Windy!

[TJ_Relic]

Yeah, it is very windy here in Texas. Gusts over 35mph. I'm a little worried that I will get blown over on my bike. Has anyone actually had this happen, or am I worrying over nothing?

[Eden]

Don't take this wrong.... but how much do you weigh? Light people do run a risk of being blown over. It hasn't yet happened to me personally, though I've come close - been blown a foot or two across the road (I'm small and light 5' even, 105 lbs). I do know of at least two people who have been blown off the road. Having deep rims or being on a TT bike with a disk wheel increases the risk.

[Wahine]

I know someone who was blown over when she was hit suddenly by a gust.

It's really windy here today and I really don't feel like going out and fighting it on my own so..... I guess it'll be me and coach Troy.

[HoosierGiant]

Have never been blown over, but there have been several occasions when I was certain I was going down. Scary! Have, however, been blown sideways off the road, so I make it a point to ride closer to the center of the lane when it's particularly gusty. 115 pounds, carbon bike, not a muscle to be found -- the wind has its way with me!

[OakLeaf]

I get moved over by the wind, and I do worry about it in traffic, but I'm not good enough at cornering to ever get enough of a lean angle to be blown over.

It scares me much more on the motorcycle than it does on the bicycle, actually.

I don't have aero wheels on the bicycle though.

[Aggie_Ama]

Yeah, it is very windy here in Texas. Gusts over 35mph. I'm a little worried that I will get blown over on my bike. Has anyone actually had this happen, or am I worrying over nothing?

Learning to control yourself in windy conditions is very hard. For a while I felt very sure I would get blown away and it hasn't happened yet. I am around 150-160 and ride a carbon bike. I have been blown off my line by a crosswind and it is very scary.

I did have a friend of a friend who was an avid cyclists, 160-ish lb male get blown into a car. The winds were very high that day, gusting well over 40 mph. So yes, it can happen but it probably won't. However, if you don't feel comfortable or safe I wouldn't ride.

[nic840]

I know that bladed spokes are an issue in the wind. My riding partner weighs about 105 and the guy who built her bike steered her away from them for the "wind-catching" factor.

My mechanic friend weighs around 220 and one day I was riding with him in high winds. He was having a hard time keeping it straight with the bladed spokes. I could only imagine what would happen to someone lighter.

[Mr. Bloom]

I weigh 165. I'd rather have a strong headwind than a stong crosswind any day. Despite my heavier weight, I don't think anyone is immune from the risk.

[btchance]

Oh my goodness - I've just moved to TX and am already sick and tired of these winds. I had to post-pone a couple of rides I had this week in the morning because the winds were gusting up to 40mph. At 8am! Then the two days I did go out, it was supossed to be 13mph - well, that didn't last long and by the time I finished the short rides it was up to 30mph. Ugh!

And yep - I've come very very close to losing it in the winds. My friends back in AL always gave me a very large berth when the winds were high as I was prone to be pushed over on the road. And yes, I am pretty small, which I think has something to do with it.

[Kano]

I don't think it was anywhere near that windy here today, but I sure did notice it! At first, I thought there was something wrong with the bike when my front end got wobbly. Then I realized I was riding in a crosswind....

I'm with Mr. Silver -- the headwinds are better!

Karen in Boise

[Aggie_Ama]

Oh my goodness - I've just moved to TX and am already sick and tired of these winds. I had to post-pone a couple of rides I had this week in the morning because the winds were gusting up to 40mph. At 8am! Then the two days I did go out, it was supossed to be 13mph - well, that didn't last long and by the time I finished the short rides it was up to 30mph. Ugh!

DH and I have lived in Texas all our lives, I say this is abnormal and he says it has always been windy. I do know that last year I only recall two or three times not riding because of the wind. I also logged 500+ miles in May of last year and I wouldn't have been out riding 60-70 miles in winds like this. I think DH is mistaken.

[KSH]

Yeah, it is very windy here in Texas. Gusts over 35mph. I'm a little worried that I will get blown over on my bike. Has anyone actually had this happen, or am I worrying over nothing?

Hey! Yes, it's windy in Texas. I live in Dallas.

I have been blown off my bike once this year. It was scary and I could have gotten hurt. Luckily the fatty part of my leg took the brunt of the fall. Mind you, it took 2 months for that soft tissue to stop hurting though.

I will ride in winds up to 25 mph, but anything over that just scares me too much these days. Being out by the wind once, is enough for me.