I know we all want to ride when there is no wind, but here in the flatlands the wind blows hard. I noticed that today the killer 18-25 mph wind from the north was bad. I worked hard to go about 15 mph into it for the first half right into the wind 18.5 miles out. Then I did the turn around and what fun it was to smoke along at 20-30 mph the 2nd half of the ride. In some ways I almost enjoy this as much as a good calm day since around here we have no hills to get speeds up higher than 30 without some heavy crank turning. Still can't really get going real fast I am have limited abilities on the bike this wind makes it easier.

I went out last week on a calm day and average better overall but never really got the speed up to what I did on my return trip today. I guess as long as it does not suddenly change direction that is good.

Anyone else have this experience?

I've actually sensed a tail wind cause me to gain speed.. Side winds scare the hell out of me..

Well, sometimes wind can help, except crosswinds, those suck. However, at one point, I remember riding with a tail wind, and it was enough to match the speed I was going, and it was like the two winds cancelled out, and all I felt was the summer heat, it wasnt fun

Today it was 46 degrees no problem with heat.

No.. I'll take my hills over wind any damn day.

My worst bonk came on a windy, 90 degree day on a 50 mile out and back. It was a headwind on the way out and I worked way too hard, didn't hydrate or eat enough and was exhausted at the turn-around but looking forward to "runnin' with the wind". With 15 miles to go I sensed I was in trouble. I had tried to drink and eat too much to compensate for the outbound and started feeling sick. I stopped three times to find shade and would just sit there on the ground with my head between my knees. Miserable.

Now, if I realize there's going to be a wind, I change routes or I ride more sensibly into the headwind. Wind is ok...as long as you can adapt.

No.

Problem is the time differential. Let's say you have a straight out and back route. Wind's blowing 20mph steady in your face on the way out. So you're grinding away at burn threshold and you're only going 14 mph.

Now you reach the turnaround and suddenly you can go 28 mph with very little effort.

But it doesn't compensate. The reason is that you spent twice as long grinding into the wind as you do getting a big boost on the way in.

Make mine a calm day for riding.

Headwinds almost killed me while I was doing my 50-mile loop yesterday morning. There's really no better demotivator than being already exhausted but still trying to maintain a good speed on a flat section, and a sudden gust of headwind makes you feel like you are about to stall. And as soon as you regain your pace another one comes to slows you down again.

Headwind is my greatest obstacle. You always hope that it's on your back if your coming back the same route. I've actually gone miles out of my way to avoid the wind, then it can be side to side, oh well its all part
of biking.

Wind is awesome, as long as you're not set in your route : )

On a windy day I just grind away into the wind for as long as I'm willing to put up with, then rocket all the way home in the high gear with the wind at my back!
(sucks though when the wind changes mid day, as happens often enough in the mountains)

Put in 65 miles in crazy wind yesterday. 23 mph, gusting to 29. Had either a headwind, or a head/crosswind for all but 6 miles of the ride. For the 6 miles I had the tail wind I soft pedaled it, pretending I was rotating to the back of the group (was riding solo) and was cruising along at 26 mph on the tops. At some points the wind was slowing me down to single digit speed, but it was usually letting me suffer along at 15 mph. I said screw getting aero, I sat up, hands on the tops and pretended I was climbing. In the end, I enjoyed it since we really can't climb here.

who has seen the wind ... well, i didn't see it yesterday, but the rain it was blowing was hitting my face at 45km/h with gusts to 65km/h. the headwind stretches, i was just crawling at my lactate threshold, maybe 17km/h the crosswinds were fun, getting blown into the lane or towards the ditch. i had a 10 km stretch of direct tailwind. held between 50-58 km/h which was glorious -- like motorpacing.

Do you like STD's with your sex?

It's worse than that, because the time issue is only half the problem.

The other half is a matter of vectors. Because you're moving forward, for most wind speed and most riding speeds, any crosswind is an effective headwind.

Thus, at least two thirds of wind directions are effective headwinds, and only a wind dead on your tail helps. There is a reason based in physics why it always feels that the wind hurts you more than helps.

We try to go riding after sunrise and before noon. 8am or so. Any later than that and the wind doubles up in speed. Once the water in the bay warms up its a windsurfers paradise.

I currently live in the flats so a headwind is the closest thing I have to a climb. I kind of look forward to the exercise. Have thought about even fixing up a drogue chute off my seat post for more resistance but decided that could be really bad if it caught in my rear wheel.

Like climbing, the only reason I look forward to a headwind is I know, if things don't change, I'll get a tailwind so I can really fly.

One of my local routes takes me around a really big military air field built on a marshy area. At the back end if the wind is from the west when you make the turn it can be awesome. Smooth asphalt and minimal traffic with a 25 mph+ tailwind is what I'm talking about. Getting pulled over by the MP's for speeding on a bike is one of those bittersweet things.

wind = Florida hills.

We don't get a lot of wind in the hot and humid summer, but the cool winters are usually breeze. Since it's do flat here, the wind adds a variable that makes each ride different.

At first I read this thread as, "Do you break wind when you ride"? I thought, hell yes!

But upon further review, I agree 100% with kyakdiver.

Hills > Wind : (as is) Allman Bros. > Skynyrd.

It's really no contest.

No. I hate riding on windy days.

Hills are optional. Wind is not. I like hills, but when I'm too tired for them I avoid them. Don't really have that option with wind.

I don't think I even remember what a tailwind feels like. All wind here seems to be either headwind or crosswind.
This.

Wind is the one thing in life that can suck and blow at the same time. And the more the wind blows the more it sucks.

When I used to live in Merced, this was normal for our group morning rides. We'd get a headwind heading out, but that headwind was steady such that on our way back it'd be our tailwind. So we'd do 20-25 going out but rocket back at 25-30. It was when the wind shifted during our rides as crosswinds was when things got definitely strange indeed.

like others have said, i only like wind when it's in my favor. especially when i get a tailwind off the front and the pack gets a head wind haha

When it is windy I always like to head out into the wind and ride home with a nice tailwind. I will sometimes alter my ride just to ensure this. I prefer to have to deal with a headwind in the first part of my ride and get the extra push and speed for the return home.

The wind can be awesome when you ride and it can also suck. We all dred about those uphills and the wind that forces you back but once you get to the top of that hill and stare at the horizon in front, and take off. That cooling wind can also be a relief. Plus if you learn to ride into the wind, you'll get much stronger and you'll crush the game.