Wind speed against?

sxt

How much more difficult would it be to cycle up the conor pass in kerry for example, with a forecasted 25 km/h wind against you and the ocassional heavy shower ...


Just trying to figure out if that is a hefty head wind or not and would it more than likely be alot higher the further you get up the mountain peak

Edit :Found this , maybe next time Conor!

blorg

http://bikecalculator.com/

Bear in mind (someone told me once) that forecasted winds are at the altitude of an anemometer on a pole and actual wind speed on the ground is lower.

25km/h strikes me as relatively moderate in this country.

Rain doesn't particularly affect speed, just makes things uncomfortable. A wet road actually has slightly lower rolling resistance. On the other hand your rear wheel can slip more easily if you stand. How difficult rain makes it is a question only you can answer

ROK ON

I was over and back Conor Pass recently in some high winds.
I had a gale driving me up. I didn't particularly notice myself going faster, but I found the climb relatively unchallenging and I am not a grimpeur.
But I was being blown up the climb. However on the decent I couldn't get the speed on a wide road with good surface and a -8% gradient above 40km.

Lumen

I did a lot of hilly windy cycling recently, and came to the conclusion that once the gradients get above 5%, wind makes little subjective difference. I really notice a headwind on a descent, but it doesn't result in dropping to frustrating speeds like cycling into the wind on the flat.

The other way to look at it is if you're bothered by the wind, go find a hill to climb.

blorg

Subjectively I would agree with this. Many mountains also tend to have a sheltering effect, so if you can climb up against the wind and return back on the flat with a tailwind that is the perfect combination.

cdaly_

blorg wrote: »

Bear in mind (someone told me once) that forecasted winds are at the altitude of an anemometer on a pole and actual wind speed on the ground is lower.

Yep. Wind speeds are measured at the top of a 10m pole and wind speed at the surface will be lower because of drag

blorg wrote: »

Subjectively I would agree with this. Many mountains also tend to have a sheltering effect,

OTOH, up a mountain / hill (particularly an isolated one) the wind will likely be stronger than the forecast speed.

blorg

cdaly_ wrote: »

OTOH, up a mountain / hill (particularly an isolated one) the wind will likely be stronger than the forecast speed.

This is true and there are some places (such as the road between Laragh and Sally Gap) which are quite isolated and once beyond the waterfall you are not climbing that much any more. I have suffered into a bad headwind there. By definition though if you are climbing at steep hill into a headwind the wind is blowing into the mountain on the other side rather than into you. Climbs like Stocking Lane, up to Johnny Foxes, Sally Gap from Glencree are all into the prevailing wind but are very well sheltered in this regard and not that subject to headwinds in my experience.

smacl

Was up the Killakee road / Military road last night and it felt like a hurricane was blowing. Saw a one cyclist turn back, and ended up bailing myself and going back to Enniskerry via Crone woods. The shallow up hill from the meeting point to the top of the Military road was actually much tougher than the steep section before it. Very glad of my wide wheel hybrid on this occasion, and pretty wrecked by the time I got home..