Ed in GA

I just went out and rode a couple of miles. 15mph sustained wind with gusts to 25+. An otherwise beautiful, clear but cool day for riding.

Maybe the winds will die down later and I can try again.

stapfam

Just put your head down and do 5 miles into the wind- The return trip is fantastic.

Well done for trying it but get more practice on the aerodynamic form on the bike. The wind still kills you but you do look the part.

Wanderer

I know the feeling, Ed.

Getting out in the wind is really tougher this year, than it seemed in the past. That 30 MPH headwind really kicked my butttt the other day.. 15 miles into the wind was nasty, but gong the other way was pretty sweet.

Sure is nice to be outside, though!!!

Ed in GA

Well, to heck with it. I looked at the forecasts and it wasn't going to get any better today, or tomorrow. So, I went back out and knocked out 10 miles. The route I took kept me into the wind for about 60% of the ride.

I'm told that learning to ride into the wind helps with hills**********

Randochap

Wind is not so bad if you have to fight it on the way out on an out-and-back ride, but yesterday, I had it all the way back ... and I'm not over the flu. BRUTAL.

We have to accept wind around here, on the Pacific coast. It's always blowing one direction or another. Most of my training rides go N/S and quite often it'll turn as I do!

Pacelines are your friend(s).

kr32

I'm not a big fan of wind either, seems I always think , "okay it will be better coming back" but the wind seems to change direction on me. Man I hate the wind

Jean Beetham Smith 

I finally figured out that the wind that catches you on the return is just the eddies of your outbound trip. It gets stronger as we get older and wider.

howsteepisit

I am geting to the point where I figure that riding in strong winds just ain't worth it. I ride for pleasure, not much pleasure in the wind.

tntyz

Winds sucks the enregy out of you, no doubt. Just keep reminding myself that I'm out there for the exercise, not the speed. I figure it gives me more time to enjoy the scenery!

bjjoondo 

LOL, after a few rides over the last weekends, even my wife says that the wind just "turns around when we do" I was riding on a long dirt doubletrack trail and gust came around a hill and darn near push me sideways into a creek At least it's been more of a "plushing" wind and not a totally constant headwind, that just zaps all the energy out of me and I end up, having walkers pass me on the rail/trail path on the way home

BluesDawg

As much as I hate riding into a headwind, I have a bigger problem with the air in Georgia these days than its speed or direction. (sorry for the off topic rant) For the past several weeks and for the next several to come, the air around here is thick with pollen. I have always been an allergy sufferer, but this year I am finding that my recently radiated throat is VERY sensitive to pollen in the air. After an afternoon hill work session a couple of weeks ago where I was breathing extremely hard and deep breathing pollen-rich air into the bottoms of my lungs, I had a severe reaction the next day with my throat becoming inflamed with pain and also coughing fits (which made the pain worse). I think I'll be able to manage some easier rides and I may need to wear a filter of some sort during the worst of the pollen season. But with a PET scan coming up next week, I have been off the bike and huddled indoors for the past couple of weeks. I don't want anything causing my throat to be inflamed when I take that test.

bykemike 

I did almost 50 miles in that crap today..anytime I was heading NE I was in a very low gear. I am whipped but I would be a lot worse off if the last 20 miles wasn't directly downwind.

Mike

gbg

I almost like a 20mph headwind wind in +90F, it keeps you cool and dry. A 20mph headwind in -30F is another story

Ed in GA

The Pollen has been nearly as thick as a light fog here for the last month. I can both empathize and sympathize with you on that issue.

pipes

Right now here along the shores of The Detroit River and Lake Earie were getting a LOT a wind almost everyday . I get it going or coming and sometimes BOTH ! Here its just the ides a March . April it a be RAIN . AH but atleast I don't have to shovel wind or rain :O) So I ride and am glad its not snowing !Today it was a ESE wind at about 15 mph so it kina got me both ways except for one short patch of my route that is dead west :O)

Eclectus

Here on the Great Plains, 15 mph is considered nearly windless. Especially in the next two months when the Canadian and Gulf airmasses do their annual Spring Dance. Tomorrow's supposed to be 25-35, gusting to 45. Ferrying bikes with two cars and racks and racing on the tailwind will be a blast, assuming we don't have any tornados.

pipes

[quote=Eclectus;8579853]Here on the Great Plains, 15 mph is considered nearly windless. Especially in the next two months when the Canadian and Gulf airmasses do their annual Spring Dance. Tomorrow's supposed to be 25-35, gusting to 45. Ferrying bikes with two cars and racks and racing on the tailwind will be a blast, assuming we don't have any tornados.[/QUO

Yappers I hear ya ! We get a lot higher here to my route goes right beside the water and its like a wind tunnel . Tommrow is 15 to 25 gusting higher So being a wind wimp when its overn 15 mph I will be at the gym . That and its pose to rain . But I have had a good 5 days of riding so a pause in the action might do the legs good anyway .

I bet you tough plains folk walk to school bare foot UPHILL BOTH WAYS

We must try to tell ourselves the wind is our friend . If it is I hate my friend the wind

Timtruro

It seems to be the rule with headwinds that they are in your face both ways on a ride.

NOS88

After yesterday's ride my face looks sunburned, but it's just a windburn. I eagerly await the days of warm, still air the comes with summer.

windswept_one

Same here, I was wondering why my face is so red today. I was in it for 4 hours yesterday. I had sun lotion on, so it had to be the wind. Ah, it's just toughening up time, that's all. We'll survive.

Eclectus

The good news is, most people can generally go without sunscreen this time of year and start building their tan to give them some protection for the high UV days that lie ahead, as well as raise their Vit D levels.

I canned tiday's planned ride. Winds were 46 gusting to 56, and that wasn't even close to the low pressure center where semis were being blown over and RVers were being warned to stay off the road til it settles down.