How to cycle in the wind?
When I first thought about starting this blog I knew I’d be writing this article. Don’t let windy weather discourage you from your favorite thing, cycling. Here is how you can use the wind to your advantage.
Wind Got You Down?
During my 40+ years of experience cycling I have cycled outside in the windiest weather a lot more than I can recall. Cycling in the wind can be a daunting experience. It can ruin the fun and actually make you hate cycling at times. A lot of beginning cyclists will even quit riding because they want to avoid bike riding in the wind.
Of course, the easiest way to deal with cycling in the wind is to avoid riding on windy days. However, if you live in a rural area it could mean never getting on a bicycle ever again. This is because out in the country there are not many buildings, houses, or other structures to block the wind. Living in the countryside myself, I have noticed that it’s windy pretty much on a daily basis.
But I have learned a method to use to make your windy bike riding a very fun experience. Not only fun but a way to make you healthier and stronger. What is it, you ask? Well let jump right into it and tell you how to make cycling in the wind fun and healthy.
Download The Wind Compass Tool
First download the Wind Compass App on your phone:
Android or Apple
After you download the Wind Compass App open it up and set the settings to your preference. Then you’re ready to use it for your rides in the wind.
Ride Against The Wind
That’s right. Start off your ride by riding against the wind. What you do is keep riding against it as much as you can. When you get to the point where you want to turn around do so. Then you will be riding with the wind at your back on the way home. Pretty simple, right? I’ve had a lot of fun starting my rides against the wind and then spinning around to let the same wind push me down the road. This method will make it so much more fun and build up your riding strength at the same time. There were times where I struggled to ride 25 miles in 20+ MPH winds. But the reward was turning around and letting the wind push me 25 miles home for a nice half century bike ride. I can recall a couple times where I didn’t even have to pedal much on my way home. It was a lot of fun and made the first half of my ride very much worth it.
Starting Off With The Wind… A Huge No-No
Starting off riding with the wind at your back means that you have to turn around and ride your second half against the wind. If you’re far from home this can be a very tiring and miserable ride. So that is why you always start off with the wind in your face.
Get Creative With Your Routes
Instead of going in a straight line against the wind and turning around and riding a straight line back you can change it up as well. Use the wind compass to see which direction the wind is blowing in. If the wind is blowing to the East from the West then your first half should always be in the the direction of West, North, or South. This way you can avoid the straight line routes. On the first half of your ride the wind should never be at your back. It’s OK to have it on either the left or right side of you. But mostly, it should be in your face.
On the way back, going East bound, the wind should mostly be at your back. But again, it’s ok to have it on your left or right side a little bit depending on your route. On the way back the wind should never be in your face blowing against you.
Have More Tips?
Got more tips on how to cycle in the wind? Please leave a comment and tell us about it. We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your ideas.
Photo on this blog post is provided by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.
50+ year old cat dad that loves cycling, fitness, and trying to eat right. I’ve been riding bicycles since I got my very first bike, a gift from my Grandfather, on my 8th birthday on March 28, 1979. Just because you have reached the 50 year old mark it doesn’t mean that you have to slow down or quit. I started this blog so that other 50+ (or even younger) can learn from me and be motivated in their own health endeavors.
To great health and well-being.
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