Moving into a new build house [in the UK] in the new year which will come with a double garage that i will be commandeering for a pain cave space [turbo set up + squat rack etc.]. A major upgrade from the living room of my current flat…
This will just come as the shell [e.g. exposed brick on the inside, concrete floor etc.], but the developers have asked if we want to ask for any quotes for additional building work as it progresses.
I was thinking of asking for the builders to insulate / plasterboard the garage walls and roofing to make the space a bit nicer. I will then buy some horse stall type matts for the flooring.
Is this necessary / would anyone have any suggestions for additional extras i should get quotes for to make the space feel less like a garage and more like a gym?
Depending upon what you use for TR / entertainment, think about power outlets and internet connectivity. Plus outlets for fans. Garages don’t usually have many power out, so solve that now.
This might sound like a no brainer, but I would build some kind of mood board to get an aim of what you are after. For example, I would love a pain cave that has luxury gym vibes to it, while still being easy to clean etc.
Things I would look at:
Material use
Wall sockets
Flooring
Lighting
Ventilation
Of course it all comes down to how picky you are, but a nice space goes a long way when it comes to motivation during trainer season
So I would aim to have something like this as inspiration, and then work backwards to see if there are certain things you can ask for to get the right vibes:
One thing all these have in common is good lighting, as well as using the space to get airy feeling, as well as lots of wood to counteract the harshness of the training utilities
Also, maybe see if they can make sure that you want an ethernet port in the garage so you can have a router in there for the trainer etc?
yep this is me. 86f as i type this and it gets up to 90. june and july are brutal. in the winter it gets down to 55f or so, which is pretty refreshing actually, so i don’t mind it. but yeah, june and july…
81 and 70% humidity for my threshold session in the garage cave this morning. Got through it pretty well though, TBH. The first couple of weeks when it gets like this really suck, but eventually I just adapt. (Garage is uninsulated, but I have plenty of power outlets and run 3 blower fans!)
It builds character. Back in the day a hall of fame basketball coach, Chuck Daly, used to have his teams (pistons, nets) practice indoors and he would turn the heat up to 85 or so. He said it builds character and stamina. That’s what I tell myself anyway
Yup… love my setup. Actually prefer it to riding my trainer than being out on the road dealing with cars, bad surface etc… Unless the weather is amazing, i usually choose to ride indoors. Even during race season
For the basics I would suggest having. Ore sockets than you think you’ll need, especially if you move things around then the sockets will be in the wrong place. And a lot of Wi-Fi would be good too.
But lighting and ventilation are great ideas. Don’t forget that family might want some input into what the eventual use is…
I have a small storage nook behind the finished section of my basement. I’d been staring at a blank wall (at least with a TV!) and running several extension cords, so I decided to spruce it up a bit
I added a few plugs, some pine shiplap (smells great!), and gym flooring for a little more comfort than concrete. I’ve only had a few rides so far since I’m getting over being sick unfortunately.
Sorry it took so long. Had the place built and then we took time to move in. Finally had the time to put some art in there. But here it is.
Attached to this a bathroom for showering and if you have to use it, and the guest bedroom which I use for naps sometimes.
Does anyone have suggestions for a good TV Wall mount? We are doing a major renovation, and the Pain Cave is getting completely rebuilt - see the photo of the Pain Cave today. The TV used to sit on a bump out from the wall that was removed as part of rebuilding the foundation, so now need a solution to put the TV on the Wall. Ideally I’d like something that would include tilt + the ability to pivot the TV so it could be used when lifting weights. As the walls are open, I will add in blocking so the mount will get screwed into wood.
