ah headwind ... how I love thee

[Veronica]

I just gotta ask - do you look up the wind speed in your area, or are you estimating how much wind there is?

Ar 25 mph you should hear whistling in the wires and 38 mph is considered a near gale.

Here's is an interesting site that describes what you experience at various windspeeds.

http://www.flexifoil.com/roughguide/...ind_speeds.php


Also part of the wind you feel when you ride, is apparent wind (a sailing term) a combination of the actual wind and your movement through the air.

V.

[SadieKate]

I've been thinking about this same thing for a while. Because of you I finally found the Beaufort Scale. Thanks, Teach.

I'm getting to like wikipedia. Find all kinds of interesting stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

I like the little pictures on this site.
http://www.stormfax.com/beaufort.htm

Then, of course, there is our buddy NOAA.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/html/hailwind.html

[SadieKate]

And, just for Veronica:

Estimating Wind Speed
Almost everyone overestimates wind speed in the mountains. . . . 60 mph-Similar to walking up a steep hill with a sack of rocks on your back

Taken from: http://www.mountainweb.com/learn2cli...earntoclimb=38

[fixedgeargirl]

Estimating Wind Speed
Almost everyone overestimates wind speed in the mountains. . . . 60 mph-Similar to walking up a steep hill with a sack of rocks on your back

How big is the sack?

[Brandi]

got the wind speed off our local weather site bfore we went out the other day. The wind is a major thing around here so you can always find out how fast it is blowing from our local weather site. Anyone else have that?

[Grog]

I check it out every time I leave for a ride. It tends to change direction quite a bit around here (I live by the ocean). I ride in areas that are true wind tunnels, so I always, always have a head or tailwind of 15 km/h, and most often much more (35 is not unusual, 50 has happened a few times recently). I sort of like being mentally prepared for it, otherwise I get discouraged when I find out!

[SadieKate]

I like NOAA graphical site because you can get incredibly detailed info.
http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/gra...tors/index.php

[tatormc]

got the wind speed off our local weather site bfore we went out the other day. The wind is a major thing around here so you can always find out how fast it is blowing from our local weather site. Anyone else have that?

When I moved here I always wondered why they talked so much about the wind when giving the weather forcast. They show the map with the direction it's blowing and then how much it will be blowing. Then I started to notice the trees whipping around and the windows creaking due to the wind. Before I ride I always have to check the wind or I might get blown away!

[withm]

I live less than a mile from the ocean so we always have wind. Prevailing winds out of the west 10-15. Can't go east unless you want to swim. The best rides are North/south along Rt. 1 which parallels the ocean anywhere from a couple hundred feet to 1/2 mile from the water. Gusts over 25 can be interesting if you aren't prepared for them and the ones at 35 seem to make me stop, or even feel like I'm going backwards. And at this time of year it gets chilly too. Where is Spring?