Bucking the wind isn’t fun — even when you don’t bite the dust. It was still blowing pretty hard this morning; so I rode a couple of laps around the park before heading for the grocery store.

But what do you do when bucking the wind is a regular thing? Aero bars can help you to stay in a more aerodynamic position, thus reducing drag. I’ll have to take the word of aero bar users for granted; I’ve never tried them. With aero bars, your hands are away from the handlebars; and that might be a major problem if you must do some fast emergency steering. For that reason, I’m wary of trying them; and I remember reading that that is why aero bars are prohibited in the peloton.

If you want to get aero without special bars, there’s always riding in the drops. It doesn’t seem to make me faster; but I notice a reduction in wind resistance when I do it. When you’re in the drops, an additional way to reduce drag a bit is to lift your shoulders towards your ears. Just be sure to keep them relaxed; additional tension doesn’t help matters.

Tomorrow the wind is expected to be much less than it was today; but oh, the chill!  Down to 36 degrees tonight; and even at 8:00 am it will still be only 40 degrees. A pair of Rabbitroom Gloves would be wonderful; but I’ll have to settle for hand warmers. They at least keep the palms of my hands warm; but my fingers can still get cold. 

Luckily I don’t have to go out and ride at 5:00 am any more. Bucking the wind seems even harder when it’s still dark!