Originally Posted by
Bassmanbob
OK. So we all know that it's harder to ride in a headwind; it's obvious... it takes more power. BUT looking at perceived effort only, if a cyclist is riding at X watts, shouldn't it NOT matter which direction the wind is blowing? Yes the speed will obviously change, but if a cyclist is averaging 180 watts in a headwind and 180 watts in a tailwind, it's still 180 watts the cyclist is creating. So if it's the same power the cyclist is creating, shouldn't it feel the same whether there is a head vs tailwind?
I ask this because, to me it still feels like significantly more effort to do the same wattage in a headwind vs a tailwind even when keeping the power wattage the same.
there is more to riding a bicycle in the real world (vs like Zwift) than your power output. road surface, watching for hazards, weather (incl wind) etc are all fatiguing and not directly related to power production.
for me I enjoy the sensation of speed, so it feels a lot easier to make a given power with a tailwind than a headwind. perhaps its also more fatiguing to stand up in one place with the wind at your face than at your back, although I wont pretend to know why that would be (physiologically)