Winter Cycling - Anybody ever gotten blown over

Twice, a strong cross-wind has blown me over, but on both occassions, I managed to catch myself.

I've never been blown over, but I've come close a few times. The downtown area of Kansas City acts like a windtunnel in several places.

Oddly, all of my worst wind encounters have been in the summertime, before a thunderstorm set in.

Once during a track stand...which ended badly unless you were the two construction workers who thought it was a real hoot.

A second time on a climb into a gale force headwind gust but I got a foot down.

Both were cold front wind shift related. The first was on a training ride, the latter on commute.

We had some 40 mph gusts here on Saturday. I wasn't blown to the ground, but I was pushed across the lane a few times, and almost stopped in my tracks when I had to turn and pedal into the southernly wind. Someone told me that the flat landers call the wind, "midwesterners' hills", and I can see why.

I've had some pretty strong winds (60km/h) blow sidways, and make my steering move a bit, but never so strong that I got out of my path. With the weight of my bike (and myself on it), I always seem to be able to handle the bike well, and compensate for strong shifts in the winds.

I would imagine weighing over 220 pounds + all the winter gear on the heavy bike have something to do with it?

yesterday was gusty. although i didn't get blown over (never have yet) it was scary as heck going over the bridge on the tiny pedestrian path attached to the side.

One day last week, the wind was blowing like crazy. There is this one hill where I can get up to about 30 mph. As I went around the bend past an old ballpark, a crosswind nailed me. Luckily I'm 6'4" 210 lbs or I would've been toast. As it was, I was extremely startled.

Years ago when I was less experienced and sometimes rode on the sidewalk on busy streets, I found myself crossing the Leaside bridge in Toronto (connects Laird to Pape) on a slightly windy day. The guard rail is only about 4 feet high, and as I rode along on the sidewalk on my fairly high road bike, I realized a strong gust might potentially blow me right off the bridge, so I switched to riding on the road.

In the past three months , I have unexpectantly been in 60 mile hour gusts. Scarry. Only way I stayed upright. Unclip. or else walk.

One time when I was on my 16lb bike (with bladed spokes, Ksyriums) I was riding over a large suspension bridge. I had to stop to walk over the expansion joints. The expansion joints were right next to a bridge support that blocked the wind completely. I walked taking small steps while standing over the top tube. When I steped out into the wind, the wind picked my bike up and to the left against my left leg. I stumbled but caught myself before falling into the line of traffic.

I would not have believed it was possible.

If you look at the pavement between the supports you can see the expansion joint.

One time when I was on my 16lb bike (with bladed spokes, Ksyriums) I was riding over a large suspension bridge. I had to stop to walk over the expansion joints. The expansion joints were right next to a bridge support that blocked the wind completely. I walked taking small steps while standing over the top tube. When I steped out into the wind, the wind picked my bike up and to the left against my left leg. I stumbled but caught myself before falling into the line of traffic.

I would not have believed it was possible.

If you look at the pavement between the supports you can see the expansion joint.

Is this a regular route for you? That bridge looks a little scary.

On a recent 20 mile out and back, I had the wind behind me outgoing, but when I turned around, the wind lowered my average speed 25%. I didn't feel the wind going out, but I sure did coming back.

This happens frequently to me. My usual routes take me through some fairly flat farming lands in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, and the winds through these areas gust enough to regularly move me from side to side. So far, only a couple of near-falls or run-offs into the grass, dirt, or most recently snow. I am 125lbs and my road bike/gear is probably another 25 or so - not very stable! The really sad thing, though, is that I know even if I get past these regions without incident, I will have to make a turn into those winds eventually to get back home ;) .

T

Is this a regular route for you? That bridge looks a little scary.

It was scary at one time, but I have been doing it for over ten years, now I love to stop and take pictures at the top. It's a regular ride route, but I don't have to go over it to get anywhere I need to go. It's not so bad on a heavier bike with loaded panniers, and it's rarely that windy. Now if it's that windy I just don't go that way.

I live where lots of new neighborhoods are being constructed. Last winter I was almost taken out b a 4X8 that blew of a house under construction. It flipped sideways at the last second and went over my head. For me debris has been a bigger problem than the gusts themselves.

