Road Cycling - Holy Headwind Batman!!

TX Motor Speedway...headwind city! There is a five mile loop around the complex and it's a strong headwind for most of it. I went from breezing along at 21 mph on the back half of the complex then as soon as I made the turn into it, crazy headwind. I was lucky to stay between 9 and 12 mph during the worse part of it. Give me a hill anyday!! Oh and it was hot today, humid. Lousey weather. Hotter then Hell Hundred weather for sure. Stupid me didn't eat much today and then decided, hey I'm gonna go for a ride. Half way through the fourth loop...a piddley 17 miles I felt like I was going to vomit! So I stopped, and sat on the ground. This pair of riders came by and stopped to see how I was...if I needed help. What nice fellas. This one guy emptied his water bottle into mine. They drafted me back to the speedway office and and I took a breather inside the air conditioned building, and ate something. They even offered to cut their ride short and follow me home to make sure I was okay. Awesome. For being so smart I sure do stupid things sometimes! I got in 20 miles but felt like a total idiot in the process. I keep forgetting that I train like an athlete, I need to eat like one. At least that's what my trainer says. It's hard to think of myself as an athlete though. I was humbled by the elements tonight. Can't believe I'm going to do it all again on Saturday times 5!! If ya'll are the praying sort...pray hard for me!! Or light a candle, whatever! Just send the good mojo vibes my way!!!

live and learn. I made a similar mistake hiking in the Grand Canyon 10 yrs ago. Rangers had to come help me.

And yeah, hills > wind.

I do headwinds on all my weekday rides as they go to the ocean which is 10 miles . You just have to pace yourself and not let the headwind beat you. I'm lucky to keep my cadence at 90@14-15mph.

What nice fellas

are you, by any chance, really hot? that can make even ******* guys do really nice things...

if you were a guy, the exchange probably would have been more like, "dude, you ok?" you say, "I don't know--" they say, "well, good luck man" and keep going...

oh yea, and dont feel too bad. we all have bad days. its par for the course.

are you, by any chance, really hot? that can make even ******* guys do really nice things...

if you were a guy, the exchange probably would have been more like, "dude, you ok?" you say, "I don't know--" they say, "well, good luck man" and keep going...

oh yea, and dont feel too bad. we all have bad days. its par for the course.

Well I was really hot that day but it was the weather and not my good looks. I of course think I'm a diva...but the jury is still out on that one!! I have the whole "mirror mirror on the wall" thing going on. It always tells me the same thing. D*** girl...you look GOOD. Although yesterday after the ride it said, "take a shower and get back to me"!

TX Motor Speedway...headwind city! crazy headwind. Give me a hill anyday

Glad to hear your Okay.

Your comment really hits home. I'm in the upper mid-west and use to get a hard time from a couple of friends that live near "real mountains and hills to climb". After I got them to ride here their tune changed. We were out riding in the “flat mid-west” and about 4 hours into a 117mile point to point ride with about a 10-13 mile head wind one guy admitted that he would rather have real hills and not the *&^%%^ 117 miles virtual hills we have in the mid-west. Maybe you had to be there.

Cheers

I know...it's like a hill that doesn't end!

TX Motor Speedway...headwind city! There is a five mile loop around the complex and it's a strong headwind for most of it. I went from breezing along at 21 mph on the back half of the complex then as soon as I made the turn into it, crazy headwind. I was lucky to stay between 9 and 12 mph during the worse part of it. Give me a hill anyday!! Oh and it was hot today, humid. Lousey weather. Hotter then Hell Hundred weather for sure. Stupid me didn't eat much today and then decided, hey I'm gonna go for a ride. Half way through the fourth loop...a piddley 17 miles I felt like I was going to vomit! So I stopped, and sat on the ground. This pair of riders came by and stopped to see how I was...if I needed help. What nice fellas. This one guy emptied his water bottle into mine. They drafted me back to the speedway office and and I took a breather inside the air conditioned building, and ate something. They even offered to cut their ride short and follow me home to make sure I was okay. Awesome. For being so smart I sure do stupid things sometimes! I got in 20 miles but felt like a total idiot in the process. I keep forgetting that I train like an athlete, I need to eat like one. At least that's what my trainer says. It's hard to think of myself as an athlete though. I was humbled by the elements tonight. Can't believe I'm going to do it all again on Saturday times 5!! If ya'll are the praying sort...pray hard for me!! Or light a candle, whatever! Just send the good mojo vibes my way!!!


Just in general, the DFW area has been very windy these past few days...

Texas hot in the summer? Who'd a thunk? :)

We all go through the process of learning the art of fueling up properly given the conditions for the day. It takes time to truly understand your personal needs and find the balance. Keep working at it and it will come - good luck.

55/Rad

Yeah I'd take a big hill over strong wind anyday. At least with a hill you get the reward of going down after you've made it up.

****. it's been windy for like a month now. i thought i was doing bad at only 15 mph (ccordin to the police speedo thing on the road side). but that was up a slight hill, with 50lbs or crap on me and on a MTB... i'm so happy! i'm not that slow after all! :D

****. it's been windy for like a month now. i thought i was doing bad at only 15 mph (ccordin to the police speedo thing on the road side). but that was up a slight hill, with 50lbs or crap on me and on a MTB... i'm so happy! i'm not that slow after all! :D

Don't worry Merton...the wind has been there hounding me too and my averages are suffering...

Hey, if riding into the wind was good enough for the Cannibal, it's good enough for me!

You know what's worse than a strong head-wind is a strong cross-wind. I road on a path in the marshlands of the Bay Area with cross-winds of 25+mph. Felt like it was gonna knock me over. Had to go slow just to make sure I wasn't blown off the path.

You know what's worse than a strong head-wind is a strong cross-wind. I road on a path in the marshlands of the Bay Area with cross-winds of 25+mph. Felt like it was gonna knock me over. Had to go slow just to make sure I wasn't blown off the path.
I second that. I got caught in a freak severe thunderstorm once, seriously came out of nowhere!, and I had to lean and steer into the wind just to stay on the trail.

I rather attack a monstrous headwind on my aerobars than take on a killer hill.

I'm working on improving my climbing, thats my weakness at the moment

I just got a pair of aerobars and it must be that I havn't gotten used to riding them yet, because I'm not sure I like them. I've only ridden on them once, this ride I told you about...complained about rather. Anyway...I feel like I have less control of the bike when I'm on them. So it's a little scary for now. But I like having more options as far as handlebar positions...especially gearing up for my century on Saturday. Hopefully I'll learn to use them well. I'd like to feel like I can tuck under a headwind, but that hasn't happened yet. Oh well...practice I suppose.

Here on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, you HAVE to deal with both! They both will make you stronger. (or crazy :rolleyes: )