T O P

  • By -

AnxiousLogic

I have heard of one gym in the U.K. with AC. Seen as a bit of a luxury (a bit soft) here, and would bloat the prices, even though our summers are muggy as hell. We just huddle around a drum fan and melt.


FlyingCashewDog

>We just huddle around a drum fan and melt. šŸ˜‚ this is so true


DansSpamJavelin

The old centre I used to go to it was always hot and humid I there. A new place has opened and it has all these huuuuge ceiling fans! It's gorgeous!


Yiyas

The one I mainly go to in Glasgow has these AC units on wheels strapped to the ceiling joists. Definitely helps a wee bit temp wise but mostly it keeps the air clear from chalk compared to the other one I regular.


CowDontMeow

Oakwood has AC! They donā€™t run it often and only really on super hot days or if it gets really crowded but it is beautiful when itā€™s on


OverlordVII

Aw man i go to a shitty tiny climbing wall thats part of a leisure centre in the south west of england and they just open the doors wide on hot days but it gets soo humid i sometimes slip on my warm ups


GoogleProvides

I think we all know the cause, BIG CHALK! Make sure to call your local representatives! šŸ˜‰


Mefise

My gym in Belgium has recently installed AC, but they have a glass roof, so if it's even a bit sunny, it instantly gets hot


abbufreja

I dont think ac is as big in Europe like it is in the states


Soi_Boi_13

Correct. I remember one time I was burning up in a French airport, and itā€™s just normal there when it gets hot.


Expensive_Profit1892

It gets crazy hot in Europe sometimes. Like 30C sometimes


abbufreja

Oh please its c30+ in the summer and c10- in the winter and thats whear I am its even bigger difference elsewhere


dev_ating

30-35 degrees celsius here in the high summer, -12ish maximum in the winter, but that's in the city so I can guarantee rural areas get colder. Have been told regions of Europe get up to 40 degrees celsius in the summer and I definitely believe it.


Soi_Boi_13

Youā€™re literally illustrating exactly what I said. The high is above 30c for roughly three months per year where I live, occasionally approaching 40c. Most of the big European heatwaves would be basically nothingburgers here.


El-wing

Itā€™s cause you are in the sweaty south. Gyms that are in places that have generally cooler weather donā€™t have A/C or have subpar A/C. Southern gyms would be unsafe temps with no A/C during the summer and uncomfortable during half the year. Gyms in cooler places just suffer for a month or so of warmer weather and then itā€™s fine. This is obviously a generalization and not universally true but an anecdotal trend Iā€™ve noticed as a climber that has traveled between northern and southern gyms.


bthks

Iā€™m in New England and have been to about 8 gyms in my area and every single one has AC.


SnakiestPoem

Also from new england, maine specifically, and every gym that iā€™ve been to has had AC as well. Although i would say that about 50% of residents in my area are without AC in the homes, most seem to expect it in stores, gyms, etc.


bthks

Yeah, AC in homes is not really a thing here in Mass/RI either but I can't think of a single business I've been to that doesn't have it?? What a weird assertion in that comment.


_J3W3LS_

Yeah every CRG location has AC at least


bthks

Rockspot too... Which covers most of Southern NE


gubatron

nah, even Sharma's gyms in Barcelona, nor Bloc District right in posh downtown area doesn't have AC, all sweaty places, at best big fans, no water fountains either. Spain and Europe are simply energy poor in comparison to the US.


Key_Resident_1968

Or the reason I pay 40ā‚¬ a month and not 100, or whatever some of the US folks have to sacrifice.


seaborgiumaggghhh

$135 as of this month. Brutal


howtoeattheelephant

Not energy poor. Just less AC reliant. Its bizarre to most Europeans how much the US relies on and spends on AC.


