Originally Posted by
AERO63
My brother tells me that one would sweat just as much on the road but it dries because you're moving...I dunno if I can believe that. Bottom line, everything is worse on the trainer.
I do a ton of indoor training due to scheduling issues.
Im' about 15-20 watts lower on everything on the trainer. I don't think it's just cooling - I used to think so, but this winter, my garage has been 39F, and I blast a large fan on top of that - it's so cold I have to wear gloves on the trainer. Yes, I'm still sweating, but it's not terrible, but I still have that 20 watt gap and I'm freezing cold after I stop, even colder than when I do outdoor rides.
I suspect it's both a cooling factor but also the variable positions you get outdoors due to the road changes - if it's a static trainer position, I suspect it's easier to overfatigue the specific muscles compared to outdoors. Just my theory, but cooling doesn't seem to be the limiter for me indoors.