The trade winds have been blowing on Oahu with a ferocity greater than I remember from my time here on Oahu. Last week they were strong – I started measuring wind speed by seeing how fast I could ride into the wind while pedaling 200 watts. The lowest I saw was 13.0mph for that test. This week the winds were supposed to go back to normal (10-15mph steady trades), but instead they’ve picked up even more. Each day I think the wind is the strongest it’s been since I got here, so testing as I just described is my best estimate as to how much the winds are actually changing. Two days ago I was pedaling 200 watts and going 10mph on a flat road. Today was 11mph, which I thought was horrific until I turned into a valley were the wind was funneling at me. I looked down and saw I was pushing 230 watts and going 8mph on a 1% grade. (Thanks Garmin Edge 705!!). It’s so windy I’m getting blown all over the road – while running. If I wanted to be in this much wind, I’d move to Chicago. (Ok, I take that back, nobody wants to live in Chicago and it’s not just because of the wind).
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lots of people want to live in chicago. like almost 10 million
I mean, it’s better than Michigan, but take yourself as an example, you’re not moving back from California – are you?
I was riding down hill a few weekends ago – got 300w, – 2% grade and going 13mph. I was really hoping that one the way out that riding 28mph at 200w was totally reasonable. I figured out that I had a tail wind. Just a little. And to clarify, no serious triathlete would ever live in Chicago.
i’ll move to hawaii with you. miniskirts and flipflops!!!!!!!!
vandevelde lives in chicago.
im not moving back, but that may have less to do with the weather and more to do with my parents.
I’m totally forwarding this to your mom. Or will that ruin my chances of a homestay for the Chicago Triathlon?
my mom probably already read this. she has a tendency to read people’s blogs that are linked to from my website and then discuss my friends by name.
she has also invited everyone to stay with them for chicago.
It was hella windy in Austin over the weekend, too. I was pushing 200+ watts and going 10mph while on a big guy’s wheel!!
It was 87 and sunny when I got here on Friday … today it is more like 60 … but at least the wind has finally died down. And it has been sunny the whole time!