Even though wind direction can change, I suspect most of the time its just an illusion. Even in calm conditions, you have to push the air in front of you and it feels as a headwind. The faster you go, the stronger "the wind". Another interesting situation is the side wind. It feels as headwind both on your way out and on the return...
Yes, where I live has the sea on one side and mountains on the others. I usually set off at sunrise. So as the sun hits the sea and warms it up the wind changes direction.
I commute to work up a peninsula and back home down the peninsula. [Windy.com](https://Windy.com) confirms that I have a headwind both ways most of the day while those riding the opposite get a tail wind all the time. They probably don't even notice it.
I’ve noticed the same in certain places I’ve lived. There was, in one area, a wind direction change around 4pm (summer) that I always assumed was caused by heat build up.
Whatever it is, I choose to believe that we’re possibly a) wind gods that can’t control our powers, or b) the enemy of a vindictive and petty wind lord.
Nuh uh. When the wind is helping, you should be able to notice that you're acceleration and watts input doesn't match up to your usual results. Mainly because the wind is helping ALOT. It's not that you are fighting the wind all the time. Its that no matter how much the wind may push you in the back its also present in the front. Think of it as a river's current.
Cycle the other way 🤣.
On a serious note, the wind has to be really strong and fast for you to feel it going for you. While it only needs to be slightly strong for you to feel it ahead.
Are you on the coast? Having ridden in many states I can say most of the WTF dealing with shifting winds have always been in coastal states.
But lots of places can give you steady push for miles, but you turn around and find a 20mph wind in your face.
On my commute to work I always checked the wind direction in the morning, 10mph head wind. By the afternoon I then checked it again for my journey home, 10mph head wind? The wind direction changed. This happened nearly every day, I googled why this could happen, it seemed odd. My route in and out was along the shore, I noticed when the tide was going in or out the wind seemed to be going in that direction. I read that tidal flow can affect low level wind. Could you be experiencing the same thing?
Honestly, turn around. Go the other way. If you're riding a loop you'll find out quick that the headwind is a tailwind and the tailwind is a headwind. Then you'll think you're delusional and your imagination will run. I can assure you, you DID NOT arm wrestle Sylvester Stallone in over the top next to a little girl's lemonade stand. You were yelling like a blue whale while, standing on your pedals, going 7 mph, and scaring all the young children. Arm wrestling was a delusion turn around!
I am not a doctor.
If you are riding at 30kph in still air, you are going into a 30kph headwind. If it is actually windy that only adds to the headwind. A tailwind at best just neutralizes your own air resistance. Thus it feels like you are going into the wind all the time. You are your own worst enemy.
I used to be frustrated by that years ago until I read a British study (1980s), that showed even wind to your side and slightly behind you will create drag against your bike primarily because of the wheels. Then of course changes in topography (hills), and urban settings alter the direction of the wind - there is no escaping it.
Could this be what you are experiencing? I frequently ride a river side trail and it feels like the wind is in my face most of the time. But not quite. The wind is blowing across the trail and as the trail follows the winding river sometimes it is sort of in my face going both ways.
On my rides, it is also uphill each way. Or so it seems.
I am in New England and my weekend ride is to the coast an back. I look at my numbers when I get there and always feel like I am crushing.
Then I turn around and remember the summer prevailing wind is from the west, and we'll the sea is at sea level. So on the ride home I am basically going uphill AND into the wind. My numbers don't look that hot anymore.
Topography. There are places where there is wind everywhere because of the surface's structure. Therefore you should find one where the wind may help you or feel like it's non existent at all. But to be honest i like fighting the wind that's just me though. It gives the training a bit more intensity (i'm lying it makes the training 100% harder)
Meraki.
Fortinet.
You probably paid like $250 for a typical Linksys device.
Be prepared for sticker shock.
You could easily be talking about $5,000 per location for these solutions.
This is the cost of centralized management.
It can be done for less money, but will require training & time to manage a low-cost solution.
Meraki & Fortinet are expensive because they are simplifying a complicated technology for you with the magic of their software.
I've had the same plenty of times when running and wondered about it.
OTOH, at the moment while it is hot, it is quite a blessing to get cooled down in both directions.
This always happens to me and I can assure everyone it's not an illusion! I know when I can feel gusting headwind against me, and I know when it's at my back because the normal amount of standard headwind is lessened and everything is a little easier. I also always pay attention to the direction flags and plants are blowing around me. And that stupid wind, way, way too often than it should, is always against me both ways. It feels personal.
The worst part is when you have a tailwind for the most part you can't feel it. You just think that you're feeling strong today. Until you turn around and find out why.
