I have one simple piece of advice that, if you’re not already doing it, is an absolute game changer for indoor training:
If you’re finishing rides with a pool of sweat on the floor, you need more fan power.
Why indoor cycling feels harder
I’m a very average sweater, so the heavy sweaters among us will probably laugh at this. But my gauge for how well I’ve managed heat during indoor rides—even hard interval sessions—is simple: only a few drops of sweat should hit the ground.
If I finish a ride with a puddle at my feet, I didn’t have enough fan power, and I was probably spending more energy trying to avoid overheating than I was putting power into the pedals.
There are a few reasons indoor riding feels harder from a perceived exertion standpoint, but the main culprit is almost always a lack of cooling. Outside, we’re usually riding with a constant 10–20 mph breeze in our face, and sometimes much more if you’re pushing into a headwind.
Indoors, that cooling is gone.
Cooling helps you manage RPE and hit your targets
If you manage heat, you’ll manage RPE better, push higher watts, and get more out of the session. Heat adaptation training is all the rage these days, and there may be some real benefits, but for 99% of you, the priority should be hitting the basics: executing your daily sessions and hitting your training goals, ideally without feeling like you’re melting the entire time.
A simple two-fan indoor training setup
You don’t need to spend a ton of money, either. I use an inexpensive but powerful fan I picked up at K-Mart more than 10 years ago and added a cheap remote-controlled outlet so I can turn it on and off from the bike.
I also run a second, less powerful fan aimed at my upper body for easier rides, since the big fan is actually too strong during easy efforts and can make me feel cold. When intervals or races start, the big fan comes on.
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The goal is to stay cool enough to train well
With that setup, I barely sweat more than a few drops on the floor. Without it, I’d rust out every bolt on my bike.
Even if you’re a heavy sweater and no amount of fans will keep you from drenching the floor, the goal should still be to stay cool, pedal harder, and make indoor training less mentally taxing so you actually want to ride the trainer.
Related training resources
- Winter Training Tips: How to Stay Motivated and Build Sustainable Fitness
- Browse all cycling training articles
- Explore Move Up’s cycling resources
If you want a training plan that fits your goals, schedule, and real-world constraints, learn more about Move Up cycling coaching.
