Wind
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Any wind consistently over 20 is often more trouble than I think it's worth. Still, if I really feel for a ride, I'll go out in anything that doesn't feel outright unsafe (30+ gusts can be scary when you're near traffic).
If the weatherman says 15-25 mph winds, that about the norm for where I live, I can deal with that amount of wind, if it's not cold. When you start talking about 25-35mph or higher, forget able it. I rode home one time last year into Gale Force winds that they say were over 40 mph. It took me 1 hour and 47 minutes to ride 16 miles, which was about 45 minutes more than most days. But, I got a good workout. The hardest part was getting over the bridge back into the city I lived at that time. I had to stand up most of the 16 miles to get what little speed I could get on my singlespeed bike. I was sore for about 3 days.
krindog44 said:
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26-30 mph wind is too much for me. I don't enjoy riding into strong wind, but a tailwind of that magnitude would be a lot of fun.krindog44 said:
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Wind schmind . . .
But now unless it's wet out, I'm going riding. Sure the wind sucks, but it makes you stronger and forces you to handle your bike well (which, as a converted mountain biker, I must say hat this is something most roadies could work on). But the most important thing is that even a bad, wind-blown, and hard ride is better than none at all. Plus, some of those arduous days make the best memories.
I live in Boulder, where it's often quite windy. I've had days were I've had to absolutely crawl downhills or have flown up steep walls in a 53 x 13. When I started, I'd often head to the gym or the coffee shop on those days when even well-trimmed grass is laying flat against the Earth because it's blowing so hard.mohair_chair said:
But now unless it's wet out, I'm going riding. Sure the wind sucks, but it makes you stronger and forces you to handle your bike well (which, as a converted mountain biker, I must say hat this is something most roadies could work on). But the most important thing is that even a bad, wind-blown, and hard ride is better than none at all. Plus, some of those arduous days make the best memories.
20+mph headwind going home now through August
You can dodge the wind here by riding early in the day, but it comes up like clockwork every afternoon from mid-spring through late summer. I have a pleasant 12-mile cruise to work, with a drop of about 600 feet elevation, takes me 40 minutes or so. Coming home into the wind it can take 1:10-1:20, and you pedal every inch of it. Given a choice, I'd cut it off at about 15mph, but you can't ride after about 1 p.m. if you do that. If it's going to be sustained more than about 20-25, I drive and ride the beater at lunch.
You can dodge the wind here by riding early in the day, but it comes up like clockwork every afternoon from mid-spring through late summer. I have a pleasant 12-mile cruise to work, with a drop of about 600 feet elevation, takes me 40 minutes or so. Coming home into the wind it can take 1:10-1:20, and you pedal every inch of it. Given a choice, I'd cut it off at about 15mph, but you can't ride after about 1 p.m. if you do that. If it's going to be sustained more than about 20-25, I drive and ride the beater at lunch.
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I don't let the wind bother me. I just ride anyway. I suppose I'd make an exception if they got >35mph, but that's pretty rare. Otherwise...I just go out & ride. I rode to work today, as usual. On the way home I was headed into the wind, and it was pretty stiff. Sustained 26mph with gusts to 35+. There were some spots when I was going 11-12 mph. It was kind of fun. Builds strength. Builds character.
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You have the road and the wind
I agree, wind is part of the ride so enjoy it. I take the opportunity on really windy days to ride the waterfront, especially if it's kind of cold. Of course I dress for it. Then you really know you are out on the bike. We're not watching TV here you know.Mr. Versatile said:
just walked in the door from a 41 mile ride, 20.5 miles out, 20.5 back, beeline.
26mph constant with high 30s gusts.
Every other day in Illinois is that... it's funny, a lot of illinois riders (er. central illinois. wont speak for chicagoans and southern illinoisans cuz i dunno) are actually decent climbers, cuz 2 hours into a 25mph headwind is a very sick simulation of a hill... i'd go as far as to say that today's ride was harder than climbing mt mitchell in NC.
-estone2
26mph constant with high 30s gusts.
Every other day in Illinois is that... it's funny, a lot of illinois riders (er. central illinois. wont speak for chicagoans and southern illinoisans cuz i dunno) are actually decent climbers, cuz 2 hours into a 25mph headwind is a very sick simulation of a hill... i'd go as far as to say that today's ride was harder than climbing mt mitchell in NC.
