PW: ugh.... killer wind!

Peewiglet said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no
idea how hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind! On
the way home today the wind was so strong that I spent most of
the journey in gears I've never visited before, moving at
about half of my usual speed. It was so dispiriting after a
while that I almost got off and walked! (But not quite...)

It's a tiring business this commuting stuff, for a beginner :-(

Stick with it you'll eventually start to enjoy adverse weather. Today
I cycled home in the wettest weather I've been in for a long time. The
rain was dripping off my nose as I cycled up hill into what wind there
was and I was actually smiling.
--
the.Mark

Peewiglet said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no idea how
hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind! On the way home
today the wind was so strong that I spent most of the journey in gears
I've never visited before, moving at about half of my usual speed. It
was so dispiriting after a while that I almost got off and walked!
(But not quite...)

A sporty recumbent is *much* easier into the wind (though still not
necessarily easy in an absolute sense). Evil of me giving you a whole
new set of shopping crises, but they are much easier into the wind...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peewiglet said:

It's a tiring business this commuting stuff, for a beginner :-(

Don't forget to give yourself a break every now and then!

Roos

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It was so dispiriting after a while

It is! When you're going up hill at least you: (a) can see why it's
such hard work; (b) have a good idea how much further it goes on for;
and (c) can expect a downhill stretch afterwards. The only thing to do
is get low on the drops, gear down, and expect it to take longer. Just
try to keep the cadence up, it's very easy to "expect" to be in a
higher gear (especially on a route you do evvery day) and just go
slower and slower or get completely knackered.

My ride home, head on into a force 5 (22 knots) was even harder with
the addition of a large pannier full of sodden wetsuit, shoes, harness,
towel, etc. But at least that reminded me how much fun I had at
lunchtime in the force 5 whizzing about on the lake!

iakobski said:

It is! When you're going up hill at least you [...] can expect a downhill
stretch afterwards.

Evidently you've never cycled in Sheffield ;-)

R.

On Wed, 06 Jul 2005 21:14:51 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no idea how
hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind! On the way home
today the wind was so strong that I spent most of the journey in gears
I've never visited before, moving at about half of my usual speed. It
was so dispiriting after a while that I almost got off and walked!
(But not quite...)

It's a tiring business this commuting stuff, for a beginner :-(

Headwinds can be a bit soul-destroying; I particularly hate it
when you get strong gusts, rather than a constant headwind. But,
look on the bright side:

1. You're getting a harder workout, for free, which means that
you'll be stronger for the non-windy days.

2. Hopefully the journey the other way will be fast and easy.

3. It's character building. Life's too comfortable sometimes, and
after a while you'll actually come to enjoy battling the elements,
and you *really* enjoy that cuppa at your destination!

Stick with it. Your colleagues will be well impressed that you
don't just cycle on the nice days.

--
jc

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 20:35:28 +0000 (UTC), "the.Mark" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Peewiglet said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no
idea how hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind! On
the way home today the wind was so strong that I spent most of
the journey in gears I've never visited before, moving at
about half of my usual speed. It was so dispiriting after a
while that I almost got off and walked! (But not quite...)

It's a tiring business this commuting stuff, for a beginner :-(

Stick with it you'll eventually start to enjoy adverse weather. Today
I cycled home in the wettest weather I've been in for a long time. The
rain was dripping off my nose as I cycled up hill into what wind there
was and I was actually smiling.

I don't think I'll *ever* get to appreciate strong headwinds.

They seem to sap the will to live, let alone cycle.

I can't understand why it is that I can see a hill, and think; "Ah, a chance to
really get the heart pumping", and yet a headwind just makes me want to be
somewhere else.

Steven said:

I don't think I'll *ever* get to appreciate strong headwinds.

They seem to sap the will to live, let alone cycle.

A very reasonable assessment :-(

Worst part of last year's summer tour was a couple of miles into Tain.
on a dead straight road /slightly/ downhill, but into a [censored]
headwind. The only reason I kept it going was I knew that pulling over
for a rest would just prolong the agony. Gear high was 3rd. Of 27 in a
touring setup.
Roos was sensible about it, and decided to answer the practical question
"can one recumbent draft another?". And it can, she informed me over a
hugely restorative fish supper when we finally made it to the town.

