c2 - Crosswinds are the pits. You have to concentrate on keeping your balance in them. Therefore, you might want to ignore the speed of other cyclists and just focus on your own effort. This is just me, but when I "fight" a wind, it's more difficult. I now take more of a Zen approach to riding in wind---just do my best, go with the flow (more or less), and see it as great strength training and a test of my balance. I also shift to "easier" gears when necessary and focus on cadence, like Red recommended in her post.

The more you ride in the wind, the stronger you'll get.

We had some decent wind this morning when I rode (actually, it's been blowing since yesterday!!). Gusts were up to only 25mph or so, but enough to toss tree debris all over. A test of bike handling skills!!!

Why does it always seem that the gusts pick up when you're heading up a steep hill?