MNBikeCommuter

We were on that same stretch 2-3 years ago and it was the worst stretch of the week! :-) I don't think it was as severe as what you rode through, but the wind plus the rollers sure took a toll on many riders.

If you're interested in riding CANDISC again, this is the 25th and final year of it. Oil traffic making the more scenic routes off limits, aging riders and fewer of them, lack of volunteers, more difficulty in getting host communities, problems finding groups to host rest stops, etc., have taken a toll. The route is to Devils Lake and back.

indyfabz

How sad. I have a two-week tour planned for MT and ID starting in June and I want to do another week long tour of my own in September so I don't know if I can make it, but I will look into it. Our little group of 13 camped in Minnewaukan back in '99 while crossing the country. The lake was still off in the distance back then, but some flooding had already started.

Stadjer

Not really. It's not fun when head on, but 4-5 Beaufort is very common where I live, that's between 13-24 mph. Not every day, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was more than 60 days a year. 7 Beaufort, 32- 38 mph, it's getting hard to make progress, but dangerous I would consider gusts over 55 mph. Mainly because of small branches and other objects that weren't properly secured.

Yendor72

I don't race either, but I do like to do tours and 1 day fun rides. I live in a very flat part of the US, so the wind is one of my riding partners. When I go on a tour that has lots of hills, you better believe that I have to train for them. I know I have a very long hill coming this year with upwards of 12% grade. If you think I can just ride when its nice and overcome that, well you believe in me more than I do.

2manybikes

I don't care about the wind much anymore, I just ride. It makes you stronger if you do it all the time. I don't like side gusts that almost blow me over. Rode through a violent snow quall last Friday. Gusts would come from different directions and I would have to brace myself against the gusts. No traffic near by, but I find that annoying. Headwinds I just ride. Had a lot of first gear pedaling home that day. If you just shift down and ride along, it's not a big deal

Dave Cutter

I've read enough of your posts, Machka... to know your a highly experienced and skilled rider. So when I read your post (#25) here yesterday I decided since today was predicted to be windy... I'd take your advice and give it a try.

Today was to be cooler and windy in the morning... with warmer temperatures and higher winds in the afternoon. I decided to split the difference and head out around 11am. I selected a short (10 mile) errand I needed to run by car or bike anyway. It was still cool with moderate 16 MPH (25KPH?) wind.... with gusts at about 25MPH. (The gusts made the difference!)

I took it easy, rode slow in the wind, then stood and pedaled my rear off when the wind was at my back... or shielded by hills. I soon realized that these "faster riding breaks" that allowed me to make up time and lost ground when less affected by the wind.... seemed a lot like riding intervals. I hadn't thought about how much fitter than myself you are (Machka). But I enjoyed the challenge.

I saw a few trash barrels set out for the garbage truck to pick-up... had blown over and liberated their contents. A few beer cans, pizza boxes, and one bouncing milk jug that crossed the road in front of me. But nothing seemed particularly dangerous.

Of all the rides I've ever ridden... I regret none of them. I enjoyed todays ride as well. Machka's advice is good. I am sure I'll get in more riding on windy days now! Thank you for posting.

Aidoneus

Pretty sustained winds near 30 mph, with gusts in excess of 55 mph, is too much for me today! Experienced those conditions once before, will never deliberately do it again.

Hypno Toad

+1

If your riding for pleasure and pleasure alone, don't feel the need to ride in the wind. On the other hand, if you ride competitive events or even riding large organized rides (gran fondo rides), riding on windy days is required training.

I like to ride gravel grinders; for example, the 2016 Almanzo 100 had 20 mph winds all day, and out in the middle of farm fields, there's no shelter, so you need to know how to ride in the wind.

I target days like today to ride for training. Minneapolis has winds at 20-30 mph and gusts over 40 mph (BTW - temps are 25F to 30F). This give me the chance to work on bike-handling in the cross winds and getting aero into the head winds. Today's 27-mile ride had the wind at my back to start, but the last 13 miles were straight into this wind. Today's ride is filed under: character-building.

And I feel kinda wimpy watching the Paris-Nice this week, the first two stages have been BRUTAL conditions.

canklecat

Reminds me, there's a segment on a favorite rural ride that baffled me for awhile.

Whenever I'd ride it on windy days it felt like someone had shoved my wheel sideways. It was such a bizarre sensation I'd look down at the ground to see if the asphalt was undulating or warped into a weird shape. Nope. But it always occurred in the same place, a crest between a couple of long gradual downhill slopes.

Finally, one day, I had a flat as I reached that crest. I got off the bike and noticed a strong breeze around my ankles. I only noticed because I was wearing low top shoes and anklet socks. I reached down with my hand and it literally felt like that wind was confined to a layer less than 6" above the pavement. So on windy days it was even stronger right at the ground, enough to make the wheels feel like they were being nudged or shoved sideways.

Just a quirk of that terrain, all open rolling prairie.

coominya

lol: No I can see the sense in that. There are degrees of exercise, levels one can choose, but it looks in your case you don't have much choice. I get about one windy day in 10 or less and even on those days it's relatively mild in the early hours of the morning. When I go up hills I know what I'm in for and it's balanced by the nice fast flat stretches down on the flats. I have been caught out a few times pushing home into a headwind, peddling at 5 km/h, and it takes all the fun out of it. I have never toured though which is a whole other ball game.

coominya

Originally Posted by coominya
Training for what? Very few here are into competitive racing. Windy days suck, I wouldn't bother unless I had to.


