Cycling in Windy Conditions: What Years of Riding Taught Me

"Cycling in Windy Conditions: What Years of Riding Taught Me Today's ride was twenty-five miles-my next-to-last before heading to Albuquerque for the Day of the Tread. The weather couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Somewhere between cool and warm, with that strange, swirling kind of Lubbock wind that refuses to pick a direction. North? South? No-just everywhere at once."

"It was one of those rides where you keep your head down and just pedal. You're never really getting a tailwind, but you don't stop to complain either. Every turn, it shifts again. It's not dramatic-it's just relentless. A test of patience more than power. Years ago, I used to dread this. I'd look outside, see the trees bending, and think, "Forget it." But not anymore. Now it's just part of the day's work."

A twenty-five-mile training ride encountered constant, swirling Lubbock wind that shifted direction with every turn, offering no sustained tailwind. The rider maintained a head-down, pedal-on approach, treating the experience as a test of patience rather than power. Years of accumulated miles produced stronger legs, lungs, and heart, transforming earlier dread into routine resilience. Conditioning reframed endurance from chasing speed to sustaining steady effort through wind, rain, and heat. Equipment notes were mentioned for windy days. Ultimately, riders reach a point where conditioning lets them choose the ride's terms instead of letting wind dictate performance.

Read at Theoldguybicycleblog