Fan recommendation for indoor trainer please

[kgreene10]

I’m Zwifting a lot lately and it’s alraady heating up in Austin. Soon my garage will be a sauna, so I must prepare.

There are too many fan options out there, but I’m sure some of you Zwifters, engineers, and equipment geeks have done extensive research. Your recommendations will be much appreciated.

My initial thought is that a pedestal fan with a remote makes sense. It would b great if it’s quiet. I know they all make noise, but lowering the decibels without compromising cooling is something I’m willing to pay for.

Vornado 693? Air King 18”? Big enough? Too big? Neither of these have remotes and they are pricey.

Let me know what you recommend.

[echappist]

I have heard good things about this Lasko fan (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DNGSCM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2I4D0WO1JEMBA), and it's been sitting in my Amazon wish list for a while. It's not yet warm enough in the Northeast to require it, but I think i'll be getting it soon.

FWIW, the recommendation was made by someone who trains almost exclusively indoor and can lay down 350W for extended duration. Windspeed apparently fast enough to require sunglasses to feel comfortable. I think two units should do the trick, and if not, you can always shove an icepack down your jerseyI've also heard that indoor AC units aren't nearly as effective...

[Cicli]

Why would you be on a trainer when its nice out?

[Iansir]

Lasko confirmed

Much quieter and more air than any of the fans I have tried. Reasonably compact too.

[echappist]

Why would you be on a trainer when its nice out?

convenience and safety

when I lived in DC, the only time I rode indoor was when there's too much snow on the ground (and the one time wind was blowing steady at 30mph). I had access to a nice loop in a national park, where cars actually drove 25mph.

Now i'm in suburban NJ, I have to be a lot more careful re: when I ride and where I ride if I go outdoor. This is especially true when I'm riding my TT bike, as the margin for error is a lot smaller.

[dem]

Lasko, the big one: https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-Max-Performance-Pivoting-Utility/dp/B00BT9C9F0/

For sub-200 watts, I just use a small Vornado (14" or something) - but for Zwift "races" or 300-450+ efforts, the Lasko on high. And yeah, I wear clear glasses when it is on!

[kgreene10]

That’s three recommendations for a blower fan. I’m not familiar with those - are they quieter, more powerful, more directional than standard fans?

On riding indoors, I used to avoid it like the plague. I would ride in the most atrocious weather. But now all my weekday riding is inside and I love it. Why? 1) much more efficient and I can use the extra time to be a father to my six year old, stop falling behind on work, sleep. 2) Safer. A close friend was killed on the side of the road a month ago and it’s shaken me. 3) Oak pollen is killing me at the moment, so even weekend riding is inside for the time-being.

[carpediemracing]

Remember that your goal is to evaporate moisture, not just to move air. You cool down by evaporating sweat. Moving air doesn't do much if the air is already saturated.

You'll need to be in a dryer environment. From experience I can tell you that there's virtually no cooling effect even when moving massive amounts of air when the humidity is 80%. Massive = 6000+ cfm, which is literally enough to hold a couple inches of water back (which I learned by accident when I set up the fan to help dry the basement, left it on high, and unbeknownst to me the water came in with a vengeance).

http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2016/07/training-why-should-you-get-better-fan.html

If humidity is getting up over, say 60%, then an air conditioner or even a dehumidifier (which usually heats air) will help immensely with evaporating moisture.

Otherwise the $40-50 fan in the link above has served me well for something like 20 years. I rarely use the 6100 cfm setting, usually only in the summer in the non-climate-controlled basement, but when I do it has the side effect of clearing all the cobwebs and dust off in the bike room. It's really quite powerful.

[dem]

I can't explain the science - but the blower fans seem to make the air "hit you" harder. A lot more pressure vs. air swirling around you with a conventional fan.

I have a 20" industrial aluminum air circulator too, and the blower works better with less noise (like this one: http://www.qvc.com/Patton-Electric-U220P-Commercial-Air-Circulator--20%22-Blade.product.V50667.html?TZ=EST )

If I turn that beast on, it moves air around my whole house.. but less effective on the trainer than the blower.

[morrisericd]

I bought that Lasko above after hearing it recommended on the Trainer Road Podcast. Man, that thing moves some air! It's quieter than both the box and pedestal fan I used to use. Highly recommended!

[C40_guy]

I use the Rowenta VU5551 Turbo Silence Oscillating pedestal fan. It is relatively quiet and has a remote. I’ve had it for five years.

A bandanna on the forehead helps too.

[glepore]

I have the Black and Decker version of that fan and its good, almost overkill.Get this to turn it into a remote...https://www.amazon.com/Woods-59748WD-Outdoor-Wireless-Grounded/dp/B00OBYGW4Y/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1521924646&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=woods+outdoor+remote&psc=1