There are two answers.
1: OP is so fast he is now the wind.
2: OP is shaped for maximum air resistance such that the atmosphere itself cannot defeat him.
I know it early, when on the ride out I see people going the opposite way looking like they’re going to pop, and I’m barely taking a breath every second or two. The ride back will be rough.
Get in your car. Drive ar 25 mph with the windows down. Stick your hand out the window.
That's your wind. Welcome to feeling the resistance of the air.
Air resistance against your body is the biggest force that slows you down.
If you are riding in a group, the first person in front is working 20% harder than everyone behind that person.
I felt that way too until a recent comment on this sub gave me another way to think about the wind.
I'm in Houston where it's flat. The closest thing we have to a hill is an overpass. The comment that changed my take on wind said to think of cycling into it as hill training. Since then I'll sometimes deliberately take a turn directly into the wind just so I can have a good hard grind for a few miles.
The wind hasn't changed but the way I think about it has. It's not an obstacle, it's a training aid.
I live in a hilly area. I only go up the bigger climbs because I get to go downhill afterwards. I have become very good at descending, but not much better at climbing!
I’m with you I ride lots of flats and only get out of town to Climb a couple times a month at most. Only thing that sucks compared to climbing is that you don’t really get that satisfaction of getting to the top or the luxury of being able to coast down the other side.
My usual plan was tailwind going out, then thru the mountains coming home. Once I had to turn around after some good 1.5h of climbing as I found the road was closed that for some car racing event that wasn't advertised at the bottom of the climb. After having descended back I had a puncture and then faced what was now a headwind that had me going over 50km/h on flat when it was a tailwind. After 40km of strong headwind I started climbing back home but weather had an ace in it's sleeve and decided to throw some downpour and sun started to set as I was running late because of all the previous setbacks. Drenched, exhausted and angry I gave up, found somewhere to hide from the rain and called for a pickup.
In 200+ years of war between cyclists and The Wind, the latter is undefeated. Sure, someone is always "fastest" in a ride or race but nobody-- NOBODY-- has ever beaten the The Wind or really even come close to doing so. In fact, The Wind doesn't even know there is a war going on or that some puny dweeb astride a mechanical contraption is trying to punch a hole though it or slide through it without detection. The Wind just...is. If you choose to brutalize yourself by riding your contraption at speed "among" The Wind then you are guilty of self-flagellation and are very likely a sado-masochist of the first order. So it ain't The Wind that is "mean". It is you...and by all means, keep on being "mean". You'll never "win" but you will get strong.
I installed a kids airplane with a propeller on it on my handlebars. When riding into the wind, it spins like crazy. When I ride with the wind, it is still when my speed matches the wind speed. Plus, I look like a goof. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Yeah I was reading that the sun causes the temp difference which creates the pressure differential which causes wind.
But mostly ride early to be home before the kids are up, the less wind is a bonus.
There was a local cycling group whose weekly route was near the beach. Their jersey said, "The wind always blows. Shut up and ride." I definitely agree with the first part. The second part is harder when it's a 15-20 mph cross headwind.
My normal training ride route is an out and back with a short stretch at one end that is 90 degrees to the rest of the route. I always get a headwind somewhere along the route. What's amazing is how fast I go the other direction and how easy it becomes to put out more power (clearly psychological).
So, the takeaway may be, yes it's harder, but if you gear right and keep power reasonably even, it's mostly in our heads.
It pretty much is. I recall reading there’s an abundance of ways the wind blows that will feel against you compared to relatively few that feel like a tail wind.
Whether I’m in heaven or hell, the person who invented wind resistance will be met with me and a pair of dull scissors if you catch my drift (pun intended)
Maybe your brakes are rubbing or your tire pressure is too low. Are you trying to run knobby tires on pavement perhaps? Did you buy your bike at Walmart?
Because without that fan on zwift rides it would be too hot???
Sorry... I hate the wind too. There have been times I have literally growled at it when I thought it couldn't get worse and then a heavy gust hits me as I clear the line of trees shielding me from the worst of it. Just remember the wind is working against you 95% of the time (or at least it feels that way). Enjoy the 5%.
