I’m back in SW Oklahoma for the month and I went for a ride yesterday. 25 miles out, 643 back. On the way out, I averaged 28 and I knew it was going to hurt on the way home but it was just so nice so I kept riding. At the turn-around point, there is a nice little mountain park with hard climbs and gnarly descents. I hit it twice before heading back. I knew it was coming but the wind hit me like a sack of lead-covered bricks. So 28mph on the way out, then 15.5 on the way back. Similar HR both ways and no power meter to measure output. It just about killed me.
So here is my question: Is it a better workout to crank into the wind and average low-speed and be frustrated and angry at life; battling the constant urge to let the air out of my tires so I have an excuse to hitch-hike home. OR is it better to see how hard I can push with the wind and have lots of fun seeing how far I can push my body?
From my days of running it was always run into the wind first. This was more for survival than anything else. When it’s -10C and a strong wind, there is a good chance that you may die of hypothermia coming home running into that wind. When I got into cycling, if I had the choice, I would always do the same thing. Of course sometimes if riding with a group you may not have a choice.
Note the term “training”. The wind plays a large role in the hard ride, easy ride, recovery ride schedule - and it takes a bit of experience in these daily conditions to learn what it right. Easy rides can often become very tough ones if you allow them to and conversely, the hard ones can become too easy.
Nuff said, as any advice from the internet, from riders who aren’t with you daily, ain’t going to fit your personal case. Two things though:
You can really affect your training pattern if you work too hard into the winds - but you can take it too easy also.
You must learn to work harder during those times when the wind is at your back; head down and snot flying just as though you were riding at tempo without the breeze. Its very easy to spin 53/14 and think you’re working just because you’re going quickly.
Come race day - if the wind is blowing and the others tearing up, you’ll be prepared to crush some dreams.
About a 2 week’s ago I got a giddy butterfly feeling in my stomach when I saw leaves blow by at 20 mph on the ground. Raced home got out the bike and went for a ride. After a last weeks 58 mile ride. Think I had enough of the wind for a bit . I say as I am walking out the door to find (on my bike) it.
So here is my question: Is it a better workout to crank into the wind and average low-speed and be frustrated and angry at life; battling the constant urge to let the air out of my tires so I have an excuse to hitch-hike home. OR is it better to see how hard I can push with the wind and have lots of fun seeing how far I can push my body?
You wording is puzzling to me. First, you seem to realize that you were working very hard into the wind to maintain that 15mph. But, then, you say that you were seeing how far you could push your body with the wind.
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t have a power meter for that ride. I’d be curious to see in which case you were really working harder. (And, a power meter is really the only way to know for sure.)
To answer your question, though… If we make the assumption that, by having a similar HR each way, you were working at approximately the same intensity level each way, the return trip was obviously a much better workout since it should have lasted almost twice as long. (I wouldn’t make that assumption, BTW.)
Only place I know of where 20mph is considered a light wind… Just wait until summer and it feels like you’re riding into a blow dryer set on High Heat.
My advice thought would be not to worry about it. I think that training with and against the wind, as well as cross wind is all good because that’s what you’ll be seeing in a race. I feel the same way about hills, flats, rough roads, rain, etc… If it’s not beneficial, we’d do all of our training on the trainer…
Thanks everyone. Like I said, this isn’t my first go-round in OK but I seem to erase all my memories of this place as soon as I leave. As for the summer…I’ll be LONG gone by then. As much fun as quartz mountain is to ride, the out and back aspect is too painful. I think I’m going to go back to the more boring but not as frustrating box rides.
and I went for a ride yesterday. 25 miles out, 643 back.
Holy Crap! Im hoping thats a typo. I ride in an area where you have a tailwind on one side and a headwind on the other. I hate the headwind as I have to exert more effort to maintain the same speed. My heart rate flies up and then dives once Ive turned out of it. I hate it but know that it will help me in the end. I use that headwind stretch to do intervals and speed work. Cant hurt, right? I think someone said it but what doesnt kill you and all that.
Beauty! Thanks for this, it truly made my laugh out loud. Back when I was coaching beginner age group cyclists in Central Texas (similar wind conditions) I gave them a list of rules for planning their training rides. The first three went something like:
Always ride out in a headwind and back in a tailwind.
Always ride back in a tailwind and out in a headwind.
See 1 and 2 above.
I used to keep pretty good notes about my rides and I can tell you for sure that the 2 or 3 worst rides of life were characterized by tailwind out / headwind back.
