rousseau

For me, it's wind. Even more than cold. Today here in southern Ontario we've had winds of up to 70 km/h for the whole day. I went out at 4:00 pm but I didn't have the drive to push into it, so I gave up after about 20 minutes. Tomorrow's supposed to be the same.

Sure, I like coming home on a mean tailwind, that's loads of fun, but it seems to me that you need to be up for heavy headwinds to really get the best of them.

VanceMac

Agree on the wind. A close second might be rough pavement (constant, deep cracks; potholes; extremely gnarly chipseal; or otherwise overly rough). Just sucks all the joy out of it for me.

Soloist Assassin

Getting hit by cars. Closely followed by extreme wind.

iced_theater

Wind does suck, unfortunately it's windy here 90-95% of the time.

KyleKranz

Worst thing ever, taking a wrong turn and riding 5 miles with a tailwind 3/4th the way through your century only to have the road turn to gravel in every direction but behind you. Do you go forward not knowing how far the gravel goes...or turn around and do 5 more miles into the wind?

Machka 

Wind doesn't bother me much.

Hills used to bother me a lot, but I'm getting better at them ... climbing isn't bad and I'm working on the descending.

Bad roads are annoying. I'd have to say they bother me more than wind or hills. Roads with potholes are fine because I can just dodge the potholes, but I'd have to say that the ones which bother me the most are the ones with the very regular cracks where you're bumping over a jarring crack every 2 seconds. I paralyzed both hands on a 600K on roads like that once.

Going off course on my own is frustrating, but when it is my fault, I've got no one to blame but myself, and so I look at it is as a chance to ride a few more miles.

But the one that irritates and discourages me the most is when I do an organized ride, and the ride organizers give me an inaccurate map and cue sheet. There I am, in a part of the world I've never been before ... with a map and cue sheet that don't match anything going on around me.

I did a ride like that in 2005, and DNF'd because I'd had enough. I struggled through the ride because of various organizational errors, and finally ended up standing at an intersection with my map and cue sheet in hand wondering where in the world I was. Nothing matched. Just then one of the SAG vehicles pulled up beside me and asked if I needed help. I showed him my map and cue sheet, and asked where I was. He looked at them (and it appeared as though it was the first time he had seen the event map and cue sheet), handed them back to me, and said, "These are based on how the road system through here was in 2001 when we last ran this event. Everything has changed since then." He was kind enough to point me in the right direction ... but I pulled out of the event at the next control. It was just too discouraging to know that I could be heading out into the Californian desert at night, by myself ... with inaccurate information.

ggg300

multiple same day flats

Tourmalet

Yes, chilly wind that cuts right through to my skin. Ugh. It's never stopped me, but it can be discouraging and it can make it tempting to turn around and go back home.

stapfam

Wind is a problem but I ride in it- Rain is nasty but I ride in it-BUT rain and wind and I'll be doing other things.

patentcad

Incorrect.

Wind blows.

CARBON4EVER

you get stronger riding against the wind. That is why you see so many pics of pros training inside a wind tunnel.

patentcad

This member should be banned.

roadwarrior

Well...that might be the funniest post I've read in a long time, but it is another reason why there should be breathilizers on computers.

Jesse M

hey, at least you gave up at 4:20.

Da Tinker

Wind is just part of life. How you deal with it defines your character.



However, since I live on the southeast side of town, I do despise a northwest wind. I'd much rather head out into the wind, rather than have to work against it on the return leg.




So what does that say about me?

roadfix

No Starbucks.

MONGO!

Spare tube with a leaky valve

kergin

A warped/un-true wheel combined with brake rub. Wind is... wind - suck it up OP, Toronto always has a vicious west->east wind.

mimis

flatulence and heartburn...near suffocation to me. Destroy almost 10% of my rides.
Nothing else affects me so bad. Also mechanical issues i can't fix on the spot are like an evil companion to me.
wind,rain,fatigue,saddle sores i can deal with or sometimes even enjoy (bad weather)

grahny

arthritis

patentcad

This member should also be banned.

Voodoo76

Have the GF/Wife/Life Partner give you a ride 30 mi upwind or so, and have a fun ride home.

Boudicca

Except, of course, when it's east-west.

Boudicca

Have the BF/husband/life partner give you a ride 100 miles upwind, and have the easiest century ride of your life.

dgasmd

I would have to say 3 things in this order:

1. Very rough and crappy roads. It sucks the joy out of it for me.
2. Very strong winds. I live in coast South Florida, so that is a daily battle for me, especially since a large part of the riding around here takes place in front of the beach roads. I guess this may get me banned..............
3. Drivers that pass you as close as humanly possible without actually hitting you when there is no other car coming in the other direction and there is more than one lane. If human stupidity could glow, the sun would be a very dark place in this solar system............ I just hate people I guess. Love humanity, but hate people..............