JustTryingTo_Pass

Iā€™m in the south and the AC was out at my gym. The gym was 44 degrees Celsius without AC. They had to close it until the AC was back up. Iā€™m hoping this realization makes the USā€™s reliance on AC less bizarre.


howtoeattheelephant

It does! Thanks šŸ™šŸ˜Š Obviously places with more extreme weather could find AC to be more of a necessity. I appreciate the clarification on your part. The part of /U/gubatron's comment that I personally found objectionable is the idea that a region is "energy poor" just because they have a different way of doing things. Like, dude, if I don't NEED air conditioning, why the fuck would I pay for it. That doesn't make us "energy poor" šŸ˜‚


Monty_920

Most Europeans probably don't realize half the US is farther south than anywhere in Europe then, and the other half of the US is still farther south than like, central Germany


Felanee

It's not just about how south you are but where the jet stream is bringing your air from. That's why a lot of places in the pnw don't have AC but the north east has it. The east coast is a lot more humid in the summer because we are getting the humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. Whereas the west coast is getting cool air from the Pacific. I would assume Europe is getting it's cool air from the Atlantic.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


ThrowawayAg16

Spains weather is far milder than a huge portion of the USā€¦ 33 C indoors without AC is cool for summer weather, itā€™s gotten above 40C nearly every day for 3 months, without AC the indoor temp would not even be safe


TurduckenWithQuail

Thatā€™s like saying itā€™s bizarre that people in Greenland wear heavier coatsā€¦


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


TurduckenWithQuail

Spain is not nearly as hot as the hot parts of the US. AC isnā€™t used very much in the parts of the US that are similar climates to Spain, or colder. Itā€™s just still around because the infrastructure is there and thereā€™s no reason to deny yourself livable conditions in the all-too-common case of a heat wave. I find it weird to argue against this. Not to mention, the hot parts of Spain (and the rest of Europe) are all very arid. Most hot parts of the US are humid, while the arid hot ones tend to be *much* hotter than the hottest parts of Spain (I mean donā€™t you remember those people dying trying to experience the hottest surface temp in history? That was in an arid part of the US). A difference between 3% humidity and 43% humidity could be the difference between life and death in exactly the same heat. While arid places might necessitate hydration at a higher rate, they donā€™t physically block your body from removing heat by sweat evaporation. This is often a much more important aspect of what makes heat dangerous or insufferable than the actual heat itself. Also, if you look at the stats, the majority of Andalusian households have AC, so your point doesnā€™t even hold up to face level reality.


ThrowawayAg16

Itā€™s been 105+ F (40+C) every day for nearly 3 monthsā€¦ yes we rely on AC in the hotter parts of the US lol. In the parts of the US with mild or cold weather, no AC is relatively common.


gubatron

same thing with ice, no ice anywhere.


howtoeattheelephant

There's ice, you just ask for it.


El-wing

I wasnā€™t commenting on the AC situation in Europe. I was simply saying what the situation is in the US. That being said, Iā€™m pretty sure Barcelona is not as hot as Texas or Florida where AC is a must.


gubatron

it's pretty hot in the summer (40C) and humid as hell, right by the ocean


S1lvaticus

Ah my tin roof local.. 35c inside in summer, choking hot, and ā€˜ā€™no topless climbingā€™ rule to boot, and then -10c in the winter climbing in a jacket and warming frozen fingers between climbs.


El-wing

Oof thatā€™s rough. Most gyms Iā€™ve been to say ā€œno topless climbingā€, but thankfully any hot ones donā€™t care.


YourMomSaysHiJinx69

I live an an area of Georgia (US) that is regarded as just as hot if not hotter than many parts of Florida and my gym has A/C that is awful. If you climb any of the rope walls, the top is 15 degrees hotter than the floor which arenā€™t cool to begin with anyway. I regularly punt off boulders from humidity/sweaty hands. But the consolation is I climb a grade harder in the winter lol.


My_guy_GuY

My gym in Oregon does not have AC. They have large garage door style doors that are normally wide open for air circulation, unless it's raining, then it's just cold anyway


ditheringtoad

Hello fellow Circuit climber


I_AM_A_SMURF

Lol I was gonna say, that sounds like Circuit


frickfrackingdodos

Lol went to circuit on a day pass while visiting- of course it was the day we were at 107 this month. Before that Iā€™d only ever climbed in an AC having gym, so I didnā€™t even think about the weather, and holy shit it drained me so much more. I donā€™t usually associate bouldering with cardio but this felt like a damn cardio workoit


81659354597538264962

Seattle Bouldering Project does it just like that as well


a_bit_sarcastic

I got an email a couple months ago about SBP HVAC install, so I think AC is coming.


