Nice and Funny article on Wind and Cycling
01-18-10, 07:42 PM
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Nice and Funny article on Wind and Cycling
From BBC nontheless.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A23428541
Some quotes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A23428541
Some quotes
If there's only you, then you'll just have to tough it out. Try to make yourself as small as possible. On most bikes, this will mean keeping your knees and elbows in close while leaning over so that your forehead is touching the handlebars. It's not particularly comfortable.
Some good news then, hunkering-down-wise, is that stretching out on a recumbent bike gives a much lower profile with respect to the wind than folding up like a bat and is also much more comfortable.
Some good news then, hunkering-down-wise, is that stretching out on a recumbent bike gives a much lower profile with respect to the wind than folding up like a bat and is also much more comfortable.
...Think of yourself as a salmon swimming upstream, there to spawn briefly and then die of exhaustion.
01-18-10, 11:20 PM
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Thanks for sharing
I hate the wind. hills give back (usually) wind doesn't.
I ride annually in Cornwall (UK), there have been times where I have been cycling down 7-8% slopes and have had to pedal because of a head wind.
"but if your trip is more than even a few miles, you will have plenty of time to ponder such things. "
So true about so many things.
I hate the wind. hills give back (usually) wind doesn't.
I ride annually in Cornwall (UK), there have been times where I have been cycling down 7-8% slopes and have had to pedal because of a head wind.
"but if your trip is more than even a few miles, you will have plenty of time to ponder such things. "
So true about so many things.
01-18-10, 11:41 PM
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Well written article. I'm not so sure about the wind not giving back though. I've had quite a few of those 'theoretical' tailwind experiences that have been the best rides of my life.
01-19-10, 01:42 AM
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What I was getting at is that if you start and finish at the same point then the rollers "even out"*, byt we've all ridden loops where the wind seems to be constantly blowing against us.
* unless you live in an MC Escher universe
* unless you live in an MC Escher universe
01-19-10, 02:04 AM
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"A 20mph wind directly at your side will not slow you down at all, unless of course it causes you to fall over."
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
01-19-10, 09:43 AM
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You can't take a bike article talking about salmons and 'bents seriously. Except for the dark and light leave wind vane of course
"A 20mph wind directly at your side will not slow you down at all, unless of course it causes you to fall over."
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
01-19-10, 12:21 PM
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"A 20mph wind directly at your side will not slow you down at all, unless of course it causes you to fall over."
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
-- This is not actually true. Even though a side wind doesn't contribute (vector-wise) to any head-wind, it still slows you down. Someone (merlinextraligh?) had a nice link + graph the last time we went over this. (Mathematically, it's because the force vector is not linearly related to the apparent wind vector.)
The other day, after getting hammered by the wind and my club mates the previous day, I went 3 hours downwind (at a very comfortable pace) and took the train home.
01-19-10, 02:35 PM
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01-19-10, 02:36 PM
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01-19-10, 07:04 PM
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Another thing you can do is drop the shoulder that's catching the most wind by gripping drop with that hand and hood with the other. Most winds are not head on.
Also, wear form-fitting clothing. All too often I see guys wearing clothes that are too big/pliable that act like sails.
I usually pull when riding into the wind with a group - one of the few advantages of the "euro cut" upper body.
I usually ride other riders of similar fitness off my wheel when riding into a decent headwind.
Also, wear form-fitting clothing. All too often I see guys wearing clothes that are too big/pliable that act like sails.
I usually pull when riding into the wind with a group - one of the few advantages of the "euro cut" upper body.
I usually ride other riders of similar fitness off my wheel when riding into a decent headwind.
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