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Strategies for Combating and Using Wind

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Strategies for Combating and Using Wind

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Old 05-19-15 | 10:35 AM
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Old 05-19-15 | 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by MagicHour
Practice riding in the drops, i.e. on every ride every so often try to spend 5:00 in the drops, then work up to 10 then 15 min etc. When you can comfortably do that for periods at a time, try lowering the bars a spacer or 2. You can also try bending elbows and getting low on the hoods like the pros do:
Want to ride faster? Hunker down on the hoods, say researchers | road.cc
.
Thanks [MENTION=351444]MagicHour[/MENTION] that report is very useful and I'll try that trick today! But I did read the entire report and it noted that even short Aero bars are better, so I may try that option since I do get sore wrists
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Old 05-19-15 | 10:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Machka
Ride easy into the wind. Don't push too hard. Spin as much as you can. Conserve your energy. Settle in and just ride.
Originally Posted by practical
The biggest damage wind does is to the ego. It can slow you down by 5 mph or more. What if you decide that speed doesn't matter?
This. You can't combat the wind, he's stronger than you and always wins. Better consider him your friend, he helps you train your body and mind.
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Old 05-19-15 | 10:56 AM
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Corn will also turn a quartering wind into a tailwind or headwind.....puzzled me the first time I ran into that :-).
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Old 05-19-15 | 11:26 AM
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HTFU

Other than that, I spend a lot more time in the "hunker down in the hoods" position (elbows bent, forearms horizontal to the road) or in the drops/hooks. I also spend a lot more time wearing my "I'm tired" face.
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Old 05-19-15 | 11:57 AM
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Wind is miserable... Intervals are miserable... I have just been killing two birds with one stone on windy days by riding intervals into the wind. I push myself to the max on interval days so wind does not make it any worse.
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Old 05-19-15 | 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Inpd
Any other suggestions?
Short of putting up a sail? I like caloso's idea.
Originally Posted by caloso
Get skinny, get low.
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Old 05-19-15 | 04:35 PM
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This is more psychological, but it helps me: on my Garmin, I have a screen just for use in headwinds that displays all of the data I like to view regularly, except for speed-- I switch to this aforementioned screen when I realize I'm in a headwind. I then pick a heart rate (or power level, if you have a power meter), and just stick to that in the wind. That way I'm not demoralized by looking at the speed on the Garmin.
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Old 05-19-15 | 07:47 PM
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On really windy days if possible plan your ride out into the wind an back with a tailwind. That way if you over cook it a bit into the wind it's not a death march home. And it gives you something to look foreword too as you are grinding it out into the wind.

The suggestion above regarding a screen with no speedo is a really good one. For intervals, and heavy winds I change to a screen with just Time, Power and Cadence (Joule GPS).
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Old 05-19-15 | 09:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Machka
Ride easy into the wind. Don't push too hard. Spin as much as you can. Conserve your energy. Settle in and just ride.
This.

Also, do not display speed on your computer since what you see can only depress you. Instead, display the odometer since it only gives good news. And ignore the TT suggestions. A decent 'bent is far more aero, much better for distance, and will handle better. This is one of mine...

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Old 05-20-15 | 09:20 AM
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This looks like a tremendous amount of fun.

(But personally, I wouldn't be caught dead in cycling attire. Next to NASCAR jackets and hats it's amongst the most hideous clothing I've seen.)
Originally Posted by banerjek

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Old 05-20-15 | 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by YouthInAsia
This looks like a tremendous amount of fun.

(But personally, I wouldn't be caught dead in cycling attire. Next to NASCAR jackets and hats it's amongst the most hideous clothing I've seen.)
Your NASCAR-themed cycling jersey is in the mail.

Seriously, that's your loss. You're on the road forum so the assumption is you have some interest in riding road bikes. We don't wear spandex because it looks fashionable, we wear it because it wicks sweat, minimizes drag, provides padding on the bum, conveniently accessible storage, ect. If you're worried about how other people perceive you were you to wear cycling attire, you're artificially hobbling your enjoyment of the ride IMO. A passing motorist doesn't give a hoot if you're in a loose cotton T and baggy shorts vs. lycra, but your butt certainly notices the difference.
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Old 05-20-15 | 09:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan333SP
Your NASCAR-themed cycling jersey is in the mail.
Great. With extra color? Haha! :-)

Originally Posted by Dan333SP
Seriously, that's your loss. You're on the road forum so the assumption is you have some interest in riding road bikes. We don't wear spandex because it looks fashionable...
I hear ya. I've now been properly chastised. (hanging my head low)
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Old 05-20-15 | 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by YouthInAsia
Great. With extra color? Haha! :-)


I hear ya. I've now been properly chastised. (hanging my head low)
Your thread awaits:

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...g-jerseys.html
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Old 05-20-15 | 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by practical
The biggest damage wind does is to the ego. It can slow you down by 5 mph or more. What if you decide that speed doesn't matter? What if you find something else rewarding about biking other than going as fast as you can?

^^^ this is where a power meter help! I just maintain a specific power output regardless of speed. Plus it is a mental hurdle as well.

personally I love riding into the wind, get into the drops, keep the cadence high and maintain a certain wattage. On group rides I love pulling into the wind. There is no better feeling than when the group says "slow down you are dropping us".
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Old 05-20-15 | 11:40 AM
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I'm going to pretend like I didn't see that. Ouch.
Originally Posted by Dan333SP
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Old 05-20-15 | 11:53 AM
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The non-cycling jersey cycling jersey: Alexander Julian Power Plaid II Short Sleeve Jersey

Just got mine in the mail yesterday (and I realize I paid $10 more because I missed the sale!)
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Old 05-20-15 | 12:10 PM
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Ride early in the morning - often the wind doesn't pick up until 9-10.00. Make sure the wind is behind you on the homeward leg.
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