Absolutely! In north Texas, the wind is either from the north or south. If not, it's from the east or west. 25 MPH+ with a tail wind then a hard workout coming back. When you only have a few short hills, you settle for a strong (15-20+ MPH )headwind.

#2. With the winds we have had this year, if I didn't just go anyway, my riding would have been cut down by about 75%. I just figure it's a better workout when it is windy. I would rather ride into the wind one direction than have a strong crosswind both ways, though.

Some differing thoughts on riding through the windy heartland on our Cross-Country ride:



Sometimes, I'm Doug, sometimes, I'm Neil.

Oh, I'm riding. But it wont be a pleasure ride. Those are rides where you are thankful for training in the drops. Get aero, downshift and ride.

"Honey, can you drop me off 40 miles west of here?"

#2
I knew my ride yesterday would end with a headwind....... but it is still a ride!

#5 Post on the interwebz and try to stir people up.

Agree. No pleasure ride, unless you slow way way down.

Riding in the drops, trying to get more aero, are positions I'm working to incorporate for longer periods of time and distance. Got to take advantage of the riding positions a drop bar road bike offers.

I realize that anytime spent riding a bike is good. And every time I feel a sense of accomplishment. People often look at me with amazement......that I can ride so far, commute between cities and ride in adverse weather.

My moto: just HTFU, it's all good! Nice to see I have plenty of company!!

#2

Besides wind gusts of 20-23 would be a fairly calm day where I ride.

Sage advice. Three years ago I was cought out in the middle of nowhere when a cold front came through with gusts up to 40 MPH. I dismounted and walked down hills, then rode up the other side because of relative shelter. I won't ever do that again.

Check out the crosswinds at 6:06:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=uM9zVcdefiU#!

In the next 40 miles, those turned into 35 MPH headwinds gusting to 65 MPH. That was the one and only time I ever got blown off the road.

Will I ever do that again? I sincerely hope not!

No matter the wind direction when I ride in to the farm fields the wind is going to hit me harder. They are on both sides of the road so no break at all, this must be what Texas and the plains are like if you add about 10-15 mph to the 15 mph winds we have in coastal Florida all the time. When the cotton gets up a bit it helps some but that is late summer to early autumn when you want a breeze or even agust to knock down the 90°-95° temps with 90%+ humidity.

Bill

our winds in N Lower Michigan are a trip. If it's 15-25 I'll call a hillclimb day. Town-town it really depends on road temps. If it's a windy 20-25mph then it becomes a distance and dehydration factor. Heat kills my engine

#5

I go and ride, but don't see it as a HTFU kind of thing. I know I'll ride at a slower pace, spend more time in the drops, and likely have a few choice words for the windy conditions creep into my thoughts. I'd also be feeling grateful that it was 73 degrees and not 17 degrees.

Certainly understand, having similar intentions on some rides where I vow to take it easy. But once out and warmed up, it's hard not to push it. I feel lazy if I don't. And, my thoughts keep drifting to the pastry last night, or the pizza planed for dinner. Ugh, have to keep burning calories no matter what.

#2 or, in the alternative, this.!

Yeah, whenever possible, anyway. But with prevailing southwesterly winds and nothing but city and water south and west of me I end up with a headwind on the return leg more often than not.

2. Where I live, winds are a fact of life. If I only rode when it was blowing 15 or less, I'd probably ride fewer than 50 days a year.

Ignore your speed display. Concentrate on cadence. If you have to drop down to the small ring, don't think that it's something to be ashamed of.

There's a point where crosswinds can be dangerous. 20-25 isn't there yet, unless you're a very inexperienced rider. If you have a choice of bikes, ride the heaviest one.

5. Go for a few "cheater's PRs" on Strava segments that have tailwinds that day (I mean, duh, right?), take it slow in the headwinds between segments, and try to avoid a near ditch experience in gusty crosswinds.

Big winds here all spring, oh well. Number 2 it is.

Yesterday it was blow'n 20 plus with gusts well over 30 on the north coast. My ride out was hard, in the drops, hunkered down pedaling to go down hill!

Ah, the ride back, I was superman, spun out in my big gear!

NICE!!

Err ya go !!!