Headwind, shifting, and brakes

[Catrin]

48 degrees F today, so I headed out to my usual practice location to get some quality time with Stella. My session lasted only for 30 minutes due to a strong headwind. Indeed it was so strong that it felt like a very strong hill climb in spinning class - and shifting didn't help.

My assumption WAS that gearing isn't going to help much going straight into a strong headwind but I wanted to check (and I didn't want to ride cross-wise to the wind). Indeed it was almost a better cardio workout than spinning class this morning (my HR certainly was higher). I couldn't practice what I wanted to though, it didn't seem the best time to try and ride one-handed... Just wondering in case there is an opportunity for a repeat before the weather changes again.

I also noted that my brakes screamed every time I used them - especially when I stopped. They worked fine, were just very, very noisy. Is this normal, and perhaps due to the wheel picking up moisture from a damp pavement?

{Edited} After some thought, it seems apparent that I just didn't have the right gear combination, that makes sense. When I wiped my bike off after returning home I noted that one of my wheels were very dirty from the brake - but only on one side of the wheel. I know it was clean when I left home... is this normal?