Wind resistance while cycling.
 

It's a pretty windy day today which will be great biking to work with the tailwind, but real sucky when I travel home.

There are 2 ways I can get home though: one with a direct-head on wind and one with a more of a cross-wind. I'm wondering, is it less efficient to travel in a cross wind (because more surface area is being hit by the wind :confused:) or one that's head on?

Headwind! Just a guess based on the frontal area issue, plus the fact that you'll be steering into the crosswind and adding tire scrub, increasing RR.

In the right crosswind, I pretend that I can "sail" myself forward by twisting my upper body to generate forward lift. :P

Ha ha! Somehow that doesn't surprise me coming from you MetroMPG.

Okay, headwind it is! Thanks. Still, if someone knows the absolute answer or can link me to a site, please chime in :).

Crosswind. You don't steer against it, you just lean against it a tiny bit. Much easier than riding into it. Simple vector math problem, draw it out. :)

I was never good at math. Hmm, we got some conflicting advice! :eek: who do I believe now? Are you 100% sure JohnnyGrey?

Head on is worse, no doubt in my mind.

Okay, thank you :)

Go with the majority, Peakster!

I think Johnny is closer to the right answer, because his effectively is "it depends" (TM) - on the strength & direction/vector of the wind.

Yep, I'll stay with my original assessment.

Go where the workout is.