General Cycling Discussion - Wind sucks. Blown clean off road today.

I hate strong winds :( and today I found out why. Not only did it destroy my ability to maintain a good pace but it blew me off the road at one point. I did not fall but did have a bit of a time staying up in the deep weeds on the shoulder of the road.

I guess it must have been a steady 20-25 mph with high gusts from time to time. At one point I actually had it at my back for about a half mile and at 23MPH it was like being in a dead calm.
Unfortunately riding a loop configuration garauntees the wind will work against you most of the time.

Today was my 20 mile personal TT day and I just canned it after the first 8 miles of fighting and being blown off the road. But even after slowing the pace and trying to relax it made things miserable.

Oh well.

But wind can be so much fun sometimes. I rode 25 miles into the wind averaging 16mph so I could come back into town along those same 25miles average over 25mph for an hour. Its like going uphill.

Some days it better to pack it "in". I've been tellin' people it's been windier at all the wrong times, but when I checked the weather pages, it only shows a "minor" increase.

The other thing is, I always go out to the south and this year the winds have always worked against that too. It's really weird, I had really "great" spring rides two years ago....

I also hate dealing with high winds on a regular basis- I had a ride myself a couple of weeks ago, where the winds were so strong that as I was riding up a short hill headed for the second half of my ride, it blew me off the path and onto the ground. That's only about the second time I've fallen off my bike ever! I wasn't embarrassed because everyone around me was struggling- even the police were on their bikes shielding a woman with a baby carriage against the wind for a few minutes there while I was falling on the ground about a few yards back from them.

Wind is terrible sometimes in Chicago...

BAH! You should try riding in my howntown in Newfoundland, east coast of Canada.

From my old house to a national park 40km west was a routine ride of mine. In Newfoundland we get prevaeiling westerly winds that usually blow between 30-50kph.

2 hours 15 minutes to get out to the park. 1 hour 10 minues to get back. I would sometimes hit 90kph.....

THAT's wind. Drive ya nuts.

Digger

I hit strong winds on the SCT on Monday. It seemed that it was blowing in my face in both directions. Is that when you were getting it Sam?

What I hate is when the wind actually CHANGES DIRECTION just after you've turned around to go back, and you're struggling to get home.

One time, I almost wept... :cry: man, I hate the wind changes.

Richard and I need to exchange winds. My afternoon commute home has been into a north wind all but 2 days this spring. I deserve a south wind one of these times!

Sam, I agree. Here in Birmingham we have had high winds for about two months. Yesterday(6/3/03) we actually had a brief period of calm late in the day. I am ready for some hot,sticky weather!

Isn't it a rule that you always ride into the wind?

The strongest wind I rode in is 100 kmh (62 mph). The next I've done 3 times, 60 kmh (40mph).

Fun commutes!

The funny thing is that most of the time I don't realize when I have the wind in my back. It's just when I look at my computer and it says 40 km/h on flat that I think "Oh, for once I have the wind in my back!" So it always gives me the impression that the wind is in my face...