Dealing with Headwinds

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. Think of it like your cycling buddy who’s never late to the group ride.

—Sam Westby @samcwestby

Here’s what we have today.

• 🌍 RIDE: The Tasmanian Trail

• 💡 TIP: Dealing with Headwinds

• 🎥 WATCH: The Best Bike Tunnel in the World

• 🚲 ARCHIVES: NYC Bike Messenger Protest (1987)

• 📰 NEWS: New construction, April Fools jokes, and more

Giveaway Update!

Reminder that you have one week until I draw the winners for the Bike Bulletin giveaway!

Here’s what you have to do to enter: NOTHING. Anyone subscribed to this newsletter is automatically entered. I’m happy to have you here.

You can get extra entries by interacting with the post on any of my socials:

• Instagram

• TikTok

• YouTube

• Strava

You can find the official rules here. I’ll pick the 14 winners on April 10th, 2025!

ROUTE ON MY RADAR

Tasmanian Trail

Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into.

• Distance: ~300 miles (480 km)

• Region: Tasmania, Australia

• Vibe: Coastal to alpine, wild terrain

• Difficulty: Medium-hard, 3,900 feet of climbing (1,200 meters)

• Why ride it? Wild landscapes, isolated trails, cool wildlife (and weather!)

• https://www.tasmaniantrail.com.au/

• https://bikepacking.com/routes/tasmanian-trail/

Ride from one end of Tasmania to the other. This trail is 95% marked to encourage all sorts of non-motorized travel.

Watch Voyage of Mon Ami’s experience on YouTube.

BIKE TRIP TIP

Dealing with Headwinds

I never expect headwinds until I’m battling them. If you’re doing any lengthy bike trip, you’re guaranteed at least a few days of bad weather. What’s the best approach for when Mother Nature is trying to push you backwards?

Let’s talk aerodynamics 101. If you’re riding 10 mph (16 km/h) into a 10 mph wind, that’s the same effort as riding ~18 mph (29 km/h) with no wind (accounting for mechanical and rolling resistance). Nearly double the speed! How can we lessen the impact of the wind?

• Wear tight clothing on windy days. Even a flapping unzipped jacket can slow you down by 20%

• Get low. Keeping your body high and upright can slow you down by 15%

• Take turns drafting. If you’re lucky enough to be touring with someone, riding 1-3 feet behind them can save you 30% of the effort.

Windy days make flat roads feel like climbs. It may be the perfect excuse to take a rest day.

Watch my Dissertation Defense Live

I’m inches away from finishing my Ph.D., and I will be livestreaming my dissertation defense on YouTube. Here are the spark notes:

• How to use AI to help people communicate more clearly?

• How do humans perceive different AI agents?

• How has generative AI changed job opportunities for software developers?

It’s nothing cycling related, but why not share it with the world!

The YouTube Livestream will start at 3:15 pm EDT on Monday, April 7th. [Link to Livestream]

I’ll post some reminders on my Instagram story on Monday.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

The Best Bike Tunnel in the World

In 2023, a Norway community finished a 2900 meter (1.8 mile) tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists. Jason from Not Just Bikes geeks out about Bergen for 27 full minutes.

Watch on YouTube.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

NYC Bike Messenger Protest (1987)

In the early 1900s, New York City treated bicycles as recreation instead of transportation. The tides shifted in the 1970s, but not without pushback. After the first Earth Day in 1970, the mayor proposed a bike lane on 5th Avenue. That project got blocked because the businesses on that street thought it would hurt their sales (sound familiar?).

Read more on the Cycling in New York City Wikipedia page and Curbed New York.

• August 1. The completion date for a $1 million Louisville neighborhood improvement project, including new bike lanes and pedestrian crossings. (Courier Journal)

• Britt Lower. The Severance actress will play a bike-commuting Toronto librarian in her upcoming romance thriller, “Darkest Miriam” (The Albertan). Watch the trailer on YouTube.

• Kenyatta Johnson. The Philadelphia City Council President, who has flipped from opposing bike lanes three years ago to becoming an outspoken supporter. (Billy Penn)

• $416. The average amount U.S. mountain bike tourists spend per trip. (Bicycle Retailer)

• April Fools. Pinkbike put together a roundup of the cycling industry’s April Fools posts. (Pinkbike)

A Note From Sam

Reply to this email and let me know what sections you liked / topics you’d like me to write about.

To share this email, you can forward it or send someone this link: https://bikebulletin.beehiiv.com/subscribe.

Find Sam on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Strava