Wind aided win

junglist_matty
junglist_matty Posts: 1,731
edited November 2012 in Road general
Had a brilliant ride home in the wind, first 8miles were hard going along mostly westerly roads getting blown all over the place, then turned to head north for the next 8miles and wooohoooo.... Flew along and finally nailed 3 KOM Strava segments I've been trying for months ;)

http://www.strava.com/runs/28969077

Comments

  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    So are you’re saying that you needed a very strong tailwind in order to take some KOM’s?
  • Reane_Machine
    Reane_Machine Posts: 178
    Who cares? They all count.

    Although now you've made it so much harder for when someone nicks the KOM back off you and the cycle starts again...
    Hills are like half life - they wait until you're 50% recovered from one before hitting you in the face with the next.

    http://www.pedalmash.co.uk/
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    So are you’re saying that you needed a very strong tailwind in order to take some KOM’s?

    Who's to say those that held the KOM prior, didn't have the same advantage.
  • kamil1891
    kamil1891 Posts: 658
    Todays south wind was enormous ;) You probably didn't have to pedal with such a wind :D
  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    I cycled to my parents house along small side roads and had a headwind heading there. I was going faster uphill with the tailwind than I was downhill with a head wind.

    I hate wind.
    My London Road
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    You are lucky, I had a side wide for most of my ride back from the office, every time there was a gap in the hedge I was pushed about 3 feet into the road! Scary and exciting in equal measure!!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • junglist_matty
    junglist_matty Posts: 1,731
    Let's be honest here.... The wind is a huge factor on Strava leaderboards, anyone who thinks otherwise is only fooling themselves.
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    +1 Matty - anyone who quotes their club TT personal best will be doing the same
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • kamil1891
    kamil1891 Posts: 658
    junglist_matty wrote:
    Let's be honest here.... The wind is a huge factor on Strava leaderboards, anyone who thinks otherwise is only fooling themselves.

    Most of my KOMs are with wind assistance and it's not a secret. Competition doesn't sleep !! :D
  • joe.90
    joe.90 Posts: 171
    junglist_matty wrote:
    Let's be honest here.... The wind is a huge factor on Strava leaderboards, anyone who thinks otherwise is only fooling themselves.

    Sure, I've used 4-8mph winds to my advantage.. but today's was unusually strong! Did you have a sail on your back?
  • kettrinboy
    kettrinboy Posts: 613
    The wind is probably responsible for a lot of the Strava 5 and 10 minute power figures, my 5 min power figure of 369 w was set on a flat to slightly downhill run with a 15-20 mph tailwind ave speed of 28.6 mph, in the real world today on the turbo a max effort for an FTP test gave me 310 w over 6 mins and i doubt i could repeat that on the road.
  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,978
    If it's not the wind it's the passing chaingang.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

    Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut
  • junglist_matty
    junglist_matty Posts: 1,731
    joe.90 wrote:
    junglist_matty wrote:
    Let's be honest here.... The wind is a huge factor on Strava leaderboards, anyone who thinks otherwise is only fooling themselves.

    Sure, I've used 4-8mph winds to my advantage.. but today's was unusually strong! Did you have a sail on your back?

    It was very sketchy out in the strong wind yesterday, verging on dangerous.... If you go out and ride in such bad conditions then you are more than entitled to a well deserved KOM....

    This week on the bike has been grim, and I've been out every day so to get a few KOMs has made a grim week of riding far less grim and gives me motivation to keep riding even when the weather is at its worst.
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Yep, wind's a big factor for me on Strava - I think the lighter you are the more it counts, (63kg) and the opposite is true too, I am crap into the wind.

    Here's a segment I did from the French Land's End with a good Force 5 behind me. No way I could have got above 40km/h without it.....

    http://app.strava.com/activities/26715923#488537562
  • displacedaussie
    displacedaussie Posts: 356
    Remember, a wind-assisted KOM counts exactly the same as a downhill KOM, which counts exactly the same as a non-wind assisted KOM on a HC climb.

    ps. a non-wind assisted Strava KOM on a HC climb does not count for anything.
  • joe.90
    joe.90 Posts: 171
    junglist_matty wrote:
    joe.90 wrote:
    junglist_matty wrote:
    Let's be honest here.... The wind is a huge factor on Strava leaderboards, anyone who thinks otherwise is only fooling themselves.

    Sure, I've used 4-8mph winds to my advantage.. but today's was unusually strong! Did you have a sail on your back?

    It was very sketchy out in the strong wind yesterday, verging on dangerous.... If you go out and ride in such bad conditions then you are more than entitled to a well deserved KOM....