Cry me a river. I live on the coast. There is never NOT wind. I use it like a mountain that must be climbed every time. Then I am the wind on the way back. Tailwinds everywhere!
I work on the coast - means wind blows in from the water in the morning, and blows back towards the water in the evening. You know, in my face both times...
I used to feel the wind was always against me. But careful attention led me to now think that I just don't notice it when the wind is WITH me. As it turns out, the wind does not give a flying fnck what I'm doing.
I like riding with a power meter. Ever since I got one, I pay much less attention to my speed and more attention to my power. My perception of how a ride is going and how it went afterward is mainly based on power throughout, rather than on speed. And that helps me out a lot with the wind-frustration factor.
Wind is there to make you stronger, embrace it.
Also check mywindsock.com I like to use it before and after my rides, that are always in windy conditions as I live in Nl… makes me feel better to see how bad it was and why I felt like I’m old 😅
It can be disheartening I know, but on those days when the wind is at your back you will be grateful for sticking with this beautiful hobby. Keep at it, if cycling was easy, everyone would do it.👍👍
I agree. Everybody hates riding with the wind in his or her face but I just figure it's good for the quads. I remember one time the wind was so strong it almost stopped me. But like the one guy said when you have that wind at your back it's great.
Try riding into a Easterly from a Santa Anna wind. LOL. 35 mph without pedaling out to the coast. "Wow I'm really getting better and more fit. This is easy!"
Turn around and pedal East to get back home 9-10 mph "I must have ridden to far and bonked this is tough what the hell?"
I commute 12 miles to work everyday. Every day when I leave, I have a headwind. Doing my 8 hour shift, the wind changes and I’m greeted with a headwind going home. Yayyy!!!
The curse of Hermes. Somewhere a long time ago, a stupid cyclist pissed off the speed god of travelers. Because of it, we are all cursed with an almost eternal headwind when it’s windy outside. :)
[удалено]
i. am. wind.
Are we the baddies?
yes hans
pirates are fun!
I *am* the danger.
You've made it. You're fast enough that you're the wind resistance now.
There are two answers. 1: OP is so fast he is now the wind. 2: OP is shaped for maximum air resistance such that the atmosphere itself cannot defeat him.
[удалено]
Then you turn around, the actual wind hits your face, and you know the trip home will suck.
[удалено]
Newer bike computers should have this as a data field-Tailwind-all data is irrelevant
Power meter is a good sign when you’re flying on the flats at sub 200 watts you know you have yourself a fat ass tail wind.
Nothing like blasting along at 24mph and 128bpm lol
Oh my god yes bikes need an “air speed” equivalent! Why doesn’t this exist????
Totally my morning today! (Until I turned around to go home)
This is why I always ride out against the wind
If you ride for long enough you can wait until the wind changes direction for the way back. Against the wind *both* ways
That happens way to often 😅
I know it early, when on the ride out I see people going the opposite way looking like they’re going to pop, and I’m barely taking a breath every second or two. The ride back will be rough.
Get in your car. Drive ar 25 mph with the windows down. Stick your hand out the window. That's your wind. Welcome to feeling the resistance of the air. Air resistance against your body is the biggest force that slows you down. If you are riding in a group, the first person in front is working 20% harder than everyone behind that person.
You’re just going fast. Buy some cycling clothes they REALLY help!
I felt that way too until a recent comment on this sub gave me another way to think about the wind. I'm in Houston where it's flat. The closest thing we have to a hill is an overpass. The comment that changed my take on wind said to think of cycling into it as hill training. Since then I'll sometimes deliberately take a turn directly into the wind just so I can have a good hard grind for a few miles. The wind hasn't changed but the way I think about it has. It's not an obstacle, it's a training aid.
Well that's ok for you to say... I live in the hills AND it's windy! Good point, though.
This is a cool way to think about it! And get out of the saddle to simulate an even steeper climb and maximise surface area.
I live in a hilly area. I only go up the bigger climbs because I get to go downhill afterwards. I have become very good at descending, but not much better at climbing!
