Originally Posted by banerjek

Fighting the wind is absolutely futile -- you need to come to terms with it since it is strong and you can't do anything about it. If you insist on fighting it, you'll eventually lose unless you don't have far to go. Just as pedaling too hard with no wind burns your legs up, the same thing happens with a headwind, only faster.

BTW, the sensation that cyclists have that the wind is against them most of the time isn't just a perception. It is reality. Most people think the wind should be against you half the time and with you the other half. However, when the wind comes from the side (even from slight angles behind you), it also slows you down. Because the wind gusts and changes direction, it makes fighting it that much more difficult.

Unless you have a short way to go, the best way to deal with wind is to accept that you're going nowhere fast, drop a bunch of gears, and spin.