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We asked to see your pain caves - you didn’t hold back

Your pain caves vary from basic garage setups to lavish home gyms

The weather has turned, the nights have drawn in, and so lots of cyclists are heading indoors to get their fitness kick. Last week we showed you our office pain cave, from where Dave Atkinson led a Zwift group workout, and we asked to see yours. And you didn’t hold back from sharing.

Here are some of the best submissions, showing a full range of setups from the basic to the really quite impressive and expensive. If you think you've got a better pain cave, please feel free to post pictures in the comments section below.

- Video - Three Zwift setups to suit every budget

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A garage is the most common place to set up a pain cave, provided the car doesn’t get parked inside it. Here’s Adam Bitten’s setup ready to go, with a big television and CycleOps Hammer trainer. Now, which bike to put on it…

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Brendan Hemp has a similar garage pain cave but it’s an altogether simpler affair, no big television that we can see.

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Now, this is a next level garage setup submitted by Pierre Provencher. A Kickr and training mat, big television and speakers for that fully immersive experience.

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Richard Lovelock has a highly impressive setup, which he says makes it easier to get “New set up with GTX970 graphics to 42" 4k, Zwifting in 60fps Ultra smooth takes immersion to the next level. Sound via Arcam Alpha 7 through B&W 602s on Atacama stands.”

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We adore this photo shared by Ronaldo Spinola.  He says it’s “not actually a cave since it is located on the balcony of my apartment.”

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Peter Hart shared this photo of his and hers pain cave which he says helps to make time go by faster when there’s company.

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Keeping cool is a vital consideration for any pain cave setup. Jere Vita solves the issue by setting up a pain cave somewhere without heating or insulation. “Usually no need for the fan as there's no insulation or heating either. A bit tricky to keep your toes warm when it's below -10 C, but other than that a great place to ride, being almost outdoors,” he says.

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Adrian Hodgson shares his pain cave with race car parts. “Surrounded by race car parts and other bikes. Wahoo Kickr, old desktop pc made from junk and a cheap TV,” he tells us.  Shame about the GCN jersey though Adrian…

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Here’s John McLean’s pain cave with a Specialized Allez on a Wahoo Kickr and hooked up to a large television atop an Ikea table, and his other race bikes nicely racked on the wall.

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Stuart Williams uses Bkool trainer paired with an iPad and desk fan in the garage. As for the colourful rug, he’s placed under the bike to catch the sweat? “My German shepherds took a liking to the boy's rug so it ended up in the garage! And I've taken off the rack and guards!” he says.

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We’re jealous of Jonathan Wong’s pain cave setup, it looks very smart, not so much a cave as a swish living room converted to a training room. Notice he has a table next to the trainer so he can easily operate the Zwift mobile app?

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Not everyone has space to go with a permanently dedicated pain cave, but when that happens the living room does make an ideal environment, provided the family are okay with it! Here’s Wayne Renshaw’s setup with a Tacx trainer and Zwift on the big television.

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If you can’t do it in the living room, a conservatory makes an ideal indoor training space. Here’s Leon Smith with his conservatory pain cave.

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Here’s John Moorhouse’s setup. Nothing on those rules on the wall about not training in the house.

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We’re impressed by Antonia A Gutierrez’s dedication. Not only has he filled the room with all his bikes using what appear to be Thule roof bar racks, but he has also crafted his one stand for the keyboard and mouse to control his training program.

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Sometimes you just have to set up your indoor trainer wherever there is space and improvise a little, as Bruno Carballo has done here, with a stack of books and a shoebox propping up his mobile phone.

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Now, this we weren’t expecting, a pain cave set up in the loft of the house. This pic was shared by John Keighley and he doesn’t provide much explanation for why he’s in the loft. It does look a little cramped but he’s still got space for a computer, box TV and floor stand fan.

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Stephen Spall’s setup has made us very jealous. It’s a dedicated bike storage and training room, with a treadmill and Tacx trainer hooked up to a tablet. He’s just “trying to find space for the endless pool!”


Thanks for all your submissions, it's been fascinating seeing and reading about all the different pain caves. If you've got an indoor training setup you want to share, feel free to do so in the comments section below.

- 15 of the best turbo trainers and rollers 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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19 comments

Avatar
ChickenWing | 7 years ago
0 likes

I got a bike on Elite aleno with music stand for mobile link and table next to it for Zwift laptop.