I live where lots of new neighborhoods are being constructed. Last winter I was almost taken out b a 4X8 that blew of a house under construction. It flipped sideways at the last second and went over my head. For me debris has been a bigger problem than the gusts themselves.


Whoa ! :eek:

One time when I was on my 16lb bike (with bladed spokes, Ksyriums) I was riding over a large suspension bridge. I had to stop to walk over the expansion joints. The expansion joints were right next to a bridge support that blocked the wind completely. I walked taking small steps while standing over the top tube. When I steped out into the wind, the wind picked my bike up and to the left against my left leg. I stumbled but caught myself before falling into the line of traffic.

I would not have believed it was possible.

If you look at the pavement between the supports you can see the expansion joint.
Years ago a Yugo blew off the Mackinac Bridge. This is still a favorite topic of conversation in Michigan. (I guess we don't have much else to talk about!)

In December I was waiting for traffic to clear, stopped on a sheet of ice. A big gust blew me sideways on the ice. I didn't fall, but I had to get up quite a bit of speed to regain forward momentum.


Question: If you're blowing around on your bike, is it better to ride faster or slow down?

Years ago a Yugo blew off the Mackinac Bridge. This is still a favorite topic of conversation in Michigan. (I guess we don't have much else to talk about!)

In December I was waiting for traffic to clear, stopped on a sheet of ice. A big gust blew me sideways on the ice. I didn't fall, but I had to get up quite a bit of speed to regain forward momentum.


Question: If you're blowing around on your bike, is it better to ride faster or slow down?

Wow! A Yugo! holy smokes! :eek:

Being blow around on the ice sounds maybe even worse than just riding on pavement!

When the wind blows me off track and I veer off at an angle, the slower I go keeps me from traveling as far off track in the same amount of time. In other words I might only go 5 feet off my line instead of 10 feet off my line of travel.
If it's super windy I just go fast enough to keep my balance comfortably. At that speed I can actually catch myself with my foot if I'm falling. It's worked a couple of times.

Roody: First snow coming tonight since I talked to you about riding lakes. Yeah ! :D

2MB:

That bridge looks awful familiar....

2MB:

That bridge looks awful familiar....


:beer:

Happy snow storm! :) I hope you got some riding in.

Check out my thread "White out" on the bike path. I just made it home before it got too deep.

I was out in over 70 mph winds yesterday... it was so much fun, trees were blown down all over the bike path and trail. I didn't get blown over, but sand and dirt was hitting my exposed cheeks at high rates of speed. I cant say i ever experienced such winds before. I made up an awesome song during the storm ride...

In a wind storm!... (add lyrics)

Early January my older brother and I met up in Vegas to ride to Death Valley, and the first day we were supposed to ride there was a nasty wind/rain storm. We were on 160 heading out towards Pahrump, so the road was really busy. Luckily, the wind was blowing towards the shoulder, but that meant that since we were correcting for it, everytime a truck went by we'd be sucked into the lane.

Anyway, my brother got blown off his bike off into the dirt. The winds were a sustained 50-60mph, and we had heavy packs, panniers, and a trailer, which made balancing tenuous at best.

I was out in over 70 mph winds yesterday... it was so much fun, trees were blown down all over the bike path and trail. I didn't get blown over, but sand and dirt was hitting my exposed cheeks at high rates of speed. I cant say i ever experienced such winds before. I made up an awesome song during the storm ride...

I rode home in that about noontime (2/17/06). I had shingles,vinyl siding and tree limbs flying past me. I had crosswinds for most the way home. What really scared me was down power lines along the way and how I had to lean the bike during high gust of wind. I tell you at one point I think could touch the ground with my left hand. I had a death grip on the bars most of the way home.

A pic form the local paper. This happened just 3 miles from my commute route. :eek:



New York state troopers look over a tractor-trailer that rolled over Friday due to high winds on Route 190 near Town Line Road in Beekmantown. High winds caused multiple problems across the region, knocking out power and taking down tree limbs. (Staff Photo/ROB FOUNTAIN)
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