Wind direction question
 

If a south wind is tailwind, a north wind will be headwind, and east wind and west wind will be side winds. What about the rest of the angles? When does a tailwind becomes a side wind? My intuition says that WSW and ESE wind would be neutral and the 120 degrees inside those 2 points will be different degrees of tailwind.

I guess there is a absolutely rational answer based in physics rather than what I experience when I ride.

That's called the breaking wind.

I am very curious to know which direction this thread is going to take ...

Is a wind that overtakes you called the passing wind?

And shouldn't a passing wind pass on the left whilst announcing such?

Head, tail, side, quartering...fine distinctions left to the user.

Gee, if there were only some type of math for figuring out directional forces and how they relate to each other.

It depends on your speed, the wind speed, and wind angle. A pure 90 degree side wind looks like 45 degrees from the front if the wind is 20 mph and the bike is 20 mph.

This HED yaw calculator is fun to play with. (Scroll down to the Apparent Wind Calculator link.)

You know, of course, that riders speed up until a tailwind becomes a headwind.

Tail wind? Never heard of it.

What is the formula for the amount of energy it takes to break wind?

Is there a preferred windbreaker for biking?

If someone is passing wind, I prefer that they remain behind me.

Ha! Me neither. I think I've only ever experienced headwinds. :roflmao2:

I guess if you're not riding like the wind, you're passing it.

Thanks, I'm going to check that.

It's about the vector, Victor.

Excuse me: TAILWINDS ARE A MYTH.

Wind direction question
 

^^^ blasphemy you heathen windbag!

Look at those weather maps on TV ..

in the Northern Hemisphere, a High pressure cell circulates CW, a Low Pressure Cell Rotates CCW..

& hot air rises and is less dense , so Its replaced by cooler air , flowing to the hotter area around the topography.

a tailwind becomes predominantly a side wind 45 degrees away from south as you state it. Then you still get some tailwind but most of it is pushing on your side. You should get 180 degrees of some tailwind not accounting for forward resistance.

I recently experienced an ill wind & it blew me no good

This is a side wind, around 40 seconds in:

Yep! That was a side wind, alright.

Glad all this blew over.

The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind.