Two or three times a year my wife will take pity on me on a really windy day (gusts over 40) and take me about 80 miles south so I can have a tailwind for most of a century. Today wasn't one of those days. 71 miles with temps in the low-mid 30s and winds in the mid 30s with gusts 45-50 all day. Was bearable in town, but horrible out northwest where the land is flatter and farmers clear out all the trees for more tillable acreage.

When the gusts exceed 40, I aim for routes back-and-forth across town and through a sheltered county park out west. Yes, the wind sucks; more so for us less powerful riders.