Quoted message said:

I can't understand why it is that I can see a hill, and think; "Ah, a chance to
really get the heart pumping", and yet a headwind just makes me want to be
somewhere else.

Or just going the other way... But it's the way that winds change so
they're never quite behind you that can be particularly annoying. Bah!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Steven said:

I don't think I'll *ever* get to appreciate strong headwinds.

They seem to sap the will to live, let alone cycle.

A very reasonable assessment :-(

Worst part of last year's summer tour was a couple of miles into Tain.
on a dead straight road /slightly/ downhill, but into a [censored]
headwind. The only reason I kept it going was I knew that pulling
over for a rest would just prolong the agony. Gear high was 3rd. Of
27 in a touring setup.
Roos was sensible about it, and decided to answer the practical
question "can one recumbent draft another?". And it can, she
informed me over a hugely restorative fish supper when we finally
made it to the town.

Quoted message said:

I can't understand why it is that I can see a hill, and think; "Ah,
a chance to really get the heart pumping", and yet a headwind just
makes me want to be somewhere else.

Or just going the other way... But it's the way that winds change so
they're never quite behind you that can be particularly annoying.
Bah!

For those rare occasions where you have a tailwind, might it be an idea to
hoist a sail?

This sounds (and maybe is) silly, but on a "standard" bike a cyclist has a
bigger profile & better assist, why not use that benefit on a bent?

Mike Jones said:

For those rare occasions where you have a tailwind, might it be an idea to
hoist a sail?

This sounds (and maybe is) silly, but on a "standard" bike a cyclist has a
bigger profile & better assist, why not use that benefit on a bent?

You'll only get assistance for as much time as you're travelling slower
than the airstream, which typically isn't very often: with a strong
tailwind it'll be no trouble at all to be going as fast as the wind,
especially with a big sail or pusher plate (minus a little work for
friction), but once you start going faster than the airstream it's still
about aerodynamics *into* the wind.

Sailing rigs have certainly been put on trikes.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

At Wed, 06 Jul 2005 21:14:51 +0100, message
<[email hidden]> was posted by Peewiglet
<[email hidden]>, including some, all or none of the
following:

Quoted message said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no idea how
hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind!

Ha! That's why I bought the recumbent, mate :-)

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Peewiglet said:

This is my second week of cycling to work, and wow - I had no idea how
hard it could be to cycle into a very strong wind! On the way home
today the wind was so strong that I spent most of the journey in gears
I've never visited before, moving at about half of my usual speed. It
was so dispiriting after a while that I almost got off and walked!
(But not quite...)

Yup. I've started cycling again this year and headwind is the most negative
thing I have encountered. At first I wondered if the phenomenon of finding
a given stretch of road to be surprisingly fast or harder than one might
have expected to be the effects of road surface or even something
psychological. It actually took me a while to realize how much of a
difference headwind can make.

I've got a mountain bike and I am considering trying a configuration with
low handlebars and higher seat for a more aerodynamic riding position. I
/think/ that you can /some/ relief by putting your head down low in
situations like.

I did my first 45 mile round trip last month and about half way out I
realized that things were going a bit /too/ well. Sure enough, after
heading outwards taking small hills in my top gear, I made most of the
return journey at what felt like walking speed.

I don't mind a hill so much, you can walk it or slog to the top and be left
with a feeling of achievement but wind is just soul destroying. Suffice to
say, wind speed is one of the main things I look for on the weather site
when planning a trip.

--
***My real address is m/ike at u/nmusic d/ot co dot u/k (removing /s)
http://www.unmusic.co.uk - about me, music, geek sitcom etc.
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/amh-s-faq.html - alt.music.home-studio FAQ
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/wrap.php?file=vhs.html - vhs purchase log.
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/ukodb - uk outdoor bargain noticeboard.

in message <[email hidden]>, killermike

(') said:

I've got a mountain bike and I am considering trying a configuration
with low handlebars and higher seat for a more aerodynamic riding
position. I think that you can some relief by putting your head down
low in situations like.

