Wind or hills?

[gavroche]

Which is the hardest to fight against? At least, with a hill, you know there is a top to it and you can choose to ride it or not. With the wind, you have no choice and you can't see the end of it. Both have their advantages though: there is the downhill that follows the uphill, and there is the wind behind you ........ eventually, and you can also choose not to ride on a windy day.
So, on reflection, I think I prefer the hills, although not very keen on them.
May be I should ditch the bike for one with an engine? No, not likely as I like the peace and quiet of two skinny wheels.
When is summer starting?

 

[DWiggy]

I rather a hill to a strong head wind anyday, theres nothing worse that than going down hill and having to pedal against the wind

 

[Nearly there]

Hills all day sick of this wind now

 

[tyred]

Hills every time.

 

[Rob3rt]

Makes no difference, power is power! xxxW uphill is no different to xxxW into a headwind, or even xxxW with a tailwind. The only difference is you will go at different speeds for your xxxW, but the amount of work is the same!

 

[helston90]

and there is the wind behind you ........ eventually

It's a myth- give me a hilly route any day!

 

[swansonj]

Makes no difference, power is power! xxxW uphill is no different to xxxW into a headwind, or even xxxW with a tailwind. The only difference is you will go at different speeds for your xxxW, but the amount of work is the same!

True in terms of pure, first-approximation physics, but it does nevertheless make a difference because it makes a difference psychologically - you can see what you are expending this power to overcome when it's a hill, you can't when it's a wind.

 

[Beebo]

I prefer hills, they are more predicatable so I can chose to avoid hills and take a flatter route, but a head wind is impossible to escape.Also side winds and unpredicable gusts can be very dangerous.

 

[summerdays]

Both are awful - I'm sure some of the laws of physics are corrupted around here .... hills have shorter downhills than uphills and the tail wind which should be very frequent is a once in a blue moon experience!

 

[User482]

Both are awful - I'm sure some of the laws of physics are corrupted around here .... hills have shorter downhills than uphills and the tail wind which should be very frequent is a once in a blue moon experience!

There is no corruption:

1. Downhills are shorter than uphills - in time spent on them.
2. You will always have an effective headwind unless the tailwind is going faster than you are.

 

[PaulB]

Wind AND hills! Last year, me and my son tackled the 11/10 in toughness rating Great Dun Fell which is tough enough on its own but we were also competing against a ferocious headwind which added immeasurably to the difficulty. Just be glad if you only have one of those components to contend with.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Wind is horrible because you don't even get a view or any sense of acheivement having beaten it - in fact, you don't really ever beat wind, you simply put up with it for however long it lasts. Plus, if you are as small and light as I am, wind can be genuinely dangerous.

 

[hopless500]

Both are awful - I'm sure some of the laws of physics are corrupted around here .... hills have shorter downhills than uphills and the tail wind which should be very frequent is a once in a blue moon experience!

same here

 

[Plax]

Hills for me every time. Just as well given where I live.
Can't stand the wind though. The wind is a major contributing factor to my dwindling cycling motivation. Constantly having to battle very strong wings in the fecking cold hammered a few more nails in my cycling coffin. Weather is improving slightly though so I'm going to try and get my cycling mojo back. At least the wind will be slightly warmer now.

 

[hotfuzzrj]

I hate wind when I'm cycling.
But as long as there's no one nearby I let it all out...