Electric fan recommendations?

doozerie

[Yes, an *electric* fan is what I’m looking for, so any budding cycling fan with a mankini looking for any opportunity to display their wares to the world can prepare for disappointment, I have no need of your niche service.]

I’ve been getting by on the turbo trainer with just an open door and window to help keep me from drowning in my own sweat. I’m heading into a week of intense turbo work though and I’ll really need something more effective to keep my kitchen from turning into a paddling pool.

Having done a quick online check it seems like electric fan options are quite limited in my local area (I checked websites for some shops around Nutgrove, including Homebase, Harvey Norman, and Argos). And it’s not clear whether those stores even have any in stock, I guess they don’t expect people to sweat during the winter. So before I go on a wild goose chase for something that might prove underpowered assuming it’s even available, can anyone recommend a fan that they’ve found good while indoors on a turbo trainer or rollers, and can you tell me where you bought it?

To narrow things down, here are some of the features I’m looking for:

* A pedestal fan - I want the air to hit my face and torso, and I won’t necessarily be located beside anything to sit a desk fan on, which probably means a pedestal fan is my best option. Though maybe a powerful fan at floor level would do too.

* An oscillating mode - not sure whether I’ll really need this, I might just set the fan to “flay yerself” mode and leave it directed straight at me all the time, but the oscillating mode might be handy for more “casual” turbo session (you know, when you stick the bike with a wicker basket on the turbo and pedal away merrily enjoying the sights and smells of your own kitchen).

* Tiltable - not required if the fan is tall enough, otherwise might need it to point the fan directly at my flowing locks (to make me look good for the cameras, like).

* A remote control, maybe - would serve a dual purpose. The obvious one being that it would mean not having to get off the bike mid session if I need to adjust the fan, the less obvious but arguably more satisfying one being that it would provide something else to throw when the going gets tough and I lose the head.

* Works miracles - I want this thing to eliminate my suffering while on the turbo and also to convert my efforts into subsequent awesomeness.

I’d be grateful for any suggestions. My budget is under 100euro, so that mad Dyson fan that retails for 400euro doesn’t make it into my shortlist. Possible contenders right now are a Challenge 5-blade oscillating fan with remote from Argos for 78euro, or a Honeywell oscillating tower fan from Homebase for UK£70, neither of which might actually be in stock and both of which are very scant on details on those website.

Raam

What? Just pick anything.

maloner

I went with this guy (€25) from Argos. Does almost all on your list, but doesn't have a remote. I leave it on setting 2 (of 3) and found it made a big difference. Bit of assembly required but nothing mad. You can oscillate or not, a few tilt angles and it goes up and down as well. I set up in front of me with no oscillating and its grand.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4251831/Trail/searchtext%3EFAN.htm



Got mine in Jervis Street, but I also found getting availability details to be challenging. In the end I just went in for a fan and came back with this one, rather than hunting for this one in particular.

Tzarkahn

doozerie wrote: »

Challenge 5-blade oscillating fan with remote from Argos for 78euro

I have this fan, I've used it in the heat but I don't have a Turbo so I can't confidently recommend it for that purpose but I've found it to be good, it has a bunch of different settings and can get windy enough.

The remote is good and controls all the functions as well.

Also if you go to the Argos website and proceed like you're going to reserve or pick up in store you can check stock levels for your local shop.

doozerie

Raam wrote:

What? Just pick anything.

My sweat deserves the best, dammit!

doozerie

Tzarkahn wrote:

Also if you go to the Argos website and proceed like you're going to reserve or pick up in store you can check stock levels for your local shop.

Unfortunately they don't provide that option for quite a few of the fans they sell, including a couple that interested me. I don't know why but my guess is that they are not typically held in stock at many/any of their stores.

goose06

doozerie wrote: »

Unfortunately they don't provide that option for quite a few of the fans they sell, including a couple that interested me. I don't know why but my guess is that they are not typically held in stock at many/any of their stores.

Stick the product code in this site and it will tell you the availability in all stores in Ireland.

Forgot the site http://www.checkargos.com/

maloner

goose06 wrote: »

Forgot the site http://www.checkargos.com/

Nice one

doozerie

goose06 wrote: »

Stick the product code in this site and it will tell you the availability in all stores in Ireland.

Forgot the site http://www.checkargos.com/

Very useful link, thanks for that!

The fan that interests me most is showing "Unknown status" for all stores though so maybe they can't source it any longer or something - bah! Clearly Argos is in league with my turbo trainer to suck the very life out of me

Ryath

doozerie wrote: »

Very useful link, thanks for that!

