11/21/14 11:22 PM

We are in rainy season now, so the Computrainer(s) are setup in a dedicated 256 SF exercise room in the front part of my shop. Over the summer months we insulated and put heat in, [new sub-floor yada] but heat is the issue.

I am finding the bigger SqFt is better than the small rooms or one car garage I have had the CT in previously. A lot more air for the heat your body disperses. ;) Thus it does not all of a sudden manifest to a too hot too stuffy environment 30-40 minutes in like the smaller spaces on hard workouts.

I am finding if I plan to push 300+watts for periods I can't really have the room higher than low 50^ or it gets out of hand.

So it looks like the heater was not as necessary as I thought when I planned, bought, wired for and installed. Thus far anyway.

I will be putting a fan in there, having to keep a towel on the handlebars even @ 52-3^ out there. I did not imagine putting fans out there for the winter when I was wiring a 220V 4k watt heater I can tell you. ;)

It has to limit your ability to put out power and make for a lot more stress on your cooling system and core/health, no? So curious what your CT and otherwise indoor training temp/cooling situations are and how you are handling them.

Discuss?

11/22/14 5:25 AM

I've considered at least one fan essential for indoor riding since I started on rollers 30 years ago. I don't pay attention to the size of the room or room temp, but I need at least one fan blasting at me. I have the new CT in a small sun room that has a ceiling fan, plus I have a powerful floor fan aimed right at me. I'll probably bring in another fan as I start riding harder. Riding hard I sweat like a pig even with the fans, but with no fan it's intolerable. Riding moderately is comfortable with the fans, sweaty without.

The other day I was having trouble getting the CT HRM to work and I turned off the fans for a few minutes to see if it would make a difference. It didn't but I immediately started sweating pretty heavily even with fairly light riding whereas I had been fine before. I also use a fan with an elliptical and often even doing weights.

One thing I hate about hotel exercise rooms is no fans.

11/22/14 6:03 AM

This seems to happen when I post from my iPad.

11/22/14 6:13 AM

300 watts? I thought you were old and weak.

11/22/14 8:02 AM

My trainer room is in a "mancave" above a detached garage, with a propane heater. I turn the heater on about 20 minutes before I work out, and keep the temp around 50. Start out in shorts and a full zip long sleeve, and strip off the top about 10 minutes or so in. I use a pedestal fan, but its not aimed directly at me unless I'm doing big efforts.

Yesterday I rode the Alp d'Huez on Veloreality. Best 14.95 I've spent in a while-the hd video is flat out stunning, and the Alp is a nice trainer ride, nice valley warmup, then a steady hard 10% on the lower slopes, easing to mostly 8-9% with some 6% breaks as the altitude increases. Very good effort, but not stupid hard like the Stelvio.

Lots of folks that sweat heavily swear by this fan: http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-Pro-Performance-Blower-4900/dp/B001DNGSCM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1416664436&sr=8-4&keywords=lasko+high+velocity+fan

Gonna be mid 60's here on Monday, but damp-need to break out th e gabba.

Hey Eric, it's all about w/kg, and Dan's a big guy:) but word is he could crush us mere mortals.

11/22/14 8:22 AM

absolutely true. you gotta keep your core-temps in check, or your body will just shut down.

i use a 20" kool-operator, which is much better at moving air effectively than any box fan i've used. adjustable for angle, too.

11/22/14 8:29 AM

Sparky's the one pushing 300+ watts, not me :)

Actually I've been amused with the CT at the paltry watts levels (as indicated anyway) that seem difficult.

11/22/14 10:04 AM

I doubt that i could do 300 watts, but if I could I would incinerate in seconds. I use an industrial 20" floor fan that blows shovels and such hanging on the wall.

11/22/14 10:51 AM

"I doubt that i could do 300 watts"

Your kidding, yes?

"300 watts? I thought you were old and weak."

Just old maybe. ;) On Tuesdays session the max watts for the ride was 520 seated.

