How many MPH do you drop when going against headwind???

[FreshNewbie]

Thanks for the replies, i guess i am not alone. I thought maybe I am not strong enough. Also, forgot to mention that I have to pull 35lb steel bike so I guess that will make it even worse! would be interesting to see what happens when i will buy myself lighter bike, can't wait.

FN

[ladyjai]

i was out riding this last saturday 3/4 of the way with headwinds, and a fixed gear bike. at one point we finally saw no wind. it was great, our speeds moved up to a comfortable 20, then like a wall, we were hit with the wind all at once. it was like brakes were applied to the bikes, and we dropped 3mph in an instant.

[Geonz]

I've decided that most people who hate wind mainly have trouble dealing with that number on their computer getting smaller, and if they'd get over it, they could have fun in the wind, too. It's better workout per mile, after all! In general, going out too hard at first makes for less fun, and if you're trying to keep the numbers up in the face of a headwind, you're going to do that. I don't mess with the numbers, and just let my body work as hard as it was going to work.
Winds here will take my 17 mph down to 11 or 12 ... sometimes 6 or 7 but then I figure it might pick up a cow and hit me with it...

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'm not fond of headwinds either, but sometimes it's the sidewinds that really scare me.

I was on the Big Island of Hawaii, luckily riding on a very lightly traveled road, when I was hit by a blast of wind that moved me from my usual position on the right side of the road all of the way across to the edge of the pavement on the left side of the road. (And at that point I was already leaning into the wind to stay upright!) I'd like to think I would have had the presence of mind (and the ability) to lay the bike down if there had been traffic - but to be honest it felt like I was totally out of control!

And I remember a headwind day on my tour of Prince Edward Island last year where I was pedaling down a hill in my granny gear. Ouch.

I'm not a fast rider anyhow, and I've learned to not get upset when a headwind slows me down. After all, it's part of riding, and I like riding!

--- Denise