Looking back on my ride a few days ago, it’s actually kind of funny. But at the time, it was miserable. I decided to go on a 20 mile ride, which usually takes me about an hour if I’m riding alone.
The sun was out. It was a bit chilly so I put on a light jacket. I have an old bike trailer that I sometimes put on just for added weight/challenge when I’m training, and since this was only a 20 mile ride I decided to hitch it on my bike.
The first half of my ride
The first half of my ride was rough: the wind picked up as soon as I started riding, and got worse as the trail ran into less sheltered areas. The wind was about 15 miles and our and coming at me from a 45 degree angle – not directly head on but not sideways either.
I thought, great, on the way back I’ll have a nice push!
As you might imagine, the wind felt considerably worse because of the trailer on the back of the bike, which acts as a natural wind sail. Unfortunately, the wind was pushing my sale in the opposite direction.
Near the half way point
Right about the half way point where I turn around, the wind picked up considerably. As in, the wind was howling at about 25mph. It was enough to flatten the grass and make flags ripple and snap.
Also, it started to rain. Hard.
A giant gold front had rushed in.
And the wind had nearly flipped on its head.
The second half of my ride
What did this mean for me? Instead of getting a nice push on the last half of my ride, I had 25mph wind hitting me directly head on.
Rain fell directly into my face because it was being blown sideways. My light jacket was instantly soaked. My smart idea of hitching the trailer on for extra challenge soon became an anchor.
I was standing and grinding as hard as I could and could barely crack 10mph. And it never abated the entire way back. If you’re a rider, you know that these cruel twists of fate are enough to really piss you off, and make you push hard. Which I did. I took my anger at the shifting wind out on my pedals.
By the time I finished, I was exhausted. The ride that usually takes an hour on the nose took an hour and forty five minutes.
I’m happy I went though. Not every ride can be a beautiful diamond. If it were, it would get boring real quick.
Thanks for reading, followers, and best of luck in your summer cycling.
-Bart Haynes