I was talking to a friend of mine today who was driving home from Casper, Wyoming, which is one of the windiest places on earth. Bike riding can sometimes be miserable if you are in a nonstop headwind or crosswind. He called me to tell me that some semi trucks on the road had been blown over, and we started to reminisce about a ride that I did there a few years ago.

I was in Casper for the holiday and searched out the local group ride. They had a special ride planned for Thanksgiving. They were going to do a long ride from the reservoir back to town, and it was going to be a tailwind the whole way. I thought this sounded great. I love tailwinds…. Wind at the back, free speed…. Anyway, that’s what I thought until I did that ride. We were going so fast that I couldn’t even stay in the group because I hadn’t changed my gearing prior to the ride. It was insanely fast and very cool. I complained because of my gearing, but it was nothing compared to how sad I would have been to be going the other direction.

Wind in Casper is the worst I’ve ever experienced, but, there are tricks to make riding in the wind a bit easier. You have to practice these skills with friends, and then you will have the flow down for when you really need it.

The easiest thing to do is to ride in a paceline. That means that each person rides in the front for a short period of time, and everyone else is resting in the slipstream. It is important to be aware of where the wind is coming from. Each person in the line tries to find the best place to be out of the wind. It creates what we call an echelon in cycling. It is important to communicate. Let the person in the front know if they should move right or left. All the people in the group should be getting some kind of protection. These tactics would change in a bike race, but when riding with friends, the goal is to work as a team and get everyone to the finish, so communication is the key.

The other important thing to remember is that trying to maintain an aero position will also help. If you are comfortable, ride in the drops. You will be in a more aerodynamic position, and your center of gravity is also more stable in this position. Lean into the wind to help keep your balance, and always stay relaxed. A tense body will get moved around by the wind even more. Think of trying to get your body to cut through the air in the smallest space possible.

Wind can be miserable, but as they say “this to shall pass”, and just try to focus on the fun you will have when you get to turn a corner, or turn around to the joy of a tailwind… As long as that tail wind isn’t in Casper, Wyoming I think that you will be happy

Happy Riding…