The local bike trail (the W&OD for the locals) runs over 45 miles in a north-westerly direction from inside the beltway in Northern Virginia out to the horse country. It so happens that the prevailing wind is from the NW, and tomorrow they're calling for 25-30 MPH winds from that direction. I did the ride last night and it was brutal heading out, but heaven coming back.

I have a buddy at work who lives out that way on the first ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Tomorrow he's promised to haul me and my bike to the end of the trail after work, and I'm going to be doing a sweet wind-aided ride all the way home. Planning to set a new PR (with the wind-aided asterisk of course). Cant wait!

Well I bit, I had this picture of you out on the Chesapeake clipping along on a downwind run with the sails full and your hair blown back. Bazinga, ya got me!

Bill

What's the betting on the wind doing a 180 at the halfway point?

Good luck and remember that wind is your friend so don't blame it too much for the hard ride you may be getting.

Hope the wind doesn't change for ya!Remember Murphy"s Law...

I wish I knew some cool sailing terminology. Despite having read all the Aubrey/Maturin novels my nautical knowledge is pretty poor.

But it was sweet sailing on the bike ride, for sure. Steady 20mph winds with gusts up to 30. Not even a cross-wind. I still got in a pretty good workout because it was plenty cold and I was spinning pretty fast.

I'd rather have no wind at all, but a sweet strong tailwind for the WHOLE ride is 2nd best!

That is sweet. The other day there were points where I had an 18mph tailwind and I was flying and the legs were pumping away.

Ive lived in many states from Vermont to Florida and have suffered a strange conundrum that is the bane of my bicycling existence.
No matter which way I am going, the wind is blowing against me. How is that when I leave in the morning, I am standing to pedal my piggy into work, but a few hours later, standing to pedal aforementioned piggy against aforementioned wind, home ? Where do you guys live that actually has wind blowing in your favor 50% of the time?
Enquiring minds want to know

Sadly, the sailing term for your downwind ride will be "running".