Dealing with headwinds while cycling!

Ugh, I'm calling it. Once I saw the snow starting to fall, I decided to just stick to a car and public transit combo. I've been getting soaked for the last few days, and now there's wind on top of it. Better to just wait for better weather.

Kate Roberts10 said:Man, the wind is absolutely howling out there. I'm stuck at work in Washington, D.C. right now, and I've got my bike with me. I have to head back home to San Jose around 8:00, and honestly? I’m dreading it. Instead of my usual 50-minute ride, this wind is definitely gonna push me well over an hour. Just great.👎

Nah, you're good. You basically have the wind at your back. 😁

I’ve pretty much mastered the art of dealing with the wind—as long as I stay focused on when those gusts are actually gonna hit. Honestly, most of the time I just tuck in behind a bus to catch a bit of a break.

Oh, by the way:

The first rule of cycling? Just ride. Seriously. said:Where were you even driving? It’s gonna feel like you're fighting an uphill battle against a headwind.

🙏

The wind just picked up at 3 PM!! 😠

It’s blowing right now, exactly when it was supposed to be warming up... and now there's snow🙂

And here I was, actually looking forward to spring😠

🙂:2up:

It's enough to drive you crazy...

Samuel Cruz61 said:The wind just kicked up at 3 PM!! 😠

Just when it finally feels warm enough to actually get out there, the wind picks up... and now there's snow. 🙂

And I was actually looking forward to spring. 😠

🙂:2up:

Real fun.

Today was actually a decent spring day, so I took advantage of it and went for a little ride (32 miles). It was pretty calm, almost zero wind—barely noticeable.

Also knocked out a nice 30-mile ride today—perfect weather for cycling, basically zero wind, no excuses left

I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about today's light, steady breeze, so I think I’ll actually go ahead and brave the commute on my bike tomorrow—even if the forecast isn't looking exactly spectacular right now.

So, I decided to bike into the office today, and man, I was absolutely freezing. I usually make sure to grab my beanie and gloves, but this morning was something else entirely because of that biting, icy wind chill.
At least we didn't have to deal with that massive storm that ripped through town last week!

Nathan Anderson44 said:I biked to work today and honestly, I'm frozen solid. Usually, I've got my hat and gloves ready to go, but this wind chill was on another level. It felt brutal.
At least we aren't dealing with that absolute monster of a storm from last week!

I was actually debating whether to ride in this morning myself, but I chickened out—and looking at how miserable it is, I definitely made the right call. Hopefully, the next few days look better for biking; if we can just dodge the rain and lose this biting wind, I might actually get back on two wheels.

Oh, please, spare me the baby talk about the weather. I remember one winter when we had a massive blizzard hitting the coast, and I actually rode my bike all the way to work through the snow...

So, I was biking home from work this past Friday night when I got slammed by a total blizzard and some insane wind gusts. It got so bad that I actually had to push my bike for a while because I was basically pedaling just to stay in the same spot—definitely wasn't my idea of a good time.🙄, honestly, I much prefer riding without the wind howling in my face or snow dumping down on me, especially during my daily commute.😁

So, I headed out this morning around 7:00, and honestly? It was actually pretty nice. 🤷 I made sure to bundle up with a hat, some gloves, and my leather jacket, 9.3 miles
But hey, at least the wind was at my back for once! 😁

wearyotter81 said:I actually headed out at 7 this morning and it wasn't even that bad 🤷 Just some gloves, a jacket, and leather, 9.3 miles
But hey, I had the wind at my back 😁

If the weather report hadn't mentioned a tailwind, you wouldn't have even thought about biking to work today!!😛

While I was out pedaling through some rolling hills in a small town in rural USA, I got hit by this incredible wind—it felt like a gale. For about 10 kilometers, I was just fighting these intense side gusts, but then everything changed when I finally turned to ride straight downwind... it was absolutely insane. My average speed hit about 60-40 miles/h according to my GPS. Honestly, I think it would've been even higher if I’d been on a dedicated road bike. It’s such a wild sensation... you're pedaling, but you're basically moving at the speed of the wind itself. At one point, I was clocking 42 miles/h, where all you can hear is the rush of the tires against the pavement. I held that pace for about 8.7 miles. I was riding from Purity Provo toward that small town in rural USA... and man, I think I've found my new favorite discipline: DW... DOWN WIND, haha!

So, when is the next big windstorm coming?

fadedskipper85 said:when I started heading downwind... absolutely insane...

So, when is the next big windstorm hitting the coast?!

True, but how on earth are you supposed to head back up against that wind??😁

Dana Reyes5 said:Yeah, but how the hell are you supposed to head back against the wind?😁

You’ll be heading back tomorrow—right when the wind shifts.😁

You really have to understand how the wind works... I mean, even someone like Columbus figured out the secrets of the USA eventually. 🙂

Honestly, I’ve had nothing but good luck with the wind... Like that one time I was driving through a small town in rural USA and then headed back home... In the summer, there's nothing quite like heading out from San Francisco toward Makarska in the afternoon; you just let that beautiful Maestral breeze push you along from behind. It's such a great feeling.