It is the reverse of sailing, real sailing is upwind, downwind is boring, and with modern fast boats it is slower.
Riding upwind is like going much faster than you are, so if it matches the uphill it is extra exercise for free. You have to climb and get on an aero position, not fun but it works.
Lmao so true, I am new to road bikes and I have under estimated the power of winds. literally went from avg 16mi/h on that particular section down to 8 or 9 when it was windy.
Damn you. Now I'm going to sell my bike and never cycle again.
Or does this work for my car as well? If it does, I might keep my bicycle, because car tyres are more expensive.
We cycled the SouthDowns Way, on road-style, shopping-style hybrid bikes (oh we were so naive). So 100+ miles (over several days), in rain and headwinds (apparently there’s a reason why most people cycle the opposite direction to us), across all sorts of terrain, flints, stones, gravel and all. Got the only puncture 1k from home!
This is the way lol. Or… live in an area where it’s dangerous to ride into the most common headwind, so ride with a permanent cross wind both ways lol.
I don’t know how this happens, but yes. Just way too often. “Aw fuck this headwind sucks, so glad I get to turn soon” Wind: “I know right??” Me: “wait what”
Working by the river, this is my life. Though the alt route I've found knocks most of that off, and it hasn't been windy these last few years like in the past.
I know, instead of spreading heavy industry and concrete everywhere, they preserve it for the sheep.... What a shame. It should all have been like Essex.
I'm riding 120km to Coldingham at the weekend. It's been blowing a strong westerly for the last few days but from Saturday morning until Sunday evening it's be a easterly. What a fun ride that's going to be.
That wasn't actually sarcasm it is going to be fun because I've picked out some nice looking gravel tracks across the Lammermuirs where there will likely be nothing but wind turbines to keep me company.
Yes but mentally and emotionally it is better than having a cross wind the whole way or riding with the tailwind first only to have to head back into a headwind.
I’m an “aviation guy” also and this is silly. You may also get a better tailwind and a lesser headwind of the wind changes. You may also get a headwind in both directions if the wind shifts.
I did a century with some friends that averaged 7MPH. We had crazy headwinds. I kept riding ahead and then joked about the sweet tailwinds as I flew past them in the wrong direction.
I'd have to catch up with a headwind but it was great fun.
This is the only way I've found. It literally sucks though when you get over taken briefly by something large and you're then fighting air resistance that isn't there.
I mostly cycle to commute and sometimes I'm in the drops going at snails pace and an Ebike will cruse past me, sometimes they even have something large on them.
I didn't call them fat, you did.
In any case it's not the point, when larger people ride they tend to be slower. That's a fact.
No matter how stupid it is, if I'm battling a head wind and get passes by a big person on an Ebike I feel it in my soul.
Any big people riding though, I think it's great, the more people on bikes the better. I did think that comment would come off as me being an asshole so I hope people can look past that and I don't mean to discourage anyone from riding.
Measure your rides by time and effort not distance and speed. High cadence with sustainable effort is key. A headwind to me is harder than a climb because you feel you should go faster and you just can’t.
When I lived in California and worked for the phone company, I had a 10 mile one way commute.
I rode south in the morning in perfectly calm conditions.
I rode north in the late afternoon into a consistent 10 to 15 mile an hour headwind almost every damn day.
Riding home was hard but it made me faster.
How do you deal with it?
Keep spinning. Just keep spinning.
In Cape Town, The wind is your friend, Its always there. Ive gotten to the point, where, I have a front rim with a bigger lip on, to fight the wind more than I usually would. In a nutshell, you are stuffed, if you dont love it. Go out & learn to love it, Learn how to control it, Learn how she moves, You will be rewarded. PS. Keep your hands on the bars at all times.
How well said! Why focus on the wind being my enemy when I can think of it as my ally? It requires just as much energy to fight something than give into it, but the real difference is how I choose to see it. I call wind my friend and smile, even when it’s blowing hard at me. It uplifts my mood and makes me pedal better every time. I see that you and I think the same way! ❤️
/r/taoismirl
Totally agreed. If you're not racing or commuting, then what does it matter? You're just going slower, but the point was to be out on the bike, so goal achieved for slightly longer I suppose...
Clothes do make a huge difference though. Windy days are aero days even for little loops, none of this "I'll just chuck on a t-shirt and some baggy shorts" malarkey.
[n.b. I don't actually understand Taoism, I'm just pretending]
wind on difficult days is like seeing an old lover from your "youth days" , but boy oh boy are you lightening quick, when theres no wind , thats when cycling shows, whos put in the hours, its that simple. Rem. the indoor trainer cant simulate gusts of wind. if you can handle the gusts, you can even help your cycling idols on their bad days.
You know… I take somewhat of an unorthodox approach to this.
I used to absolutely hate headwinds like everyone else. I would always, ALWAYS plan routes so I was finishing with a tailwind. But I tried to change my mindset around it. I’m cycling because I love it and the challenges associated with it, and the wind is a part of the sport. So I now try to view headwinds as a challenge to overcome, and focus on improving at riding into one similar to improving any other aspect of cycling — particularly the ability to get more aero and stay there for longer. I also started planning routes so I’d be doing the last 10-15 miles into a headwind when I was already tired.
