Question: I live in the western Mojave Desert near Edwards Air Force Base. The wind howls but there aren’t any hills. Is there a way to use headwinds to become a better climber? Also, how should I do recovery rides when the wind is always blowing? Finally, do you recommend that I use a power…
Question: I’m a cyclist and a runner who does trail races and climbs Colorado mountains. I like duathlons and run well, but if it’s windy I’m slow on the bike. Women, children and old men fly by me. How can I ride better in the wind? — Mac C.
Question: I’m a 51-year-old recreational rider with a decent sprint and above-average climbing ability. However, wind kills me! When I rotate to the front of a paceline, I can’t maintain the group’s pace if it’s even a little breezy. When I drop back, I often can’t hitch onto the end of the line, so I get…
Question: While grinding downhill into a nasty headwind recently, I had plenty of time to ponder the following question: What headwind velocity would compensate for the downhill advantage, making it feel like I was pedaling in calm conditions? If going uphill on various grades, what tailwind speed would compensate for the vertical gain? — Dusty C….
By Bob Howland After a recent windy ride, Premium Member Bill Rosenfeld wrote to pose two questions about the physics of riding in the wind: 1) When you’re buffeted by a cross-wind, does going faster make you more or less stable? Velocity is a vector quantity; it has both speed and direction. Let’s say you…
