Actually, the wikipedia page says the bigger problems in the city are poor visibilty - both for the rider and for cars to see the bike. I may be prejudiced, because I’ve only test-ridden recumbent bikes, and think car exhausts stink enough even on a normal bike.
Thanks for that link - that’s the type of shell I saw, though the design was very different - painted green with flowers on it…
I agree with the wind in my eyes. The ski mask won’t cut it - I need my eyes covered!
But yes, it’s the cold wind that makes the tears just run down my face, and I can’t see a darn thing.
As for properly fitted bikes, I’d love that, but not all of us can afford it. My bike was $300 and that was about my limit. I did make an effort to get a proper seat, though - I don’t have the problems guys have but man it makes your groin hurt. I don’t remember hurting that much when I was a kid!
Yeah, I understand that issue. For years I went through one $200 bike after another (I’d ride them until they broke and then buy a new one - they weren’t worth fixing). When I got my current bike I couldn’t afford it all at once so I put it on layaway (I don’t have a credit card) at the bike shop. But it should be the last bike I ever need to buy 
If wind is the issue, perhaps a fairing would be helpful.
Hah! Just for the record, my work is fairly close to the shore, and my home is farther inland.
So, with working during the day, and standard on-shore and off-shore breezes, it really is upwind both ways!
This weekend, I planned to ride both days.
Saturday: 35 degrees, rainy. I went out.
Sunday: 55 degrees, sunny, but a 20 mph wind. I stayed in.
You can see the top of the hill and you know it will end. The wind, on the other hand, just keeps blowing with no obvious end in sight.
When we ride loops, we check our map and try to set it up so that the wind is at our backs for the last leg of the loop. Of course the wind always changes direction and scuttles our efforts.
Have you tried bike glasses of the wraparound kind? (link to german amazon just for example pictures, not as ad)
Or, if the wind is really cold, try this. (okay, it’s meant as ski glasses - but also for outdoors generally - and if your normal air temp is very low…)
When I ride to work, I usually leave very early in the morning, so it is still dark. It is generally also cold, this being Colorado. And Colorado being what it is, there are some significant hills on my path. While I don’t have an especially bad reaction to cold air, hurtling downhill in the cold makes my eyes tear, also. I didn’t want to pop $90 or more for a pair of clear, wraparound “sunglasses”, especially since I have some good sunglasses. So, I sprung for a $5 pair of safety goggles - the kind that look kind of like glasses at Home Depot. Problem solved.
Of course, now I look (even more?) like a dork, but no one can see me anyway.
Oh, wrt the op. The wind always seems to blow downhill here, at least when I’m heading up, so I can’t speak from experience. But, the physicist in me says those referring to the fact that your power requirements are linear on a hill, but almost quadratic into the wind, should be correct.
It is amazing how the wind always seems to blow in your face either way! I notice this all the time on Chicago’s lakefront trail. Often visual evidence from passing flagpoles seems to indicate that the wind is actually blowing perpendicular to my path, but it sure feels like it’s in my face.
What I have found for dealing with wind is to just relax, keep pedaling at a comfortable rate and accept that you will get to your destination later than planned… it takes a great deal of energy to fight the wind and the frustration isn’t worth the minimal benefit.
This is a gross/ misrepresentation of any actual studies. I like to see some actual cites here to back up this assertion.
In any case, damage is possible, but it happens to a very small number of riders, and can be ameliorated by better positioning on the bike and experimenting with saddles. Note that “softer” gel saddles or cutouts are not necessarily the answer.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE that “it’s unhealthy for guys to ride on bikes.” In fact, the simple act of getting in better condition does more for the vast majority of men’s sexual performance than can be negatively impacted by the vanishingly small number of bad side effects.
I’ve been riding thousands of miles for years. No bad effects here.
Cost doesn’t have that much to do with adjusting your bike to fit. A $300 bike will be $300 whether you get the small, medium, or large version. Just make sure the frame size is right for you and make sure it’s fitted to you: there should be no additional cost to get it adjusted to fit you correctly. Even with a $300 budget, you should still make sure your $300 bike is properly fitted and you have the right frame and that it’s adjusted well for YOU.
A lot of adjustments can be made even if you have an inexpensive bike. Most people know you can adjust the height of the seat, but often people forget how much more they can tweak things like the tilt of their saddle and its position forward or backward. You can get a shorter or longer stems for the handle bars or adjust their rise if you feel you’re leaning too far forward, not forward enough, or if you feel that you’re reaching too far forward. A lot of bike shops will also swap out the stem for free.
It’s not just a matter of straddling the top tube to see if the size is right then riding away.
Cost comes into play only if you want to buy upgraded components, like and adjustable stem or a new saddle. A woman’s sit bones are usually farther apart than a guy’s, and they do make saddles specifically for women (I say usually because my cousin has narrow hips and she’s most comfortable with a man’s saddle). Stock bikes usually come with men’s saddles.
I do the same thing - I always start out going into the wind, in the vain hope that the wind will be at my back once I cross the river and start in the opposite direction. But of course, the wind always seems to change direction.
I’d much rather bike uphill than bike upwind. I think it’s because wind is so unpredictable- at least with a hill, you can see ahead of time exactly what you’re going to have to deal with. With wind, you think you’re doing just fine… and then suddenly, all of your forward momentum is gone with no warning.
On the plus side, wind does keep you cooler.
When I lived in Austin, I hated riding my bike to work. Heading to work, I was going upwind… and heading home, I was always going uphill. Very frustrating.
All you have to do is coast to a stop and the wind will feel like it’s blowing from the side.
Well, if you know more about this subject, okay. IAMNAD, I was going by the reports in normal papers that summarized the scientific findings. And my impression was that scientists repeadtly said it’s bad for the guys not for some little impotence, but inner organs, and it wasn’t the saddle, but the continuous jostling.
The reports from the research came up over the last years, and each report, the scientists said that the findings were more serious than they had expected, and that they were suprised how much it affected the men.
But if you are a scientist or doctor or have otherwise looked at the original research and the reports were exaggerated or misunderstood, then please tell me in detail.
Do you mean: no visible effects of impotence? Or do you mean you had a complete examination done, and everything is okay?
I like riding on windy days, of course if there is a strong constant head wind I turn around and ride the other way…I never understood what the deal is with riding a specific route you have planned out if conditions change to make that a miserable experience.
Gah! Bike riding in the wind is a nightmare that I avoid as often as possible. The worst part is when it’s calm at the beginning of your ride, then once you’re a mile from home, you get stuck in a bleeping hurricane. You feel so pathetic and helpless, and damn your legs for not propelling you faster.
I’ve read comments here about faces getting cold in the wind, but nobody else’s hands get cold? I’ve found myself having to wear gloves when it’s windy, even if it’s warm.
How do you get back?