-estone2
I hit the same 26-30 mile winds that krindog did earlier in the day when they were still in ohio- Went out at 63 degrees and sunny with a small tailwind. 17 miles later (after taking a cruise around the LBS) I walked outside and the temp had dropped considerably and it was sprinkling. Gusts coming from the sides at that speed in traffic are pretty hairy and I had one that took me from 15 to 5 miles an hour in 10 seconds. On the way down the long, smooth hill to my house I fell 9 MPH short of my last descent. Logged onto weather.com after the ride and the temp was 44 degrees. I'll just say that the last 7.5 miles were a character experience.
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wind is super demoralizing when you are trying to work on your confidence in decending. try telling yourself you'll be fine zipping down hills when the wind bounces you all over the road.....yeah, builds character alright. though i do feel better now. talk about tough love from the weather gods...
edit: crosswind that is
edit: crosswind that is
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when I am out, just for a ride to bury miles..I typically head into the wind with the intent to be able to turn and ride with a tail-wind on the way home...but tell me why...how....do the wind-gods know when you turn 180 and head back, to shift as well?...Here, in WI it always seems to do that!
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I'm trying to think of a day when I biked with out wind. Trainer.
I think the worst ride I have experenced was this winter...I left home, it was 40 and barly no wind, I turned around after 1 hour. It took me 2 hours to get back (25 miles). It rained the whole way back, but then it hailed for the last 5 miles. I felt like I was going to die..the hail on spandex, sub 30's weather in a flash... gusts of wind that day must have been around 40+ mph!... I think this was the end of January this winter, around Montpelier, VT.
I think the worst ride I have experenced was this winter...I left home, it was 40 and barly no wind, I turned around after 1 hour. It took me 2 hours to get back (25 miles). It rained the whole way back, but then it hailed for the last 5 miles. I felt like I was going to die..the hail on spandex, sub 30's weather in a flash... gusts of wind that day must have been around 40+ mph!... I think this was the end of January this winter, around Montpelier, VT.
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'bout this time...say 2 years ago, the first warm day of the new season and ALL I wanted to do was ride...HOWEVER...the "light breeze" as they called it was blowing steady at 30 to 35 and gusting to almost 50. NOT your ideal conditions! I decided to drive south to my daughter's house and park and ride back, It was a 22 miles ride with the wind at my back...I could get the car later! I live about 8 miles from Trek in Waterloo, so I saw a lot of riders banging into the wind on the way down there. I REALLY felt kinda sorry for them. The ride home was a hoot...There where a few spots, since the roads are not anywhere NEAR straight that I had a pretty nasty/dangerous cross-wind. About 1/2 way home I saw a rider about a 1/2 mile ahead of me. I started hammering. I caught him pretty fast and recognized him as an "into the wind" rider I had seen earlier. I announced my presence so as not to startle him and blasted past him going UP-HILL at about 30 mph! (Gotta love the tail-wind thing) In his defense he was probably faster and stronger than I was but I was fresh! He disappeared into the distance in my mirror and I rounded a turn to catch a crosswind gust! OOOOPS....alright...still in control..I gingerly reached over to tap a button on my computer to change modes and it popped off....hit my foot and I kicked it into the ditch. Well given the crosswind, I was REAL careful slowing and stopping, the last thing I wanted was to be in the ditch too. I spent a good 20 minutes looking for the computer but there was enough fresh, lush weed growth to have lost it forever. I was not nearly as upset about losing the computer as losing the data for what whould have undoubtably been the fastest 20 miles of my life...(even wind assisted...lol...I'll take it (and yes, I would qualify the story with the wind assisted explanation))
Got home in record time!...whatever it was...'cause I don't wear a watch when I ride (mine rattles)
Got home in record time!...whatever it was...'cause I don't wear a watch when I ride (mine rattles)
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I hate it when that happens.Touch0Gray said:
Sometimes, I like to just try to ride with the wind at my back and then call my wife to come get me after a couple of hours.
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only called for a ride once in my life
not that sure my wife would want me back....till the past due notices came in the mail........if she opened the mail....lol
I called her once, the sky turned black...lightning cracking all around me...I'm riding across a ridge.....and she got there in time to see the rainbow and sunshine...then she told me how busy she had been when I called....
topflightpro said:
not that sure my wife would want me back....till the past due notices came in the mail........if she opened the mail....lol
I called her once, the sky turned black...lightning cracking all around me...I'm riding across a ridge.....and she got there in time to see the rainbow and sunshine...then she told me how busy she had been when I called....
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