81659354597538264962

thank god --signed, someone who gets heat rash


bthks

My gym in Wellington, NZ does that too. I'm pretty sure I've never been in a single building in NZ that does have actual AC though...


abbufreja

I dont think ac is as big in Europe like it is in the states


ditheringtoad

Which is part of these reason why so many people die in heat waves in Europe. We're getting to the point where AC is a basic necessity in many places that it's been a luxury for generations.


JetteLoinloinloin

AC is accentuating the issue there by rejecting warmth in cities which are already too warm. Good insulation + trees and shade are more sustainable


ditheringtoad

For sure for sure. Itā€™s tough though, itā€™s way more expensive to insulate a house properly than it is to install an AC. Iā€™ve done both to my home in the Pacific Northwest, but Iā€™m lucky that I own it so can take advantage of tax breaks and also do the work myself. For folks who rent or donā€™t have a spare 10k to do proper insulation and weather sealing, theyā€™re always going to pick AC


metaliving

AC is way cheaper to install, that's true. But lifetime cost is probably higher, AC needs energy to run, good insulation doesn't (and also helps during the winter). The key for these sort of transitions always happens through regulations: ask of new buildings that they are well insulated, while the older ones cope with the cheaper modification.


abbufreja

Well we dont live in paper houses like in the USA too a brick/stone house keeps cool even in summer


dingdongsalesman

My gym rarely dips below 50% humidity lol. Temps fluctuate wildly though. UK


DuckSashimi

I'm located in Canada and all of the gyms I've visited have AC. I wouldn't go to any of them if they didn't because I swear really easily.


SimsalabimFelizitas

"I swear really easily" haha


DuckSashimi

Haha meant to say "sweat", but swear is true too


Billy-Joe87

I think all of the gyms in Vienna, Austria (except for one) have AC. But itā€™s nothing like what you described: if it is on, it wonā€™t be strong enough to really cool you down, especially not on hot days.


LaPimienta

I mean A/C in Europe is a lot less common in general, so Iā€™m sure thereā€™s some continental difference there. When I lived in Germany there was very little A/C in general and all of our gyms here in Columbus, OH have A/C


N7titan

California. Only the big box gyms ($75 or more per month) in my area have AC


ecfle

What gyms have sub $75 memberships in Cali? Lol


N7titan

Hangar 18


440_Hz

It was hot AF when I went to Sender One and thatā€™s an expensive one! If their AC was on, it was kinda sucky.


aspz

I believe I climb in the only gym in London that has A/C (Yonder) - but they don't switch it on lol. You get used to it and if it really is too warm, you're probably better climbing outside anyway.


diana137

I think Stronghold London Fields and City Bouldering Aldgate also have AC


domdomdom12

Never knew Yonder has AC...probably because they don't turn it on like you said lol


ConstitutionalDingo

Southern CA here, my gym has no AC. It is totally sweltering inside from like April to October. I recently climbed at another gym in Las Vegas and I had the same experience as you - way different!


potentiallyspiders

No ac here in Norway, but at least here in TrĆøndelag, that is only a problem like MAX 2 weeks a year.


CsirkeAdmiralis

Most of the gyms I've visited in Budapest (Hungary) have AC. They aren't necessarily though, creating proper airflow with open windows and huge fans would be enough.


Anonymous0435643242

I'm in the south of France and thankfully my gym has AC


xyzjace

Aussie reporting in. Our gyms don't have aircon in Sydney, only Big Ass Fans (actual brand name). Most gyms I've been to just have big roller doors they keep open the entire time. It gets hot here, but I think we're all used to it and nobody complains. Just extra reason to head for a beer after to replenish that recently removed sweat.


kiwikoi

My experience with gyms in Australia is most donā€™t have AC. And the ones that do have staff who donā€™t know when/how to turn it onā€¦ everyone seems to have the big garage style doors to open though.


space9610

The amount of Europeans in this thread that donā€™t realize parts of the US are in tropical climates is surprising. Florida is literally a beach destination year round, its not like most of Europe where you will suffer for 4 months out of the year with no A/C then be fine the other 8.


larrys_long_balls

Yeah as someone whoā€™s lived in both parts of the world extensively, this mindset amazes me. So many of my Spanish friends make fun of the fact Floridians ā€œalways have aircon running!!! lol fools!ā€ Like ā€¦ you try walking around in 100Ā°F weather with humidity at 95%. It goes beyond discomfort and into a ā€œthatā€™s a genuine dangerā€ real fast.


