Effect of wind direction on cyclists

[I FLY]

On Monday my foolish fellow audax partner and I were riding from Potchstrom to Carltonville. The wind was gusting strongly from our front and left.

The road was too narrow for us to ride in the correct drafting position ie behind and to the right of the person in front.

 

After we reached Carltonville we felt that it had been easier to ride at the front then ride directly behind.

 

Any ideas?

 

  

[slowpoke]

I Fly, it's most probably because you were trying to "draft" to some small extent while behind, so you ended up concentrating harder to avoid being blown to the right while fighting the wind, instead of simply focusing on fighting the wind. it's most likely just more stressfull at the back in those conditions

[DRIVETRAIN]

 

At least IFLY's leg's got a good workout.........in those conditions..

 

 

"DT"

[slowpoke]

good point DT, hmmmm, now for the next workout... i wonder if i can convince him to do a tandem race with me... then he'll really "fly" on a single bike!

[I FLY]

good point DT' date=' hmmmm, now for the next workout... i wonder if i can convince him to do a tandem race with me... then he'll really "fly" on a single bike![/quote']

 

Hello SP,

 

Afraid that you will have to fight for the rear seat of my road tandem. Your opposition is my two daughters and my pycho editor.

 

Not sure who would put up the strongest fight!

 

Seriously, if you want to try we can arrange a test ride. The stoker has to get used to not being in control of any of the decisions and to anticipate what the pilot is about to do.

 

THe downhill speed more than makes up for the uphill slog. Can generally get 20km/hr more on tandem than single on same hill.  

[slowpoke]

I Fly, i'm sure your psycho editor will be nice to me. if you are willing i'd like to do this sometime, just cos the atmosphere in the tandem bunch really is lekker and i've not had the chance to be in that bunch since last may. i'm sure i can control myself and not try to take over steering.

 

(i have actually been on the back of a tandem once before - last year's workers' day challenge, the pilot is a visually disabled buddy, but we couldn't find a tandem to borrow that was small enough for me to pilot cos i no longer have access to the tandem that i'd piloted beginning of last year for a blind lady - so it was quite an issue with him ducking the whole time for me to see ahead of him and tell him when we needed to turn!)