For me, it's wind. Always has been, all the way back to my teen years riding BMX. I would much rather take a ride when it's raining than try to fight any kind of wind that's over 5mph. It just........sucks. Plain and simple. Some of you may enjoy the extra challenge of riding against the wind, citing increased resistance for training purposes. Not me. It's in my top 5 of things that ruin a ride.

How about you folks. Would you rather ride on a windy day or a rainy day?

Mike

For physical impact on me, wind. Cross winds require more focus, energy. Riding into a headwind more energy obviously.

For safety, rain is much worse as visibility decreases for you and, more importantly, drivers.

Wind definitely, always seems to be a head wind too somehow even on an out and back ride! I actually enjoy riding in the rain

It's not either or, but how much of either. I've ridden in winds well over 30mph, and ridden in 2"/hour downpours, and both are near the threshold of tolerance. If I had to choose between either of those it would be the rain. But I'd prefer a 15mph headwind to a long ride in typical steady rain.

BTW- a big factor in how I feel about rain is the temperature. Summer rain of any volume is pretty OK, cold rain in November is miserable, even if it;s only a drizzle.

So, for me, wind vs. rain is an apples vs oranges comparison.

The worst is a combination of rain and wind. That can bring on hypothermia even in the summer. Wind isn't bad as long as you're dry. Rain if unexpected and cold and heavy can make bicycling extremely dangerous in traffic. This is moreso if the rain starts out as a light rain, that's because the oild on the road make it quite slick and need a heavier or prolonged rain to wash the oils away.

Worst = Rain and wind
Almost as bad is a driving rain
A bit better is just wind or light rain
Not as bad is just wind

Cheers

theres a good chance I won't go if raining, but strong wind never has stopped me from going

Wind

I despise riding in the rain. I hate the wind, but the rain is the worst for me.

Having a power meter makes riding in wind more fun. Sure your average speed goes down, but average Watts...?




I'm kind of a sissy when it comes to riding in rain, not because of any personal discomfort, but riding in rain is like riding through a highly carcinogenic atmosphere from your bicycle's perspective--it can drastically shorten the lifespan of every component, every place where metal meets metal, and god-only-knows what kind of substances have been collecting down on the road that get splashed up and become more corrosive when combined with water. Some people joke, "Your bike won't melt."
True, but the drivetrain will wear out faster, all metal surfaces will oxidize faster, and it's a PITA to clean your bike after riding in the rain.
Happily I live in North San Diego County and rain is a pretty rare event here.

Wind, no contest.

For me, I'd have to say wind. Although I've done it, I'm not a fan of "big wind" rides.

I don't mind riding in the rain, as long as it's not a thunderstorm type of downpour. Drizzle to light rain I can deal with.

Hills.

my body shape is odd, short legs long torso - like a sail on top.
Would depending upon win or hill conditions- usually would rather pedal up hill than into the wind.
down hill and tail winds are both good.
Rain I can take or leave depending upon the temperature and accompanying wind or hill.

head wind, and to op, if I didn't ride in 5 mph winds, I would never get to ride.

Either can be prohibitive. But I prefer to stay dry here in Montana as the weather can change fast. I can ride all day in either light wind or rain.. but never in a downpour unless I really have to be somewhere. Heavy winds have never stopped me.. unless they reach over 50mph. That can get a bit sketchy when it gusts sideways and pushes you. Plus all the sh%t it carries with it smacking you in the face.

Wind without any doubt!

To begin with I simply do not ride in the rain. Second while my LWB bent is bothered less by the wind, if it is really windy I take my trike. It has less drag in the wind and is safer. If the wind is blowing you toward the driving lane the trike is far less affected.

If you live in the plains states, if you dont ride on windy days, you will not get in much riding.

Yeah, 5 mph is barely a breeze. Barely will move a flag. I couldn't fly my micro RC airplane in 5 mph winds and I would see it being tossed around everywhere, but couldn't even feel the wind.

10 mph winds you will feel. 15 mph wind will begin to affect you. 20 mph wind will start to hamper your ability to go forward. 25 will seriously put a stop to your forward movement.

I don't encounter wind that will slow me down to working my tail off downhill just trying to maintain 8 mph very often. That really sucks. I'd put 20 mph wind as really sucks and 15 mph wind as sucks but easily doable.

Rain is the same. There is rain that is no problem, then there is rain that really sucks. I don't have a problem in a slight drizzle, but if it's actually raining and getting the ground wet, I don't ride.

Two of the hardest days I have spent in the saddle were days that I rode all day into the wind for 80 or so miles. My favorite (and hardest) was a 80 mile \ day going through western North Dakota straight into a strong wind and there are hills in the western part of the state.

In North Texas, I can usually avoid rain and I do. Wind is a given most of the time and I've gotten used to 15 mph. Around 20 mph wind and I'm beginning to think there are better things to do. Gusting crosswinds can really take the fun out of a ride.

Wind, rain, and hills are a fact of life here in the Northwest.

The only thing that concerns me is when the wind hits 20+ mph due to the possibility of windfalls and widow makers.

This, for me pretty well sums it up. I have been on rides when the temperature was over 90 degrees and the humidity was so thick you could see the air part as you moved through it; on those rides I prayed for rain.

I'm surprised how many prefer rain to wind. I usually ride by feel so my power doesn't change much in the presence of a headwind, I just go slower. When I have a tailwind, however, it feels different on the pedals and I generally pedal harder. At speeds above 45kph it feels like I'm pedaling normally but I'll glance down and see my cadence up at 105 but it feels like 90.

I get plenty of rain commuting in the winter and there's nothing pleasant about riding in the dark at 3C with rain. Seldom get rain from now until Oct.

Since November we've had well over 6' of rain and that always comes with wind. Winds of 10-13 mph no longer bother me as like beach riding never has wind right? It's either on your ass (good) or in your face. Rain makes soft sand firm up so that's cool too. But right now it's 46 degrees F at 93% humidity with a bit of wind. That's like riding in a sauna. And when you stop for any length of time it switches to a refrigerator. Can't win. Only keep riding.

A Weather front is a difference in air pressure .. so We can tell its going to rain because its windy first , on the Coast.

If I hated rain I wouldnt live here ..


I bought a House for Cheap from someone who missed the 115 degree summer weather,

in Fresno Cal. & hated the rain .