OK. I leave the apartment this morning, there's a headwind. I make a right turn, and, gee, the wind has shifted, and I have another headwind. Then a left turn: headwind. Another right, another headwind.
How is this possible?

Oh, and also?
I’m not sure if this is relevant, but it does occur to me that I wrote a dissertation on how Pavan (the Hindu god of wind), Shina-Tsu-Hiko (the Shinto god of wind) and Raka Maomao (the Polynesian wind deity) were all lesser gods in the mythological pantheon. I believe the title was "Wind Gods Blow." So that may have something to do with it.

You need to learn how to channel your powers for good. It takes practice. I'm getting there. I converted mine all into crosswinds yesterday.

When you're moving at 15 mph through still air, it feels like a headwind...

The only thing that bugs me really is the wind noise... I hate the wind noise...

I used to hate wind noise too, but I changed helmets, and much of it disappeared.

Urban areas can do lots of funny things with wind. You have to understand that the wind is a fluid that flow just like water. If there are channels...like tall building or trees or even open streets...the wind is going to take the channel that offers the least resistance.

Another issue is turbulence. From my kiting experience, I know that laminar flow wind can be disturbed and show that turbulence up to 3 times the height of the object. For instance, if a 30 foot tree has a wind blowing against it, the wind will flow around the tree and not be laminar for at least 90 feet away. That flow will go just about anywhere in the 90 feet. Add up the other secondary turbulences and you can have wind flowing in just about any direction.

Finally, most people don't understand that wind can still affect you considerably even when it's coming from an angle that isn't parallel to your travel. For example, if a wind comes at you from 45 degrees to your left, you will still perceive it as a headwind. Wind can still have a strong component that seems like a head wind up to almost 90 degrees from either direction. When kiting, this works out to a quarter of a sphere in terms of wind that you can still fly in. Some two line kites actually can take advantage of the edge winds and fly at 90 degrees to that wind. It's tricky to fly at that angle but rewarding if you can pull it off and not crash your kite.

I never get the feeling when riding for fun, only to work. Hence why I refer to it as "occupational headwind".

Well said.
(And thanks for the very clear and interesting disquisition, cyco. Honestly.)

Thats why its called a headwind
Its ALWAYS against you !!

I dont get it either.
Going South to work......headwind.
Coming North, home...........yep

OK, let's say you're heading north when you leave the apartment.

Make a right turn, you're heading east.

A left turn, you're heading north again.

Another right, you're going east again.


SO - obviously, the wind is coming from the northeast. - rotate the directions based on your exact circumstance.

It's them wind gods looking to kick your ass for talking smack about them.

Spot on. Especially in parts of Brooklyn/Manhattan. When I lived in Brooklyn Heights (which is, like, "Chicago" windy) I began to notice that certain corners were invariably windy, and the wind direction did not vary much through the year, either, just the speed. This one block I remember had three sides that were difficult to walk "up" (it was level) over half of the time (and easily folded umbrellas), and every now and then could send a smaller person tumbling.

Since the buildings often play a bigger factor in direction that other things, perhaps it would be useful to chart the blocks around your route over time, and see if you can find a route that gives you tailwinds...

Ur telling me, I was getting slammed by 15-20 heads both ways home, how the hell is that possible both ways??
The worst is when the wind is coming from the west, you're going south, the wind is curling around the building to your left and you're banked all the way to the left trying to fight a 20mph east wind and the moment you hit the intersection, WHAM! 20mph wind hits you as you're banked to the left, throwing you across the road.

I do tend to believe that there must be some supernatural reason for my personal failings.

This is were a IPOD helps....It drowns out the wind noise

Murphy's Law for cyclists - the wind will blow from whatever direction you are travelling.

I got headwind in the morning and evening yesterday. Riding home, I was thinking to myself "...uphill bothe ways..."

And the sound of approaching cars

Here in the desert, the wind always seems to blow from the SSW at about 20-30 mph.
Lock it in with the cold weather and the incline going South on 395, and you have a miserable ride home.
At least urban areas have some forms of windbreaks.