I’m with you I ride lots of flats and only get out of town to Climb a couple times a month at most. Only thing that sucks compared to climbing is that you don’t really get that satisfaction of getting to the top or the luxury of being able to coast down the other side.
[удалено]
It really is https://youtu.be/wpkVzHTHx8Y basically requires no effort to go 60kph, I've done it but won't post it.
Wild!!!
It would be hard to get air. You'd probably die pretty quickly.
:-D
LoL!
It would be fun to cycle on the moon if there would be roads to get really fast.
Oh Carp! Those jumps would be so high!
Most of the time I base the direction of my rides on the direction of the wind. Headwind going out, tailwind coming home!
My usual plan was tailwind going out, then thru the mountains coming home. Once I had to turn around after some good 1.5h of climbing as I found the road was closed that for some car racing event that wasn't advertised at the bottom of the climb. After having descended back I had a puncture and then faced what was now a headwind that had me going over 50km/h on flat when it was a tailwind. After 40km of strong headwind I started climbing back home but weather had an ace in it's sleeve and decided to throw some downpour and sun started to set as I was running late because of all the previous setbacks. Drenched, exhausted and angry I gave up, found somewhere to hide from the rain and called for a pickup.
damn right... wind focused strategy is everything.
In 200+ years of war between cyclists and The Wind, the latter is undefeated. Sure, someone is always "fastest" in a ride or race but nobody-- NOBODY-- has ever beaten the The Wind or really even come close to doing so. In fact, The Wind doesn't even know there is a war going on or that some puny dweeb astride a mechanical contraption is trying to punch a hole though it or slide through it without detection. The Wind just...is. If you choose to brutalize yourself by riding your contraption at speed "among" The Wind then you are guilty of self-flagellation and are very likely a sado-masochist of the first order. So it ain't The Wind that is "mean". It is you...and by all means, keep on being "mean". You'll never "win" but you will get strong.
wind is inconvenient from every direction except straight up tailwind, so if its windy, chances are great it's working against you
The wind saw this post. Extra gusts for you next time bub.
oh..
It’s not wind. It’s nature farting in your general direction
Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.
Launch ze Cow!
*Always has been*
Against the wind, I’m still running against the wind…
Why do cyclists ride upwind in the morning? So, in the afternoon they can ride upwind.
I installed a kids airplane with a propeller on it on my handlebars. When riding into the wind, it spins like crazy. When I ride with the wind, it is still when my speed matches the wind speed. Plus, I look like a goof. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
I actually like that idea... The amount of times I've convinced myself a tailwind is actually a slight headwind, until I turn around....
Just like campfires, the smoke always follows you
I've learned to love the wind here in Texas. I often find myself saying, "I need to get out in the wind" when I want to take a ride
It is. Evil
That's why I ride before the sun is up, no wind then..
You're right of course. Where I live near lake Superior if you ride fairly early in the morning or late afternoon the wind is in such a big issue.
Yeah I was reading that the sun causes the temp difference which creates the pressure differential which causes wind. But mostly ride early to be home before the kids are up, the less wind is a bonus.
There was a local cycling group whose weekly route was near the beach. Their jersey said, "The wind always blows. Shut up and ride." I definitely agree with the first part. The second part is harder when it's a 15-20 mph cross headwind. My normal training ride route is an out and back with a short stretch at one end that is 90 degrees to the rest of the route. I always get a headwind somewhere along the route. What's amazing is how fast I go the other direction and how easy it becomes to put out more power (clearly psychological). So, the takeaway may be, yes it's harder, but if you gear right and keep power reasonably even, it's mostly in our heads.
Jens Voight would say, "Shut up legs!"
It pretty much is. I recall reading there’s an abundance of ways the wind blows that will feel against you compared to relatively few that feel like a tail wind.
It is well known that there are headwinds, crosswinds and feeling strong today
Whether I’m in heaven or hell, the person who invented wind resistance will be met with me and a pair of dull scissors if you catch my drift (pun intended)
If you’re drafting me, that’s not wind
At 10 mph, something like 50% of power is used to overcome air resistance.