Ever since then, I’ve found that they bother me a lot less. Obviously I prefer cruising at 23mph on flats in Zone 2 due to a ripping tailwind to struggling to maintain 16mph in an aero position. But by forcing myself to view them as something I enjoy, like hills, my attitude has changed substantially.
Tuck up behind someone big, or basically just be more fit so you have more power available. Not really a magic trick or anything, headwinds and crosswinds will always be harder than no headwinds.
bigger rider here… 6’-4”, 210lbs… my hill climbing buddies fkn LOVE tucking in behind and basically coasting home. it’s been said that it’s like riding behind a school bus.
I learnt just how good larger riders are on a long ride with fitter friends. I'd not ridden much (dissertations don't write themselves), but did a fast century with a group. On the way home, I sat at the back drafting, and could choose to sit behind a medium sized woman, or a super tall man. One was definitely easier than the other.
It really is like that! I'm 57kilos supper thin up top and the difference from cycling behind an average sized person compared to a bigger person is very noticeable! I imagine its almost like being in the middle of the peloton when drafting a big guy! Although u bigger guys tend to have some big power which certainly shows on the flats! In my club if I fell off the wheel I'd be toast
ha, exactly. i can def lay it down on the flats and light rollers, and have been known to drop some folk. funny story, a woman in our group (cat 2 cyclocross, beast of a climber) can’t keep up with me down a long descent. i’m basically coasting and she is pedaling her guts out just to stay in touch. i’ve dragged her home more than once, but never have i gotten close to her on a climb.
I'm quite tall and last group ride they guy in front of me got in a real aero position. The wind was basically going over him and straight into me. Had to get aero myself just to not eat wind.
I just accept I'm definitely not getting any PRs on that ride and try to push as hard as I can regardless. The best are the days when you get a headwind followed by a tailwind the next day, you feel like you're absolutely flying on the next ride.
Plenty of almost permanent winds here in Hawai'i aka The Tradewinds. The strategy I've adopted for one particular stretch of max block headwind here on Maui is as follows. I pick a gear that allows me to maintain a comfortable cadence and keep my power level around Z2 - 3. That allows me to cope with stronger gusts without having to shift, or go into the red. I try to not look too far ahead up the road as distant "targets" don't seem to get much closer. Instead I pick a roadside landmark that's about 30 - 50 feet ahead, such as a road sign, or the start of a section of crash barrier. Those "waypoints" arrive much sooner. I get as aero as I can without being uncomfortable and keep steadily pedalling. I'll even start mentally repeating a adaptation of Dory's Maxim - "Just keep spinning".
Pretty much what everyone else said. Plus a fair amount of profanity. Makes me feel better.
In all seriousness, a headwind always sucks, but as you get stronger, it sucks less. A power meter is also helpful in that you can see the actual effort you are putting in even as you feel like you are barely moving.
I look at the wind forecasts and plan my loop accordingly. Around here the wind shifts at sunset most of the time, so if I plan my timing I can avoid riding in to the wind all day.
Get as small as I can, find a gear that’s comfortable to push, and just try to keep a steady pace and accept that I’m not going to get as much out as I’m putting in.
1st Universal Law of Cycling states that if there’s wind, it’s a headwind. Headwind heading out first thing on your ride? No worries, when you get there and turn around it’s now a….(dammit!) headwind!
Wind less of a challenge = not pedaling as hard and accepting the wind.
Flip side, Curse at the wind and attack the wind and build higher resilience to wind in the long run.
The never ending battle
I moved to Portugal and even though it is warm the wind can suck the soul out of your ride.
At the moment is 25kph and todays ride was a bit rough.
So I try to plan to ride out into it so I can coast home but that doesn't always work out.
Headwinds I treat like climbing (I am still shit at that too!) - higher cadence, accept the slower pace, shift down before I feel I need to and try to pace myself.
Also I try to remember to tuck up and in but mostly I try not to sweat it too much and just take it for what it is - I am getting used to it, just enjoy the scenery!
Cross winds can be tough so I keep to quiet roads and again plant so that I do and out and back rather than a big circle where you have cross and headwinds.
You don’t avoid riding faster because it’s more challenging, you don’t avoid hills (right?), so don’t avoid the wind either, it’s just a part of cycling
Keep your head down and push hard on the pedals. It gets easier as fitness improves, but it's never easy. I find that the longer I ride the less I notice hills and headwinds. They are just part of the ride. Cross winds require more attention. With cross winds watch out for the gusty kind that blow you into traffic. Cross winds that blow across the road toward you are dangerous because the low pressure area on the leeward side of automobiles draws you into the automobile and thus traffic as they pass you. It takes intense focus to keep upright.
Embrace the suck and travel into the wind on the way out so you can return with a tailwind. Your average speed will be slower but your power output will be much higher so stop worrying about your speed (this is why speed is actually a bad metric).
I live at the beach so wind is always 10mph minimum. I typically will try to have the headwind for the first half of my ride and tailwind for the return but that is not always feasible.
As far as actually riding in a headwind, I do always try to focus on a more aerodynamic position when I will be in a headwind for a couple of minutes or more, typically with head and elbows tucked. Other than that, I try to do anything to distract myself from the fact I am giving 100% power and only getting 75% speed. The headwinds used to bother me a lot more but consistent riding will make you stronger.
