corysold

I am a midwestern flatlander with not a hill in sight, but plenty of wind. So, when I am riding into the wind blowing at say 20 mph allowing me to hold 13 mph as a speed, is that equivalent to riding up a X% hill that allows me to hold 13 mph or are there different factors at work?

53-11_alltheway

Should be. Watts are watts....doesn't matter if you are using them to climb hills or fight wind.

EDITING MY POST: Though I will admit that different factors are at hand in both scenarios. The work could be the same, but you will go about doing it differently.

55/Rad

Good question and I'm sorry I don't know the answer. What I do know is that I'd rather climb a hill than ride into a big headwind.

Hills are motivating, wind is demoralizing.

55/Rad

TheKillerPenguin

I agree with Rad. Wind, like 53-11 said, is probably equivalent to certain grades Watt-wise (if the wind is a headwind of course), but feels completely demoralizing, while a hill is something that is to be conquered.

55/Rad

The problem with wind is that it isn't a solid tangible thing that the average rider can relate to given a specific road or route - it's constantly changing - unlike that 3.5 mile, 7% climb you do on Saturday morning just to get to the Krispy Kreme donut shop.

55/Rad

TheKillerPenguin

If only all Krispy Kremes were on top of moutains...

26mi235

One difference is areodynamics -- you can adopt a better position that allows you to get greater speed in the wind. Also, on a climb speed can be almost proportional to effort unlike riding on the flat where wind resistence is an "speed squared" effect. A headwind complicates the Speed squared rule because it refers to air speed, not ground speed. Thus, into a headwind, increasing your effort by 10% will not increase your speed by 10%, although it will be by more than the 5% limit for high speeds on the flats.

terrymorse 

Riding on the flat ground and riding up a hill are completely different, with or without wind.

You use muscles differently when climbing, your position on the bike is different, and the necessary force on the pedals is higher.

The best way to simulate climbing when you don't live near hills is to use a trainer and prop up the front wheel about 4"-6". Use high resistance on the trainer, too. Ride both in the saddle and standing.

theopowers

If only all mountains had a Krispy Kreme at the top! With the "Hot Now" sign on 24-7.

The stock would dive even more than it already has if they were all on top of mountains.

LordOpie

In addition to that, you can plan your attack on a hill cuz it's not gonna change shape in the middle of the climb like a Transformer

MacMan

Gravity and wind are two totally different dynamics.

TheKillerPenguin

Mountains in disquise

Comatose51

Wait a minute... how would that work?! Since you're held in place by the trainer, your resistance doesn't increae with elevation. You can prop it up 1' and your resistance will stay the same since your bike won't slide down.

stealthbiker

Also, hills don't change mid-ride and become uphills when they were downhills before. Worst type of wind is one that changes so that you get headwind both ways.

Had both wind and hills today. Downhills even sucked because wind was in our face and it really slowed the descent!

Sigh, I can't wait for true summer.

ultra-g

You can say that again. I hate headwinds, my a-ss is big enough I don't need a headwind slowing me down any more than what gravity is doing to me .

cyclwestks

Quoted from the roadbikerider.com newsletter from a few weeks ago:

---Gear down. Many riders hate shifting to the small chainring on the flats even if they’re bucking a 20-mph blast. But treat wind like a hill. Count each 5 mph of wind speed as 1% of grade. Therefore, a 20-mph headwind equals a 4% hill. You probably wouldn't try to climb it in the big ring. Gear down accordingly in the wind.

robertsdvd

I'm not really a "roadie" but I saw the title... and I can say that I'd prefer a hill to wind anyday.

ImaGoTourNow

I used to think that there was NOTHING more demoralizing than climbing a good 8%-er (loaded with 40 lbs of touring gear) only to have a 20 mph wind blast you on the downside...

Oh wait... I thought that until 2 weeks ago in Virginia...

I climbed that 8% hill WITH the 20 mph wind =(


I'll take a consistent mountain to a random gust of headwind anyday.

Lee
Mountains of NC

joejack951

Wind doesn't care how much you weigh either (well it sorta does for aerodynamic reasons) but it doesn't care as much as gravity cares. I find wind riding way easier as long as I can stay low through it. Hills, while I definitely enjoy climbing them, always remind me that I could weigh less at my current height.

Hegemony

I would rather a hill any day. Rode 75 km yesterday with the last 25km into a stiff gusty breeze....I never seem to be able to get any sort of rythym happening which is frustrating on the flat.....Its just like someone grabbing the back of your seat and dragging on it all the time....or grabbing a handful of front brake every so often...ggggrrrrr.

I mean it's good for the soul....thats what I meant to say

theopowers

Ahhh, I always knew there was a scientific difference!

And now I still don't know what it is...

theopowers

I think he means that your body position will be different, and you'll use your muscles a bit more "authentically" vis-a-vis climbing.

sewupnut

I think of a headwind as a training opportunity, however, I still hate 'em. I find that I have a hard time getting the heart rate as high in a headwind as pushing up a hill or hammering on the flats or downhill with or without a tail wind. I think this has something to do with an adrenalin rush one gets from speed.

I think a head wind is mother nature's way of putting us in our place, especially the
ones that are in two directions (coming and going) at the same time.

sun

jdub71

I'll take hills over wind, and cross winds seem to be the worst. My opinion of crosswinds is that they are nothing more than headwinds in both directions. Traveling east/west yesterday on our 25mi route and we had a steady 15mph north wind. All this in the rolling hills of east texas makes for a BEAUTIFUL spring ride! Even if it did kick my butt.

nitropowered

I hate the wind. I live in SE Ohio and we have plenty of hills. There is not one route I can take without tackling some sort of big hill. Wind just makes things worse. The thing with hills are, you can see where you have to get to and you feel proud once you get to the top. Head wind is there all the time and it sucks.