CraigB

I decided to drive out to Brownsburg today for the CIBA "Tour de Loops" ride - a series of 4 loops with a common start/finish/SAG that you can combine anyway you want to go anywhere from 20 to 90+ miles.

My plan was to do at least a metric, but we had 16-20 mph winds out of the NNE (gusting to 25) all morning, so after the north and west loops I was pretty well gassed and called it quits at 50 miles. What with all the wind, all I could manage was a 15.1 average for the whole ride. At one point, as I turned from a north heading to an east, I deliberately stopped pedaling as I went through the apex of the turn, just to see if the wind would bring me to a stop, and it did, in short order.

Along with the wind, we had weird cool temps. The ride started about 58 and never got warmer than 63 or 64. I never did take the arm warmers off, though I ditched the wind shell and tights after the first loop. There were even fallen leaves all over the place, though probably more from the stress of the recent drought than any change in circadian rhythms. Still, it made for kind of a surreal preview of the fall cycling season, considering that two days ago it was 100.

Other highlights included a nice southerly downhill that allowed me to coast to over 30 mph, followed by a stop sign and an immediate left turn right into the face of a big (for here) climb. I got a chance to use my lowest gear for the first time since getting the new bike. Then I got to use it again when all I could manage into the wind late in the ride was about 10 mph. Until the dog chased me right at the end of the ride, anyway. That helped my average a bit.

IL Coke Addict

We had the same crap here today. My Weather.com app didn't show a wind chill, but 50 degrees and 25mph winds has to have one... I cancelled my morning ride and went out for 1-1/2 hours at 5:45, when the wind was "only" 14mph. Kudos to you for manning up !

imacflyr3

Yeah, I checked weatherbug at one point today and it said the current wind was 23 and gusts were up to 34. I decided it was a great day to cut the grass/weeds and trim some limbs off the trees! I guess I better turn in my man card for takin the day off!!

Mr. Beanz

I actually like the wind. Especially an organized ride with wind gives us Clydes with our bigger engines the upper hand. I find it good training. Gina used to fear the wind after hearing so many negative comments from fellow riders and ridettes. I had her ride with me on quite a few wind rides now and now she too has found them to also be a bit more enjoyable than what most riders claim. She doesn't mind the wind a much now but she's always got me out front though.

We did this ride, 35-40 mph winds. We head off into 35+ winds (check out the trees!). When we turn around, 21 mph without pedaling. Then strangely calm 20 miles down the road.

The wind adds a little flavor to our usual 42 miler on the trail.

Check out the trees in the video


Check out her hair in the pics and beach sand in the air. This was another high wind ride. We also once did a century on our tandem a few years back. One tandem kept blowing by us in the early miles. At a rest stop the chick said, "you should get a tandem with wheels like ours blah blah blah!". The wind started blowing so hard by mile 20 that half the riders turned back by mile 40. At mile 50, we passed the other tandem then they called it quits at the next rest stop and hitched a sag vehicle ride back to town haha! We saw them at the hotel later that evening, I wanted so bad to say, "you should get a tandem like ours".

The wind is tough but if you make it your friend, it is all kinds of fun!

Tom Stormcrowe

Brutal winds for me today, but it was FUN! Sailing an E Scow in 25 knot winds is not for the faint of heart. In the first pic, I'm standing on the downwind cockpit rail and the boat is heeled over 75 degrees just a few seconds after the shutter was clicked.

seenoweevil

You've got an E Scow!? I am so jealous! I had a '48 wooden E many years ago. Most of my sailing has been done on a y flyer or a friend's m-20 scow( he's the guy that sold me the E). I haven't been on a sailboat in about 16 years now.

xray1978

Brutal winds here today as well. I did 40 miles and called it quits because I ran out of energy. I normally never have to take food on this ride but I did not figure it would end up being so windy. Oh well, it was good exercise.

dcrowell

I rode about 25 miles around town in the wind. It was chillier than I thought it would be. Three days ago it was over 100F!

Tom Stormcrowe

No, the E is my Uncle's. I have an I boat (M20 with an Asymmetric Rig) and it's a full race hot rod sailboat.

CJ C

I went out in the winds yesterday as i thought at some point i would catch a killer tailwind and just fly. i did get a half mile stretch with tail wind, the rest was cross and head.

it was a great ride until 5 miles from home my fricken chain snapped. that turned into a cold windy walk in uncomfortable clipless mtb shoes.

ill.clyde

Gotta plan your route better

I rode in the wind yesterday too ... headed north from the start, straight into the wind. Was rewarded with a nice tailwind for most of my ride home

Stealthammer

CraigB: Its funny to see this post about yesterday's wind in Indy. As soon as I felt the wind here yesterday morning I grabbed my Serrota commuter and rode east on 146th from Whitestown toward Carmel for a cup of coffee. By the time I got there I had decided to continue on north east to Noblesville, and then south to Fishers, because the wind was so "blustery" and unpredictable, and the temperature didn't seem to be warming up. It was a great work out on an otherwise beautiful day. Being from Southern California I really miss the San Gabriel mountains, and the wind here in Indy is as close as I can find to a good climb.

