max is mid 190's) so had to bail out during only the 2nd interval.

https://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rid ... 4-antelope - This is an old test from last year WITH a fan. Same intervals were approx 20 bpm lower than yesterday.

Am I on a hiding to nothing by training without a fan? My power is already down 20% from Oct last year and I'm pretty sure I'm as fit as I was back then.

meanredspider

Is it not possible to actually get out and ride? Riding indoors without cooling in warmer months (assuming you're in the N Hemisphere) will be tough.

bigmitch41

I couldn't turbo without a fan! Somebody posted something similar recently about training in a garage with a power source. Loads of solutions to get power via re-chargable power packs etc, maybe worth a search?

dinyull

BigMitch41 wrote:

I couldn't turbo without a fan! Somebody posted something similar recently about training in a garage with a power source. Loads of solutions to get power via re-chargable power packs etc, maybe worth a search?

That was probably me haha.

MRS - Wife is due to give birth in 2 months, I have decided not to go out on the bike from now on just in case I'm "needed".

cougie

It's going to be like warm weather training. Your body is struggling to cope with the heat. I'd carry on as best you can I'm sure it's better than nothing and you'll probably adapt a bit too.

For me TR was the Better option for cycling in terms of time.

meanredspider

I've used some of those cooling cloths before now (Costco sell them) - the type that you wet and the evaporation cools you. They're effective for limited periods.

Somebody ought to market a turbo that drives a rider cooling fan - it's a TRIZ solution.

slowbike

Dinyull wrote:

BigMitch41 wrote:

I couldn't turbo without a fan! Somebody posted something similar recently about training in a garage with a power source. Loads of solutions to get power via re-chargable power packs etc, maybe worth a search?

That was probably me haha.

MRS - Wife is due to give birth in 2 months, I have decided not to go out on the bike from now on just in case I'm "needed".

It was you ... heat certainly isn't nice and will affect your performance - either put up with it - or for the next few weeks you could do multiple local loops that don't put you too far from your wife.

meanredspider

Dinyull wrote:

MRS - Wife is due to give birth in 2 months, I have decided not to go out on the bike from now on just in case I'm "needed".

I see. Even if you're doing sprints around the block so you're never more than 5 minutes away, it has to be better than a turbo in the garage without a fan! 2 months, unless there are problems (which I hope there aren't), is probably over-cautious.

cougie

Oh and I'd not worry too much about not going out. Babies aren't like in the movies - all a lot slower than you'd think.

timothyw

Yeah, get the rides in now - you won't be getting many once the baby arrives....

Have you note don the classes yet where they tell you not to bother going to the hospital until you reach a certain amount of dilation (which I've forgotten) which normally takes a certain rather large number of hours?

Either way I was still doing the club run pretty much up to the due date. I was never more than a couple of hours away and at the other end of a phone should I have been required. I guess if you're a long way from the maternity unit it might be different...

slowbike

cougie wrote:

Oh and I'd not worry too much about not going out. Babies aren't like in the movies - all a lot slower than you'd think.

Can be - most are slow enough - but I can understand the desire to be close by just incase

dinyull

My wife is a nurse who used to work on delivery suite...I'm pretty well informed on what to expect. I know I'm being over cautious, but would rather be safe than sorry. If she can sacrifice herself for 9 months (and the next year too) I can pie off cycling for a couple of months.

Anyway, back on topic.

I assumed that training without a fan would just mean training to smaller power numbers, so all sessions should be achievable without a fan. Am I wrong in thinking that?

FTP test was under same conditions and this is only a base plan so not trying to hit any big numbers.

slowbike

has she told you to bu66er off and stop bugging her yet? a degree of separation might be just what she wants right now ...

If you're in a windless garage then yes - you're going to have to backoff - if you're determined to do turbo rather than roads then you need to re-align what you can achieve using your setup - so get on that turbo, back right off and just see what it's like to ride - then hit some low power intervals - step them up until you're getting hot then stick to that.

TBH, if you're going to be a hands on dad - which is great - I'm loving it - the nappies were our fun time (LSB is 2 now - so we get different play time) - then you can say goodbye to a load of cycling fitness - you won't have the time/energy!

bobmcstuff

Dinyull wrote:

Just started turbo training again. Last year was setup in spare bedroom with a big a$$ fan, however with new arrival due in a couple of months the spare room isn't spare anymore.

I've moved my gear into the garage, but don't have any electricity so I'm without a fan.

Started a Base training plan on trainerroad and a few weeks in now. All was going well till last yesterday:

Tried doing the following session, but my HR was mid 180's (max is mid 190's) so had to bail out during only the 2nd interval.

https://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rid ... 4-antelope - This is an old test from last year WITH a fan. Same intervals were approx 20 bpm lower than yesterday.

Am I on a hiding to nothing by training without a fan? My power is already down 20% from Oct last year and I'm pretty sure I'm as fit as I was back then.

This is pretty much as I'd expect, i.e., much higher HRs without the fan. I get the same indoors and outdoors when it's hot.

