Does being light make it harder to cycle into a head wind.
NITR8s
Posts: 688
I already know that being a small, light rider only weigh 9 1/2 stone makes me a whippet up the hills. However, I have noticed that I really struggle cycling into a headwind and the taller, heavier riders who I leave behind on the hills seem to find it a lot easier than me.
The question is does being light make it harder to cycle into a headwind or am i just rubbish at cycling into a headwind.
The question is does being light make it harder to cycle into a headwind or am i just rubbish at cycling into a headwind.
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Comments
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Lighter riders tend to generate less power.
Going uphill the lack of power is compensated for by the lack of weight.
In a headwind there's not the same compensation, hence they tend to struggle more.0 -
Being lighter means you have less power to cycle into the wind. On the other hand, you have less wind resistance than tall, heavier riders. I think wind resistance plays quite a big role in this. For example, my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, with 20 in wheels, is quicker to ride into the wind than my 700c wheeled bikes.
Riding with a group into the wind, I find it much easier to tuck in close behind my big mates - particularly if they're wearing loose-fitting jackets!0 -
Cycling on the flat is roughly all about the energy you can put out to overcome air resistance - so weight barely comes into it, beyond making you a little bigger so you have more to be resisting. However, all other things being equal, a bigger chap can probably put out more power than he loses from being fractionally less aero.
Uphill obviously you spend more time dealing with gravity than you do air (within reason) so suddenly your power per kilo comes into play - and in all likelihood, within reason, a lighter person is likely to have a better ratio there.
So that's all it is.
In short, yes.
If it makes you feel better, I'm 55kg, and I've spent most of my time cycling in Cambridge and London.0 -
In a slightly more technical repeat of what's been said -
Going uphill is about watts/kilo (i.e. power to weight ratio)
Going into the wind is about power/frontal area (i.e. brute force overcoming air resistance)
At least you have a decent w/kg. I'm a wimp who can get aero so while I can hold a good speed by getting flat on the bike I don't have the power output to accellerate hard or climb! I suspect I should learn to train properly...0 -
So i need to get more power in my legs and more aero.0
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Changing your gearing and cadence may help your endurance but it wont produce more power. Whether you pedal fast or slow, you still have a limited number of watts to deploy.
Getting aero is the only way of beating headwinds. That or find a big chap and draft him.
Clipon aerobars are the most effective way of getting aero.0 -
As with all things technique can help.
When going into headwinds you need to be as aero as possible to reduce your frontal area. Get down on the drops and keep your elbows in. If you are wearing loose fitting clothes this will also impare your wind fighting performace.
Other than that there is little else you can do other than find a comfortable gear and pedal.Yellow is the new Black.0 -
No, it's just as hard riding into the wind when your a fat bastard, trust me I know0
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Kingy911 wrote:No, it's just as hard riding into the wind when your a fat bastard, trust me I know
+1
out at the weekend on the mtb (more upright I know) and had to go about 3-4 bigger on the rear cassette just to feel like I was moving.0 -
Yes, and as your size/weight increases (assuming it is not fat) your absolute power should increase, but it's generally not quite linear, i.e. your power doesn't increase quite in line with your weight, so bigger people tend to have lower power/weight ratios (not as good on hills). However, while it's also the case that with increasing size both frontal area and power increase, power increases more than surface area, so bigger people will have a higher power/surface area ratio (better against air resistance / headwinds).racingcondor wrote:In a slightly more technical repeat of what's been said -
Going uphill is about watts/kilo (i.e. power to weight ratio)
Going into the wind is about power/frontal area (i.e. brute force overcoming air resistance)
It's all down to the square-cube law.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:
If it makes you feel better, I'm 55kg, and I've spent most of my time cycling in Cambridge and London.
How tall are you if you dont mind me asking ?0 -
I'm tall and big, I still have to drop down a lot to feel like I'm moving0
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