Riding in winter winds

[uforgot]

We're having the winds in Missouri now too. Branches everywhere. I didn't ride today either. I think I'd rather ride in the rain than the wind.

[OakLeaf]

Depends on the traffic. It can get pretty bad on high bridges (FL) or fast descents (OH). If the wind is gusty enough and the road is narrow and busy enough that it could blow me into traffic, I am NOT happy.

I was actually with a group of pretty strong riders last year (mostly much stronger than I am), who turned around because of the wind after crossing the bridge. (I didn't actually quite get that... since once we were over the bridge we had to cross it once, and only once, again... ) But then again, more than half of them were triathletes on tri bikes, so they were probably having worse trouble in the crosswinds than the roadies.

I don't know which is worse - being buffeted all over the place on a bici, or having yourself and your nearly 400# moto picked up by the wind and shoved over three or four inches -

[Triskeliongirl]

I did ride yesterday in 20-30mph winds, and at one point on a very exposed area I did have a gust move me over a couple feet and it was scary.

When you ride in a constant wind, you need to shift your weight so it is moving towards the direction of the wind. This works like countersteering to keep you upright. The hard thing are gusts, since they are unpredictable and don't give you time to react. If its too gusty I don't ride.

It was the near the end of the ride when I started getting blown all over the place, so when my husband came along and passed me, I stopped riding and asked him to come and pick me up when he got in. Cuz the final stretch had a fair bit of traffic, and I was really worried about being blown into it.

[ASammy1]

Being on the coast, we get wind fairly regularly. On the days when it's really windy I use my friend the trainer because I've been blown into traffic before and it's really scary. Overall though, the wind is making me a stronger rider.

[malkin]

The wind here this morning made me feel unsafe in my car! There's no way I could have ridden a bike.

[Geonz]

I ride a heavy bike when it's really nasty. Yesterday I got blown slideways (not gonna fix that 'typo' ) when I was going through a puddle that had ice underneath, I think... with all the water and the cross wind even the studs just slid.

[malkin]

"Slideways" is a keeper!