Tail wind

[Lozz360]

Cycling at 15mph with a 10mph tail wind reduces your wind resistance to resultant 5mph. So you won't feel the tail wind but you are moving along quicker and you are convinced you are riding really well all of a sudden.

 

[matticus]

Ah, yes, but what about the effect of the tail wind on drafting?

As you'd probably expect, it has a huge effect. There was an amazing Vuelta stage (in 2020?) where they rode 200km straight across a plain in a huge tailwind, averaging well over 30mph, and the lead group (of mainly big Quickstep riders) just powered away from the main bunch.

 

[Martinsnos]

Ah, yes, but what about the effect of the tail wind on drafting?

I did find myself wondering if with a tail wind there is ever a point when the peloton is better off spreading out so that they each get the benefit but my brain can’t cope with working anything out?!

 

[Martinsnos]

Cycling at 15mph with a 10mph tail wind reduces your wind resistance to resultant 5mph. So you won't feel the tail wind but you are moving along quicker and you are convinced you are riding really well all of a sudden.

That is such a good explanation.

 

[Martinsnos]

I did find myself wondering if with a tail wind there is ever a point when the peloton is better off spreading out so that they each get the benefit but my brain can’t cope with working anything out?!

Oh and another one…with a strong tail wind are you ever actually better off sitting upright so you act as a big sail?! At what speeds does tail wind exceed frontal air resistance?!

 

[Archie_tect]

Oh and another one…with a strong tail wind are you ever actually better off sitting upright so you act as a big sail?! At what speeds does tail wind exceed frontal air resistance?!

If you cycle slower or at the same speed as the following wind then there isn't any frontal air resistance. As soon as you are moving faster than the air around you have frontal air resistance.

 

[GuyBoden]

You'll realise it was a strong tail wind on the strenuous ride back home. 🏋️‍♂️

 

[Martinsnos]

If you cycle slower or at the same speed as the following wind then there isn't any frontal air resistance. As soon as you are moving faster than the air around you have frontal air resistance.

Why aren’t I clever like you?
If I can find a route with a 20mph tail wind (only) and cycle at 20mph…I am going to have the ride of a lifetime!!!

 

[Sharky]

This might interest you. This is an extract from wikipedia about Ray Booty. The first man to get under 4 hours for 100 miles in a time trial. The letter would have been on an "out and back" course.
He then took the "straight out" 100 record and went 30 minutes quicker.

The straight-out record
In September Booty attempted the 100-mile (160 km) record under Road Records Association(RRA) rules. These allowed him to take advantage of tailwinds and gradient drop (time trials in the UK must be on out-and-back courses). He recorded 3h 28m 40s. For the event he used a Sturmey-Archer hub gear. The record stood for 34 years. It was beaten by Ian Cammish.[8]

 

[GuyBoden]

This might interest you. This is an extract from wikipedia about Ray Booty. The first man to get under 4 hours for 100 miles in a time trial. The letter would have been on an "out and back" course.
He then took the "straight out" 100 record and went 30 minutes quicker.

The straight-out record
In September Booty attempted the 100-mile (160 km) record under Road Records Association(RRA) rules. These allowed him to take advantage of tailwinds and gradient drop (time trials in the UK must be on out-and-back courses). He recorded 3h 28m 40s. For the event he used a Sturmey-Archer hub gear. The record stood for 34 years. It was beaten by Ian Cammish.[8]

Here is the video of Ray Booty riding the 100 mile "Out and Back" record, he rode an 84-inch fixed gear.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPtjh9Xpi8Q

 

[Martinsnos]

This might interest you. This is an extract from wikipedia about Ray Booty. The first man to get under 4 hours for 100 miles in a time trial. The letter would have been on an "out and back" course.
He then took the "straight out" 100 record and went 30 minutes quicker.

The straight-out record
In September Booty attempted the 100-mile (160 km) record under Road Records Association(RRA) rules. These allowed him to take advantage of tailwinds and gradient drop (time trials in the UK must be on out-and-back courses). He recorded 3h 28m 40s. For the event he used a Sturmey-Archer hub gear. The record stood for 34 years. It was beaten by Ian Cammish.[8]

Excellent - thank you.
I’m guessing a cyclist’s size/shape will have minimal impact until the point of air resistance is reached? As in, it is the air being pushed away which is the key factor. Obviously if we were shaped like a garage door, I guess ‘locally’ that would impact the effect of the prevailing wind but for a thin/broad rider the impact (of a tail wind) difference would be minimal.

 

[matticus]

As in, it is the air being pushed away which is the key factor.

I think this is actually a flawed way of looking at it. It's actually like swimming downstream; the wind IS the air, whether it's a headwind, cross or tail.

Imagine a 5mph river - if you're good at floating, you can do 5mph downstream with exactly zero effort. But to move at 7mph would take quite a lot of effort - about the same effort as swimming at 2mph in a calm swimming pool.
Moving upstream would take a superhuman effort (I think elite swimmers don't quite manage 5mph).

 

[NorthernSky]

You'll realise it was a strong tail wind on the strenuous ride back home. 🏋️‍♂️

true, i always prefer the headwind on the way out!

 

[cougie uk]

It’s called - look at the weather app and go against the wind on the way out!!!

Hard to do when you live near the coast. My tyres aren't THAT fat.

 

[mustang1]

No, not being pushed along. But the air in front of you opens more of a gap as you get there. Kind of like the air is thinner right in front of you which allows you to push further; essentially you are pushing less air out of the way.