    This week on the bike has been grim, and I've been out every day so to get a few KOMs has made a grim week of riding far less grim and gives me motivation to keep riding even when the weather is at its worst.

    I like that attitude :D
  • andi1363
    andi1363 Posts: 350
    Wind aided win?

    Try racing if you want to win :idea: :wink:
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/aself
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=10 ... ij&z=a.png
  • john1967
    john1967 Posts: 366
    edhornby wrote:
    +1 Matty - anyone who quotes their club TT personal best will be doing the same

    theres lies,dam lies and wind assisted strava.your only fooling yourself.At least club TT are independently timed and in my experience if the winds behind you one way its in your face the other.My PB was recorded on a good calm evening.
  • Bordersroadie
    Bordersroadie Posts: 1,052
    One of my (very few) local Strava KOMs was held by me for a good while until on one unusual-wind-direction day, some local guy (git!!!) beat my time by a few seconds. The only way for me to realistically re-take it is to wait for a rare strong south-easterly and head over that way, which is is exactly what I intend to do.

    You "real" road racing types can scoff (and we know you will, so be my guest) but we Stravaheads, who get such great motivation from it, just see it as a same-rules-for-everyone thing. Next week's northerlies will present some opportunities I haven't had for a while, tee hee!
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    It's only the same as doing an offroad section in the dry as opposed to the wet. Some of much sections are quite safe until the dry weather I think!
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Also some of the more urban KOMs need to be got on the middle of the night due to traffic and pedestrians . THAT'S dedication!
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    Haha at the Strava e-peen swinging.
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    Bordersroadie wrote:
    One of my (very few) local Strava KOMs was held by me for a good while until on one unusual-wind-direction day, some local guy (git!!!) beat my time by a few seconds. The only way for me to realistically re-take it is to wait for a rare strong south-easterly and head over that way, which is is exactly what I intend to do.

    You "real" road racing types can scoff (and we know you will, so be my guest) but we Stravaheads, who get such great motivation from it, just see it as a same-rules-for-everyone thing. Next week's northerlies will present some opportunities I haven't had for a while, tee hee!

    +1 on this. It's changed cycling for me, I get out far more now than I used to. Has to be a good thing right?!
  • Mr Will
    Mr Will Posts: 216
    Paul 8v wrote:
    Also some of the more urban KOMs need to be got on the middle of the night due to traffic and pedestrians . THAT'S dedication!

    It's got to be the right time of night to slip-stream the passing night bus on a few of them...
    2010 Cannondale CAAD9 Tiagra
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    bernithebiker wrote:
    Bordersroadie wrote:
    One of my (very few) local Strava KOMs was held by me for a good while until on one unusual-wind-direction day, some local guy (git!!!) beat my time by a few seconds. The only way for me to realistically re-take it is to wait for a rare strong south-easterly and head over that way, which is is exactly what I intend to do.

    You "real" road racing types can scoff (and we know you will, so be my guest) but we Stravaheads, who get such great motivation from it, just see it as a same-rules-for-everyone thing. Next week's northerlies will present some opportunities I haven't had for a while, tee hee!

    +1 on this. It's changed cycling for me, I get out far more now than I used to. Has to be a good thing right?!

    It's great for people who will never race properly or have a proper training plan...Sunday warrior types.
  • Reane_Machine
    Reane_Machine Posts: 178
    It's also great for people who want to get into competition but need to build their fitness first, like myself.

    There's no way I would want to race in my current fitness, but using Strava as motivation and as another string to the bow of wanting to get on the bike, it's a good medium.

    Also a bit of local competition can only be healthy.
    Hills are like half life - they wait until you're 50% recovered from one before hitting you in the face with the next.

    http://www.pedalmash.co.uk/
  • Paul 8v
    Paul 8v Posts: 5,458
    Also nice as I don't get to ride with my mates much, one of us is always away or something so it's nice to post a time and see if they beat it when they're out on their ride. It's also the added motivation of the computer never lies about how many miles you did and your average speed etc. Everyone can see if you do a pants ride!
    Road
    MTB
    NEW Cross
    Track/Grass Track/Winter bike
  • bernithebiker
    bernithebiker Posts: 4,148
    How about a 'Peloton aided win'?

    This one is much harder to detect; you ride in the peloton at lead out speed up to base of climb, then pop out and give it full beans to take the KOM.

    Not fair really?!

    I know Strava shows if 'others' are riding with you, but what if the 'others' don't have Strava, or worse, :o turn it off!!

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