Reverse your routes!

[CopperCyclist]

Just something I found today. It was windy, had been raining and wasn't looking promising and I was wondering whether I could make excuses to go out. Luckily the wife then mentioned she was going to start doing some housework, so I decided to go out rather than do the hoovering!

When I did go out, on a whim I decided to go the reverse way round a 15 mile route I've done for a few months now. It was amazing the difference it made. The scenary seemed different, the bits I was used to be hard seemed easy, the bits I expected to be easy were, and I found a couple of hills that I hadn't even realised were there coming from the other direction! It seemed to fly by and I enjoyed it so much thought I'd share.

 

[fossyant]

I've always done training routes and reversed them. If you are sad enough to log them, or have a garmin so you can't lie, you can even see major differences in time in each direction, and compare times and see where improvements are made.

I have a few flat(ish) routes and a few hilly routes - Take me out for about 90 minutes so I don't get in bother.

The hilly routes are very different each way. Change routes when it's really windy - i.e. get the wind on your back in particularly tricky bits - doesn't work as a headwind is usually 360 on a bike.....

 

[CopperCyclist]

I've always done training routes and reversed them. If you are sad enough to log them, or have a garmin so you can't lie, you can even see major differences in time in each direction, and compare times and see where improvements are made.

Yep, I log them with a GPS tracker. Used to use the app SportyPal, now using The Holux GPSport 260. Most of the area around me is hilly though, so it makes a difference. Not Wales hilly, but not flat.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Definitely agree with OP. I do either cycle East or West on the local canal towpath in response to the wind, always a headwind on the way out and then have the wind at my back for my return.

On my commute there is a slightly longer hillier route that I can take, due to the local geography/buildings it keeps me a lot more sheltered during these heavy winds so I take that.

 

[byegad]

I regularly do a reverse run on some of my routes, If there's a goodly Westerly wind it saves me nearly 10 minutes to ride the 'right direction'. As 95% of all my cycling is within twenty miles of home it also makes a nice change to do things 'backwards'.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Just something I found today. It was windy, had been raining and wasn't looking promising and I was wondering whether I could make excuses to go out. Luckily the wife then mentioned she was going to start doing some housework, so I decided to go out rather than do the hoovering!

When I did go out, on a whim I decided to go the reverse way round a 15 mile route I've done for a few months now. It was amazing the difference it made. The scenary seemed different, the bits I was used to be hard seemed easy, the bits I expected to be easy were, and I found a couple of hills that I hadn't even realised were there coming from the other direction! It seemed to fly by and I enjoyed it so much thought I'd share.

Therein is a very interesting point about knowing where you are. A mate of mine who had spent time in the Army told me that when you define a meeting place to look around it from all directions. If you only look at it from head on if you approach from another direction there is a very good chance you will not recognise it. Especially true for MTBing.

 

[Lucheni]

I have a favourite BOAT route near my home that I reverse on occasion. The usual way starts out with a few steep hills on after the other, and then it's rough, pretty much off road all the way down. Back up again, (on a decent road surface) and back onto the road for a really long descent.

It's a nightmare in reverse! The beautifully long downhill that just keeps going, becomes a torturous uphill that just keeps going.... The the off road downhill becomes an off road uphill, which is fun but difficult. And finally, the couple of steep hills that finish the loop are not at welcome at that point. It usually takes me twice as long to complete the loop in reverse. It's great for my legs though!