Bike Forums - Head winds

Bike Forums (https://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php)

- General Cycling Discussion (https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/)

- - Head winds (https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/1090280-head-winds.html)

I'm into folding bikes with the multi-modal transport options being one of the reasons. In addition to doing loop routes, and double-back routes, I often like to take public transport out twice as far, and then ride straight back (or vice versa). It's nice to be able chose that direction to take advantage of elevation and/or prevailing winds :innocent:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarbo (Post 19226830)

I forgot to say, above, that what makes the agony of riding against strong winds all worth it, is that you get to ride the glorious tailwind back home. Then, you feel like a veritable god (Mercury?) on a bike! :)

I wish. In the morning when I ride to work there isn't any wind, but there is frequently a head wind (or at least angled from the west) on my way back home. The worst it does is slow me down though. After all, I have mountain bike gearing. Maybe I should move to the other side of Salem.

Years ago I was riding west into the wind while approaching a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. It was flat and treeless. I had to drop into the granny gear of my triple just to keep moving. I even had to pedal hard going down the bluff where usually I can coast at 30 mph. When I got home I found that the wind was 35 mph with gusts into the 50 mph range. I think that the wind coming up the bluff increased it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shipwreck (Post 19228768)

Had a couple of days respite from headwinds along the Katy trail, till almost to Clinton. On the Horizon was a line of black visibly moving toward me, and it was dead calm, almost dark. I was actually within sight of the overpass at the west end of the trail, about a mile and a half, and tried to beat the storm. Failed hard, a sudden wall of wind hit me, knocked me and the bike back onto the ground. Pushing the bike, I left the trail and crossed the road in a pitch black storm, aiming at a parking lot and building I could just see in all the lighting strikes. When I crossed into the lee of the building out of the wind I fell over again from leaning into the wind so far, just as the electricity in the area went out. Spent the next few hours huddled against the building in the dark, which happened to be a funeral home...

I do an organized ride of the entire Katy Trail every year. On odd-numbered years we start in St. Charles and ride west. Even years we start in Clinton and head east. The start from Clinton sells out much faster and it's more downhill and usually has the wind to our backs.

I too ride in Chicago area. Last March, wind from West actually blew me backwards. The bike did have (disk) brakes to boot! Brakes wouldn't hold me!

Being closer to the ground is a definite advantage. My lowracer makes me look like Superman(tm) because while headwinds slow me down too, they don't slow me down nearly as much as all of my buddies on 'taller' bikes.