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It was an extremely windy day today across the country so a timely moment to have a look at the new video above about how to ride in crosswinds most effectively.
And we've also included a piece below by our coaching correspondent Aidan Ryan on the same subject, which we publish a few months back.
Riding In The Wind, Explainer: In this photo, a group of riders is trying to get away from the bunch in a race. The breeze is coming from the riders’ right, so they are each tucked in to the left of the rider in the front of them, using that rider as a barrier against the breeze. The rider in black is leading the group, taking his turn to be blasted with the full brunt of the breeze for a short period while those in the line behind him are sheltered and so using much less energy. The rider in orange has just done his stint, or “turn”, on the front and he is swinging to the back of the line. He will find shelter there from the rider ahead of him until it is his time to hit the front again and to be the one rider in the group to take the full brunt of the breeze at any one time. In a race situation like this, a group riding in this manner can pull away from a bunch on a breezy day – even in light winds - spending hours out front and gaining huge time on the bunch. One rider on his own, or a group not riding properly to shelter each other, will quickly become exhausted and be caught. While key in a race situation, keeping out of the breeze while training or in a sportive will be the difference between you being shattered every time you ride, or enjoying your miles and falling in love with your sport while also gaining fitness. I cannot emphasis how important this process is so have a good read of the piece below.
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It’s so frustrating, really annoying. Every week you smoke that wrinkly old guy, leave him for dead on the hills on the spin with the group. Then every time there’s an event, he ends up finishing two or three groups ahead of you. How the hell does he do that? When you ask him he just shrugs and replies cryptically: “sensitive cheeks”.
Probably the likely reason, and the reference to sensitive cheeks, revolves around the older rider’s ability to hide from the wind. He has developed sensitive cheeks (on his face!) detecting the direction from which the wind is blowing and therefore can find the most sheltered spot in the bunch.
On a flat road, the limiting factor for any rider is aerodynamic drag or wind resistance. If you are a regular cyclist you don’t have to be told this; you have personal experience of it on a recent windy day. And if you ride in a group you will be aware that having a rider in front of you reduces the aerodynamic drag which you encounter. It’s much easier to “sit in” behind another rider into a head wind than to ride in front.
This concept is a key principle of our sport. Many of the tactics and techniques that make cycling so unique are due to the concept of wind resistance.
Sitting in the middle of a bunch moving at 40kph on a flat road requires the average rider to put out about 40 per cent less watts, or power, than the riders on the front. In the middle of a big bunch you are effectively being sucked along. That’s a huge saving in energy.
In a small group or a single line it is really important to be able to get the best position in relation to the rider ahead of you to minimise your exposure to the wind. If you don’t, you will be working harder and expending more energy than others in the group.
Fig. 1 White Rider in optimal drafting position
Obviously the closer you can get to the rider ahead of you the more shelter you will be getting. However you have to be careful not to touch wheels. Watch the British Track Team Pursuit team in action. They ride millimetres from each other’s wheels. They have spent many long hours practicing in the velodrome and have confidence in each other.
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Fig. 2 White Rider in safer drafting position
In a random group on the road riders may be less predictable. For this reason you need to leave yourself some room in case the rider in front of you gets out of the saddle and pushes his bike backwards or suddenly slows. This means riding not directly behind the leading rider but slightly to one side.
Fig.3 White Rider drafting in strong crosswind from right
Which side of wheel in front do you move to, left or right? Here is where you use those newly developed “cheek sensors”. If the wind is coming from the right then you should move to the left of the rider in front of you to be sheltered from that wind. And if the wind is coming from the left you should move to the right hand side of the wheel you are following.
The stronger the crosswind, the further up alongside the rider who is sheltering you will need to move to find the optimum shelter. Again the sensitive cheeks will tell you when you are in the sweet spot.
Below are some tips:
- Ride slightly to one side of the wheel in front so you have somewhere to go if the rider in front of you slows down suddenly.
- Keep your head up looking well ahead. Don’t look at the wheel in front as you won’t see hazards ahead. You will still see movement in the rider in front of you when you are looking up the road.
- Try to feel the breeze on your face and identify which direction it is coming from (this is where the sensitive cheeks come in).
- Move to the leeward side of the rider in front of you to get more shelter. If the wind is coming from your right you move to the left of his rear wheel.
- If there is a strong cross wind from the right move further up the riders left hand side.
- In extreme cases you may have your front wheel level with the other rider’s front axle.
- Be prepared to adjust your position as the road or wind direction changes (remember not to do anything sudden which might endanger other riders.)
- Know the wind direction before you begin the event.
- Know the route before you begin the race.
- Knowing where the route direction changes will mean a change in how the wind affects you.
Practicing
Like all skills, you won’t nail this first time. It will take practice. Find a flat, quiet stretch of road to practice on with a friend or two. Don’t go too hard at first, just allow yourself to build your confidence.
Initially you will feel nervous getting close to the wheel in front. Start at a distance from the wheel in front at which you feel comfortable. Then very gradually move just outside this comfort zone, remembering to keep slightly to one side to allow you somewhere to go if the ride in front slows.
You can build the speed gradually and this will give you more of a feel of the wind and where the best shelter is to be found. Take turns on the front riding, for around 1 minute at a time to allow the rider behind time to experiment with different positioning
It is important to keep a safe predictable course and a constant speed when on the front so that the rider behind can be confident that he/she can get close to the rear wheel without danger. You should also shout any holes or hazards to the rider behind as he/she may have their view obscured by you.
When you have done your turn on the front, wiggle your elbow to signal to the drafting rider that you are pulling off. Then move out slightly to the windward side to allow the following rider pass you on the sheltered side. When he/she has passed you slot in behind them and begin practicing your drafting again.
Get accustomed to changing your position behind the leading rider as the road changes in direction bring the wind on you from a different angle.
It is a good idea to incorporate this practice into your weekly training as it will not only benefit your skill but also your fitness.
Aidan Ryan has been involved in track & road racing and mountain biking for nearly 40 years. He has won seven national track titles and represented Ireland on a number of occasions. He is a level 3 coach and holds a degree in physical education. Aidan has coached riders of all levels from beginner mountain bikers to European track champions, from leisure riders to ultra-distance record holders.
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