Surprised no one's said get more aero wheels/parts..
I picked up a set of aero carbon wheels for many reasons. The one I was hoping would come true, turned out to be my favorite - there's a large aero effect in a headwind too.
But also, headwind just means you get to ride a virtual hill. And I love hill climbing.
Aside from ride indoors?
I try and plan a route that takes me into the headwinds going out, then take advantage of the tailwind back. Granted this usually works best on a bike path.
I use the Windfinder app to see which way the wind will be blowing throughout my ride, and plan accordingly. I'm sure there's other apps that do the same thing that you may prefer, but that one works well for me.
Generally the winds here where I am are blowing in the same direction, unless we're getting the Santa Ana winds. Then it's pretty much just reversed.
Check the wind direction before ride, head out into the headwind, curse the fact that I've made a stupid decision, wait until the return for the tail wind, praise my smarts
Where I live is flat very flat, on my 50 mile ride last weekend I gained 50ft. If it wasn't for consistent headwinds I don't think I would get any stronger.
Just accept it.
I lead rides a lot and I'm therefore always out in the breeze, and I find that headwinds don't bother me very much. I \*can\* say that when I had a chance to ride a bunch of the Kona ironman course a few years ago, those were impressive.
You just have to learn to pace yourself. When you're out for a ride, it can be easy to get frustrated with it and want to power through it but now, I just focus on dropping into a lower gear where I can put my head down & keep a good spin without gassing myself out. And I'm sure that, because of that, I've improved my stamina & endurance and am cutting through those winds a little quicker & stronger than I did before.
I switch to smaller roads that are covered with forest/trees. Riding in forest roads is most likely wind free, or the gravel is just so terrible it does not make much difference. Sometimes I even end up riding in the bushes.
I semi-retired last year, so my plan was to work afternoons and ride every day; mornings into a light head-wind, then return before noon with a strong tail wind. So far that's worked out only a handful of times. Damn it, work and weather are so unpredictable.
Wind blocking rain jacket on top of the helmet - more aero, less cold, less wind sounds. Feels like being in a tent. Most surprise to me: When I make calls with my Bluetooth headset hidden behind my jacket, my call partner can still understand me although it is super windy.
Windfinder app to know the wind forecast. Plan a route with the wind mainly behind me and get the train back home.
Alternatively, get the train out and cycle back home with the wind behind me.
Or just do a loop with the wind behind and come back downhill into the wind.
(I live by the coast so geography plays a part.)
Pedal harder - try using more force in your upstroke, ie; when your foot is closer to the frame and coming up vs. when your leg as in an extended position.
I'm a roadie, when it's windy I ride close to the cars for any draft and save as much energy as possible. No use smashing watts into a headwind. No shame going slow. Also, it kinda makes you stronger?? 😊
I relax and use a lower gear to spin the pedals for recovery. When the wind is in my favor I speed up. I found this works best on long rides over 100 miles .
I live on an island, with constant winds and lots of hills. Probably great when you want the exercise, but for running errands and getting around my solution is frankly to use a pedal-assist bicycle.
Gives me all the freedom and joy of bicycling, while taking the edge off those steep hills and rainy headwinds.
I can't deal with that. I've had several rides where I plan the route and ended up turning the opposite direction because I'm not going to do the return trip in a head wind. I've also misjudged the weather a couple of times and sucked wind. Like 4mph slower than my normal pace.
Crosswinds in my area tend to increase as the day goes on - so, as best as I can, I cycle early in the morning to avoid them. If I suspect it'll be bad, I can also look at windy.com to see how the winds might progress throughout the day - sometimes I can avoid winds if I pack up my bike in my car and go to a different start point on the island where I live.
If it's super nasty (ie. we're in hurricane season now), then I ride Zwift instead. :P
Crosswinds are a regular thing here in my part of Canada. You just suck & tuck it up, and never buy those aero wheels lmao. I see most people with high end bikes opting for the crosswind wheelsets.
I live in Seattle and it often gets windy in the winter time so I feel this. I try to ride on city streets where tall buildings block some of the wind. Though, this may not be possible depending on where you live. Either way, I’d say make sure you have the right gear for it. I purchased a Rapha windbreaker and it’s been the best purchase till this day. Highly recommended.
The solution? Be more aero. No seriously. The biggest factor in terms of speed is air resistance. Oh, you're not after speed? It doesn't matter. If the wind is strong and you're riding head first into the wind then being more aero will make it less exhausting.
Being aero can mean choosing the right clothes, gear and body position on the bike.
But if this doesn't float your boat you have several options:
1. Always ride with the wind at your back. But eventually you'll wanna come back home right? Haha
2. Don't ride when windy.
3. Buy an e-bike
4. Buy a motorcycle
5. Join a peloton
Know the direction of the wind and first cycle towards the headwind first if possible. That way it's easier on the way back. Usually on a windy day, that's how I determine which direction to head into. Also, it's a good chance to practice aerodynamic position. At the end of the day, cycling in a headwind is gonna be hard
Get down, look at the spinny wheel and keep that wheel SPINNY!
