Crosswinds Sux, Aye: How to Survive (and Use) a Crosswind
Headwinds are honest. Crosswinds are sneaky. Here's how to handle wind from the side without getting spat out the back.
Cross winds sux aye.
A headwind is honest. You know it's there, you put your head down and you suffer. A crosswind is sneakier. It pushes your front wheel around, splits bunches and hides the shelter where you least expect it.
Staying upright
- Relax your upper body. A death grip turns every gust into a twitch. Loose arms soak it up.
- Lean into it a touch, and expect gusts at gaps between buildings, trees and cuttings.
- Think about deep wheels. Fast on calm days, a handful on gusty ones.
Where's the shelter?
Here's the bit people get wrong. In a crosswind, the draft isn't directly behind the rider in front. It's off to the side, downwind of them. Wind from the right? Sit slightly left of the wheel ahead.
The echelon
When a group angles itself diagonally across the road to share the shelter, that's an echelon. Riders rotate through the front, then drift back down the line on the sheltered side.
The catch is that the road is only so wide. Once the echelon fills it, the next rider is left in the gutter with no shelter at all. That's how crosswinds split races. If you sense the wind's about to swing, move up early.
Why aero kit matters more on windy days
Flappy fabric is drag, and a crosswind finds every loose bit. Tight-fitting, aero kit cuts the time you spend fighting the wind and helps you keep a wheel when it counts.
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