Higher wind velocity- what can you ride safely?

[PamNY]

My upper limit is about the same as yours -- 25 - 30 mph sustained. I agree headwinds are much easier to deal with than crosswinds.

I would find 70 km. sustained scary and difficult, but could probably do it if I had to -- as you obviously did.

[shootingstar]

Pam @70 km./hr. winds (which is 43 miles/hr.), I actually stopped at least 10 times for a 10 km. bike ride. I just couldn't hold myself up in the wind on bike.

Kathi, I can't imagine being blown down off the bike...

15 yrs. ago I seldom thought much about wind velocity and just rode along bullishly, gripping my handlebars and digging in deep. (And thanked my stars that I had pannier weight to keep me grounded a bit.)

But now, I tend to be conscious of higher winds when cycling.

[Kathi]

That day on Ride the Rockies a 200 lb rider almost got blown off the road, he was on the downhill side of the pass. Fortunately, I ended up sagging the windiest part of the route. I've ridden in crosswinds in N. Dakota where I feel like a drunken sailor, weaving in and out.

I thought we had strong winds in the midwest where I'm from but they're nothing like what we have here. Last week I got cranky just from the wind blowing around the house.

[SadieKate]

A pretty good way to estimate wind speed.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

[maillotpois]

A pretty good way to estimate wind speed.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

That is really interesting - thanks! I think a lot of times people overestimate wind. I'd almost say that it feels stronger when you are riding a bike than walking because you're so much more vulnerable to its effects.

[nuliajuk]

I know I can manage gusts up to 80 km/hour, because I survived a time trial in those conditions many years ago. Slowest time trial ever - one young participant sat in the ditch and cried after it took her 2.5 hours to complete it.

[lovelygamer]

It averages 15-25 here often and I can't stand it. I hate winds. Being a larger cyclist, I'd rather have a cross than head wind. I feel like I'm slowed to a snails pace in head winds no matter how hard I push. I had to stop yesterday one time because I pedaled so hard I was getting a pain in my side and I was slowed to a near stop. I sometimes wonder what cars that pass me think-watching me sluice through the air so awkwardly.

[chatnoire]

I thought we had strong winds in the midwest where I'm from but they're nothing like what we have here. Last week I got cranky just from the wind blowing around the house.

I'm from the midwest too, and I've *never* seen wind like we have here. I get irritable too - when its blowing like it has been the last month, it starts to feel like someone's just poking at you with a stick to be annoying. Especially when its not accompanied by a storm coming in.

[malkin]

Crosswind is scary.
I don't know the speed, but on my last windy ride I thought I'd fall, cars were moving erratically and tumbleweeds, trash and other debris were blowing all around. I don't care to repeat that.