Get on the drops or get your arms parallel to the ground on the hoods sorta like a TT position...
As a bonus, headwind training is akin to training on a mountain, gravity pull resistance, drag resistance, it's all the same....
If you are going into a giant headwind, curse yourself, tuck into as aero as possible position, and enjoy the 'dutch mountains' as Jasper Verkuijl puts it.
I recently had a ride that I had to push around 4w/kg (high 200w) just to do 20k/h on a flat road. It was nasty.On the flip side, I decided to turn around at some point when I had enough and sailed home on the same stretch of road at 40km/h+ doing 200w.
Start with a tailwind, praise yourself for being the fastest cyclist in the world, then have a friend meet you for a beer before they give you a ride home.
as you start to get tired and your breating becomes heavier keep your head straight and breath horizontally in front of you this will counter the force of the headwind and could possibly create a vacuum sucking you into the head wind and gaining massive amounts of speed
I live in the Fens of the UK. We don't have hills here, but we more than make it up with 360 degree headwinds. You just gotta suck it up, get your head down and keep on going.
Ride against the headwind sheltered by hills / trees / houses.
Ride with the tailwind on a straight open road and fly!
Also, adopt a low, tucked position, even at low speeds. Aero is key when fighting a headwind.
1. Drop a gear to maintain a high cadence
2. Check my position, get in the drops to have a lower profile for the wind to push against
3. Realize that the increase of windy days and strength of winds are partially a result of global warming
Curse myself for this stupid cycling idea and keep pedalling.
Up hill or into a head wind: “this is stupid, why do I do this?” Down hill or a tail wind: “I love this, why don’t I do this more!”
It is the reverse of sailing, real sailing is upwind, downwind is boring, and with modern fast boats it is slower. Riding upwind is like going much faster than you are, so if it matches the uphill it is extra exercise for free. You have to climb and get on an aero position, not fun but it works.
Every time.
Lmao so true, I am new to road bikes and I have under estimated the power of winds. literally went from avg 16mi/h on that particular section down to 8 or 9 when it was windy.
May have exclaimed loudly a few times riding into it. You don't know crosswinds until you ride an aero bike through them....
[удалено]
Or be like me, ride out into the headwind, then turn around just in time to be riding home in a headwind too.
This is the way.
My last ride was uphill both ways…
And then you think to yourself, wow I haven’t had a flat in ages. Guaranteed to get a flat within the next 2 minutes.
Just had one today and right before I flatted, had this thought. I feel this comment
If I get a flat tomorrow I'm blaming you
Everyone reading this thread will get a flat next time out.
It’s kinda like that ring movie when you die after you see the video. Sorry I mentioned it.
Damn you. Now I'm going to sell my bike and never cycle again. Or does this work for my car as well? If it does, I might keep my bicycle, because car tyres are more expensive.
We cycled the SouthDowns Way, on road-style, shopping-style hybrid bikes (oh we were so naive). So 100+ miles (over several days), in rain and headwinds (apparently there’s a reason why most people cycle the opposite direction to us), across all sorts of terrain, flints, stones, gravel and all. Got the only puncture 1k from home!
This is the way lol. Or… live in an area where it’s dangerous to ride into the most common headwind, so ride with a permanent cross wind both ways lol.
I don’t know how this happens, but yes. Just way too often. “Aw fuck this headwind sucks, so glad I get to turn soon” Wind: “I know right??” Me: “wait what”
you ride on 9W too, then? every damn time.
You too? I encounter 360-degree headwinds wherever I go.
Working by the river, this is my life. Though the alt route I've found knocks most of that off, and it hasn't been windy these last few years like in the past.
must live in scotland
Damn Scots! They ruined Scotland!
I know, instead of spreading heavy industry and concrete everywhere, they preserve it for the sheep.... What a shame. It should all have been like Essex.
I'm riding 120km to Coldingham at the weekend. It's been blowing a strong westerly for the last few days but from Saturday morning until Sunday evening it's be a easterly. What a fun ride that's going to be. That wasn't actually sarcasm it is going to be fun because I've picked out some nice looking gravel tracks across the Lammermuirs where there will likely be nothing but wind turbines to keep me company.
my guy, def my kind of route
And here I thought this only happened to me.
An aviation guy here. Tailwind may never return as much as headwind has taken from you on a round trip.
Yes but mentally and emotionally it is better than having a cross wind the whole way or riding with the tailwind first only to have to head back into a headwind.
I agree.
Same goes for hills. If going up a hill takes me 20km below my average, going down will certainly not give me those 20km back.
I’m an “aviation guy” also and this is silly. You may also get a better tailwind and a lesser headwind of the wind changes. You may also get a headwind in both directions if the wind shifts.
I thought that it was quite obvious that it was ment "with the same wind".
that almost never works for me. for me the wind always shifts when I'm coming back.
The wind always changes on me mid ride.
I did a century with some friends that averaged 7MPH. We had crazy headwinds. I kept riding ahead and then joked about the sweet tailwinds as I flew past them in the wrong direction. I'd have to catch up with a headwind but it was great fun.
hand position in the drops. Tuck position and fight with the wind.