The fan that interests me most is showing "Unknown status" for all stores though so maybe they can't source it any longer or something - bah! Clearly Argos is in league with my turbo trainer to suck the very life out of me

Or maybe they just don't bother carrying stock that normal people wouldn't want in the middle of January.:P Don't worry I'm not normal either went looking for one in November. Wanted a decent industrial sized one but very hard to find anything decent. Was checking for all the models in argos and checked nearly every electrical store in Athlone and Tullamore. Not a whole lot online either. Apparently there was a run on fan's in the few weeks we called summer and every where ran out.

Eventually found a 12 inch desk model in Euronics in Athlone,it's a italian brand and is light enough but does the job the difference it makes is huge. From being able to wring out my chamois at the end and a puddle on the floor, now I'm now just a bit damp. Just sit it on the table and aim the fan at my head and chest, still throw open all the windows in the kitchen though .Definitely makes a difference to how hard you can work on the turbo when you're not over heating.

http://www.euronics.ie/store-locator
All outside the Pale though maybe you could ring around a few of the closer one's. I'll check in Athlone if you want. Can't remember exactly what it cost around €30 to €35

Beasty

I've got this one

Although it's a bit pricey it's very effectice. I have it on a workbench so it's already at head level and I've never felt the need to use anything but the lowest setting. You could probably get a similar effect with it on the floor pointing upwards on a higher setting

There's also this one which looks very similar with the same features but is a lot cheaper

mossym

doozerie wrote: »

Very useful link, thanks for that!

The fan that interests me most is showing "Unknown status" for all stores though so maybe they can't source it any longer or something - bah! Clearly Argos is in league with my turbo trainer to suck the very life out of me

i've been chacking on that fan for a while now, for the same reason. was getting annoyed at the lack of stock anywhere. brought it up with my brother who works in argos part time and he said it was because the catalogue was about to change over and stock was down on a lot of items, especially if they were not going to eb in the new catalogue. well low and behold i got the new catalogue and the fan is still in there. haven't gotten around to see if the code has changed to check on stock now

the ironic part is they claim it is exclusive to argos. so they are the only ones that can sell something, but they dont stock it. bizarre

outfox

I keep meanng to invent a turbo trainer that drives a fan. Pity all that power has to go to waste. Must have a chat with yer man Dyson.

Beasty

outfox wrote: »

I keep meanng to invent a turbo trainer that drives a fan. Pity all that power has to go to waste. Must have a chat with yer man Dyson.

Some use fans as part of the resistance mechanism

petethedrummer

Open the fridge. That'll cool down the room.

doozerie

petethedrummer wrote: »

Open the fridge. That'll cool down the room.

I tried that with the door and window when it has been under 4C outside, and still cooked. I might actually be cooler inside the oven.

Besides, inside the fridge is where I've been hiding all the carbs I've been opting not to eat over the last few weeks, if I leave the door open the little buggers will be out and all over the place in no time. It'll be Carbageddon.

seanin4711

maloner wrote: »

I went with this guy (€25) from Argos. Does almost all on your list, but doesn't have a remote. I leave it on setting 2 (of 3) and found it made a big difference. Bit of assembly required but nothing mad. You can oscillate or not, a few tilt angles and it goes up and down as well. I set up in front of me with no oscillating and its grand.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4251831/Trail/searchtext%3EFAN.htm



Got mine in Jervis Street, but I also found getting availability details to be challenging. In the end I just went in for a fan and came back with this one, rather than hunting for this one in particular.

guy that handed it to me said i was expecting an early summer if only he knew
does the job

doozerie

Thanks for the tips. In the end my decision was largely made for me. Homebase and Harvey Norman told me that they don't stock fans "out of season" (hey, when did we get distinct seasons in this country?) which is no surprise really, so I was left with a choice of 2 from Argos, they had only one of each in stock I think. I went with the traditional and cheaper pedestal style rather than the more expensive fan tower with remote control.

I tried it out for a turbo session tonight. It worked well in that I sweated a tiny fraction of what I normally would, but I may have to dress differently now as wearing a sleeveless base layer left me feeling cold at times until the 20-minute FTP effort kicked in over half way through. Mind you, I didn't help myself by positioning the fan just inside the open door so that it was blowing cold outside air directly at me, I won't make that mistake again. It contributed to an interesting dilemma where my nose felt that familiar runny feeling of riding outside in cold weather, it took a real effort to resist the instinctive tendency to just snot it out all over the ground/floor.

The difference in feeling when I climbed off the bike was dramatic. Normally I'd dive out the door to both breath and feel the cool air, but tonight I was not the dripping panting mess that I usually am, despite it being a relatively tough session. My body temperature and breathing were comfortably normal as soon as I stopped pedalling, I can really see the appeal of a fan now. I've now got to find that balance between being kept comfortably cool and getting too cold on the bike though. I could have used a remote for that tonight by turning down the fan mid-ride, but even if I hadn't flung the remote at the fan itself I'd definitely have flung it at one of my cats though who decided that standing under my rotating crank was a sensible thing to do - so probably for the best that I bought one without a remote.