Hi, we have built a house here in Sweden, and the upstairs is currently unfinished, and wont be for a year or so. We have large fitted styrofoam/chipboard blocks that fit where there stairs go up, so no cold comes downstairs. The floor of the upstairs is isolated but nothing else is. It’s almost like being outside. Outside temp here now is -20c 🙂

I want to turbo train up there (I don’t, it sucks, but you understand) for around six weeks before cycle season starts, so from March really , (it should have warmed up a little by then but still welllllll minus.) Currently xc skiing and weights at the gym

So, how best to heat the rather large room so it’s ok to train in? not 19c of course but to take the edge off!

thanks

Space heater?

Can’t you just start off on the turbo wearing a long sleeved top and maybe a hat and then take them off as you warm up? That’s what I do in my garage, although admittedly it’s probably nothing like as cold as the temperatures you describe.

I also have a remote control for the plug socket for my fan so I can knock it on when I need it rather than having it blasting on me from the start when I’m cold.

Cheap tent of gazebo? Reduce the space you are heating and your exercise might work to do that or it might just start snowing as you sweat too much in there.

What do you wear for XC skiing ?
Minus 4C in an unheated shed is OK for me
I start off with a jacket and and woolly hat and just strip off as required

But it is my nose that gets cold and I am not sure how I would solve that.

I don’t think any of us are going to be much use on advising how to heat a room from -20.

Sounds like a complete ball ache, you wouldn’t be able to leave a smart turbo up there at -20, a fluid turbo would be errrr interesting at -20.

I use a fan heater in my garage just cos it heats up the space pretty quickly and helps with some air movement before the fans go on.

I use and oil filled rad in the mancave set to 9 degress which goes 2hrs pre workout if the temp is 6 or below outside. Still need a fan.

I don’t XC ski when it’s that cold. Well, i did yesterday it was -23c and my breath froze on my eyelashes. managed 5km, 30 mins.

I think it is also that excertion when the air is that cold is not good for you. Breathing in very cold air deep into the lunges is not beneficial*

*IANAD

Just use the  turbo downstairs in the heated part of the house?

@perchy no space. all bloody open plan and scandinavian. 6 year old and 3 year old too, noise etc.

That space heater sounds cool! and looks interesting as well as i could take it outside in the shed. Could use a lot of power?

Oil radiator and a fan possibly set to come on an hour before training?

i would hope it would be up to the heady heaights of -10 to -5c by then

Is it a large space, can you build a smaller temporary space to heat beforehand, using some of the insulated panels, not permanent of course, just assembled safely to shed/garage size? Otherwise I’m not sure how long it’d take for your body heat to fill the space on a turbo, I can make a garage feel warm pretty quickly! Having said that I’m back bike commuting at the moment so no need for the turbo now 🙂

3Kw so you wouldn’t want to be running it 24/7 but I reckon it would take the edge off quite nicely pretty quickly. It will also work as a fan only for when you need cooling down! 🙂

You can get gas (propane) versions too, though I guess they would produce a fair bit of moisture which might not be great?

Train downstairs? Wait until its finished? Everything else is environmentally irresponsible, expensive or more hassle than it’s worth. Also you live in Sweden, go skiing or something!

I never thought I’d read a “what heater for turbo training?” thread, STW delivers once again…

excellent input cbike cheers lolz

How big is the space? If it’s way bigger than you need for turbo training, I’d consider reducing the size of the space to start with, even if it’s just by hanging some sheets up, or something similar.
Then run a fan heater or similar into the space while you are in there.

Big tent and a heater?
We will want pics obvs.
🙂

it might just start snowing as you sweat too much in there.

We were in Scotland once when it hit minus 24c, we visited a friend who has a dairy farm and outside the cattle sheds it was snowing as the cows’ breath drifted out, met the cold air and froze.