This morning I only had time for the Whitestown-to-Carmel leg, but the temperature was cooler and the wind seemed to be coming directly from the north rather than northeast. If things are the same tomorrow I may do Eagle Creek and then the south end of the Monon. I still miss the mountains, but the unpredictable winds here in Indy have made a friend.....

CJ C

never really thought about planning a route according to the wind. i will try that next time- into the wind out and tailwind behind. is that even possible around us as the wind shifts way to much?

I did catch a nice tail wind on sunday!!! totally freaked me out as i was flying down a bike lane and caught four green lights in a row so ended up flying at 20-21mph with ease for a two mile stretch until i hit road construction.

ill.clyde

It's "sort of" possible ... but I've gone out several times with a headwind only to reach my turnaround point and found I have a headwind coming home too ...

Like Stealhammer said though ... the wind can be a good training tool for us flatlanders without hills

Doohickie

For our Sunday pub crawl ride, we had rare northerly winds, 25+ gusting to 35. To get to the meetup point I had to ride 8.5 miles into that wind. Our first stop was several miles north of that. However...... the ride after that was easy The prevailing wind is usually out of the south, so I'm usually fighting it on my ride home. It was nice to have a tailwind at the end of the night for a change.

CraigB

Whitestown, eh? I have a loop I do from my house near 96th and College in Indy that takes me up to Westfield, north through Lamong, down to Jolietsville and over to Whitestown, then back through Zionsville. It's a nice little route. If I feel like stretching it I'll go over to Noblesville, and up to Cicero and across Morse Reservoir before heading back west and south.

I'm trying to lay out a self-supported century route around that whole area so rest stops might happen in logical places, like where there might be a diner or coffee shop or something, just to make it a little nicer than stopping by the side of the road for a break. So far the area due north of Indy is looking pretty barren. Cicero has a couple, and Zionsville has one, but I'm not having much luck in between.

bradtx

I went from a Penguin to a Lightening to a cat boat to a Tartan 10... that last one was an eye opener! All-in-all I liked the cat boat best (heavy New England influence on this Texan). There's quite a bit similar between sailing and cycling, at least for me.

Brad

Stealthammer

Yeah, this area has been at the infant stage of being developed as a "masterplanned" community for several years, but the economy has really stalled the effort. Try the LA Cafe or the market just south of the main (and only) intersection of "downtown" Whitestown (usually pretty good food, the truckstop just west of the 65 freeway on the 134, or one of the fast food restaurants (a new McDonalds, a Taco Bell, a Burger King, or a Subway) or one of the restaurants in the CVS parking lot just to the east of the same intersection. El Rodeo and Fox's Pizza are fairly good and I highly recommend the DC Pub, and they should be reopening the old Hong Kong House as the Hibachi house pretty soon as well (they had pretty good food before they closed but a poor business model).

If you get that close though you might just want to hit up the Zionsville Marsh or one of the restaurants in downtown. There are actually several great choice there. Other than that though we will pretty much have to wait for the economy to recover, because over the past three years they have been averaging one new eatery a years out here in the sticks......

BTW: I have several loops on the roads from 300 South down to the 86th, and east of the Lafayette Road over to Michican Road and some of them are just hilly enough to get a good work out in a more rural setting. Ride Safe!

CraigB

I know about the LA Cafe, and I assumed that in/near Lebanon and the interstate there would be several places (plus the Eagle Creek Coffee Co. is a regular stop in Zionsville), but on the tentative route, Lebanon, Whitestown and Zionsville happen at about miles 80 to 95. The Cicero Coffee Co is at about mile 21, but I haven't been able to find anything in between, near the half-way point. I may just have to drive around out there to see what's what.

seenoweevil

Sweet! Now THAT is what wind is supposed to be used for!

zencalm

There wasn't much wind today, but this was the first time I rode in heavy rain. It was a bit intense on the way home, but I loved it on the way there. Had my music playing from a kayak dry bag (i usually hook up the portable speaker with a bungee cord) and was in the groove.

On the way home from work, I was just tired. So tired, in fact, I paid crazy amounts for a big taxi to take me and my bike home rather than do the final mile. 5 miles is better than nothing. I did look truly ridiculous in my rain gear though. Gotta love biking!

Brutal.Roadrnr

Same here, 16+mph winds on my return trip, very brutal.