But flat terrain tends to have stronger winds, and non-cyclists often underestimate how big a difference that makes. Power needed to overcome wind resistance in

But flat terrain tends to have stronger winds, and non-cyclists often underestimate how big a difference that makes. Power needed to overcome wind resistance increases with the cube of the velocity[0], so you really feel the headwinds. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics)#Power https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics)#Power