Cycling Against the Wind is there any way to make it Easier

Irish Gunner · 11-05-2013 01:54PM #1

Ok

Have a hybrid bike and use it for keeping fit and head out at the weekends and put in a good few miles. Have not done major hills in a while and did Howth Hill ages ago but will wait for a while before doing it again. Getting fit bit by bit but when on the road and turn into a headwind I struggle. I know its a hybrid and a bit heavier than a road bike but only starting and want to see how it goes before and if I get a road bike.The road conditions are muc to yet consider buying a road bike but that's for another thread:rolleyes:

Anywho is there a method for cycling against the wind so next time I can raise my fist to Mother Nature to say I will defeat you..:)

IM0 · 11-05-2013 01:56PM

reduce drag, by combintaion of tighter clothing, lower position on the bike

billyhead · 11-05-2013 02:02PM

Or just get a road bike:D.
Actually personally I have started to enjoy cycling in these conditions. Makes you stronger and toughens you up.

Beasty · 11-05-2013 02:07PM

Pedal harder ...

Seriously!

Embrace it - it's great to push yourself into the wind - ideally head into it on the way out and benefit from the tailwind on the way home

SC024 · 11-05-2013 02:11PM

Man up and get on with it:)

Irish Gunner · 11-05-2013 02:13PM

SC024 wrote: »

Man up and get on with it:)

At my age you have to:)

Have cycling top and wind jacket and have Altura baggy shorts, not tight but do the job. Maybe more beneficial for mountain biking? As for purchase of a road bike that's something I will look at down the line;)

It aint going to defeat me and I will get better just looking for other users opinions and methods

IM0 · 11-05-2013 02:13PM

Beasty wrote: »

Pedal harder ...

Seriously!

Embrace it - it's great to push yourself into the wind - ideally head into it on the way out and benefit from the tailwind on the way home

until the bastard wind has other ideas and turns for the way back too! :mad:

Syllabus · 11-05-2013 02:14PM

Cycle backwards

Outkast_IRE · 11-05-2013 02:15PM

IM0 wrote: »

until the bastard wind has other ideas and turns for the way back too! :mad:

Happens me many a day, cycle into it on the way to college in the morning looking forward to an easy cycle home, only to be greeted with a direction change in the evenings

Beasty · 11-05-2013 02:22PM

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

Happens me many a day, cycle into it on the way to college in the morning looking forward to an easy cycle home, only to be greeted with a direction change in the evenings

Even more character building ....;)

smacl · 11-05-2013 02:30PM

On a road bike, getting into the drops really helps, but that doesn't help you much with your bike. On the hybrid, I find the bar ends (i.e. extra bits bolted on to the end of the handlebars) far better than flats (i.e. where the brakes are) in the wind. Reason being, with your hands vertical, going into a low position tends to fold your elbows in and make your wind profile smaller, even though your hands are further apart, your elbows are closer together. Going low on the flats with your hands horizontal means your elbows stick out, and unless your wearing a skin tight jacket, this increases drag significantly. I also find it much less effort to stay low with my elbows tucked in.

hypersonic · 11-05-2013 02:34PM

"slam" the handle bar steam. in English remove any spacers above the headset. I did this and it made a very noticeable difference.

colm_gti · 11-05-2013 02:42PM

Find someone strong that's cycling the same direction as you and wheelsuck...

Columbia · 11-05-2013 02:46PM

Wait for a tractor to come along.

coolemon · 11-05-2013 02:49PM

Cycling against the wind is rather like cycling up a hill.

The best technique is to tack your course by weaving from one side of the road to the other, thus avoiding head on wind or a direct incline. The challenge then is to avoid head on traffic at the same time as the head on wind.

detones · 11-05-2013 02:52PM

Listen to this, helped me lot.

http://www.cycling360media.com/cycling-in-wind/

Dotsie~tmp · 11-05-2013 05:17PM

I had to make a statement at the local Garda station today. I told them I was being constantly harassed by the wind. The were not impressed

kumate_champ07 · 11-05-2013 05:20PM

coolemon wrote: »

Cycling against the wind is rather like cycling up a hill.

The best technique is to tack your course by weaving from one side of the road to the other, thus avoiding head on wind or a direct incline. The challenge then is to avoid head on traffic at the same time as the head on wind.

that works when climbing too, if its a wide road and theres no traffic!