On a related note, I recently heard a story about an unnamed by presumably famous Belgian cyclist. The story went that his hard rides consisted of riding inland (tailwind) until he bonked (think 4 or 5 hours in the tailwind). Then he would have a coffee and an amphetamine and ride back. Ethics of drug use aside that is some seriously sick training.
Right on Boudreaux. I’m in far NW OKC/Piedmont, meaning no trees whatsoever to block the gusts. I would almost rather ride into the wind because I know that many people avoid it. Embrace it and imagine race day when your competitors are absolutely dying, it is your time to shine. Hammering at 16-17mph may not sound like fun, but you will be stronger for it.
Man, I’ve gotta get out of the office early and get on the road.
I’m back in SW Oklahoma for the month and I went for a ride yesterday. 25 miles out, 643 back. On the way out, I averaged 28 and I knew it was going to hurt on the way home but it was just so nice so I kept riding. At the turn-around point, there is a nice little mountain park with hard climbs and gnarly descents. I hit it twice before heading back. I knew it was coming but the wind hit me like a sack of lead-covered bricks. So 28mph on the way out, then 15.5 on the way back. Similar HR both ways and no power meter to measure output. It just about killed me.
So here is my question: Is it a better workout to crank into the wind and average low-speed and be frustrated and angry at life; battling the constant urge to let the air out of my tires so I have an excuse to hitch-hike home. OR is it better to see how hard I can push with the wind and have lots of fun seeing how far I can push my body?
Any ideas?
I live just a little north of you, Kansas City. We get an equal amount of wind with more rolling hills.
What you are experiencing is the main reason I plunged into the power meter game. I got tired of burning up into the headwind. I was mad so many times. Because all of my routes go south of my house, it is not always possible for me to ride out in a headwind and come back in a tailwind which I prefer so much more. Riding back into a 30mph headwind after 80mi is no fan and I almost hurt myself several times so much, it took days to recover. Those were the days without the PM.
Now, even though I am new to PM, I look down, see my wattage range and could care less at what speed am I coming back or what my HR is doing. I can now completely understand all this screaming on ST about HR and bike training. It has proven useless and nothing but a burn out for me until the PM came. I can now correlate previous HR data and current power levels and say with confidence that I was overcooking myself on every single ride, including those dreadful windy ones, with winds over 30mph. People have been saying that they have harder time recovering from running than cycling, for me it was way opposite, long windy rides over 80mi where I would average 22mph on an out back would put me in a 3 day whole that I would barely manage to pull myself out, all based on HR training. Zones were properly tested and set, but go do a rolling 80mi ride, 20-30mph wind and let me know know if you can restrain effort or pace by HR.
I think I’m the one person who LOVES wind. We do a ride in Wenachee Washington. It’s called the Apple Century. It’s always a tailwind out and headwind back. I think last year was 29 out/11 back and I loved every minute of the ride. However I also believe the 210 lbs I was hauling around helped as well Best thing to do is have fun!
I live N of Dallas in Allen Tx. We have a lot of wind here as well. I’m very new to road riding and REALLY hate the wind. I try to ride into it (N) most of the time and coming home on a tailwind, but there are times it seems to whip around all directions and you can’t get a break even when you are standing still!
My buddy who got me into riding always says “what wind”? Of course he rides circles around me on my training rides with him. I’m not joking, he’s like a small fast moon orbiting a almost stationary planet!
My real problem is in my head. I want to do what another poster said about letting the air out and hitching a ride. What do you “serious” riders do mentally to combat the urge to give up when the wind just beats you like a bimp beats a $5 dollar ho?
Reminds me of a story a friend tells. We lived in Ponca City at the time. He and a buddy drove to the Kansas border and did a tailwind ride across Kansas (~250 miles) along US77. They each took turns driving the truck/cycling. One would drive the truck 50 miles, park, hide the keys and get on his bike and start riding. The other would have started riding from the boarder. When he gets to the truck he drives 50 miles, passing his friend, parks, hides the keys etc. Each road about 125 miles leap frogging across Kansas South to North averaging about 30mph. Then they drove home, no return trip into the wind. Sounded like a pretty cool trip.
There was a group in OKC that would ride the train to Ardmore(about 90mi)
to get a tailwind ride back to OKC on 77 but on one occasion when they got
off the train it was a north wind and ended up a 90+ hilly headwind ride.
I’ve thought about doing something like that. Just pull with the wind for a few hours then have someone pick me up…the problem is finding someone willing to drive an hour and a half to meet me.
Glad to see your post. I’m on the gulf coast in Fl and just had the same ride today. It was only because for my last two I started into the headwind. Today the wind had flipped. I would always
suggest going out into the headwind first.
Best thing to do is have fun!