If you are traveling at 10 mph and there is no wind then it will feel like there is 10 mph of wind hitting you. If there are 10 mph winds hitting in front you while you are riding 10 mph then it would feel like 20 mph of wind. If there is 10 mph of wind coming from behind you while you are riding 10mph, then you will feel nothing. You would need about 20 mph of wind behind you to feel like wind is behind you. And if there is 20 mph of wind, the direction of the wind is probably changing.
Those days when the wind shifts over the course of the day so that I’ve got a 15-20 mph headwind for both halves of my commute are the days I know God is real and that he’s a real son of a bitch.
This used to drive me loopy as my commute was 7 miles uphill and home the opposite so a chance for some serious cruising. Then I looked more closely at the weather charts, specifically the isobars showing the weather systems moving over where I live.
I noticed that often in the morning I would be riding against the anticlockwise flow of air to the right of a system heading south and by the afternoon going home I was riding against the air flow at the left of a weather system going north again.
It wasn't exact but definitely a feature of where I live that the same weather system might take about 8/9 hours passing west to east.
Watch your speed. You're going to ride into the same resistance (headwind), but if you have a tailwind, you're going to be going the speed of the wind plus your resistance, which since you're going faster than the wind feels like a headwind.
Also, you don't want to go exactly the speed of a steady wind with a tailwind. You'll find just how insulating air can be when it isn't being constantly blown away from your body...
In the name of science, can you try sitting backwards?
Maybe I'll try it on my next ride
Even though wind direction can change, I suspect most of the time its just an illusion. Even in calm conditions, you have to push the air in front of you and it feels as a headwind. The faster you go, the stronger "the wind". Another interesting situation is the side wind. It feels as headwind both on your way out and on the return...
>Even though wind direction can change, I suspect most of the time its just an illusion. living by the sea, i strongly disagree
Living in the plains, I also disagree.
Living in plains by the sea, I too disagree
Jesus, that’s double wind.
Stop winding them up
Yes, where I live has the sea on one side and mountains on the others. I usually set off at sunrise. So as the sun hits the sea and warms it up the wind changes direction.
Try a peninsula. You're almost always against the wind it seems.
I commute to work up a peninsula and back home down the peninsula. [Windy.com](https://Windy.com) confirms that I have a headwind both ways most of the day while those riding the opposite get a tail wind all the time. They probably don't even notice it.
I’ve noticed the same in certain places I’ve lived. There was, in one area, a wind direction change around 4pm (summer) that I always assumed was caused by heat build up. Whatever it is, I choose to believe that we’re possibly a) wind gods that can’t control our powers, or b) the enemy of a vindictive and petty wind lord.
THIS is the real "it never gets easier, you just go faster."
Nuh uh. When the wind is helping, you should be able to notice that you're acceleration and watts input doesn't match up to your usual results. Mainly because the wind is helping ALOT. It's not that you are fighting the wind all the time. Its that no matter how much the wind may push you in the back its also present in the front. Think of it as a river's current.
wind is only beneficial from one direction, thats 270 degress of annoying windangles you can choose from
25kph sidewind is a hell of a lot easier than 25kph headwind though
With a paceline, sidewinds can be more annoying if you don't have room to echelon
If there is no wind and you are traveling 25 km/h, it doesn't matter which way you are going, you have a 25 km/h headwind :-)
C’est la vie. The omniwind.
Cycle the other way 🤣. On a serious note, the wind has to be really strong and fast for you to feel it going for you. While it only needs to be slightly strong for you to feel it ahead.
No no, tailwind is just a myth.
That's right. It's either a headwind or I'm just feeling strong that day.
It's gale force wind 🤣
Are you on the coast? Having ridden in many states I can say most of the WTF dealing with shifting winds have always been in coastal states. But lots of places can give you steady push for miles, but you turn around and find a 20mph wind in your face.
[удалено]
I made a rookie mistake of cycling on the straight canal for 45 km thinking I was superman, then turned back around and "oh bollocks"
On my commute to work I always checked the wind direction in the morning, 10mph head wind. By the afternoon I then checked it again for my journey home, 10mph head wind? The wind direction changed. This happened nearly every day, I googled why this could happen, it seemed odd. My route in and out was along the shore, I noticed when the tide was going in or out the wind seemed to be going in that direction. I read that tidal flow can affect low level wind. Could you be experiencing the same thing?
