Most of my training rides are fairly sheltered, so I really don't care about wind so much as high temperatures and the possibility of thunderstorms. And the only century I ride is the annual event called the "Seagull" down in Salisbury, MD. Some times the winds are light....but more often, they can be brutal. About half the course is sheltered by forests, but the other half is open farmland. I love the event, but I must admit it can be discouraging to be peddling in a long line (since the ride attracts 5K-6K participants) and watch the front end visibly slow as the wind hits, knowing you're about to get it. The worst, however, is trying to make it across the pedestrian overpass to the barrier island and rest stop at about the 65 mile mark. The overpass is high off the water (so no shelter from the land), has wide-spaced metal railings (to let plenty of wind through), and frequently contains a few slow wobbly riders...I've encountered cross winds at 30+ miles an hour on that bridge and wondered if I was about to be picked up and thrown into the drink. The ride back is MUCH more forgiving, as the riders can use the low vehicular bridge with it's high concrete sides.