Originally Posted by
valygrl
"You can't shift down and spin up a headwind like a hill." -- here's your mental mistake. Yes, you can. As with hills, expect a lower speed than when you don't have the headwind.
A powermeter really does help the mental aspect of riding into the wind.
Try it with your geared bike, and don't be afraid to use your easiest gear.
The problem is really a sub-conscious issue. We all expect to be going a certain speed on a certain part of a known route. When we look down and see the speed as 14mph instead of 20 we die a little inside. Riding in the wind is a good time to throw the Garmin in the back pocket and ride by feel rather than number. Also keep in mind that for a lot of us, the amount of energy we expend is one of the reasons we ride- riding in the wind still lets us work really hard at what we enjoy. It ultimately is a mind game we learn to play.