Originally Posted by
Campag4life
Thought I would posit a question to those that have thought about it. This question is part comedy but nonetheless rooted in reality aka aerodynamics...
When wind is say 10-20 mph and a route is out and back...my route is generally 10 miles + North and then 10+ miles South return. When the wind is dead downwind one direction and a pure headwind back, how much does average mph vary for the round trip compared to the same route on a dead calm day?
In my experience, my average aggregate speed out and back always seems to be faster on a rare calm day. How about you guys? Always killer to ride into a stiff wind and seemingly not offset by favoring downwind in terms of increased speed keeping net average speed the same compared to a zero wind day.
I try to dissect why. Headwinds as most know can be brutal on a bike no matter how low we try to get. Also, the benefit down wind never seems to equal the detriment in terms of reduced speed due to air drag into the wind. Or perhaps it does or close...but I tend to ride the wind and not put out the same watts when riding down wind...but like many pedal like hell into a wind to try and keep my speed up.
Anybody do any testing with a power meter?
Personal experience?
thanks
Every summer I go to the Outer Banks, where the only cycling is north/south on a beach road with 0 elevation change. It's a good test case for what you're referring to, because the wind tends to blow steadily without too many gusts and is, for whatever reason, rarely a pure crosswind, it's either a head or a tailwind.
I don't have a PM, unfortunately, so I can't share any data there. I do notice that, if I'm just going out to ride at a steady pace for 1-2 hours, my average speed will generally be higher if I ride out with the tailwind and ride back with the headwind rather than the reverse.
It's definitely a mental thing. If I have a strong tailwind when I start out, I push harder because it's fun to cruise at 25-30, and then when I turn around I get angry that I'm fighting to hold 16-18 so I tend to continue to push myself.
If I do the opposite, I burn myself out grinding into the headwind until I turn around, and then I take it easier on the way back so the overall average would be less.
I'd say I would be faster over that same route with 0 wind, but it's never not windy out there so I can't really say.