If I do that for more than 10-15 seconds at a time, too many times close together, it takes a real toll. ;)

The other problem is keeping roller traction if I come up to higher watts to quickly.

Do the trainer specific tires stick better? I tend to use whatever 23 wire bead Conti I have laying around. Ones I don't use outside.

Last edited by Sparky on 11/22/14 12:16 PM; edited 1 time in total

11/22/14 11:52 AM

Is the 'cool operator' more quiet or louder with the 7 blades? My 20" box fan has 5 blade as most do I have seen.

11/22/14 1:19 PM

I was never a trainer tire believer until I just got a Conti for the ct. Yes, it sticks much better. Hit the roller with some 300 grit to clean it as well.

Dan, known phenom that indoor watts are much harder than outdoor, at least for sustained efforts. Speculation is the lack of "micro" rests that you unconsciously take outdoors whereas on the trainer the resistance is fixed.

11/22/14 1:29 PM

Especially if one uses ergometer mode.

Which raises this question. If you import a .cs file edited for minimum watts into the 3D Software, will it do ergo mode in 3D?


My setup is older, is there newer software than the 3D without going with Smellys stuff? Or is Smelly's stuff just the files used for 3D. And or that matter, is the name ergVideo because they use ergo mode on the CT?


On the tire subject, thanks, I will order one. Are they all 23?

I also see Cycleops has one as well as a Vittoria Zaffiro trainer tire, anyone?


EDIT: just read a review in which the reviewer said the Conti trainer tire is noticeably quieter than the cycleops tire.

Last edited by Sparky on 11/22/14 2:16 PM; edited 1 time in total

11/22/14 2:13 PM

Yes, trainer tires are one width. Smelly's stuff-yes, they use the erg mode. You set your ftp, and the video is synched to the appropriate percentage of your ftp. By hitting the + or - keys you can toggle the set ftp by 5 watt increments if you need an easier or harder effort.

No info on racermate, sorry. Did just read that they lost all the ironman course videos as the ironman series has a trainer sponsor.

11/22/14 5:21 PM

Do the new CTs ship with RacerMate One. I still have the 3D. I have a demo of it but not seen any advantage other than screen looking more modern that I recall.

11/22/14 6:25 PM

Yes mine came with it, and some course videos. Haven't installed yet.

11/22/14 6:32 PM

When you exercise in a room with no moving air, your get a nearly stagnant layer of warm air next to your skin. This is why you can sweat a ton at 50 degrees - your body is not "seeing" that low temperature. Most of our cooling is due to evaporation and you need air movement to speed that process. A fan is a necessity.

11/22/14 6:59 PM

" Ship with Racermate 1, Yes mine came with it, and some course videos. Haven't installed yet."

Haven't installed the Racermate 1 or the CT ?

I thought you where already using it ? Did you set up a platform? [yet?] I highly recommend doing that.

11/23/14 7:32 PM

If I have this correct, smaller fans will need to move less air faster to achieve the same cooling as a slower-spinning bigger fan.

So smaller fans are noisier than bigger fans. So I guess one should get the biggest possible fan and run it as slow as possible.

Sandiway

11/30/14 12:55 PM

Fans are necessary, as well as the ability to direct them (to head or body) and change their speed to adjust for the intensity level.

'Funny' story about yesterday's ride, my usual Saturday training partner Rick (some of you know him) noticed about 3 hours into the ride that he didn't seem to be sweating as much as usual. A half hour later his power started to 'fade' considerably shortly after which came some very nasty cramps...he couldn't finish.

So even with a very good cooling system one still needs to be careful about getting appropriate hydration. This was only our second long training ride so even after years of doing this it still takes a little time to get a handle on the different requirements of intense indoor training.

11/30/14 1:21 PM

I tend to do heavy efforts on the CT as well. A combinations of seeing the output, and knowing if you blow, you step off and go get some proteins and sugars without having to ride all the way home. ;)

No excuse to dehydrate, put a shelf with a lot of room for lots of fluids with in reach. The other indicator is when the bars and top tube are soaking wet, guess what is happening. ;)