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Jackie
Jackie Sendmail

Riding in the Wind

posted over 2 years ago | Report

I live in Kansas and so there is always wind to contend with. I'm still a relatively new rider building up my strength.

I'm wondering is wind something you just have to keep riding in and get stronger or are there some tricks to riding in the wind.

Today it was blowing at 18mph and I thought I was going to die going into it, and then get blown off in the crosswind. :(

I'm riding a mountain bike with dual purpose tires on the road ~ if that makes any difference. :)

Thanks

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7 posts

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  • Stephanie Y.
    Stephanie Y. Sendmail

    I'm a newbie too, but being in Kansas I assume you don't get too many hills on your rides? (sorry if that's incorrect, but the one time I drove through Kansas I remember it being flat, flat, flat!). Maybe look at those windy rides as your "hill rides" since it's challenging riding into the wind like it's challenging riding uphill.

    I would like to hear some tips though.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Jackie
    Jackie Sendmail
    in reply to what Stephanie Y. said:I'm a newbie too, but being in Kansas I assume you don't get too many hills on your rides? (sorry if that's incorrect, but the one time I drove through Kansas I remember it being flat, flat, flat!). Maybe look at those windy rides as your "hi... read more

    Actually it seems pretty flat from a car ~ but it's pretty hilly on a bike. :)

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Brodie B.
    Brodie B. Sendmail

    Riding a road bike with skinny road tires will lessen your rolling resistance and give you a more aerodynamic profile. I guess it all depends on what your riding goals are.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Kevin M.
    Kevin M. Sendmail

    If you ride solo your only choice is to slug it out. If you were on a road bike with other people, there's a ton of tips and tricks that will make a HUGE difference. Basically it all comes down to knowing how to draft other riders. It can cut your required power by over 40%.
    But riding solo on a mountain bike/hybrid here is my advice:

    1) Wear super tight jerseys and shorts. Wearing a hoody or a bulky wind-resistant jacket will feel like wearing a sail and will only make the wind feel worse, and thus slow you down even more. It makes a huge difference, trust me. Even on a mountain bike.
    2) Tuck your arms in, get your head down a little if you're okay with riding in a more compact position, at least temporarily if you're going into it head on.
    3) Just keep doing it! Riding with hard winds is excellent training and will make you a lot stronger. In the praries out where it's flat here guys call it the 50km/h hill.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Greg S.
    Greg S. Sendmail

    Riding in the wind is really something you have to get used to. Wear tight fitting clothing to minimize wind resistance. Minimize the frontal surface area of your bike as much as possible. Don't use one of those handlebar bags. Carry whatever you need in a below-the-seat bag. A road bike is better in the wind.

    The bottom line the more you ride in the wind the more you'll get used to it. It does help build strength and bike handling skills. And, on rare occasion, fun when the wind is at your back.

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Ron K.
    Ron K. Sendmail

    Just a thought, I don't know about Kansas, but here in Florida and in (Seattle & Oregon where I spent a lot of years & I worked outside). I noticed the wind is always much less in the early morning. Now that we are here in Florida, we try to get out at 7-8 am, as the heat, humidty & wind are much lower. A really good site for weather that I always bring up before my ride is http://www.wunderground.com & this site is really good anywhere in the world.
    Please let me know if this helps.:-)
    Ron K

    posted over 2 years ago

  • Kevin M.
    Kevin M. Sendmail
    in reply to what Ron K. said:Just a thought, I don't know about Kansas, but here in Florida and in (Seattle & Oregon where I spent a lot of years & I worked outside). I noticed the wind is always much less in the early morning. Now that we are here in Florida, we try... read more

    You're totally right. Wind is almost always far better in the morning than in the afternoon.

    posted over 2 years ago

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