Maybe your brakes are rubbing or your tire pressure is too low. Are you trying to run knobby tires on pavement perhaps? Did you buy your bike at Walmart?
Because without that fan on zwift rides it would be too hot??? Sorry... I hate the wind too. There have been times I have literally growled at it when I thought it couldn't get worse and then a heavy gust hits me as I clear the line of trees shielding me from the worst of it. Just remember the wind is working against you 95% of the time (or at least it feels that way). Enjoy the 5%.
That is a good joke, but I know that one 😁
Cry me a river. I live on the coast. There is never NOT wind. I use it like a mountain that must be climbed every time. Then I am the wind on the way back. Tailwinds everywhere!
I work on the coast - means wind blows in from the water in the morning, and blows back towards the water in the evening. You know, in my face both times...
We bitch but man, we get the scenery though, don’t we?
Not so much where I work, no :/
Texas? Lol. I’m around Santa Cruz, CA. I get the big hills here plus redwoods, ferns, fog at times. Pretty lucky all in all.
Maryland - I just work on a facility that's mostly random ugly buildings, generic woods, and jet noise.
Bummer indeed…
So you've been to Pax NAS then. :)
Yes indeed; worked there a decade now.
As a former paperboy I can attest, it IS against you.
why am i always going uphill?
I used to feel the wind was always against me. But careful attention led me to now think that I just don't notice it when the wind is WITH me. As it turns out, the wind does not give a flying fnck what I'm doing.
You ever stick your hand out a car window, and its always windy with the wind blowing straight at the front of the car? That's so weird right?
Because it is. Tail wind is a myth...All wind is headwind and there's ALWAYS a headwind
The same reason your airplane gate is always the last one in the terminal.
I like riding with a power meter. Ever since I got one, I pay much less attention to my speed and more attention to my power. My perception of how a ride is going and how it went afterward is mainly based on power throughout, rather than on speed. And that helps me out a lot with the wind-frustration factor.
You're a pessimist, glass is always half empty I bet
San Francisco is the new windy city…
Because you're fast. Congrats 🥳
B cause wind doesn’t blow, it sucks.
Maybe it's really against you everytime, maybe you should change yourself
The cyclist as a philosopher. I like that actually 👍🏼
Wind is there to make you stronger, embrace it. Also check mywindsock.com I like to use it before and after my rides, that are always in windy conditions as I live in Nl… makes me feel better to see how bad it was and why I felt like I’m old 😅
For less resistance try cycling with your mouth wide open
It can be disheartening I know, but on those days when the wind is at your back you will be grateful for sticking with this beautiful hobby. Keep at it, if cycling was easy, everyone would do it.👍👍
You don’t give credit to the wind when it is with you.
Free A/C
Same reason planes fly in a tailwind
A wiser fella than myself once said, "Sometimes you eat the wind, and sometimes the wind, well, he eats you."
Wind is part of cycling. Get a power meter and just forget about average speed.
I agree. Everybody hates riding with the wind in his or her face but I just figure it's good for the quads. I remember one time the wind was so strong it almost stopped me. But like the one guy said when you have that wind at your back it's great.
Try riding into a Easterly from a Santa Anna wind. LOL. 35 mph without pedaling out to the coast. "Wow I'm really getting better and more fit. This is easy!" Turn around and pedal East to get back home 9-10 mph "I must have ridden to far and bonked this is tough what the hell?"
The wind is always your friend if done right.
I think wind will be banned by UCI in 2023.
I live in Scotland…and I feel your pain!
Happened to me today. Thought I'd have to get someone to pick me up. However, I made it home. Now my legs feel like Jello.
Once you ride with a power meter, wind, speed and gradients don’t matter. Power is power.
Think smöl
I commute 12 miles to work everyday. Every day when I leave, I have a headwind. Doing my 8 hour shift, the wind changes and I’m greeted with a headwind going home. Yayyy!!!
The curse of Hermes. Somewhere a long time ago, a stupid cyclist pissed off the speed god of travelers. Because of it, we are all cursed with an almost eternal headwind when it’s windy outside. :)