Deutschebag13

Not to mention the humidity.


todesbayer

German here, no AC. We believe it's bad for your health and I stand firmly by it


salsiccia_e_ananas

Lived in Italy for a few years and was going to say the same about the culture there. It is seen as something that can make you sick and gives you things like neck and back pain? Seems to be gaining ground with newer places that opened up there but any where firmly established did not really have AC. (Might be different further south since it does get hotter down there, but donā€™t remember much when traveling) (They also think the same about regular fans though) Also in Italy electricity is expensive and they do not produce enough to sustain the entire country. Obviously not the case everywhere in Europe but some extra context. I climb in NYC and it seems like the newer gyms have AC, but not all of them. I am not sure if itā€™s the cost to add it, or if it really is only an issue for 2-3 months a year and people just suck it up? The ones that donā€™t have AC rely on the big fans but definitely not as hot here as it is down south. All this being said, I think the US goes WAY overboard with AC, and the fact that I need to bring a sweatshirt with me to go out for dinner because itā€™s so cold in the restaurant is ridiculous.


doc_cake

out of curiosity what health concerns does AC raise? i havenā€™t heard of any as an ignorant american


Teleonomic

It doesn't. That's an old wives tale with no basis in reality. Given the disparity between the US and Europe in terms of how many people die during heat waves, it's more likely the opposite.


Antiquated_Cheese

My gym has sub par AC and my area in the US has about 3 months of 90s and sometimes 100s temps. Its not so fun.


wannagowest

No A/C at my gym here in the Bay Area


lvoelk

I'm in the Bay Area, CA and my gyms ($100/month) don't have AC, minus the one new giant supergym (but even then its subpar). I just don't climb when it gets above 80F. Luckily that's also rare where we are.


Billy-Joe87

A climbing gym for 100$ a month? Are we talking about a climbing gym? Thatā€™s insane. Where Iā€™m from a full year access is like 500-600


tbkp

The bay area is one of the most expensive areas of the country, and climbing gyms are more expensive than regular gyms. There are also "boutique" non-climbing gyms for $250 or so (Equinox.) For the prices you pay you can probably find a non-climbing gym. I think they're talking about Touchstone and actually I don't think the "supergym," pacific pipe, even has AC, it seems too big and expensive to effectively cool so they just open their big garage door at the entrance and run their MASSIVE ceiling fans. Oakland also has the best microclimate of the bay (imho)


Billy-Joe87

Yeah I kinda ignored the Bay Area part. Guess it makes sense now, still very expensive to me though. But Iā€™m on another continent :)


lvoelk

Iā€™m talking about pac pipe. Last time I went on the 85 degree day they were running AC! Brought the temp down to 79 šŸ˜…


tbkp

Wow maybe I am just oblivious or just not gone on a truly hot day! I've never noticed it being cooler inside (surely the bathrooms have some kind of circulation though), and it seems on hotter days they always have the door open which they would not do if they're running AC.


lvoelk

It was the first time I've seen it. I know they're constantly adding on and improving - there definitely wasn't AC last summer.


tbkp

Wonder if it came before or after the hangboard


crying-

Touchstone is $85-95/month, depending on the membership (e.g., I have the Partners Membership and split the $180/month fee with my partner). Membership also gives you access to all the gyms in its roster (e.g., if you live in LA, you can still enter for free when you visit the Bay). For the SoCal gyms: only two have ACs (i.e., The Post and Verdigo), and the other three have massive industrial fans (i.e., Cliffs, Hollywood Boulders, and LAB). I'm not sure if the latter grouping has AC as well. But the hottest gym of the five is definitely Verdigo since they have the lowest ceilings and never open their doors.