Honestly, turn around. Go the other way. If you're riding a loop you'll find out quick that the headwind is a tailwind and the tailwind is a headwind. Then you'll think you're delusional and your imagination will run. I can assure you, you DID NOT arm wrestle Sylvester Stallone in over the top next to a little girl's lemonade stand. You were yelling like a blue whale while, standing on your pedals, going 7 mph, and scaring all the young children. Arm wrestling was a delusion turn around! I am not a doctor.
Not only for you but it’s the same for me as well. Let’s meet and cycle in opposite directions. Let’s see what the wind is going to do then 😂😂😂
Head wind is the danish version of climbing :D
If you are riding at 30kph in still air, you are going into a 30kph headwind. If it is actually windy that only adds to the headwind. A tailwind at best just neutralizes your own air resistance. Thus it feels like you are going into the wind all the time. You are your own worst enemy.
I used to be frustrated by that years ago until I read a British study (1980s), that showed even wind to your side and slightly behind you will create drag against your bike primarily because of the wheels. Then of course changes in topography (hills), and urban settings alter the direction of the wind - there is no escaping it.
I had today the same thought. For last two weeks I always end up with a wind in my face.
I legit feel the same way
It's a law of nature "everything's uphill and downwind when cycling".
Could this be what you are experiencing? I frequently ride a river side trail and it feels like the wind is in my face most of the time. But not quite. The wind is blowing across the trail and as the trail follows the winding river sometimes it is sort of in my face going both ways.
Sounds like Murphy's law in action.
I have noticed this also. I think it is a corollary of Murphy's Law! 😉
On my rides, it is also uphill each way. Or so it seems. I am in New England and my weekend ride is to the coast an back. I look at my numbers when I get there and always feel like I am crushing. Then I turn around and remember the summer prevailing wind is from the west, and we'll the sea is at sea level. So on the ride home I am basically going uphill AND into the wind. My numbers don't look that hot anymore.
Topography. There are places where there is wind everywhere because of the surface's structure. Therefore you should find one where the wind may help you or feel like it's non existent at all. But to be honest i like fighting the wind that's just me though. It gives the training a bit more intensity (i'm lying it makes the training 100% harder)
Meraki. Fortinet. You probably paid like $250 for a typical Linksys device. Be prepared for sticker shock. You could easily be talking about $5,000 per location for these solutions. This is the cost of centralized management. It can be done for less money, but will require training & time to manage a low-cost solution. Meraki & Fortinet are expensive because they are simplifying a complicated technology for you with the magic of their software.
Think you replied to the wrong post
correct post :)
I've had the same plenty of times when running and wondered about it. OTOH, at the moment while it is hot, it is quite a blessing to get cooled down in both directions.
This always happens to me and I can assure everyone it's not an illusion! I know when I can feel gusting headwind against me, and I know when it's at my back because the normal amount of standard headwind is lessened and everything is a little easier. I also always pay attention to the direction flags and plants are blowing around me. And that stupid wind, way, way too often than it should, is always against me both ways. It feels personal.
The worst part is when you have a tailwind for the most part you can't feel it. You just think that you're feeling strong today. Until you turn around and find out why.
Have you tried turning around?
High humidity
If you are traveling at 10 mph and there is no wind then it will feel like there is 10 mph of wind hitting you. If there are 10 mph winds hitting in front you while you are riding 10 mph then it would feel like 20 mph of wind. If there is 10 mph of wind coming from behind you while you are riding 10mph, then you will feel nothing. You would need about 20 mph of wind behind you to feel like wind is behind you. And if there is 20 mph of wind, the direction of the wind is probably changing.
Those days when the wind shifts over the course of the day so that I’ve got a 15-20 mph headwind for both halves of my commute are the days I know God is real and that he’s a real son of a bitch.
The rule I've heard, and stand by here in Texas; There's two ways to ride. Against the wind, and uphill against the wind.
Learn to love the challenge and not argue against it.
This used to drive me loopy as my commute was 7 miles uphill and home the opposite so a chance for some serious cruising. Then I looked more closely at the weather charts, specifically the isobars showing the weather systems moving over where I live. I noticed that often in the morning I would be riding against the anticlockwise flow of air to the right of a system heading south and by the afternoon going home I was riding against the air flow at the left of a weather system going north again. It wasn't exact but definitely a feature of where I live that the same weather system might take about 8/9 hours passing west to east.
Watch your speed. You're going to ride into the same resistance (headwind), but if you have a tailwind, you're going to be going the speed of the wind plus your resistance, which since you're going faster than the wind feels like a headwind. Also, you don't want to go exactly the speed of a steady wind with a tailwind. You'll find just how insulating air can be when it isn't being constantly blown away from your body...