What do Good, Fair and Tough mean?
Updated
Each day is rated on the extra effort the wind costs at your pace, side-on gusts, very strong gusts, rain, heat and cold, at the times you’ll be riding. The worst of these sets the rating, and Windline always says why.
The limits
Windline checks six things along the route, each at the time you’ll reach that stretch. A day is Tough if anything reaches its Tough limit, Fair if anything reaches its Fair limit, and Good otherwise.
| What’s checked | Fair from | Tough from |
|---|---|---|
| Extra effort from the wind | 15% more | 40% more |
| Crosswind gusts | 45 km/h (28 mph) | 60 km/h (37 mph) |
| Gusts from any direction | 65 km/h (40 mph) | 80 km/h (50 mph) |
| Rain you’ll ride through | 1 mm | 5 mm |
| Heat | 33°C (91°F) | 37°C (99°F) |
| Cold, as it feels at riding speed | 0°C (32°F) or below | −6°C (21°F) or below |
Cold rain is its own case: at least 1 mm of rain when it feels like 5°C (41°F) or colder in the wet makes a day Tough.
Gust figures are as forecast at 10 m (33 ft), the standard height for weather forecasts, so you can compare them with other forecasts.
The reason is always shown
A Fair or Tough day carries the reason, so you know what to plan for. You’ll see lines like these:
- “Headwind: about 22% more effort”
- “Crosswind gusts to 52 km/h around km 64”
- “Gale-force gusts to 83 km/h around km 30”
- “3.2 mm of rain from km 41”
- “Hot: up to 35°”
- “Cold: feels like −2° at riding speed”
- “Cold rain: feels like 4° when wet”
When more than one thing is at the worst level, Windline shows up to two reasons. A Good day with a strong tailwind says so, for example “Tailwind: about 18% less effort”.
Why effort, not wind speed
The same 25 km/h (15.5 mph) wind can make a day much harder or much easier, depending on whether it’s in your face or behind you. So the wind part of the rating is the extra work it takes to hold the planned pace, compared with riding in still air. A headwind costs the most, a crosswind costs a little, and a tailwind helps. More in how headwind, crosswind and tailwind are worked out.
A rating isn’t a safety call
Ratings help you plan clothing, food, start times and pacing. They don’t replace official weather warnings or the judgement of the people running the event.