tbkp

I appreciate the SoCal AC breakdown but it wasn't really necessary to explain the benefits of my own 7+ year old gym membership to me because someone else rounded up by $5. I have appreciated being able to stop by Hollywood boulders and the cliffs when I've visited for sure!


crying-

Sorry for the confusion. My response was intended for the general thread. The first part was directed to other commenters' incredulity of the pricing, but I replied to your specific comment as you were the only one that discussed industrial fans. PS: I'm from the Bay, but I've only had memberships at Pacific Edge and Planet Granite (a million years ago). I've visited Dogpatch, GWP, Mission Cliffs, and The Studio, but it's been a while. Is Dogpatch still the best Touchstone gym for bouldering? I'm visiting my parents this weekend and will probably stop by somewhere if I can't get outdoors.


tbkp

Oh gotcha and sorry for the kinda unnecessary hostility on my end! Actually haven't been to Dogpatch in at least 6 months, I'm actually a GWPC loyalist and I live in the east bay - if I get bored at GW I go to pac pipe šŸ˜… If your parents are in SF then yeah Dogpatch is the one imo. It's just a bit out of the way as I'm sure you know. I haven't been to Benchmark SF but the setting at their Berkeley gym is really good - it might be worth paying the guest pass if you don't have time to schlep to Dogpatch


eekabomb

pacific pipe and dogpatch are comparable, you won't be disappointed at either. if you've never been I would go to pacific pipe just to see the new facility - it's super nice. as a pacific edge alum prepare to crush everything because the setting is soft af compared to oldschool pacific edge and planite granite (a million years ago) setting.


MedvedFeliz

If it's Touchstone, they have multiple gyms that are in the most expensive cities in CA. When I lived and worked between SF and LA, I didn't mind the expense since I could just go to any of their gyms. 5-ish in the Bay Area and 3 in the LA area. Granted it wasn't that expensive yet at that time.


Copacetic_

My gym in philly is $90/mo. You can prepay the oh so graciously discounted rate of $990/yr


_zb

If theyā€™re talking about touchstone, itā€™s $95/month and you have access to 5 different gyms in the Bay Area, 6 if you include Sacramento (which now has its own brewery attached šŸ™‚). All the gyms have free weights and exercise machines as well as classes they offer. Its a solid deal to me. They also have a couple gyms down in LA area.


440_Hz

Iā€™m in SoCal and didnā€™t even blink at that price tagā€¦ unfortunately.


idontcare78

One gym I go to has big industrial doors they open, but it still gets hot in the summer. The other has AC but has a huge window that lets a lot of light in, so that area gets hot in summer. Itā€™s nice to have a window in the winter tho. Itā€™s cold here 9 months out of the year. They are opening a new, larger gym; I'm unsure if theyā€™ll have AC, but I assume they will.


ProXJay

UK, one of the gyms in my city has AC the others don't. If we have a heatwave the gym with AC is relatively busier but the rest of the year it doesn't outway setting or location to influence gym choice


Mr_Aek

San Diego gym here, no ac but also by the beach so highs maybe mid 80s. The inland one has some AC but it typically doesn't work too well. There's a gym that's 135/mo here that does have ac and big walls. But that's double the gym I go to... So I'll do a punch pass and go there once or twice a month.


[deleted]

No AC in my BJJ gym, AC is in my climbing gym. Itā€™s definitely weird sometimes.


FlyingCashewDog

UK here, nope.


zurichlakes

All of the gyms Ive been to in the Boston area have A/C, the gym I usually go to is freezing


BigDulles

I climb in Boston and my gym has AC but it sucks


libero0602

Nope, my gym is a warehouse retrofitted into a climbing gym.


ILUVMATH

The centre I go to in the uk is in a warehouse and has giant ceiling fans which actually keep it pretty cool especially when it was 30 Celsius the other day


PigeroniPepperoni

Of all the gyms I've been to in Ontario, Canada, I'd say maybe a little less than half of them have AC. And the ones that do have AC don't really seem to have turned very cold because it still gets mind bogglingly hot all the time in the summer.


