SunDog70

OK, I know high wind sucks for everyone, but being a fat Athena, today takes the cake (or blew the cake away). Went out for a ride, knowing it was windy but did not look at just how windy. Was doing my short hill route (4-6% grade), at one point the wind gusted so hard that it damn near blew me off the trail (fortunately was not on the road so at least no danger of being blown into the path of a car). Then going down one hill, where I normally would coast right along (I'm lazy and fully believe downhill is for coasting) I had to pedal just to make progress going DOWN lol. But I did get up those damn hills AND with many of them going into the wind, though granny gear for the win. I know, it's a good workout, but good lord. When I got home I checked my weather app, wind warning of 20-30 mph with gusts up to 40 in some places. I believe it!

What is a heavy rider to do when it comes to wind? I was tucked in the drops. I'd shaved my legs. I don't have a kickstand. Shouldn't that be enough?!? Oh yeah and just about 70 pounds of fat I need to get rid of. Now I know how a Winnebago RV feels.

Anyway, out of curiosity I was Googling cycling and wind resistance, and came across this video, which is hilarious. At least I didn't have THIS level of problem:
Anyone have any good wind stories? (You know what I mean.)

MRT2

If it makes you feel better, lighter weight cyclists have it even worse. Though slightly more aerodynamic, they also have less mass to push against the wind.

SunDog70

That's interesting, I was wondering about that, at least for headwinds. I was just looking at this site, though, https://www.exploratorium.edu/cyclin...dynamics1.html and entered in 6 mph bike velocity, 20 mph wind speed, 220 pounds, and 5% grade, which calculates generating 276 watts to maintain constant velocity. If the pounds change to 140, it calculates 193 watts needed to maintain constant velocity, so heavier cyclist (me) would be working harder. But wait, it shows the drag being the same for the 220 pound cyclist vs. the 140 pound cyclist - shouldn't that be different? I don't know, physics was never my thing.

This video is even better, from the same event. ROFL at the poor tandem riders! I guess that sort of illustrates what you say, with these lean riders being blown all over.

Deal4Fuji

As well as being heavier because of my height (6'5"), I also have especially wide hips and shoulders, making it really tough riding into a wind. Great for body surfing....not so much for cycling I get as low as I can in the drops, but my large frame bike is higher and catching more wind too. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

StephenH

Yes, the drag should be more for the heavier cyclist- they just didn't bother getting that sophisticated, looks like.

Generally, for riders of similar overall ability, heavier riders have an advantage in the wind and lighter riders have an advantage on the hills. That doesn't mean it's easy for either one, though.
I recall another quote, "Hills make you stronger, but wind just makes you mad."

One lesson learned from randonneuring is that part of the answer in dealing with wind is just patience. If you get into longer rides, you also get into situations where you may have a 100 miles of headwind to start the ride, and you deal with that by just cranking along in the drops for 10 hours.

ill.clyde

Gear down and suffer, just like the rest of us

Particularly timely question ... yesterday, a gorgeous day but holy wind gusts out of the west. I'd decided on a south route, then a short ride west to another N/S road where I'd head back north for home. Wind was blowing so hard I had to lean into the side wind at times just to stay up, and was fearful of being blown into a car. I opted out of the westerly jog and just decided to to a straight N/S out and back.

I've learned to embrace hills ... but I still tend to plan my routes around the wind on a given day.

I like the suggestion for patience. That's a good way to put it. You can't "hurry" out of the wind ... and I've found you really need to be more mindful on windy days so you're aware of where your bike is in relation to the vehicle traffic, as well as being ready for high gusts.

expatbrit

Ah, the wind. I'm the tall variety of clyde at 6'7, so there's a LOT of chest area to catch the wind. It's not helped that the current bike is uber-upright and a flat bar, so getting my back flat(ter) isn't happening, especially with a lack of general flexibility and specifically injury-related issues around my left hip. I try and get as low as I can and get the wind off my chest as much as I can -- but it still blows.

It's not helped here by the fact that I'm in the mouth of a canyon, and tend to cycle up and down that canyon to avoid traffic and intersections after the incident in November. Funnels and strengthens the wind in an ugly fashion.

88Tempo

I'm in the fairly large class at 6'2" and 245 and hate riding in the wind, but it's pretty common in Colorado.
I was riding my LHT last year and going North into the wind on a gravel road I was averaging about 6-8 miles an hour. heading South on the pavement I topped out at 34 MPH on fairly flat ground. I can't even come close to that on a calm day.

bikingbill

There is a solution.

SunDog70

If you are in Wisconsin, I suspect you received the same wind that had just passed through Iowa and kicked my rear! Although I'm also convinced that the wind always shifts so that it is a headwind, no matter which direction I'm going. But yeah you're right, gear down and suck it up was my method. And gripe about it, that helps me as well.