Pawlie · 11-05-2013 05:27PM

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

I had to make a statement at the local Garda station today. I told them I was being constantly harassed by the wind. The were not impressed

Best post I have read on this site yet

Roger Hassenforder · 11-05-2013 07:30PM

coolemon wrote: »

Cycling against the wind is rather like cycling up a hill.

The best technique is to tack your course by weaving from one side of the road to the other, thus avoiding head on wind or a direct incline. The challenge then is to avoid head on traffic at the same time as the head on wind.

this should be in the sailing forum

jimmycrackcorm · 11-05-2013 09:09PM

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

Beasty · 11-05-2013 09:21PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

I find it worst when it's funneled through a gap in a hedge. I've been out on a few occasions with recorded winds of well over 50kph, and gusts of 70-90 or so. Never been been blown off ...

...yet (although I do carry a lot more ballast than most)

wirelessdude01 · 11-05-2013 09:22PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

Nearly toppled once heading towards Drogheda on the old N1. Just where you could down the hill in Julianstown, the left to go to Duleek there was this massive gust of wind just where the protection of the hill disappeared. BIG wobble.

RobertFoster · 11-05-2013 09:23PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

Sudden gusts from gateways are ones to look out for. You feel like the wind is going to take the wheels from under you. At least with constant side winds you're more prepared. I've not toppled yet, but the wind has exhausted me enough to make unclipping in an emergency seem to take forever.

When it's really windy I think "this part of cycling sucks the most, give me hills any day!" I usually change my preference to wind when presented with steep hills though :pac:

Roger Hassenforder · 11-05-2013 09:33PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Nearly toppled once heading towards Drogheda on the old N1. Just where you could down the hill in Julianstown, the left to go to Duleek there was this massive gust of wind just where the protection of the hill disappeared. BIG wobble.

east coast gentle breezes.. pfth...
Atlantic coast..ow thats what I'm talking about!

BofaDeezNuhtz · 11-05-2013 10:39PM

RobertFoster wrote: »

When it's really windy I think "this part of cycling sucks the most, give me hills any day!" I usually change my preference to wind when presented with steep hills though :pac:

:D

@OP Wear a Tottenham jersey dude and ye'll fly along

Keep_Her_Lit · 11-05-2013 11:17PM

Head down, ar$e up, to reduce the frontal profile presented to the wind. There are limits to what you'll be able to achieve on a hybrid but it's still worth doing what you can, e.g. slamming that stem, as suggested above.

Flappy clothing also costs a lot in terms of wasted energy. Are you ready for a full lycra experience?

In terms of riding style:

Firstly, accept that the wind is agin' ya. In my experience, no amount of cursing has yet succeeded in changing the weather.
Secondly, don't let the wind mess up your form on the bike. Decide what level of effort you want to maintain, then pick a gear that allows you to do that in a reasonably efficient manner.

The natural tendency when pushing into a headwind is to mash too big a gear. That is, your pedalling speed drops and your cycle turns into a laborious slog, in which you are doing battle with the wind during each and every pedal stroke. Instead, drop to a lower gear and maintain the same road speed by pedalling faster. Pick a gear that allows you to spin the cranks quite fast without requiring lung busting effort. This will induce less fatigue and is more efficient. Try it and see.

Darkstrike · 11-05-2013 11:22PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

I nearly went for a dive today in a small patch of crosswind, but I'm still getting used to the balance of these skinny wheels.

kerry4sam · 12-05-2013 12:23AM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

On a side note, has anyone experienced being toppled over by the wind? Once thought I was going to be on a stormy day crossing over the M50 where is open with no buildings or trees helping block side winds.

Never been toppled thankfully. Only had gusts on exposed roads throw me off course.

I just despise the wind some days when the humour is on me; more days then I relish the challenge of trying to maintain pace cycling against the wind.

I really despise the days I cycle outward against the wind thinking great, I'll have handy cycle back only to find the wind has changed and I'm still cycling against it en return!

Darkstrike · 12-05-2013 12:59AM

kerry4sam wrote: »

Never been toppled thankfully. Only had gusts on exposed roads throw me off course.

I just despise the wind some days when the humour is on me; more days then I relish the challenge of trying to maintain pace cycling against the wind.

I really despise the days I cycle outward against the wind thinking great, I'll have handy cycle back only to find the wind has changed and I'm still cycling against it en return!

I have yet to experience this last part, sounds like an utterly soul wrenching experience. Like cycling up a hill only to find what you expected to be a downhill coast to be another uphill struggle.

ibebanging · 12-05-2013 03:19AM

Fart !

Cycling Against the Wind is there any way to make it Easier

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