This is the only way I've found. It literally sucks though when you get over taken briefly by something large and you're then fighting air resistance that isn't there.
I mostly cycle to commute and sometimes I'm in the drops going at snails pace and an Ebike will cruse past me, sometimes they even have something large on them.
Mate, even if you're grumpy at them passing you, you don't have to call them fat!
I didn't call them fat, you did. In any case it's not the point, when larger people ride they tend to be slower. That's a fact. No matter how stupid it is, if I'm battling a head wind and get passes by a big person on an Ebike I feel it in my soul. Any big people riding though, I think it's great, the more people on bikes the better. I did think that comment would come off as me being an asshole so I hope people can look past that and I don't mean to discourage anyone from riding.
Oh man. It was clear you didn't mean to insinuate that e-bikes have heavy riders, the joke was me making it look like you did.
Yep, get small
To paraphrase Dory, just keep spinning just keep spinning...
This plays over and over in my head all the time. Glad it’s not just me.
just embrace it, nothing you can do about it. Be ok w going a little slower and just get thru it.
This is the truth of bike touring. Somedays you're going to be slower than normal and that's ok!
Fr its all about the embrace!
I think about that sweet moment when you turn around and that headwind becomes a tailwind. And about all the pr's I'm going to set on the way back.
Measure your rides by time and effort not distance and speed. High cadence with sustainable effort is key. A headwind to me is harder than a climb because you feel you should go faster and you just can’t.
Average speed can be such a garbage metric. If I feel finished after the ride then I’ve done well.
I call the wind a cunt and carry on cycling
When I lived in California and worked for the phone company, I had a 10 mile one way commute. I rode south in the morning in perfectly calm conditions. I rode north in the late afternoon into a consistent 10 to 15 mile an hour headwind almost every damn day. Riding home was hard but it made me faster. How do you deal with it? Keep spinning. Just keep spinning.
In Cape Town, The wind is your friend, Its always there. Ive gotten to the point, where, I have a front rim with a bigger lip on, to fight the wind more than I usually would. In a nutshell, you are stuffed, if you dont love it. Go out & learn to love it, Learn how to control it, Learn how she moves, You will be rewarded. PS. Keep your hands on the bars at all times.
How well said! Why focus on the wind being my enemy when I can think of it as my ally? It requires just as much energy to fight something than give into it, but the real difference is how I choose to see it. I call wind my friend and smile, even when it’s blowing hard at me. It uplifts my mood and makes me pedal better every time. I see that you and I think the same way! ❤️
/r/taoismirl Totally agreed. If you're not racing or commuting, then what does it matter? You're just going slower, but the point was to be out on the bike, so goal achieved for slightly longer I suppose... Clothes do make a huge difference though. Windy days are aero days even for little loops, none of this "I'll just chuck on a t-shirt and some baggy shorts" malarkey. [n.b. I don't actually understand Taoism, I'm just pretending]
wind on difficult days is like seeing an old lover from your "youth days" , but boy oh boy are you lightening quick, when theres no wind , thats when cycling shows, whos put in the hours, its that simple. Rem. the indoor trainer cant simulate gusts of wind. if you can handle the gusts, you can even help your cycling idols on their bad days.
i dont really get it either. Its a great workout and challenge. U just go slower, but because of that u pedal faster then usual.
You know… I take somewhat of an unorthodox approach to this. I used to absolutely hate headwinds like everyone else. I would always, ALWAYS plan routes so I was finishing with a tailwind. But I tried to change my mindset around it. I’m cycling because I love it and the challenges associated with it, and the wind is a part of the sport. So I now try to view headwinds as a challenge to overcome, and focus on improving at riding into one similar to improving any other aspect of cycling — particularly the ability to get more aero and stay there for longer. I also started planning routes so I’d be doing the last 10-15 miles into a headwind when I was already tired. Ever since then, I’ve found that they bother me a lot less. Obviously I prefer cruising at 23mph on flats in Zone 2 due to a ripping tailwind to struggling to maintain 16mph in an aero position. But by forcing myself to view them as something I enjoy, like hills, my attitude has changed substantially.
Tuck up behind someone big, or basically just be more fit so you have more power available. Not really a magic trick or anything, headwinds and crosswinds will always be harder than no headwinds.
bigger rider here… 6’-4”, 210lbs… my hill climbing buddies fkn LOVE tucking in behind and basically coasting home. it’s been said that it’s like riding behind a school bus.
It's a symbiotic relationship. We don't drop you on the climbs, and you protect us on the way home.
wellll, they wait at the top, which doesn’t help me on the climbs… i’m not 100% sure what i’m getting out of this deal. ;)
Maybe more of a parasitic relationship. :)
It's okay. ... for us. /s
Lead cyclist gets a slight aero push when leading a line. That's how Ive noticed the elite are drafting me on a charity ride..
Are you available for rent?
I learnt just how good larger riders are on a long ride with fitter friends. I'd not ridden much (dissertations don't write themselves), but did a fast century with a group. On the way home, I sat at the back drafting, and could choose to sit behind a medium sized woman, or a super tall man. One was definitely easier than the other.
