It’s early spring in Iowa after a harsher than usual winter highlighted by a ‘polar vortex’. Last winter I was able to do four or five Iowa rides in January and February. This year, none. I was determined to get at least one ride in before the end of the first quarter of the year, so I set out on a blustery, overcast, cool day with the threat of rain looming in the forecast. With a choice of directions to set off in, I chose heading south into a fairly steady 15mph wind gusting to 20 or 25mph, so that I would have the wind at my back on the return. It’s not often I get a chance to record the effect of wind on a ride, but this time was optimal.

What a difference the wind makes

The nine mile ride to Ely, Iowa into the wind brought tears to my eyes, even behind my cycling glasses, along with a wind chill bringing the effective temperature down to the low 30’s numbing my fingers and toes. Nearly 45 minutes uphill and into the wind. Doesn’t it always feel that way? The return was a completely different feeling. You don’t necessarily feel the wind pushing you along, but the wind chill effect disappeared. I comfortably rode along, about 5mph on average, faster than the headwind leg with a return trip time about 13 minutes faster. About a 29% time savings over the outbound leg. Even though the absolute temperature was falling from 41 degrees to 37 degrees during the ride I felt much warmer on the return leg. What an effect the wind can have!

I don’t know when I’ll be testing my resolve in conditions like this in the future, but this ride set an expectation for me I won’t soon forget. Let’s get some better weather soon, already.