Westerlies!!

[nilling]

At long last we getting westerly winds back. Never known a winter like it. My commute is E-W-E. The easterly headwinds of 30 mph (xcweather.co.uk) last Monday evening nearly finished me; even saw a few people walking with their bikes rather than riding them.

With tailwinds it’s a bit different. There can be little way of knowing if your are riding with a tailwind; you cannot feel it nor hear it. The only clue is usually seeing another cyclist riding the other way! Even though I’ve had faster morning commutes my ego tells me that’s because I’m a fully fuelled, cycling god when in fact I’m being assisted

 

[Andrew_P]

I have been waiting so long for the prevailing winds to return, I like my Headwind in the morning and tailwind home it suits the ride so well. So tiring climbing more and having a headwind. I was chuffed this morning having a headwind!

I am right under Gatwicks flightpath at work and it has been the longest time I can remember that they have been taking off rather than landing.

 

[jarlrmai]

Doing a sustained 25-26 with a tail wind is so exhilirating.

My ride is almost completely north south, so I pretty much get crosswinds.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

At one point in the last couple of weeks I spun out on the fixed at 27mph on the flat whilst riding home, been regularly hitting 25mph on the flat with the tail wind, great fun.

 

[glenn forger]

My commute's EW and I've has that bastard icy headwind for about two years now. Headwind on the way home but I took it easy, and it least it was mild.

 

[sabian92]

Mine's north-south so I never get any bloody tailwinds.... Typical!

 

[Moodyman]

Lucky to have W-E-W commute but E-W is mostly climbing which isn't impacted much by the usual Westerlies. The only sign of a tailwind is riding in a gear or two higher than normal.

 

[Leaway2]

I’m a fully fuelled, cycling god when in fact I’m being assisted

Gotta' be.

 

[Col5632]

Nice to have a tailwind on the way to work for a change, but it does mean a headwind with more climbing on the way home, not sure what is better tbh

 

[Kestevan]

What is this "Tailwind" of which you speak?

 

[400bhp]

When the wind is behind me I pretend I'm Wiggins when "coasting" at 25mph, going for glory on a solo breakaway on some tour stage. Head down, looking all serious an all, a steely glare descends from behind the prescription spectacles.

Anyone else, or just me?

 

[MontyVeda]

it does make a refreshing change!

 

[hoski]

What is this "Tailwind" of which you speak?

+ 1

 

[al78]

Mine's north-south so I never get any bloody tailwinds.... Typical!

I have a roughly NNW/SSE commute and I did once have a tailwind both ways. It requires optimal timing and track of a low pressure weather system so that I get southerly winds ahead of the low in the morning, the low passes through whilst I'm at work, then NWly winds on the back side of the low in the evening.

 

[al78]

Mine's north-south so I never get any bloody tailwinds.... Typical!

You must have had tailwinds during Spring 2010. We had nearly a month of persistent NWly winds, which is what blew the ash from the Iceland volcano over Europe causing all the flight disruption.