What is everyones thoughts on training in the wind? Where I am we have about 200KM of bike paths in the city before you have to hit the highway - which is great for a quick ride. Except for a few still days - it never seems to fail that whatever direction you are going the wind is pushing against you (weather kind of swirls around the valley the city is in). I have had days that the wind almost slows you to a standstill in higher gears, and pushes you around the bike path on exposed portions (and there are A LOT of treeless areas). Wind just bags my energy, and can make a 70km ride a hellish experience (hellish being where a pedal mashing MTB'er shoots by you at the 50km point and you don't have the energy to push the gear and cadiance up to zip by them). I find myself doing flipping gears and doing intervals to keep from being to disheartened...
😉
(I won't bore you with the news that instead of riding the last week I have been shoveling snow...)
Well, I live in Belgium, close to the sea. It's pretty windy most of the time and we very regularly have very hard cross or frontal wind. I'm mostly on solo rides so there's not much drafting involved and the wind has a enormous impact on my speed. It regularly happens that, with a strong frontal wind I can hardly go over 23-24 kmh without going over 85% mhr and when going with the tailwind I easily reach 40 kmh not going over 75% mhr.
I just love to ride in the wind. I regularly go to an area in Belgium called 'De Moeren', which is the flattest of flatlands, conquered from the sea a few centuries ago (much like parts of Holland). No protection from the wind, no trees to speak of and long stretches of straight road (on a bad road surface). Riding in these conditions can be very rewarding psychologically. First going against the wind, suffering, knowing that you have a good workout and then the reward: hard tailwinds that almost make you fly...
Wish there were mountains around where I live as well 😉
I train in the wind a far bit. We have had rides where a few guys have been blowen off the road! I dont think you can realy get use to it but you may just get numb to it. I guess it makes the still warm days all the better. Dont shoot yourself is you wake up and its blowing its [censored] off. Its just 1 day closer to a nice still day. Hail still pisses me off though!!!!!
I live by the Rockies, and mountain rides are grueling. Admittedly, I have only done a few highway rides through some of the mountain passes, they take some preparation and organization to pull-off unless you know a group that does it regularily. Pretty dangerous as well, the curb (gutter) size varies dramatically in areas - and there is a lot of high-speed traffic. I would rather do a flatter ride with better curbs, or MTB on a National park trail. You have to have a fantastic ftness base to do a 1-2 day road trip through some of the passes.
Kristian - I find that after riding in the wind for a while you just switch off and gut it out. Can't say that it makes an enjoyable ride though. I have been blown off the path/road a few times - and I am not a small guy. You know it is going to be a bad day when you hear the wind in your ears and your jersey is wipping against you - and you haven't started riding yet...
I keep looking at those guys riding recombants, low to the ground, less wind. To bad every guy I have seen riding one locally is a complete geek (appologies in advance to any recombant riding geeks on the forum).
I keep looking at those guys riding recombants, low to the ground, less wind. To bad every guy I have seen riding one locally is a complete geek (appologies in advance to any recombant riding geeks on the forum).
😉
-CG
😄 Hmmmmm...I never thought of myself as a geek. I ride between 30 to 50 miles a day on my V-Rex recumbent. Average 15 mph into the wind, 19 mph on a mild day. Don't get a sore butt or numb hands anymore. (Used to ride a DF dilligently, but carpel tunnel surgery and numb hands made me want to quit riding, so I chose an alternative way to ride.) I can't stop smiling now! Best move I ever made. I am Proud To Be A Comfortable Geek!.
I used to hate riding against the wind. I found it very frustrating feeling like I wasn't going fast enough to accomplish anything...and I don't even know why. But recently, I started using a heart rate monitor, so I keep myself occupied by watching that and focusing on HR and cadence instead of worrying about the speedometer. I realize now that I'm still getting a good workout...maybe better. Plus the downwind runs back are always a treat.
Although, I'm sure really strong winds would still be a bit discouraging. I'm guessing that you live in Calgary?...I know what the wind can be like there...I haven't had to deal with that on a road bike yet.
I live in the midlands uk and around where i live is a loda big forests and every wednesday and sunday i go out with my team and now and again the 3 mile journey across a landrover track is hell as the fast winds blow at you as there are no trees to block the wind from you and you end up being blown away or being totally knackerd just doing a 3 mile sprint.
I spent some time in Texas recently. There seemed to be a strong wind blowing almost every day. I've been on rides there where I had a headwind for almost the whole ride.
My training rides mainly go through heavily forested National Parks close to home.
If a decent wind comes up you can be caught being in the path of flying objects, like small branches, being blown off trees.
The position is made worse when the trees are temporarily weakend through back burning. This is a process undertaken primarily on both sides of the road where the bush/forest/wood is subject to a controlled burn program to remove the build up of fuel and form a wider fire break to stop the spread of any future fire.
Hi, I am a MTB XC racer and have picked up roading for training during the week and have noticed that riding in windy conditions is my biggest weakness that I have to work on and suffer to do more of. For both physical and mental strengh. I ride right next to the ocean in Sarasota, Florida in a group ride. I am a runt at 5`4" 125lbs and get blown around alot and have to Max my heart rate out to pull through the pace line. It is sooo much harder for me to do flat windy rides than hills!
Originally posted by flysolo1 the wind is your friend whe it is in front of you it makes you stronger and when its behind you it make you faster...
I wish I could have said that at the last century I road in. I had a head and cross wind the whole ride thank god I grabed a wheel of a group (6) and took turns pulling, that saved the day. It also gave us a good time considering the conditions... Never get cought in no manes land in a windy century...😄
Originally posted by SpandexMan Hi, I am a MTB XC racer and have picked up roading for training during the week and have noticed that riding in windy conditions is my biggest weakness that I have to work on and suffer to do more of. For both physical and mental strengh. I ride right next to the ocean in Sarasota, Florida in a group ride. I am a runt at 5`4" 125lbs and get blown around alot and have to Max my heart rate out to pull through the pace line. It is sooo much harder for me to do flat windy rides than hills!
SpandexMan
Don't give up. Road training will only make you a faster MOUNTAIN BIKER. You will notice the next time out off roading. It's great.😄
I live near the coast and a couple of my main ride routes almost always have a fair to rather high amount of wind.
I didnt like it much at first. The wind whistling through your ears and slamming into your jersey ceases to be the mental detriment it can be if you ride in the wind enough though, which I think is important. I now enjoy it, or at least dont mind it, since I have to find another way to work hard enough on a flat if its not windy.
I'll still take a good hilly route any day though. 😉
Hi guy, If just for training purposes, your body can't tell where the resistance is coming from, because your body can't tell speed. Pushing 200W at 90rpm with a tailwind and pushing 200W at 90 rpm with a headwind has an identical training effect on your body, regardless of the difference in speed. Although from a psychological perspective, it sucks to work hard only to crawl along... Best of luck!
In general, speed isn't always the best measure of the quality of a training ride. Sometimes the most difficult part of training is getting on the bike, especially in bad (weather) conditions.
Physcology has a big part to play, no matter what the direction or speed of a wind it's always a training breeze. Say that enough times and you'll really [censored] your riding mates, but it really does take the sting out.....
