europa

I just finished my 30 km loop (oh okay, 31.3kms for the pedants ).

The out leg runs along hill tops beside the expressway, all short, sharp climbs and dips but more importantly, exposed so that I copped the full benefit of the stiff head wind.

The home leg runs along the old railway reserve and so is basically a long, steady climb (with variations) but more importantly, is either in cuttings or lined with tall trees or both SO I DIDN'T GET THE BENEFIT OF THE TAILWIND

It's just not fair!

Richard

djnzlab1

HI,
I feel your pain, sometime the only rational thought is hey Iam Paying it forward for that nice tail wind home.
I ve had the wind change on a long ride go out with a north wind and then 30 mins later it turns and blows south...
That can make you use some colorful metaphors for sure..
Doug

BillK

Sorry Richard, as I wrote in a thread on Murphy's law (& how it applies to biking)...

The wind will always be at the back of the person riding in the opposite direction you are going.

maddmaxx 

I'll bet that if you ride the same loop in the opposit direction tomorrow that the wind will have changed direction....

Timtruro

The only thing that I find even remotely positive about such experiences is that it all increases your fitness and endurance, I keep telling myself that in between the use of 4 letter expletives

donheff

That is undoubtedly somebody's law. You should have checked accuweather and selected the right direction before you left.

AdrianL

I was really getting a chuckle out of this. The same thing happened to the wife and I last week. We went out for our ride, knowing that there was a front coming through. East wind 8 to 12 until around 3:00 when the wind was scheduled to shift to the NW as the front came through.

We rode a route we do regularly, early enough so we could beat the wind shift - 10 miles east (into the head wind) out to Fountianbleu State Park - sat on the beach for 10 minutes and headed back - all the while expecting the tail wind on the way back. Sure enough, the front came through about 3 hours early and while we were sitting on the beach. And it came with a vengance - 15 to 20 on the nose all the way back. My wife and I don't normally talk like we did on the ride back.

stapfam

We have had some windy days this last winter and even one day with 30mph winds. I chose the route carefully after looking at the weather maps and went out into the headwind- but on a route in a well wooded area. Hardly felt the wind at all. I even cut out one hill as that was exposed and would have been tougher than i wanted that day.

But the trip going West to East with a strong wind behind me was fantastic. Even sailed up the 2 mile drag that I hate with ease.

So a bit better planning next time and we won't have to hear your moans about what otherwise sounds like a good ride

BlazingPedals

I don't like headwind any more than the next guy, but on my lowracer it seems to hurt me much less than it hurts anyone else. So, in a perverse sort of way, a headwind is to my advantage! There's something to be said for intelligent route planning. But all other things being equal, I prefer my tailwind at the beginning of the ride. After all, the wind might shift halfway through the ride!

Tom Bombadil

I've noticed that it impacts me less on my RANS Stratus LWB than on my upright bikes. And as I usually ride on rail trails that are lined by trees, I don't tend to notice it very much. I'll be riding along for 10-15 miles without much wind, then hit an open field and be surprised by it.

The Weak Link

Cyclists operate between a vortex and a maelstrom. Get used to it.