Indoor training has changed so much over the last few years. What used to be the domain of only the most committed has evolved into something that - whisper it - might even be called fun. Online training games (okay, Zwift), interactive turbo trainers and an ever-growing array of accessories mean that while indoor riding still isn't quite as fun as being outdoors, it's certainly moulded itself into a genre all of its own.
But there is still one fundamental that makes indoor riding different to the open roads: airflow. When you're out on the bike, the air moving past you helps to cool you down and regulate your body temperature. When you're indoors, you're not moving so the air isn't moving either which means you'll warm up incredibly quickly, and a hot body is not an efficient, performance ready body.
Fans are the solution to this problem. But a standard fan with a few settings that you have to constantly change yourself can be a bit of a pain. That's why Elite has develped the Aria, an interactive fan (or smart fan, if you prefer) that can connect wirelessly to a variety of different training aids and adjust itself accordingly. What can it connect to exactly? Glad you asked. The Aria can adjust according to heart rate, power, body temperature, virtual speed or simply using the buttons on the top like any other fan. The manual buttons are also really useful for hot days because since it can blow air at up to 50kph, it's a really nice fan to stick in the kitchen or out in the garden to keep you cool. Not that we've used one for that, obviously...
If you like the sound of the Aria, you can find them here on Freewheel along with the rest of Elite's excellent indoor training kit and their pro-approved Elite Fly bottles.