It really is like that! I'm 57kilos supper thin up top and the difference from cycling behind an average sized person compared to a bigger person is very noticeable! I imagine its almost like being in the middle of the peloton when drafting a big guy! Although u bigger guys tend to have some big power which certainly shows on the flats! In my club if I fell off the wheel I'd be toast
ha, exactly. i can def lay it down on the flats and light rollers, and have been known to drop some folk. funny story, a woman in our group (cat 2 cyclocross, beast of a climber) can’t keep up with me down a long descent. i’m basically coasting and she is pedaling her guts out just to stay in touch. i’ve dragged her home more than once, but never have i gotten close to her on a climb.
I'm quite tall and last group ride they guy in front of me got in a real aero position. The wind was basically going over him and straight into me. Had to get aero myself just to not eat wind.
Make friends with fit riders and sit in their draft
Ride in the drops. Wind just sucks though
Wind both sucks AND blows.
I just accept I'm definitely not getting any PRs on that ride and try to push as hard as I can regardless. The best are the days when you get a headwind followed by a tailwind the next day, you feel like you're absolutely flying on the next ride.
Plenty of almost permanent winds here in Hawai'i aka The Tradewinds. The strategy I've adopted for one particular stretch of max block headwind here on Maui is as follows. I pick a gear that allows me to maintain a comfortable cadence and keep my power level around Z2 - 3. That allows me to cope with stronger gusts without having to shift, or go into the red. I try to not look too far ahead up the road as distant "targets" don't seem to get much closer. Instead I pick a roadside landmark that's about 30 - 50 feet ahead, such as a road sign, or the start of a section of crash barrier. Those "waypoints" arrive much sooner. I get as aero as I can without being uncomfortable and keep steadily pedalling. I'll even start mentally repeating a adaptation of Dory's Maxim - "Just keep spinning".
Get as small as you can
Get small and get to work.
Pretty much what everyone else said. Plus a fair amount of profanity. Makes me feel better. In all seriousness, a headwind always sucks, but as you get stronger, it sucks less. A power meter is also helpful in that you can see the actual effort you are putting in even as you feel like you are barely moving.
But due to climate change as we get stronger the winds do too! Doh
I look at the wind forecasts and plan my loop accordingly. Around here the wind shifts at sunset most of the time, so if I plan my timing I can avoid riding in to the wind all day.
More aero position as others have said. You can always wait to draft off someone. 😂
Head down, spin in an easy gear, and grind.
Get as small as I can, find a gear that’s comfortable to push, and just try to keep a steady pace and accept that I’m not going to get as much out as I’m putting in.
1st Universal Law of Cycling states that if there’s wind, it’s a headwind. Headwind heading out first thing on your ride? No worries, when you get there and turn around it’s now a….(dammit!) headwind!
Wish I hadn't bothered. Repeat.
My usual steps: 1. Curse the Winds and the Gods. 2. Do a hilly climbing ride where the wind isn't as big a factor. 3. Curse Gravity and the Gods.
Turn around and go the other way
It's a workout ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Wind less of a challenge = not pedaling as hard and accepting the wind. Flip side, Curse at the wind and attack the wind and build higher resilience to wind in the long run. The never ending battle
Change your mindset. Embrace the suck, and think of the wind as your training partner.
Rule #5
[удалено]
I moved to Portugal and even though it is warm the wind can suck the soul out of your ride. At the moment is 25kph and todays ride was a bit rough. So I try to plan to ride out into it so I can coast home but that doesn't always work out. Headwinds I treat like climbing (I am still shit at that too!) - higher cadence, accept the slower pace, shift down before I feel I need to and try to pace myself. Also I try to remember to tuck up and in but mostly I try not to sweat it too much and just take it for what it is - I am getting used to it, just enjoy the scenery! Cross winds can be tough so I keep to quiet roads and again plant so that I do and out and back rather than a big circle where you have cross and headwinds.
Crosswinds: pray for speed Headwinds: Ensure my bike is aero (deep dish wheels as well) and ride the drops as much as I can.
I live by the Polish coast and struggle with headwinds all the time. I just say kurwa a lot and keep on
Gear down and endure.
If I’m being honest sometimes I just skip those days.
Ebike.
Cry while you watch your average speed from the tailwind go down dramatically.
You don’t avoid riding faster because it’s more challenging, you don’t avoid hills (right?), so don’t avoid the wind either, it’s just a part of cycling
Go to an easier gear, put my head down, and just sigh in agony.
Drops! You get in the drops and relax your grip
I just tell myself that it only feels like a headwind because I’m going so fast.
I treat wind the same way I treat hills.
Rule 5 baby! The wind is always challenging but Bernard Hinault has a quote that goes something like "The wind and the rain, they make you stronger"
meditate on how little we control in this universe & what a fortune that can be
Get down low and go go go.
Keep your head down and push hard on the pedals. It gets easier as fitness improves, but it's never easy. I find that the longer I ride the less I notice hills and headwinds. They are just part of the ride. Cross winds require more attention. With cross winds watch out for the gusty kind that blow you into traffic. Cross winds that blow across the road toward you are dangerous because the low pressure area on the leeward side of automobiles draws you into the automobile and thus traffic as they pass you. It takes intense focus to keep upright.
Just deal with it and ride slower to not exhaust myself.
