….Most effective body position for tailwind

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Nessie23
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Location: Warwickshire

….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Nessie23 »

Was out on Friday, lovely day but deceptively strong blustery wind. When I have a strong tailwind I am never sure of the most effective riding position to adopt. Should I sit up, making a large ‘sail’ area but but also creating a larger frontal air resistance surface? Or should I tuck down into a more aero position to best exploit a tailwind?
After a bit of experimentation I concluded that sitting up provides an opportunity for extra recovery time, but if I want to maximise speed then I should go aero. Interested to learn what forum members think/do in such circumstances.
Jdsk
Posts: 24478
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Jdsk »

Do you mean a typical wind from behind, reducing the relative air speed for that road speed?

Or one that is so strong that while riding forwards the air is coming from behind?

The optimal position is different...

Jonathan
Mike Sales
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Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Mike Sales »

It depends on the relative wind, and its speed.
Into a head wind your speed is added to the wind speed, so the resultant wind, the wind you experience, increases, and an aero position is made more useful.
With a tail wind your speed is deducted from the wind speed, but until you are going faster than the wind the relative wind will still be from behind, so it is helpful to sit up. Though your speed may mean the help is not great. The resultant wind, the wind you experience, decreases.
Side winds are another story. As you speed up the relative wind direction draws ahead. I have been known to twist my body at an angle, like a sail, to gain help.
Last edited by Mike Sales on 13 Jun 2021, 9:17pm, edited 1 time in total.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
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Nessie23
Posts: 91
Joined: 13 Sep 2020, 1:19pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Nessie23 »

Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 8:56pm Do you mean a typical wind from behind, reducing the relative air speed for that road speed?

Or one that is so strong that while riding forwards the air is coming from behind?

The optimal position is different...

Jonathan
The former, when you have a tailwind that you can feel pushing you along….
Jdsk
Posts: 24478
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Jdsk »

Nessie23 wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 9:04pm
Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 8:56pm Do you mean a typical wind from behind, reducing the relative air speed for that road speed?

Or one that is so strong that while riding forwards the air is coming from behind?

The optimal position is different...
The former, when you have a tailwind that you can feel pushing you along….
It's the latter that pushes, the former only reduces the drag... ?

Jonathan
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Mike Sales »

Nessie23 wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 9:04pm
Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 8:56pm Do you mean a typical wind from behind, reducing the relative air speed for that road speed?

Or one that is so strong that while riding forwards the air is coming from behind?

The optimal position is different...

Jonathan
The former, when you have a tailwind that you can feel pushing you along….
Clearly, if the wind is pushing you, then use it. Sit up.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Postboxer »

Coincidentally I was watching a YouTube video earlier of a vehicle capable of travelling directly downwind, faster than the wind. Skipped most of it, just looking for the theory of why it might work and whether or not it did work.
Jdsk
Posts: 24478
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Jdsk »

Postboxer wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:09pm Coincidentally I was watching a YouTube video earlier of a vehicle capable of travelling directly downwind, faster than the wind. Skipped most of it, just looking for the theory of why it might work and whether or not it did work.
I'm interested... but did it only use aerofoils?

Jonathan
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by [XAP]Bob »

It’s this one
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Postboxer »

It is that one yes. I couldn't be bothered to find it earlier and thought I would leave people pondering whether and how it could be possible.
pwa
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Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by pwa »

Nessie23 wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 8:51pm Was out on Friday, lovely day but deceptively strong blustery wind. When I have a strong tailwind I am never sure of the most effective riding position to adopt. Should I sit up, making a large ‘sail’ area but but also creating a larger frontal air resistance surface? Or should I tuck down into a more aero position to best exploit a tailwind?
After a bit of experimentation I concluded that sitting up provides an opportunity for extra recovery time, but if I want to maximise speed then I should go aero. Interested to learn what forum members think/do in such circumstances.
The occasions where being efficient has been most important to me have been on long Audax rides, where progress is against the clock but I had to make sure I kept my body in good order for the entire ride. I used strong tail wind situations as an opportunity to relax and recover, sitting up and avoiding too much effort. If the tail wind is at, say, 20mph and you are moving at 20mph in the same direction you will experience zero wind resistance, meaning that sitting up costs you nothing but also gains you nothing, except that it eases any discomfort. If you are moving slower than the wind. you will get more of a push by sitting up. If you are moving faster than the wind you will still go faster by tucking, but at a comfort cost.
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by thirdcrank »

I'm surprised this hasn't prompted a series of posts from people saying they don't know what a tailwind is. My only really memorable tailwind - the only one I immediately remember - was a gale which caused damage in several parts of the country. Riding home from work in the middle of Bradford, I was able to freewheel uphill on parts of the A650 Wakefield Road.
Nessie23
Posts: 91
Joined: 13 Sep 2020, 1:19pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Nessie23 »

Thanks for all the replies. The penny has dropped for me…..I hadn’t considered that there will be many occasions when I am cycling faster than the wind. This explains the phenomenon that when I cycle circular routes, the wind always feels to be in my face (headwind). I now see this is because if I am cycling downwind faster than the wind I will feel the air resistance in my face. Seems very obvious now!!
Liked the video also 👍
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by Mike Sales »

thirdcrank wrote: 14 Jun 2021, 6:37am I'm surprised this hasn't prompted a series of posts from people saying they don't know what a tailwind is. My only really memorable tailwind - the only one I immediately remember - was a gale which caused damage in several parts of the country. Riding home from work in the middle of Bradford, I was able to freewheel uphill on parts of the A650 Wakefield Road.
I imagine that the reason headwinds figure larger in peoples' minds is that because of relative motion the apparent wind, the wind we experience is from ahead more often.
The wind pressure we feel from a tailwind is reduced by our speed, from a headwind it's increased.
That and the "I'm going well today" feeling going downwind.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
simonhill
Posts: 5211
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: ….Most effective body position for tailwind

Post by simonhill »

Jdsk wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:15pm
Postboxer wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 10:09pm Coincidentally I was watching a YouTube video earlier of a vehicle capable of travelling directly downwind, faster than the wind. Skipped most of it, just looking for the theory of why it might work and whether or not it did work.
I'm interested... but did it only use aerofoils?

Jonathan
If you watched the Americas Cup you would have seen the boats 'sailing' much faster than the natural windspeed.
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