Orlando, FL – Training in the Wind

Weekends are made for resting, or are they Made for Riding!! For a majority of our team member’s the best training happens on the weekends. This weekend was no different for Jodel, Z and me.

The Ride

Sunday was bright, sunny, cool, and breezy! Fall has arrived in Orlando. While many people face chilly weather in late October, Florida welcomes cooler temperatures and low humidity. This fact is not lost on the TeamOne cyclists.

The TeamOne riders started the day off with a breezy day. “Breezy” is an understatement! Riding in this wind was like pushing against a wall for 40 miles. The members were grateful this was just a training ride. 2 water bottles were enough to keep the riders hydrated with temperatures in the low 70’s to mid-80’s.

This ride focused on riding for longer before a break, and interval training. Mother Nature provided plenty of assistance in the intervals. Periodically she offered up gusts of wind. The riders thought they were going to get a break from the wind, only to be met with a gust another of wind. Nothing looks more depressing than putting in all that effort and only seeing 12 mph on the bike computer. The riders pressed on, though. Another focus of the training was switching the lead between members.

The training ride was tough. It was fun in the sense that everyone had a feeling of accomplishment – overcoming the wind! Their average was 17.7 mpg, not too bad considering how that 12 mph was hit during the ride.

Event Day Statistics

Let us talk about some facts and figures about the wind that day according to Weather Underground … If you take an average man’s weight (180lbs), the minimum (7mph) – maximum (14) – gust (22mph) wind velocity for the day, along with average speed (17mph) and use an Aerodynamics principals this is what it takes in effort to maintain 17 mph average over the varying wind speeds.