pvillemasher

My old martial arts instructor would work the snot out of me and tell me "Don't worry, I won't cheat you" meaning he wouldn't cheat me out of a good workout.

I think of him a lot when I ride into the wind. The wind never cheats me.

NoWhammies

I was doing a century ride this summer and after being in a headwind for what felt like an hour, I was losing my mind. I actually shouted at the wind in frustration - for all the good it did. Somewhere in my write-up/notes in Garmin Connect I wrote about just how much the wind/ride SUCKED. A never ending headwind can really ruin a ride.

SkepTeach

Here in Arkansas, I have learned to appreciate the wind as I've started biking more over the past couple of weeks. When it's 90F and 60% humidity outside, wind is sometimes the only way I can actually bike.

ksryder

True, but also a great time to go KOM hunting!

LOL I kid. I was working for a local paper when the Greensburg tornado hit and saw the aftermath first hand. It's astounding that the casualties weren't higher.

Nachoman

Here's a fun little app that I sometimes use to find a tailwind home.
https://www.windy.com/?32.719,-117.161,5

RShantz

It's almost 100% mental. Once I learned to just slow down & not worry about the wind, things started going a lot better. If you are used to going 20mph on a certain road just accept the fact that today you may only go 15mph. Don't blow yourself up into the wind.

A former European pro told me to lower the cadence a tad in really gusty conditions. Said to treat it like riding gravel/cobles. Thought process is that you don't loose momentum as easily with a lower cadence.

Dan333SP

I've definitely screamed obscenities at wind gusts. It's so demoralizing to be riding into a strong stready wind, slaughtering yourself in a small gear on flat ground, and then have it feel like the weather gods are suddenly giving you a shove backwards.

Seattle Forrest

I can attest to this as a person from the coast and mountains. It's confusing to hear people talking about wind but it isn't November. Like does the wind blow year round, or do you just know it's coming?

expatbrit

MSchott

This. I'm a recreational rider, 1000-1300 miles/year but this year I'm in my best shape in years, stronger and lighter. I don't seem to be as bothered by the wind as in past years.

bbattle

You get used to it.

HTFU and keep riding.

spelger

wouldn't that wind help...?

spelger

had to look HTFU up. i'm just ranting really. i don't like to ride in the wind but when i do i consider it just a part of the workout. it just stinks sometimes.

McBTC

The biggest issue in mastering the skill of riding into the wind may be your neck-- the increase in efficiency afforded us puny humans by equipping a road bike with clip-on aerobars is so significant, if your workouts oftentimes involve facing stiff winds about half the time, you won't mind working on the skill of riding in a more aerodynamic position but that means you need to raise your head more to see ahead of you... which for some can be a big pain in the neck. One thing I've learned is, if you ride up to 3 miles or more in an aero position, is to tighten your helmet and slide it up onto your forehead so it's not blocking your view and wear sunglasses that do no inhibit your vision.

NoWhammies

Agree with the comment that cycling in to a head wind is a lot about mental acceptance/battle. If you're able to just accept that going a slower pace and not worry about it, it does get better. That said, it still sucks because it feels like the law of diminishing returns. You're working hard, getting tired and slowing down (eventually anyway) but the wind just keeps pushing. The fitness comment though is bang on.

SHBR

Depends on the situation.

Being on a singlepeed in strong headwinds for long periods can be quite exhausting.

With geared bikes, adjust gearing as needed, no problem unless there is a deadline.

Time is important, speed, not so much.

ksryder

Lol usually it calls first. Nah it's year round, just a bit more so in winter & spring.

This evening it was 19 mph on my way to CX practice... But it was a tailwind!!!! That never happens. Plus it had died down after sunset by the time I headed home so I feel like I got one over today. I'm sure I'll pay for it soon.

Paul Barnard

I hate, detest, loathe the wind. It is utterly demoralizing. Here in NOLA we don't really even have bad winds. But I'll cuss a 10MPH headwind on the lake. When I go to CO each summer I love tackling long climbs. When I reach a summit, I can stop, look back at the spectacular view and think "I conquered that." Then there's the bonus of flying down the mountain. There is no such joy with the wind.

hsuehhwa

Here in South California if you start early in the morning from coastal deep to inland, you will get a headwind all day condition.

Get a powermeter. You'll be able to see and record the effort battling the wind.

WhyFi

From a mental standpoint, I think that's even worse - seeing that you're above threshold and only going 10-12 mph is demoralizing.

hsuehhwa

Why? speed is all relative, particularly strava's "moving average speed (it doesn't count when you stop and rest). It's dependent on terrain, wind, drafting....

Power and power to weight ratio is a much better index to evaluate overall effort.

Colnago Mixte

I would not find that demoralizing, I would be encouraged by that, compared to not having access to this data. Now THAT would be demoralizing, and frequently is.

seypat

It's like a long climb. You just have to accept that you will be going slower. Sometimes, a lot slower. The problem is people don't adjust the distances of their ride to fit into their normal ride time. This brings up a reason why some people prefer a triple over a compact double. The triple gives you more ways to find the ride gear when the wind is varying and gusting. More fine tuning.

WhyFi

Because. Speed is a basic and visceral. Putting in a lot of effort and seeing little payback, in terms of this metric, can and will be frustrating for a lot of people. If you're not one of them, that's cool, but I don't see why it would be terribly difficult to understand this POV.

WhyFi

Except that it's not. You're not gaining elevation and stacking up the potential energy for a presumed descent. You're working against force that all too frequently doesn't repay your efforts later in the ride.