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markj | 7 years ago
0 likes

You have a big screen tv? That's nice...

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J90 | 7 years ago
0 likes

The last one could be even better - a massive TV or Monitor on the wall.

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darrenptalbot | 7 years ago
3 likes

On my Dutch barge....

Darren

West London

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fenix | 7 years ago
3 likes

I think there's space for inside and outside riding. You can definitely get a better quality of ride inside but it shouldn't replace getting out at the weekend at least.

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CrispedWheel | 7 years ago
0 likes

Unless there's actually snow or ice, just get out and ride. All these look like the worse form of miserable evenings.

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CXR94Di2 replied to CrispedWheel | 7 years ago
4 likes
CrispedWheel wrote:

Unless there's actually snow or ice, just get out and ride. All these look like the worse form of miserable evenings.

How wrong you are. Indoor training is hugely satisfying. I train virtually, ha, every day, using either Zwift, Trainer Road and BigRingVR. Keeping fit is the main aim. I and a rapidly growing number prefer to use a decent trainer and internet connection  1

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drosco replied to CrispedWheel | 7 years ago
0 likes

CrispedWheel wrote:

Unless there's actually snow or ice, just get out and ride. All these look like the worse form of miserable evenings.

 

Kind of agree. What joy watching the Tour de France if it was in a gym?

 

Saying that, am deeply jealous of many of these set-ups.

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maviczap replied to CrispedWheel | 7 years ago
3 likes

CrispedWheel wrote:

Unless there's actually snow or ice, just get out and ride. All these look like the worse form of miserable evenings.

Yes, but if you don't have the time to get out on the road, or don't like riding in the dark, then riding on a turbo, especially these latest smart trainers is a viable option, if it means getting a ride in.

Don't knock it, if youve not tried it?

Like someone else said, you can ride everyday, even if it's a short sharp session.

Riding in a virtual world like Zwift is much more fun than watching old tour video's like I was doing in the 90s.

Last thing I want to do after a 12 hour shift is go out on the road for a ride.

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don simon fbpe replied to maviczap | 7 years ago
0 likes

maviczap wrote:

CrispedWheel wrote:

Unless there's actually snow or ice, just get out and ride. All these look like the worse form of miserable evenings.

Yes, but if you don't have the time to get out on the road, or don't like riding in the dark, then riding on a turbo, especially these latest smart trainers is a viable option, if it means getting a ride in.

Don't knock it, if youve not tried it?

Like someone else said, you can ride everyday, even if it's a short sharp session.

Riding in a virtual world like Zwift is much more fun than watching old tour video's like I was doing in the 90s.

Last thing I want to do after a 12 hour shift is go out on the road for a ride.

I have no answer for this.  2

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DaSy replied to don simon fbpe | 7 years ago
0 likes

don simon wrote:

maviczap wrote:

 

Don't knock it, if youve not tried it?

I have no answer for this.  2

 

One of my customers - who regularly mails me - finishes what seems like every sentence with a question mark, yet he is rarely asking one. I find it very hard to resist attempting to answer each statement, but my need to keep at least a few of my bill paying aquaintances prevents me.

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fenix | 7 years ago
2 likes

I don't think our parents expected most of us to be sitting on a computer for most of our work life. By comparison this is nothing.

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Rapha Nadal | 7 years ago
0 likes

Didn't anyone's parents warn them against sitting to close to a TV screen?!  Your eyes must be bleeding after an hour!

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Harmanhead | 7 years ago
1 like

Mines in my dark shed. And it gets much darker at times angel

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BrokenBootneck | 7 years ago
0 likes

Mines in the attic too. Small house two kids and a lab. Only option. 

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davel | 7 years ago
2 likes

These are awesome, but for the fact they make me despair at how my garage looks like a blackhole farted on it.

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CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
1 like

Lots of Kickrs being used  1

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georgee | 7 years ago
6 likes

Purpose built Turbo Dungeon for sale, racking for 7 bikes plus ground achor.

Finished it just before having to move house, up for sale, comes with fully refurbished and extended 3 bed victorian semi for sleeping and housing of family. 10 minutes ride to Richmond Park.  POA

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fenix | 7 years ago
2 likes

Loving these pictures. I really need to upgrade my own !

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