'Make a sail' or 'go aero' uphill with a stonking tailwind?

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mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Yes, but depressingly rare ... The valley system round here seems to funnel the winds in a strange way. It is often possible to do a circular ride and get cross/headwinds 75+% of the time!
Oh everywhere has quirks like that. If you live on the coast or near a major estuary, tidal winds can give you headwinds 75+% of the time... but I did one 100 mile ride last year where we had tailwind or cross-tail wind for 81 miles, which I think was partly due to that effect. The 19 miles into a battering headwind still felt like 1900, though!

Back to the question: I'd sit up every time - not quite "make a sail" if it's uphill, but I've freewheeled over 20mph on the flat thanks to a tailwind before. Mind you, we only managed 6mph into that wind, so the average still stank. :laugh:
 

Oldfentiger

Veteran
Location
Pendle, Lancs
Yer all overthinking it!
Have you got a NET tailwind or headwind.
Examples......
If you're pedalling at 10mph with a 15mph tailwind then you have a net tailwind of 5mph, so sit up and reap a miniscule benefit.
If you're pedalling at 10mph with a 5mph tailwind then you have a net headwind of 5mph, so get down and reduce your frontal area (unless you can raise a 5mph fart).
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
I would say sit up. We have a couple of strava segments we do regularly, With a good tail wind you can save a bit of time, Depending how strong that wind is.:okay:
 

2IT

Everything and everyone suffers in comparisons.
Location
Georgia, USA
Isn't it ironic and unfortunate that our backside is more aero than the front side?

So while we would like to catch a lot of tailwind, we usually just pass it.
 
Mike Burrows explained it something like this very simplified version:

Stand up and put your arms out - any wind direction forward of your arms will have a head wind component, and affect your forward motion
 
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