Some Strategy Required

The first time I watched the Tour de France with any seriousness, it came as a surprise to me that there was more to racing bicycles than using maximum effort to turn the pedals.  Those guys had a plan.  A big one.  Eventually I figured out that I could use this piece of knowledge and apply it to my own biking experiences.  Ah, maturity. It's such a gift.

My point? I took a bike ride today -- though less experienced bikers might have judged it to be too windy to ride. ENE at 21, gusting to 27, I believe.  I spent some time on Map My Ride this morning, plotting out a ride that would take advantage of a tail wind on long straightaways, and minimize as much as possible the effects of the inevitable headwind.  Every bridge crossing is a commitment on any ride around here, and this particular ride had 9 of them.  This one is at the southernmost part of the ride, and the water looks deceptively calm. 

As usual, Ollie's Pond was part of the ride.  The eastern legs involved a lot of zigzags through residential areas, taking advantage of houses and vegetation to shield me from the wind. 

At one point I looked down at my bicycle's computer and I was riding between 7 and 8 mph.  That's 2 to 3 times faster than I can walk, so I figured the mechanical advantage still went to the bike. (Part of the strategy is to tell myself stories of this sort.)  On the last turn into the wind my speed dropped to around 6 mph.  Much slower, and I'd fall over.  So I pulled my last arrow out of my quiver of tricks.  Yep --- I finally shifted gears.  I love it when a plan works.  Now I'm going to go lie down for a while.  I'm a little bit knackered.