Whats worse for you Rain or Wind?

[wombatK]

Wind - especially side wind. When it's strong enough to blow a dog off its chain, it's not going to leave much oil on the chain either - so chain wear is a moot point.

[DavidTomic]

Not sure what it is, but I'm one of those crazy people who actually likes riding in the rain!

I'll agree that wind sucks big time though. Mainly because (more often than not) I'll end up with a head wind in both directions coming to & from work. I'll never forget the day that I ended up in the granny gear struggling to maintain 10KM/h along a completely flat piece of road. LOL

[ldrcycles]

Mentally, wind is worse, it's a horrible feeling putting everything into the pedals and only doing 20kmh.

Physically though I would say rain. Unless you're riding through a cyclone and get knocked off your bike. wind can't hurt you. Rain on the other hand, in the right circumstances that can kill you (i'm thinking of the top 2k of Mt Wellington in a storm, nasty).

[JessicaAlba]

+10 for wind...

As ldr says, mentally wind is the worst. But therein lies the paradox. I hate headwinds, they make me go to a place where there is no pain, a place where I am in the zone, one pedal stroke after the other, head down, shutting out the urge to give up, grinding along at 20kph

But when there is no wind, and the K's are piling up with still a long way to go before I get home...I know a place that I can shut myself in, where there is no pain, a place where I am in the zone, one pedal stroke after the other, head up, shutting out the urge to give up, flying along at 40+kph.

Come to think, I love the wind. As much as it annoys me, I know it only makes me a stronger rider, physically as well as mentally.

Rain is also good...sweet, cooling rain...

[igstar]

Rain. It means I have to clean the bike afterwards.

[bychosis]

...
wind is a pain in the butt ...

C'mon, no one has had a crack at this? Wind... Butt...

Edit: Oh, iI don't like wind, don't mind rain when prepared for it. Arvo commute is normally a headwind that tracks around the point so it seems to be E, SE, E, NE, E as I ride along, even though its probably just NE.

2nd edit: it's easier to avoid or be ready for the rain for me, check radar and forecast before leaving. If there is wind, it's usually there for a while, rain showers Can and do pass.

[Pax]

But wind doesn't dirty the drive train and wear it out.

+1

Give me sun and Qld in Autumn or Spring as my preferred riding...but if I had to choose between riding in the wind or rain I'd ride in the wind.

[g_dorazio]

Love both. Think I'm turning Belgian.

[ningnangnong]

Happy to ride in the rain, but wind is the absolute worst... unless it's behind me of course.

[sogood]

Rain is worse. One can always turn around in a strong wind and turn it to an advantage, not so with rain. Further, rain brings risks to the ride while wind is your honest training partner.

[ab1981]

Wind will stop a train!

[malnar]

Wind is OK for me. I need simulated hills where I ride.

Rain encounters have been rare for me of late. Have ridden on 203 of the last 210 days (mostly short distances) & have only been properly rained on once. I had the gear I needed so it wasn't too bad.

[boss]

Hate wind. Don't mind rain that much. Headwinds on a climb is about as demoralising as it gets for me.

But I'll go out and ride regardless of wind or rain, take the good with the bad really.

[rangersac]

I'll take wind over rain up to the point where:
- you're in your 39/25 on the flat and making no headway;
- you have a crosswind strong enough that when it's blocked by a high sided vehicle you find that all of a sudden you are riding across the road instead of down it;
- you add 50%+ more time to your average commute
In the above cases rain starts looking really inviting!

[gorilla monsoon]

My ride buddies hate when I get wind.

[Ozkaban]

My ride buddies hate when I get wind.

Mind you, it's about the most effective deterrent for wheelsuckers...

[sogood]

Mind you, it's about the most effective deterrent for wheelsuckers...

Useless if you ride at a reasonable pace. Snot rockets are far more effective!

[cerb]

+1 for Rain.

I'm fairly heavy, so winds don't affect me as much as the lighter riders. Also, as others have said, it gives you a better workout!

Rain makes white lines and tram tracks slippery, increasing the risk of a crash.

[__PG__]

Rain for me. Worse grip and braking. Wind just makes you slower.

[Sharkey]

Rain is worse. I generally choose not to ride if it is raining. Of course not everyone has that choice.

This is from stage 1 of the 1936 Tour de France where they apparently had terrible weather for the first week.

[FuzzyDropbear]

I don't really mind either, it's part of riding. But I do dislike wind more, don't care if I'm out and I get drenched. But losing energy to an invisible force is annoying.. That's when I head off on the mountain bike so the trees are my windbreak.

[gabrielle260]

There's a training benefit from riding into a wind. There's no training benefit from riding in rain.
Not sure much more than that needs to be said!

[toolonglegs]

Strava has made wind watching more fun .

[ldrcycles]

Strava has made wind watching more fun .

+ eleventy hundred .

[casual_cyclist]

Rain is worse for me.