dramiscram

I'm wondering if I'm getting soft. We've had 15-20 mph SW wind (20-30 km/h) this week(with gust of wind up to 45-50 mph), This mean a big tailwind for me in the morning but a big headwind on the way back home at night. I take almost 20 min. more to cover the same distance on my way home. I can deal with rain, snow, hot and cold but the wind is affecting me a lot. I go 2/3 of my 54kms RT commute on a rural road along the Yamaska river, surrounded by soya fields so nothing there to break the wind.

For you how much wind is too much? Am I too soft?

Notso_fastLane

I lived in KS for 7 years, there was never not wind there. A light breeze was about 15-20 mph. It definitely makes for harder rides, sometimes even when it's mostly a tail wind if it's gusty.

If you aren't along a road with bad traffic, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Gusty cross winds can magnify the effects of gusts from large trucks, though. That's where you need to be extra careful.

Steely Dan

the middle 7.5 miles of my 15 mile one-way commute is DIRECTLY along the shore of lake michigan. and again in the reverse in the evening.

wind is unfortunately just a fact of life for me (as the good folks on this forum have heard me whine about it innumerable times )

"too much wind" is when it's so windy that tree limbs are crashing to to the ground.

or when the lakefront path is underwater because 50 knot winds have kicked up 12 foot waves.

fietsbob

A 30 knot headwind does knock my ground speed down, a lot.

dramiscram

[QUOTE=Notso_fastLane;14847021]I lived in KS for 7 years, there was never not wind there. A light breeze was about 15-20 mph. QUOTE]

Light breeze of 15-20 mph ?!?!? You're stronger than me. I guess I'm usually lucky because all summer long we rarely get wind stronger than 3-5 mph around here

spivonious

Be careful with the gusts.

I have yet to encounter winds that strong, so I can't say if I'd ride or not. It would definitely be taxing and if strong wind was in the forecast (>30mph), I'd probably wuss out and drive.

gecho

I don't mind strong winds when I'm riding in the city, its the gusts that wear me down. On gusty days I'm constantly having to shift and re-accelerate. The trees and buildings along my route prevent me from ever having to bear the full impact of the wind. The MUP is less sheltered so I try to avoid it on the really windy days.

Totally different story out in the open. A few weeks back I took the highway out of the city on the way home which goes through completely unsheltered prairie. It felt like I would come to an immediate stop if I didn't pedal continuously.

teachme

We get predominantly southern winds off the Gulf of Mexico in my area and they are usually in the 10 to 20 mph range. My philosophy about wind is, it is there to make me stronger so I consider the wind to be my friend... I know, thats a little weird but I take pride in my weirdness.

pack88jp

It Is What It Is

MNBikeCommuter

As others mentioned, it's the gusty cross winds and riding in traffic that will stop me first, usually when the gusts hit the 40-45 mph range. Yeah, riding into a 30 mph wind is probably harder mentally than physically. It's certainly nice to put the bike away at the end of one of those commutes.

chefisaac

Spin more and enjoy the ride. If it is really windy here and I try to muscle through it, i get tired and start *****in. So I tell myself to slow down, spin and enjoy.

mystolenbikes

As long as it's pushing me it can never be windy enough.

noglider 

You Don't Say!

dramiscram

That's what I'm trying to do but it get to my nerves, It's more psychologic than anything.

sternzeit

Find a gear that you can spin, get as aero as possible, and ignore the cyclocomputer. I routinely encounter 25mph winds and it never gets easy. Sometimes the gusts can get strong enough to move my front wheel around a bit.

essiemyra

We are having those same winds around here lately. Yesterday on my way home it felt like the wind was pushing me back and going down a hill I had to pedal against the wind. It will be the same way today. So I will not add in extra miles, but I will get out and ride in those winds. I think if the wind was gusting up to 50miles an hour I might decide not to ride. My hope today is that those sw winds push me home.

Leiniesred

Headwinds build character. Ever roll backwards UP a hill when you stop pedaling? yeah. I hate it when that happens. I measure wind speed in how many gears I have to gear down. "I had a 3 gear headwind today. It sucked!" or "I had a 2 gear tailwind today. It was GREAT!"

chefisaac

Are you comparing it to what your computer says? If so, hide the computer. I did that a few times. Problem solved.

chefisaac

+1

dramiscram

I think you're right about that but it's hard not looking at the cyclocomputer!

no motor?

I hate the wind (I can give Steely Dan a run for the money when it comes to whining about it too), and when I need the small chainring to pedal into the wind I figuer it's officially too windy.
It's been windier than usual the last few weeks around here, I figure anybody who's seen my riding into the wind and cussing it out must figure I've become even crazier.

fietsbob

Ebikes sell well in NL, the winds off the North Sea, are strong , often enough,
the pedal-electric help is welcome..

Notso_fastLane

I have to admit, even when the wind feels bad, on the recumbent, I think I make much better speed into a headwind that I did on an upright. Those days, I'm really wishing I had a fairing. A fairing can be rough in crosswinds, though.

Forrest74

Yesterday evening was brutal. I crossed the Olivier Charbonneau Bridge on the way home and I swore I was the wicked witch of the Ost (only much slower). I am mostly fine in Montreal, but once I am in Laval and lose the building cover it gets dicey.

Notso_fastLane

I've been on a motorcycle (cross country trip) and hit some bad crosswinds coming across the ravines in Southern WA state. I went from the left side of the middle lane, to the right side of the right lane on a three lane section of freeway from one gust. Needless to say, I really hunkered down on the bike after that and tried to get across the ravine and into the cover of the mountains.