what is the wind really like on the kona bike course? i hear so much about how its really windy but don’t know how that relates to my own experience of wind in wellington and other places around new zealand eg typical IM locations like Taupo, Rotorua, Auckland, Tauranga. can someone give me some typical average wind speeds and typical gust speeds?
PK … you be faing anything from 5-10mph steady to 20-30mph steady (variety of angles pending day and where you are on the course) … not uncommon to see 20-50mph gusts on descent form Hawi
Typically calm / tailwind for at least 30-35 miles
Possible head / cross @ Waikaloa to end of Queen K
First 10-12 miles on climb to Hawi often protected
Last 6’ish miles to Hawi typically into building headwind (can be very strong)
Tailwind first 6-8 miles out of Hawi
Remainder of descent then climb to Queen K is either calm or gusty crosswinds
Mile 75/80 to Airport (100;ish) typically a head cross wind off the ocean and this is also toughest part of bike course
From Airport to T2 you turn a little away from the head cross and wind is often lighter
prepare for the worse, i saw two riders picked up & thrown across the road between 30-40 miles out & one female rider blown into the scrub on the ride down from hawi.
deep section front wheel’s were the common theme.
enjoy your race
The winds are very unpredictable. Some years they can make for a fast bike course. Other years they are killer. Last year coming back on the Queen K I had a strong tail wind, it was awesome I was in 54X11 and spinning. This lasted for about 20 minutes then wind change 180 degrees. I couldn’t figure it out it was a straight road and the only thing that changed was the wind direction.
I’ve been blown in all directions and never had a great bike split at Kona.
thanks all. for the record i’m not racing, just trying to put things into context
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prepare for the worse, i saw two riders picked up & thrown across the road between 30-40 miles out & one female rider blown into the scrub on the ride down from hawi.
this would describe me in my first kona. it was surreal. the wind was 46mph that day in that part. i haven’t forgotten it.
peggy
The winds are very unpredictable. Some years they can make for a fast bike course. Other years they are killer. Last year coming back on the Queen K I had a strong tail wind, it was awesome I was in 54X11 and spinning. This lasted for about 20 minutes then wind change 180 degrees. I couldn’t figure it out it was a straight road and the only thing that changed was the wind direction.
I’ve been blown in all directions and never had a great bike split at Kona.
It’s crucial to understand the specific wind direction here - there’s a BIG difference in the course between N, NE, and E winds (all of which are labeled “trades”). Last year the winds were more E, and that headwind going into Kona town occurred because of the E winds wrapping around Hualalai, creating an almost South wind effect once you pass Waikoloa. If the winds tend more Northerly you’ll get less of that wraparound effect and winds will most likely be light from Kiholo to Town. Straight E winds will make for that sheltered effect on Akoni Pule to Mahukona, but strong NE winds make that same stretch more difficult with the crosswind effect.
Last year a female rider got a wind gust so hard on the way up to Hawi that she unclicked her shoes and spun out across the street. Then a few minutes later another female got pushed into the brush and was out of the race.
prepare for the worse, i saw two riders picked up & thrown across the road between 30-40 miles out & one female rider blown into the scrub on the ride down from hawi.
deep section front wheel’s were the common theme.
enjoy your race
When you say “picked up & thrown”, do you mean that the wind caught the front wheel causing them to steer off the road as they couldn’t get their balance back? I’ve ridden in some extreme winds and have never had the bike lifted off the ground by the wind, it’s generally a loss of balance when the front wheel is moved or a sudden side gust overcomes your lean into the wind.
I’ve only been to NZ once, during January, and I found it pretty windy. The winds around Taupo were very strong when we were there. I ride the Big Island a lot and you probably wouldn’t find the wind speeds intimidating compared to NZ.
As mentioned by others, the direction can change at points on the course and at the same point on the course by time of day (even very short time offsets can mean big differences).
What i think surprises most riders is the gusting and the variability of wind exposure due to terrain. This is largely limited to the last 5-7 miles from Kawaihae to Mahukona where the highway transitions in and out of rock cuts. The offcoast winds here can really throw you around. See photo of rider in this area above. Larger riders have it easier than smaller riders. I get tossed around on 808’s, but do fine through here. OTOH my wife gets pushed around on shallow wheels. I’ve seen her pushed 10 feet in gusts. When the road is closed for racing it doesn’t seem as bad to me because you have a lot more room. Trying to ride the shoulder with vehicle traffic makes it feel a lot less comfortable.
PK … you be faing anything from 5-10mph steady to 20-30mph steady (variety of angles pending day and where you are on the course) … not uncommon to see 20-50mph gusts on descent form Hawi
Typically calm / tailwind for at least 30-35 miles
Possible head / cross @ Waikaloa to end of Queen K
First 10-12 miles on climb to Hawi often protected
Last 6’ish miles to Hawi typically into building headwind (can be very strong)
Tailwind first 6-8 miles out of Hawi
Remainder of descent then climb to Queen K is either calm or gusty crosswinds
Mile 75/80 to Airport (100;ish) typically a head cross wind off the ocean and this is also toughest part of bike course
From Airport to T2 you turn a little away from the head cross and wind is often lighter
This for sure. I’ve ridden the course 50+ times (never as part of Ironman) and this is a very good general guide (e.g. 75% of the time). You can’t rely on them though. Some times there will be a light headwind going out and then when the trade winds pick up you’re cycling into a strong headwind on the latter phase. One time there was zero wind and it was probably worse as the heat from the roads becomes pretty horrible. It’s hard not just because of the wind but because of the heat when there is no wind.
what is the wind really like on the kona bike course?
the general rule is that it seems to always be different to what is forecast 
It literally can blow from opposite directions at different parts of the course. I’ve ridden up Hawi with no wind, crazy wind, mild wind, and gusty wind. Each time it was almost impossible to predict what it would be like.
PK … you be faing anything from 5-10mph steady to 20-30mph steady (variety of angles pending day and where you are on the course) … not uncommon to see 20-50mph gusts on descent form Hawi
Typically calm / tailwind for at least 30-35 miles
Possible head / cross @ Waikaloa to end of Queen K
First 10-12 miles on climb to Hawi often protected
Last 6’ish miles to Hawi typically into building headwind (can be very strong)
Tailwind first 6-8 miles out of Hawi
Remainder of descent then climb to Queen K is either calm or gusty crosswinds
Mile 75/80 to Airport (100;ish) typically a head cross wind off the ocean and this is also toughest part of bike course
From Airport to T2 you turn a little away from the head cross and wind is often lighter
The keys are thus the following:
- Do not burn too many matches fighting the 20-40 mph winds on those last 6 miles into Hawi.
You might also encounter a weaker 10-20 mile headwind from mile 75-100. (You will need your mental strength for this). - Watch how the riders in front of you are effected by the wind. Be ready to lean into some huge gusts.
Weighing 115 and riding a VERY light bike in 2000 (the year Sister Madonna was slammed to ground and broke her shoulder blade), I was literally picked up and blown, still clipped in, off the road and into the lava ditch by a lateral blast of wind. I did not “lose my balance” or fail to react to a change in wind. The wind gust was so strong that it sent me sailing like a piece of paper. I’ve seen some bad winds in my ten trips to Hawi, but that was worst.