You can, which is why TT bikes have their bars so low. Tri-bars (aka
aerobars) also help. However, you'll do even better on a recumbent.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; all in all you're just another click in the call
;; -- Minke Bouyed

in message <[email hidden]>, Peter Clinch

(') said:

Mike Jones said:

For those rare occasions where you have a tailwind, might it be an
idea to hoist a sail?

This sounds (and maybe is) silly, but on a "standard" bike a cyclist
has a bigger profile & better assist, why not use that benefit on a
bent?

You'll only get assistance for as much time as you're travelling slower
than the airstream, which typically isn't very often: with a strong
tailwind it'll be no trouble at all to be going as fast as the wind,
especially with a big sail or pusher plate (minus a little work for
friction), but once you start going faster than the airstream it's
still about aerodynamics *into* the wind.

Sailing rigs have certainly been put on trikes.

After all, what is a sand-yacht but a very wide trike with no pedals?

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; ... exposing the violence incoherent in the system...

Peter Clinch said:

A sporty recumbent is *much* easier into the wind (though still not
necessarily easy in an absolute sense). Evil of me giving you a whole
new set of shopping crises, but they are much easier into the wind...

Thanks, but I'm saving now for a trip to the Pyrenees 🙂

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Roos Eisma said:

Quoted message said:

It's a tiring business this commuting stuff, for a beginner :-(

Don't forget to give yourself a break every now and then!

Good point, thanks. I didn't cycle in y/day, and today I'm taking the
day off :-))

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On 7 Jul 2005 01:08:05 -0700, "iakobski" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It was so dispiriting after a while

It is! When you're going up hill at least you: (a) can see why it's
such hard work; (b) have a good idea how much further it goes on for;
and (c) can expect a downhill stretch afterwards. The only thing to do
is get low on the drops, gear down, and expect it to take longer. Just
try to keep the cadence up, it's very easy to "expect" to be in a
higher gear (especially on a route you do evvery day) and just go
slower and slower or get completely knackered.

It's a relief to discover that it's not just me!

Quoted message said:

My ride home, head on into a force 5 (22 knots) was even harder with
the addition of a large pannier full of sodden wetsuit, shoes, harness,
towel, etc. But at least that reminded me how much fun I had at
lunchtime in the force 5 whizzing about on the lake!

Wow! What sort of a bike does that, then?

:-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Jeremy Collins said:

Headwinds can be a bit soul-destroying; I particularly hate it
when you get strong gusts, rather than a constant headwind. But,
look on the bright side:

1. You're getting a harder workout, for free, which means that
you'll be stronger for the non-windy days.

2. Hopefully the journey the other way will be fast and easy.

3. It's character building. Life's too comfortable sometimes, and
after a while you'll actually come to enjoy battling the elements,
and you *really* enjoy that cuppa at your destination!

All good points, thanks 🙂

Quoted message said:

Stick with it. Your colleagues will be well impressed that you
don't just cycle on the nice days.

They just think I'm batty for cycling at all!

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 19:10:41 +0000, killermike <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've got a mountain bike and I am considering trying a configuration with
low handlebars and higher seat for a more aerodynamic riding position. I
/think/ that you can /some/ relief by putting your head down low in
situations like.

That's interesting! When you say low handlebars, do you mean the
dropped ones, or just set lower?

I think my saddle has been too low, as I've felt as though I was
crouching and my knees have been getting sore. I'm going to raise it a
little this afternoon.

Quoted message said:

I did my first 45 mile round trip last month and about half way out I
realized that things were going a bit /too/ well. Sure enough, after
heading outwards taking small hills in my top gear, I made most of the
return journey at what felt like walking speed.

Ugh.

Quoted message said:

I don't mind a hill so much, you can walk it or slog to the top and be left
with a feeling of achievement but wind is just soul destroying. Suffice to
say, wind speed is one of the main things I look for on the weather site
when planning a trip.

Very good advice! It hadn't occurred to me at all until I experienced
it.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk