Catching sweat on the trainer

[veggieburger]

Why the heck am I driving 15 minutes to the gym when my wife has officially given me permission to set up a trainer in our basement? Cement floor, but not damp. Do I buy a triangular sling to catch my salty sweat AND get a rubber mat for the floor, or is the sweat hammock sufficient?

30-45 minute rides, my brain can't manage much more.

[kppolich]

headband, fan, and hand towel on the bars for emergencies

[Kingfisher]

towels

[Peter P.]

The previous responses got you covered.

If the frame is steel, then wipe the frame down with a wet rag after sweaty rides, even if you use one of those triangular thingies. Pay particular attention to cable stops and the nooks and crannies. You'll also experience salt corrosion on shiny parts such as cranks and stem, so wipe those down, too.

A little maintenance like this will go a long way.

No need to be as concerned with aluminum frames, titanium, or carbon, but it's a good practice to get into. Don't bother if you don't drip all over the frame.

If you're worried about the floor staining, then a trainer mat or even a "rug runner" or rubber stripping (https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=rug+runner) from the carpet department of the big box hardware store is sufficient.

[FlashUNC]

Old towels.

[Spaghetti Legs]

I have an old yoga mat of my wife's on the floor and a towel on the handlebar.

[MagicHour]

Most everything that’s been said above, I use a Cycleops sweatguard thing, and 1-2 yoga/sport towels when I ride. If it’s a harder effort ride, will use terry wristbands and sometimes a head band, and of course always a fan, ac or open windows depending on season.

One other thing, be very mindful of sweat accumulation particularly on your alloy handlebars, I’ve seen photos on the Zwift rider FB group, of severely corroded bars, that looked otherwise normal before tape was removed. Keep the sweat off your bars! using towels etc.,wipe down after each ride, non-absorbent bar tape (rubber, silicone etc, not cork) change tape more frequently than you would otherwise, fully cover bars with electrical tape before taping or even Boeshield T-9 are some preventative measures.