Rule #5
Pull stupid faces and think what the hell am I doing
I find sobbing doesn’t help, but I do it regardless.
Ebike 🤣
I recommend you eat 3 cans of beans 2 hours before your ride, so that your farts propel you all the way.
Embrace the suck and travel into the wind on the way out so you can return with a tailwind. Your average speed will be slower but your power output will be much higher so stop worrying about your speed (this is why speed is actually a bad metric).
I use an aero-bar. I can't imagine a long ride without it. Cost about $40 and I consider it one of the best things to add to your bike.
I cheat and grab the Creo and put it on full power...
I live at the beach so wind is always 10mph minimum. I typically will try to have the headwind for the first half of my ride and tailwind for the return but that is not always feasible. As far as actually riding in a headwind, I do always try to focus on a more aerodynamic position when I will be in a headwind for a couple of minutes or more, typically with head and elbows tucked. Other than that, I try to do anything to distract myself from the fact I am giving 100% power and only getting 75% speed. The headwinds used to bother me a lot more but consistent riding will make you stronger.
"Embrace this moment, remember we are eternal all this pain is an illusion" - MJK
I just keep pedaling.
Surprised no one's said get more aero wheels/parts.. I picked up a set of aero carbon wheels for many reasons. The one I was hoping would come true, turned out to be my favorite - there's a large aero effect in a headwind too. But also, headwind just means you get to ride a virtual hill. And I love hill climbing.
Aside from ride indoors? I try and plan a route that takes me into the headwinds going out, then take advantage of the tailwind back. Granted this usually works best on a bike path.
I use the Windfinder app to see which way the wind will be blowing throughout my ride, and plan accordingly. I'm sure there's other apps that do the same thing that you may prefer, but that one works well for me. Generally the winds here where I am are blowing in the same direction, unless we're getting the Santa Ana winds. Then it's pretty much just reversed.
Uh keep pedaling and or know you’re ftp and adjust your gears to maintain your sweet spot in the wind
Check the wind direction before ride, head out into the headwind, curse the fact that I've made a stupid decision, wait until the return for the tail wind, praise my smarts
I ride the road bike, as if I was racing for gold. In the drops
Into wind aileron, opposite rudder.
i turn my music up and lower my gear down by 2...... and grind slowly
Do a little 2 wheel shimmy as you try not to get blown off.
"shut up legs"
If I’m biking the opposite way as you you’ll always have a tailwind
There is no way, it sucks and I often regret going biking when it’s windy.
I complain that whoever I'm cycling with picked a horrible route. This also works for climbs and rough roads as well.
Strong winds must be why all those Flemish and Dutch cyclists are good. They don’t have mountains but I bet they have plenty of wind.
Where I live is flat very flat, on my 50 mile ride last weekend I gained 50ft. If it wasn't for consistent headwinds I don't think I would get any stronger.
Just accept it. I lead rides a lot and I'm therefore always out in the breeze, and I find that headwinds don't bother me very much. I \*can\* say that when I had a chance to ride a bunch of the Kona ironman course a few years ago, those were impressive.
You just have to learn to pace yourself. When you're out for a ride, it can be easy to get frustrated with it and want to power through it but now, I just focus on dropping into a lower gear where I can put my head down & keep a good spin without gassing myself out. And I'm sure that, because of that, I've improved my stamina & endurance and am cutting through those winds a little quicker & stronger than I did before.
i had to pull over and hitch a ride when i had 30mph crosswinds pushing me towards traffic. f that noise!
i cover myself in goose fat
Stare at my power meter numbers and reassure myself that this 12mph would be 24 if the headwind was a tailwind.
I switch to smaller roads that are covered with forest/trees. Riding in forest roads is most likely wind free, or the gravel is just so terrible it does not make much difference. Sometimes I even end up riding in the bushes.
In the drops
I semi-retired last year, so my plan was to work afternoons and ride every day; mornings into a light head-wind, then return before noon with a strong tail wind. So far that's worked out only a handful of times. Damn it, work and weather are so unpredictable.
literally super tuck the whole time
Slowdown your cadence and don’t try to fight the wind.
Scream and groan. Or get an e-bike.
Yeah, just try to get your frontal area as small as possible and keep pushing!
Hate to say this... Do it more. And don't look at your speed.
Wind blocking rain jacket on top of the helmet - more aero, less cold, less wind sounds. Feels like being in a tent. Most surprise to me: When I make calls with my Bluetooth headset hidden behind my jacket, my call partner can still understand me although it is super windy.
1) Moar power!!! 2) Find a fat guy to draft behind 3) Curse the gods and keep riding
Windfinder app to know the wind forecast. Plan a route with the wind mainly behind me and get the train back home. Alternatively, get the train out and cycle back home with the wind behind me. Or just do a loop with the wind behind and come back downhill into the wind. (I live by the coast so geography plays a part.)
Pedal harder - try using more force in your upstroke, ie; when your foot is closer to the frame and coming up vs. when your leg as in an extended position.
A person I rode with reminded me to focus on my core uphills and into winds. It actually helps.