I will go down and have a read in the touring subforum. I have never considered touring, there is more to this than I thought. Thanks.

Machka 

Glad I could help.

It was something I kind of stumbled on doing long rides in Manitoba.

I had been trying to push hard into the wind and would totally exhaust myself, then I'd have to rest when there was a break from the wind, and I just wore myself out and it was no fun at all.

Then one day I switched my approach. No matter how hard you push against the wind, you're not really going to make much more of an advance, but if you just relax as much as you can it becomes less of an incredibly frustrating effort. I try to focus on relaxing my shoulders and arms especially.

The best part was when I was riding with groups using this approach (not pacelines, just general groups). The moment a small break in the wind would come, while they were all resting, I'd push it ... and next thing I knew, I'd be a couple hundred metres up the road from them. Next break, and I'd extend my lead another couple hundred metres, and so on.

It also gives me something to think about rather than just cursing the wind. I'm watching for potential breaks. That large truck coming up from behind ... will it provide a momentary tailwind? If so, I'm ready! That small grove of trees over there should provide a break for a moment. That fence looks tall enough ... that building ... the upcoming curve in the road ...

It's almost like I'm hunting the breaks!!

It's still difficult, and there are times where it's unrelenting and breaks are really hard to find, but sometimes it can actually be a bit of fun.

Machka 

Some of us are into ultradistance cycling ... timed long distance events ... audax/randonneuring/24-hour time trials and similar.

That's where my interest lies, with an interest in touring to a slightly lesser extent.

On an audax/randonneuring event, you have to ride a designated route on a designated day no matter what the weather (unless the weather is exceptionally dangerous). So I'm out there facing whatever comes along. Thankfully, a lot of the rides are good. Some have a mix of good and bad. And some are just slogs.

But in preparation for these events, we ride long and short rides in all sorts of conditions ... wind, hills, rain, etc. etc.


There might be some rides in your area: https://www.audax.org.au/public/index.php

Gaelen

Fixed, I only get on here via smartphone, so, I didn't realize I could do all that.

Also, great advice, Machka! I've been powering through as best I can, but, I will definitely be using your strategies/philosophy to fine tune my windy riding.

locolobo13 

Here the afternoon winds are usually 5-10 mph or less. Add that to a generally flat terrain, warm dry weather and it's pretty easy riding around here. To me a 10 mph headwind is very difficult.

The only thing I change on a rec ride ts to try to ride into the wind starting out so going home will be with the wind. The real goal would be to ride out with the wind, wait for the swing and ride home with the wind. Doesn't always work out. I'll try Machka's advice next time.

jefnvk

Yep, there is plenty one can train for other than racing! Can't pretend that I am actually that devoted that I have a training regiment, but I realized that the weather the past few days has been very similar to conditions I can expect on a tour I am doing this summer, so I saw it as an opportunity to go out and try out some clothing and riding.

I pretty much learned if I have do deal with a 30MPH headwind for more than 5 miles, I'm fairly screwed Then again, I also learned that perhaps a bigger issue than the headwind is small debris that gets tossed everywhere. Finally, Machka's advice, while seemingly simple, is quite brilliant!

Dave Cutter

We have a fair share of rain around here. And I tend to get a little stir crazy if I can't get out for some sort of a ride. The other day... before the rain stopped and the wind blew in... I considered buying a helmet cover and breaking out a poncho.

If you find a thread where tips for riding in the rain would fit.... I'll be looking for it. I've ridden in the (summer) rain storms a few times.

Machka 

Good quality waterproof breathable jackets with long pit zips help.

ClydeTim

So you are saying that your relaxed pace into the wind is as fast as those who are pushing into the wind? Then when the wind breaks, you have enough energy to sprint away? I'm impressed!

Unless you are riding with groups that do 9+ hour centuries?

Machka 

The groups I'm referring to weren't trying to race or anything, and they might have been riding casually/relaxed too ... just not taking advantage of the wind breaks. And actually, relaxing into the wind doesn't necessarily mean you're riding at a significantly slower speed.

Just that on a few occasions, I kind of got into the zone of relaxing into the wind, and taking advantage of every wind break ... and then looked back to see where everyone was and discovered they were some distance back.

DrIsotope

A commonly covered segment I ride, where it is rarely calm, often windy, and sometimes very windy.

Distance: 2.2mi
Lowest Elev: 1,788ft
Highest Elev: 2,049ft
Elev Difference: 260ft

Not windy: 13.7mi/h 140bpm 233W - 9:56
Windy: 11.1mi/h 134bpm 248W - 12:20
WINDY: 7.2mi/h 130bpm 226W - 18:53

Wind is terrible.

coffeesnob

My riding is for pleasure and to be engaged in physical activity that gets my heart rate up and weight down. I agree the wind does help with exertion but to me it's not enjoyable.

EnjoyinTheRide

Winds kicked up to 60 mph gusts yesterday...We have had real high winds lately around here. It doesnt stop the city commuters lol

Tombaatar

I change my commute route if windy. Stay off bayou MUPS and ride neighborhoods. Over 17 will skip weekend joy ride.

AlmostTrick

So my method of doubling down on the power and quickly wasting myself might not be the most effective technique after all?


Thanks, Machka!