Would you rather..

[bainbridge]

You're touring and have a long day ahead. Would you rather..

Have the wind against you all day but it stays dry for the day?

Or..

Have the wind behind you all day but it rains all day?

I'm heading out on Saturday and BBC weather is forecasting heavy rain, but they're also predicting that the wind will switch and be blowing me along (at least for the first two days, before I change direction).

I know anything beyond a 48hr forecast is largely speculation, all the accommodation and ferries are booked anyway so I'm committed, but it's got me hypothesising

What would you rather have if given the two options above?

[horizon]

I don't think there's a choice: the wind will stop you but the rain won''t. The rain can or might not be pleasant, depending on your view of it: it can freshen the air or make you wet and cold. But cycling against a strong wind is the same as cycling uphill, even for a slow cyclist like myself. Very cold or icy weather is problematic but rain can often mean warmer conditions - there's really nothing to worry about. I'm sure many cyclists on the other hand have tales of woe regarding persistent headwinds.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Can be cold and rain, earlier this year in Torbay it was 2-3 C & slight rain, so it depends on the weather, 15 C wont be as bad by far.
Wind can mean 50% speed reduction but even with the cold you can dress for that.

My option is always no rain I will take the rest.
But is it summer or winter?
Below 5C take the head wind.
Above 15C take the tail rain.

You are doing a circular route?

[DaveP]

I don't think there's a choice either - as a spectacle wearer I find cycling in the rain to be totally devoid of any possibility of enjoyment. Repeated lens wiping without being able to clean first tends to scratch them. What's not to hate?
Also, it's virtually impossible to dress so as to keep warm and dry when exercising in rain. You have a choice between getting wet from the outside in, or getting wet from the inside, but wet you are going to get and then warmth seeps away.
Windy / cold all you need to is adjust your layers and get on with it.
Takes all sorts

[Vorpal]

I'd probably end up with the rain and the wind against me.

[Cunobelin]

Take it as it comes

One of the best days touring I have had was a miserable wet March day and at Lunchtime I stopped at an old pub

Met a couple of old guys who regaled me with stories of the village and the Church followed by a tour of the village

Ended up pitching the tent in the beer garden!!!!!

[Vorpal]

On the days when it just came down all day, my brother and I used to go from pub to pub. Despite my grumpy face above, I haven't had too many of those in recent years, but my trips are shorter, and I tend to avoid bad weather if I can, mostly because Mini V and Littlest would make me miserable, even if the weather didn't

[Tiberius]

I can ride a bike in anything....rain/snow/freezing cold/fog/plague of locusts/sandstorm/you name it.....EXCEPT....Wind !!!....

My hatred of the wind probably has something do do with the fact that I live 200 yards from the North Sea......

[PJ520]

I don't think there's a choice either - as a spectacle wearer I find cycling in the rain to be totally devoid of any possibility of enjoyment. Repeated lens wiping without being able to clean first tends to scratch them. What's not to hate?
Also, it's virtually impossible to dress so as to keep warm and dry when exercising in rain. You have a choice between getting wet from the outside in, or getting wet from the inside, but wet you are going to get and then warmth seeps away.
Windy / cold all you need to is adjust your layers and get on with it.
Takes all sorts

I part agree and part disagree. Riding downhill into rain with specs on can be terrifying. However, in Indiana once I found myself choosing to ride in a thunderstorm because I had a tailwind. (The specs thing isn't so bad when the wind's behind you.) I preferred that to riding from Utrecht to the Hook, dry but a headwind all the way; not a joyful experience.

[mattsccm]

Rain. It can be miserable and changes the day.
Wind doesn't do anything until it actually blows you off. It just tilts the road somewhat.

[PJ520]

Rain. It can be miserable and changes the day.
Wind doesn't do anything until it actually blows you off. It just tilts the road somewhat.

Wind is a hill that never seems to end. Even crosswinds are a pain; there's a sailor's saying "the apparent wind is always ahead of the beam" i.e. if the wind is as fast as you are you are always riding into it unless it's actually behind you (roughly speaking). I know whereof I speak, riding W across Kansas into the prevailing SW wind is uphill all the way even though the elevation gain in only 5000 ft in 800 miles.

[hamish]

I don't really like headwinds but it also depends on how strong the wind is, if the sun is out, how far you have to go, what the scenery is like, who you are with, etc, etc.

Riding in a tailwind is usually fun regardless of the other weather conditions. Being blown downwind in a gale in the rain, splashing through puddles can be brilliant.

Saying that, we just rode up N Uist into the wind then ended up riding down Skye into the wind too as it had changed direction. It was still a great ride though.