Living along the CA Coast I can say I've ridden in my share of stiff winds... two times I remember vividly... doing the lighthouse Century; on the way out to the frigging Lighthouse, the wind was so stiff I could not manage more than 3 - 4 mph (the road was flat!!!) even with a draft. I was in tears and wanted to turn back. The man I was riding with, a man I had a big crush on, encouraged me to keep going. I almost killed him a time or two but I was glad to get to the turnaround and turn back... for 10 miles I was pushed back going 30 mph without pedaling! Now talk about cool!

The other time my friend and I planned a trip to Carmel and wanted to ride Carmel By the Sea 17 mile drive. Poor timing; it was raining and bitterly cold and the wind was blowing so hard, you could not pedal into it. We had to get off and try and push. Eventually we found shelter along side some driftwood and a kind motorist offered us a drive away from the Coast. We jumped at the lift. We weren't going anywhere anyway...