Wind!

[pfunk12]

When you're outside with one foot clipped in the pedal and you're waiting for your Garmin to locate the satellite and the wind kicks in at 50-60 mph and you can barely keep control of the bike and yourself while you are standing, is it a good idea to go for a ride? Apparently the answer is no. I rode for about 2 minutes and turned around and I struggled to stay upright for the entire 2 minutes. I am pleased that I am getting wiser as I get older and I know when it's not a good idea to ride.

[redrhodie]

Sounds like a good decision. The hardest steady wind I've ridden in was 45 mph, and that was with a friend taking turns pulling. Both of us in our easiest gears, we managed a whopping 8 mph working as hard as we could. Peer pressure! I wouldn't have attempted it alone. My rule of thumb is, when trash bins are rolling, and tree branches are falling, I don't ride.

[pfunk12]

You are right. I was in the car earlier taking my daughter to a class and there were trash bins all over the road. And I saw some cyclists out there really, really struggling and I thought, "That doesn't look like much fun." Plus...it's a new bike. Do I really want the wind to take me AND my new bike down??

Sounds like a good decision. The hardest steady wind I've ridden in was 45 mph, and that was with a friend taking turns pulling. Both of us in our easiest gears, we managed a whopping 8 mph working as hard as we could. Peer pressure! I wouldn't have attempted it alone. My rule of thumb is, when trash bins are rolling, and tree branches are falling, I don't ride.

[7rider]

I was wondering if you rode today.
Not surprising that you didn't. Even for you!

[PamNY]

I think you made a wise, mature decision. Winds sustained at 38 mph (and gusts at who knows what) are keeping me inside today, too.

Some days I really get mad at the wind.

[pfunk12]

Especially when it's mid-February and the temperature is in the mid 50s so you should be riding but you can't. Sigh.

Some days I really get mad at the wind.

[PamNY]

The National Christmas Tree fell over.

Definitely not a day for biking, even if the warm temperature is breaking our hearts.

[emily_in_nc]

It was blustery today in NC too, though not as bad as what you experienced. DH and I did our "three market" ride (farmer's, food co-op, Trader Joe's), and the headwind sections were brutal. We were almost standing still riding, and the arms of my wind jacket (which are not form-fitting) were flapping around loudly, like a sailboat pointed directly into the wind.

An employee at the food co-op saw me in my cycling garb and asked "how is it riding with that wind out there today?" I told him that it was pretty rough except when it was behind you, and I also mentioned that most of the way home we'd have a tailwind so it could just blow us home. He said "that's the way to do it!" We FLEW home - such fun. Even hills were a breeze in that breeze!

Total of 21.75 miles, my longest of 2011 so far. Temps in the 60s with sunshine. Too nice not to ride, wind or no wind!

[HillSlugger]

I got hit with a crosswind and almost got blown over while running

[Becky]

It's nuts out there....we left the bikes at home and drove to work today :/

[WindingRoad]

pfunk12 I can't believe you went out in that, even if it was only for 2 minutes. I was watching the sycamore trees whip around outside my house and opted to put on my new tires and clean my bike instead. Of course now I can't wait to try out my new tires... I'm to the point I'm sick of just hearing the wind outside. Ready for it to calm down. I'll take the cold over the wind.

[Bike Writer]

We had that wind yesterday and some good wind blowing for a couple of days before that. We finally have warm, sunny weather and nearly ALL that deep snow is gone but it was so windy that I couldn't open the door at work to leave until the gust passed.

This is the windiest I have ever seen it.

[Melalvai]

When you're outside with one foot clipped in the pedal and you're waiting for your Garmin to locate the satellite and the wind kicks in at 50-60 mph and you can barely keep control of the bike and yourself while you are standing, is it a good idea to go for a ride?

Only if you are riding the same direction as the wind. With a good sail, you could make amazing time!

[aicabsolut]

I did a short ride yesterday. Not saying it was a quick ride. Man, that hurt. There was one straight road I was on yesterday where the crosswind gusts kept alternating directions! Not cool!

Today was beautiful, though a little chilly. I used my aero wheels. My body was still pretty trashed from yesterday .