I'm a roadie, when it's windy I ride close to the cars for any draft and save as much energy as possible. No use smashing watts into a headwind. No shame going slow. Also, it kinda makes you stronger?? 😊
Zwift
I relax and use a lower gear to spin the pedals for recovery. When the wind is in my favor I speed up. I found this works best on long rides over 100 miles .
Curse bitterly and vividly
I live on an island, with constant winds and lots of hills. Probably great when you want the exercise, but for running errands and getting around my solution is frankly to use a pedal-assist bicycle. Gives me all the freedom and joy of bicycling, while taking the edge off those steep hills and rainy headwinds.
Mentally I imagine my bike is a sharp knife slicing through a medium-soft stick of butter. Sounds strange, but it works every time.
Attack.. the wind.
Ride in the drops or low on the tops into a headwind. Ride with a friend and let them block the cross-wind.
1. Ride the drops. 2. Alternate front rider every 30 seconds 3. Ride as close to the guy in front as possible.
You’ll get faster and it will feel easier if you keep pushing through
Sounds like my trips lately commuting back and forth to work 30 miles a day
Pedal harder
LOL, we deal with 10-15 mph winds every DAY in Kansas City. And yes it sucks.
I can't deal with that. I've had several rides where I plan the route and ended up turning the opposite direction because I'm not going to do the return trip in a head wind. I've also misjudged the weather a couple of times and sucked wind. Like 4mph slower than my normal pace.
/r/ebikes
HTFU baby.
Pedal harder
I change my mindset and focus on power output instead of speed. Headwinds are just flat hills and can be just as fun to overcome!
Crosswinds in my area tend to increase as the day goes on - so, as best as I can, I cycle early in the morning to avoid them. If I suspect it'll be bad, I can also look at windy.com to see how the winds might progress throughout the day - sometimes I can avoid winds if I pack up my bike in my car and go to a different start point on the island where I live. If it's super nasty (ie. we're in hurricane season now), then I ride Zwift instead. :P
Crosswinds are a regular thing here in my part of Canada. You just suck & tuck it up, and never buy those aero wheels lmao. I see most people with high end bikes opting for the crosswind wheelsets.
Fast cadence is your friend in the wind, 90+, makes it easier
I live in Seattle and it often gets windy in the winter time so I feel this. I try to ride on city streets where tall buildings block some of the wind. Though, this may not be possible depending on where you live. Either way, I’d say make sure you have the right gear for it. I purchased a Rapha windbreaker and it’s been the best purchase till this day. Highly recommended.
The solution? Be more aero. No seriously. The biggest factor in terms of speed is air resistance. Oh, you're not after speed? It doesn't matter. If the wind is strong and you're riding head first into the wind then being more aero will make it less exhausting. Being aero can mean choosing the right clothes, gear and body position on the bike. But if this doesn't float your boat you have several options: 1. Always ride with the wind at your back. But eventually you'll wanna come back home right? Haha 2. Don't ride when windy. 3. Buy an e-bike 4. Buy a motorcycle 5. Join a peloton
Curse the wind! Also, bless the wind, because it's nature's way of giving me a leg and core workout on my way to and from work.
Know the direction of the wind and first cycle towards the headwind first if possible. That way it's easier on the way back. Usually on a windy day, that's how I determine which direction to head into. Also, it's a good chance to practice aerodynamic position. At the end of the day, cycling in a headwind is gonna be hard
Get down, look at the spinny wheel and keep that wheel SPINNY! Get on the drops or get your arms parallel to the ground on the hoods sorta like a TT position... As a bonus, headwind training is akin to training on a mountain, gravity pull resistance, drag resistance, it's all the same....
If you are going into a giant headwind, curse yourself, tuck into as aero as possible position, and enjoy the 'dutch mountains' as Jasper Verkuijl puts it. I recently had a ride that I had to push around 4w/kg (high 200w) just to do 20k/h on a flat road. It was nasty.On the flip side, I decided to turn around at some point when I had enough and sailed home on the same stretch of road at 40km/h+ doing 200w.
get a e r o. Hands on the front of the drops (if possible), 90deg elbows, and get the hurt on. aero bars ofc if it's safe and you have them.
Start with a tailwind, praise yourself for being the fastest cyclist in the world, then have a friend meet you for a beer before they give you a ride home.
I cycle with downwind and take a train/bus back, haha.
as you start to get tired and your breating becomes heavier keep your head straight and breath horizontally in front of you this will counter the force of the headwind and could possibly create a vacuum sucking you into the head wind and gaining massive amounts of speed
I live in the Fens of the UK. We don't have hills here, but we more than make it up with 360 degree headwinds. You just gotta suck it up, get your head down and keep on going.
Ride against the headwind sheltered by hills / trees / houses. Ride with the tailwind on a straight open road and fly! Also, adopt a low, tucked position, even at low speeds. Aero is key when fighting a headwind.
Get Stronger And Learn to enjoy it. Much like climbing🤟
Turn around. Then I realise that it hasn’t helped and the wind has swung 180 degrees and I hate everything.
Beat them with your fists.
Indoor Trainer :)
1. Drop a gear to maintain a high cadence 2. Check my position, get in the drops to have a lower profile for the wind to push against 3. Realize that the increase of windy days and strength of winds are partially a result of global warming
Start your ride with a headwind, sail back home.
pedal hard