Wind - Cross or head
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 87
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Wind - Cross or head
So, on a 60 mile solo ride, do you fight the headwind for 30 miles then ride the tailwind home or fight the cross wind for 60 miles.
And let's pick a 25 mph wind.
Marc
And let's pick a 25 mph wind.
Marc
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 376
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
if you got a disk wheel, it creates negative drag at high yaw angles, not sure how that affects the speed overall vs headwind then tailwind.
#4
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,641
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4739 Post(s)
Liked 1,533 Times
in
1,004 Posts
#5
Senior Member
I'd say first head wind and then tail wind home, but the wind would probably change direction on you.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 9,201
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1186 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
177 Posts
Personally, I'd take the tailwind. I enjoy riding fast and hard with a tailwind. Cross wind and headwind are different degrees of the same thing, you just go slower.
#7
staring at the mountains
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Castle Pines, CO
Posts: 4,560
Bikes: Obed GVR, Fairdale Goodship, Salsa Timberjack 29
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 394 Post(s)
Liked 197 Times
in
112 Posts
https://www.strava.com/activities/30...b09c4ee422851f
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Fort Worth Tx
Posts: 291
Bikes: 15 Fuji Altamira 2.0
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Headwind out and tailwind home.
My luck it usually changes and I get it both ways or I get a tail wind out and try to get a really good pace going and then contemplate veering into traffic on my way home riding into the headwind all gassed out.
My luck it usually changes and I get it both ways or I get a tail wind out and try to get a really good pace going and then contemplate veering into traffic on my way home riding into the headwind all gassed out.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Very N and Very W Ohio Williams Co.
Posts: 2,458
Bikes: 2001 Trek Multitrack 7200, 2104 Fuji Sportif 1.5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I'd rather take a head on wind the whole way than a cross wind where your exposure due to terrain and trees/buildings. Breaking out into the clear where the wind has a 1-2 mile shot at you after riding where your shielded can be pretty "interesting" :-).
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 87
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
After a ride on Sat I'm pretty sure the crosswind required more power than the head wind. Riding a steel bike ( Gucioutti ) w/36 hole wheels when I turned out of the headwind into the crosswind (direct ) - it pretty much ate my lunch. At that point I was 40 miles into the ride w/20 to go - wasn't a fun 20.....
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 87
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Toronto, CANADA
Posts: 6,204
Bikes: ...a few.
Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 409 Times
in
235 Posts
I'd ride the tailwind out and hope the wind changes directions when it's time to turn home, like maybe a cross wind instead. If not, well, it's going to be a miserable 30 miles.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Here in the Ill-inois...our roads mostly run N-S or E-W...and while we're not insanely windy like some places...we get out share (25mph is pretty common at times, especially out in the open.
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,040
Bikes: S-Works Tarmac, Nashbar CX, Trek 2200 trainer bike, Salsa Casseroll commuter, old school FS MTB
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 31 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
If you live somewhere flat you're almost always going to have a cross wind or a head wind. If I waited for a calm day I'd never ride.
#18
Senior Member
what kind of crazy person rides in a 25 mph wind? I would go backwards.
if you have a front quartering wind it is approximately half the value of a head wind depending on the degree of angle of the wind. If you have a side wind you have a theoretical 0 but you still have the wind resistance based on speed of the rider. Of course we all love tail winds and winds quartering from the rear.
I am a competitive shooter. All winds suck when you are shooting.
if you have a front quartering wind it is approximately half the value of a head wind depending on the degree of angle of the wind. If you have a side wind you have a theoretical 0 but you still have the wind resistance based on speed of the rider. Of course we all love tail winds and winds quartering from the rear.
I am a competitive shooter. All winds suck when you are shooting.
Last edited by RISKDR1; 06-09-15 at 07:11 AM. Reason: add
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 28,682
Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build
Mentioned: 109 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 58 Times
in
36 Posts
Here in the Ill-inois...our roads mostly run N-S or E-W...and while we're not insanely windy like some places...we get out share (25mph is pretty common at times, especially out in the open.
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
It's funny, if I ride out with the wind and turn around into it (as I did Sat), I'll tell myself "Well, time to get to work". If I find myself cursing the wind, I'll constantly tell myself "everyone does their time in the wind"...
It is demoralizing at times though...
That is the sound it makes just before it asplodes. #jussayin
#22
meh
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,704
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1111 Post(s)
Liked 1,013 Times
in
519 Posts
*or I could be doing a great job building my endurance.... but mostly, I'm an idiot.
#24
Senior Member
Here in the Ill-inois...our roads mostly run N-S or E-W...and while we're not insanely windy like some places...we get out share (25mph is pretty common at times, especially out in the open.
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
if I can get my way, I'll ride dead on into it, the come back with it. Better to get the help on the return. Not too many things are worse then blasting out 30+ miles only to turn around have have to grind the second half back home. With that said, I often ride in a large circle so I'll only spend 25% of the ride with the wind and 50% getting smacked around by it.
Lately, we've had the crappy chop winds, often from the SW heading NE...so with stick straight roads, you're never really "with" or "against" the wind...you're kind of half-ass getting smacked around by it in some way or another the entire time, it kind of sucks.
I have to say though...a strong back wind will really make you feel like a superstar. I love that speed and dead silence that happens. I'm not sure if it's just my frame, but that carbon has a constant hiss to it at speed that you can only hear with a backwind...
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 636
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
as a competitive outdoor shooter I need to read wind and estimate speed and angle all the time. I think most people over estimate wind velocity. I have had fellow shooters estimate wind speed at 20 mph when in fact my Kestral wind meter calls it at 8. Remember, if you are riding at 25 mph into a 0 wind you effectively have a 25 mph wind in your face. That is not that strong. If you rode into a 25 mph wind I think the average guy would have a hard time going 2 mph for more than a mile, maybe a lot less. Try going 5 mph into that 25 mph wind. That is equivalent to riding 30 mph.
I often go off of the trees or later in the season, the corn. If the corn is bending over, it's freaking windy. When the weather channel states wind @ 15mps with gusts over 20 and see the trees outside whipping all over the place...I know it's windy...