However if you keep going you will become heat adapted to a degree and the effects will be less severe. Trainerroad covered it on their podcast recently (https://soundcloud.com/trainerroad/ask- ... t-training ) and I found it interesting. Of course they're covering it from the perspective of trying to improve your performance in hot weather but for you the effect will be to make the indoor training a bit more bearable (note not necessarily pleasant!).

I'd say if you really have no choice (I have no kids so am totally unqualified to comment there ) I would keep doing the indoor workouts but back down the intensity and you should find it improves over time.

slowbike

I've just opened my desk draw and found a 12v computer fan .... which had me thinking - modify a cap - put one of these in - or better still, get a 5v one and put that in it - pushing air down across your face ...

dinyull

Going through one of my old threads, someone suggested a Ryobi battery fan. I already have the drill and battery's required so gonna give one of those a go.

Was trying to avoid shelling out, as there won't be much scope for turbo training when the little one is here and I'll be able to keep up some fitness when I'm back commuting. But if it keeps me going for the next few months £50 with be well worth it.

agentorange88

can you not run an extension lead from the house,find it hard to believe that the garage is so far that its not possible.
£30 would get you 25m lead or plug, cable and socket to make your own. Would seem the most logical solution.

MiddleRinger

I'd do whatever you can do get some airflow - surely you can run an extension cord? The only time I've successfully turbo'd without a fan was for one winter when I had to train in my woodshed, it was less than 2 degrees outside in the evenings with snow on the ground! Even then I got pretty darn hot after a while.

At least open the garage door for as much airflow as possible.

meanredspider

Dinyull wrote:

Was trying to avoid shelling out, as there won't be much scope for turbo training when the little one is here

Anybody would have thought you were having sextuplets! At one point, we had 3 kids under 4 years old and the world didn't stop. Of course there will be turbo time. You might not be able to plan it as easily but it's only a baby.

I remember the obstetrician in Brussels where my first two were born saying that mothers in some parts of the world are back working the day following giving birth in a mud hut.

slowbike

agentorange88 wrote:

can you not run an extension lead from the house,find it hard to believe that the garage is so far that its not possible.
£30 would get you 25m lead or plug, cable and socket to make your own. Would seem the most logical solution.

Our first house had a garage in a compound ... whilst I could physically run a power cable down there it wasn't practical as it would've had to cross a public footpath and then down a row of a dozen garages before reaching mine - by the time I'd've rigged that up it would've been quicker to move the kit to the garden and back into storage after the session.

I've now got a nice deck at the back of the house with a roof - and I drop a tarp down the sides when it's wet/cold - so I can use that year round - and power is readily available!

gcwebbyuk

I use one of these in the garage:
https://www.ryobitools.com/products/det ... hybrid-fan

webboo

I trained for years on the turbo with no fan. I now have one but to be honest I don't think it actually helps my performance.
Mat on the floor, sweat catcher on bike and a towel to mop the sweat positioned just next to the handle bars on something.

topcattim

bobmcstuff wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

---

Am I on a hiding to nothing by training without a fan? My power is already down 20% from Oct last year and I'm pretty sure I'm as fit as I was back then.

This is pretty much as I'd expect, i.e., much higher HRs without the fan. I get the same indoors and outdoors when it's hot.

However if you keep going you will become heat adapted to a degree and the effects will be less severe. Trainerroad covered it on their podcast recently (https://soundcloud.com/trainerroad/ask- ... t-training ) and I found it interesting. Of course they're covering it from the perspective of trying to improve your performance in hot weather but for you the effect will be to make the indoor training a bit more bearable (note not necessarily pleasant!).

I'd say if you really have no choice (I have no kids so am totally unqualified to comment there ) I would keep doing the indoor workouts but back down the intensity and you should find it improves over time.

I do a lot of winter training in the garage on the turbo, without a fan. My turbo FTP (measured using the same crank arm that I have on my road bike in the summer) is about 10 watts lower, and I've always attributed this to overheating. Interestingly, I've noted in recent years that I've become very good at coping with heat - a couple of months ago, I was riding in Cyprus in low and high 40s, and managing ok - ish. I'd never really thought that perhaps the turbo-without-fan training was effectively acting as heat-adpatation. Interesting.

bobmcstuff

Ah - well that could be psychological rather than physiological. The studies they cited suggested the physiological effect doesn't last too long, a couple of weeks. So unless you've been doing the training recently it won't help, physiologically at least.

topcattim

bobmcstuff wrote:

Ah - well that could be psychological rather than physiological. The studies they cited suggested the physiological effect doesn't last too long, a couple of weeks. So unless you've been doing the training recently it won't help, physiologically at least.

Ah ok, I'll just have to look for another explanation!

navrig2

Another point to consider is the mount of extra sweat you may produce when on the turbo without a fan.

A riding buddy sweats profusely (even with a fan) and allegedly destroyed his bottom bracket because he allowed the sweat to run down the frame to the BB. It corroded badly and started to mis-align and as he didn't check for movement on the recommended 3 monthly intervals it eventually collapsed and locked rigid in the frame. They couldn't get the bits out and the frame had to be replaced.

I say allegedly because we didn't believe it but Trek and the LBS would not honour the warranty and my buddy had to buy a new frame, albeit at trade prices.