And sweet little ride, bikingbill - maybe some day!

laxpatrick

Exactly why my "team" on RAGBRAI affectionately refers to me as "The Air Plow". 6'8*, 250.

expatbrit

I got to say -- from what I read, power to weight should scale roughly linearly with weight assuming equivalent fitness, and drag is actually lower for a bigger cyclist since surface area is a square function and volume (weight) a cube.

jhoblho

I can't post a pic of my e-bike, but this is another solution. Wind is still a factor, but doesn't prevent me from shopping with my sail-like Travoy trailer anymore.

JReade

I recently did a ride on the eastern cascades, where it gets notoriously windy. I crested a long climb looking forward to the nice descent, but it was 24 mph headwind on the other side of the hill, so it was either a) coast down the hill at 10 mph cause the wind wouldn't let you go any faster or b) push through and pedal all the way down the hill to go 16.

daviddavieboy

I cannot get my head around this, How does a heavier rider have an advantage in the wind? At first thought this seems counterintuitive as there is more surface area for the wind to blow against thus making the rider having to output more power to have the same speed. I am not saying you are wrong I just need an explanation.

Being a clyde and not far from the ocean I am used to the wind, we are friends.

wphamilton

You don't have any advantage from being heavier, other than downhill of course. But you usually have more muscle mass and more power from it. You do have greater wind resistance, but the increased power (typically) more than makes up for it.

daviddavieboy

That is what I always understood. I was asking StephenH what he meant by "heavier riders have an advantage in the wind and lighter riders have an advantage on the hills"

brawlo

Trsnrtr

I'm more aero because my shape is round with no sharp corners and my clothes are very snug so I have less surface drag from clothing wrinkles like skinny people do.

expatbrit

​​​​​​​Ah! Physics!!!! You need to be a teardrop!

expatbrit

See above: given equal fitness and genetics, power is linear with weight, roughly. (That does, or course, assume lots of lean muscle mass like what I don't have). Surface area is a square function, mass approximates volume and is a cube function. So your frontal area, the largest contributor to wind resistance, scales at a much lower rate.

Hence -- given equal fitness and muscle -- a heavier rider will be better in the wind.

expatbrit

There's a LOT more here:

Training Center: The new science of climbing | VeloNews.com

Note that the factor that makes a lighter rider better on a hill is how VO2Max scales with mass, interestingly.

wphamilton

I agree that everything needs to be scaled to the amount of lean muscle mass, and then power, VO2max etc will be proportional. Or that's reasonable at least, I can't think of a good reason why it wouldn't be. But overall weight is no advantage - having more weight from more muscle is an advantage.

StephenH

I was playing around with the numbers on this site:
Bike Calculator

Suppose your course is 85 miles of level, 7.5 miles of 5% uphill, 7.5 miles of 5% downhill, no headwind, 70 degrees, 500' above sea level elevation, constant power output the whole time.
Mr Heavy is 240 lbs on a 25 lb bike.
Mr Lite is 140 lbs on a 20 lb bike.
Suppose both average 16 mph over this entire course, riding on hoods the whole time.
I would call that "comparable riders".
Well, Mr Heavy requires 176 watts power. That's 0.733 watts/lb.
Mr Lite requires 138 watts power. That's 0.985 watts/lb.
So first note, "comparable riders" don't necessarily have the same power output, or the same output per pound of body weight.

Next, assume both are putting out that same output, but riding on level ground into a 20 mph headwind.
Mr Heavy can go 8.64 mph or, if he has aerobars, 11.38 mph.
Mr Lite can go 7.64 mph or, if he has aerobars, 10.22 mph.
So riders that are comparable in that first course, the heavier rider can handily leave the lighter in a headwind.

Next, assume both start up a 5% grade, no wind, same power level.
Mr. Heavy can go 5.65 mph.
Mr. Lite can go 7.08 mph.
So the lighter rider can handily outclimb the heavier rider.

This pretty much mirrors my experiences, although I can't vouch for the actual numbers.
In actual riding, most people increase their power output going into the wind or up a hill and let up on the downhill, but the amount that they do so varies considerably.
In the headwind case, the logical thing is for Mr Lite to duck in behind Mr Heavy, and it may be fastest for the team for Mr Heavy to pull the entire way.

For the uphill case, Mr Heavy can make up a small part of the extra time on the downhills.

Theoretically, I suppose you could have heavier and lighter riders with exactly the same power output per pound, but there aren't too many riders that get much past 200 lbs without carrying some extra flab. Then also, you may have less heart/lung capacity per pound of body weight with larger people, that would explain why football linemen aren't out winning the marathons.

jsigone

I cheat and have a aero bike and aero wheels....it's awesome...yes I can feel the diff over my other bikes. More into head winds and top end speed. Bike seems eager to break 50mph the decents.

I also cheat cuz I'm flexable and slam the hell out of the stem on most bikes I own/ed

I'm 6'1ish and can be a sail or your best buddy to draft off,