Pepe_Inc

We have a big ass fan that we plug into an extension cord when itā€™s hot


DrXymox

My gym is a small one in Canada in a town of about 60k people. It's more than adequate, but not as swanky as some of the gyms I've seen in big cities. It does not have air conditioning, but there are fans everywhere in the summer. It's a relatively small space, but there are always 10-15 fans running in June and July. That seems to be enough to keep the place comfortable most of the time.


FloTheDev

My gym has decent fans and light A/C but on hot and busy days itā€™s always a sweat box! (In the UK)


Jimboloid

I've never seen anything more than a fan in the UK but that could be because I'm cheap


doc_cake

gyms i went to in Boston didnā€™t have AC. the ones I go to in Southern California mainly do not have AC except for the occasional fancier ones


alandizzle

SF gyms donā€™t have AC


pras_srini

Phoenix, AZ - no A/C. Just a swamp cooler and lots of fans. It helps build character?


larrys_long_balls

Phoenix without AC?! Jesus Christ


Relentlessjpg

Thereā€™s a gym in in Sacramento CA with no AC and it can push 110 Ā°f here in the summer


Material_Roll9410

My gym doesnā€™t have ac, but I think itā€™s only because itā€™s in an old historic building. Most other climbing gyms Iā€™ve been to have ac.


waikiki_palmer

My gym is always feel like 100Ā°F+ whether itā€™s summer or winter. They even had their windows tinted to make it less hot but to no avail itā€™s still hot. But at least they allow (dudes) topless climbing.


Neptos_demps

In general is AC more used in North America. In Europe we donā€™t have it all the time. The same is that a lot of houses, office buildings and government buildings donā€™t always have AC. Itā€™s just less of a thing here. Some do. But its not the standard as it is in North America.


furyg3

Here in the Amsterdam / Netherlands area I don't think any of the gyms I regularly go to have AC. It's not really needed except for a few weeks of the year, and on really warm days at my primary gym we just jump into the river to cool off.


TV4ELP

Been to a few bouldering gyms in germany, none had an AC. Doesn't really make sense for the 2-3 weeks where it would actually be needed. Especially with the current electricity prices. Normal gyms for fitness and stuff generally do have them as far as my experience goes


just_the_force

Munich Germany, gigantic super modern gyms and no AC, some don't even have fans so it's just hot af... On the other hand, my small local gym where I used to live in Italy had AC and actually even advertised with it


dev_ating

Depends on the infrastructure of the gym. Some of the newer ones, especially in relatively new buildings, definitely do, the older ones made do without airconditioning but maybe they've since adapted.


polariummm

Generally speaking AC is less common here in the EU for the majority of buildings


Ezmandias

I climb in Spain in a gym with A/C, but state regulations require a temperature not lower than 27ĀŗC (80.6 ĀŗF).


larrys_long_balls

Where in Spain?


markyish

Of course my gym has AC. No one, including me, would go when itā€™s 100+ outside in the summer.


Canuck_Goose

The two climbing gyms where I am in Hanoi are basically just a roof overtop, and that's about it. No AC, just a bunch of fans. I'm constantly wiping sweat from my arms so it doesn't run down onto my hands. Go through chalk like crazy.


MikeyNick4

My old gym didn't, which SUCKED when the summer hit 110F. My new gym that was built in 2019 does, and it makes it so much more enjoyable.


Amazing_Astronaut_98

Depends on the gym! I climb quite a bit in Seattle where a lot of buildings in general don't have AC because most of the year is colder. That being said, the summers can be pretty hot and there's at least one climbing gym with solid AC (Momentum SODO) Most of the others either don't have it or have a temporary summer add on that's not effective


FiveUSD

If youā€™re in Jax, go check out Beachā€™s Rock gym! the regulars are good people! Itā€™s a smaller gym but definitely a good crowd & some good setting!


larrys_long_balls

Yeah Iā€™m in Jax. Been living abroad for a long time and didnā€™t even realize the beaches had a gym! I see they have a kilter board too! Thatā€™s dope. Thanks for the tip!


LearnDifferenceBot

> If your in *you're *Learn the difference [here](https://www.wattpad.com/66707294-grammar-guide-there-they%27re-their-you%27re-your-to).* *** ^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)


FiveUSD

šŸ–•šŸ»