Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Wow Wee! Windy Ride (pics)

Well we did it! 40 mph wind and gusts up to 70 mph. Not surea bot 70 but it was blowin'! I let Gina choose the weapon and guess what, she picked the tandem, Hmm, wonder why!:D.. Well it was a good ride, good workout and built some character:p

We started off into the wind then headed back to the coast with a tailwind. SO the last 12 mile leg was into a STIFF headwind. We survived witha little help from one of the locals. It pays to have friends! But please remind me to skip the wind ride the day after a hilly mtb ride!:D

Blowing trees
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/011009A.jpg
Windy white caps in the water
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/011009B.jpg
Gina, wonderig if it's strong enough to fly!
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/011009C.jpg
Riding into the headwind, and the dancing camera string
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/011009D.jpg
Didn't have to pay the guy, just post his pics!:p
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/011009F.jpg

LOL Had a good time didja Beanz? Ya gotta love the wind, its a great training tool. Thats one thing about eastern washington, youre gonna get a headwind anyway you go!

Cool beans, Mr Beans! :D

Gina was just playing it smart with her choice of weapons. :thumb:

Those trees really show you how windy it was! Here is another picture (http://twitpic.com/110pt) that illustrates the wind. Looks like your ride was fun :)

Good Post, even the rocks were moving in that wind.

Thanks for posting Mr. Beanz. Right now I must live through others ride stories.

Those trees really show you how windy it was! Here is another picture (http://twitpic.com/110pt) that illustrates the wind. Looks like your ride was fun :)


Ha! I've had that feeling before!:D

Cool beans, Mr Beans! :D

Gina was just playing it smart with her choice of weapons. :thumb:

Well, actually she makes me choose for her in a girly kinda way!:twitchy:...After the forecast the night before a ride, I'll ask her to choose the weapon. She says,"well I guess I can ride my single" but with a tear in her eye and a tremble in her voice! Gets me right here everytime!:cry:

LOL Had a good time didja Beanz? Ya gotta love the wind, its a great training tool. Thats one thing about eastern washington, youre gonna get a headwind anyway you go!

Really strange but years ago the wind was pretty consistent when it came to direction. We'd work hard to the coast then cruise back with a tailwind.

Since that El Nino thingy, the wind blows everywhere anywhere and whenever it wants!:eek:

Thanks for posting Mr. Beanz. Right now I must live through others ride stories.

Cool, just remember that next year when it comes to voting for poster of the year!:p

Cool, just remember that next year when it comes to voting for poster of the year!:p

I'm glad you are OK. I was genuinely worried about you today. However, I wish you and the other nominees would get over the COTY results. (I was called a "wantabee bike rider" this afternoon on another forum.)

Cool, just remember that next year when it comes to voting for poster of the year!:p

I'll vote for you if you vote me for rookie of the year. :thumb:

I'll vote for you if you vote me for rookie of the year. :thumb:

Politics makes strange bedfellows......

I'll vote for you if you vote me for rookie of the year. :thumb:


Cool, it's a deal. I'll beat that wannabe bike rider one way or another!:p

I'm glad you are OK. I was genuinely worried about you today. However, I wish you and the other nominees would get over the COTY results. (I was called a "wantabee bike rider" this afternoon on another forum.)

I kid, story of my life!:D....Heck, if we had places to ride similar to the places you post around here, I'd ride them. Here, it's do you wannna ride in the city, or in the city?:D

Nice pics, beans. I particularly like the first one with the blowing palm trees. Damn left-coast people with their nice weather... how I envy them!

Are those bullhorn bars on Gina's bike?

Are those bullhorn bars on Gina's bike?


It's tandem. You can see the bars are right behind my saddle. I didn't think about it but the bike does look like a single if you don't pick up on it right away!:D

They are shaped like bullhorns but not sure if they are labeled that way. I've seen them advertised as stoker bars. Prolly the samething but a label to increase the price!:p

They are shaped so that they wrap around the captain's seat. If the stoker makes a wrong move, it can be uncomfy for the captain!:eek:..:roflmao2:

I love riding the river trail when it's windy.. You see those guys/gals going the opposite direction smiling and doing about 35 mph and you say to yourself, you will not be smiling when you turn around..

I love riding the river trail when it's windy.. You see those guys/gals going the opposite direction smiling and doing about 35 mph and you say to yourself, you will not be smiling when you turn around..

Yeah! I've seen so many posts bragging about the speed on the way to the coast with a 40 mph tailwind and personal best average, usually 30 mph!:rolleyes:

Strange, I ask about the return average but none ever seem to respond!:D

I've seen guys pushing 30 to the coast, then ride by as rest on the side of the road in tears, on the return.:cry:

It's all about pacing and knowing what lies ahead. Today some moron flew by us a about 30. No courtesy call, then nearly took out our front wheel when he lost control and flew off the road on the little rolling switchbacks near Imperial. It was entertaining watching him try to regain control. If he had crashed, I would have taken his pic, laughed then rode away!:D......That's in my SoCal forum thread!:p

So I get up Saturday morning and hear the wind wailing. Flip on the Weather Channel and see 24 mph winds w/ 34 mph gusts. Next report 10 minutes later is 26 and 36. I decide it's too windy to ride so I click on Bike Forums. Mr. Beanz is riding and it is worse there. I get dressed and head out to fight the wind and dodge the flying palm fronds. Good but tiring ride.

Sunday, after church and after our boys' basketball game, the wind is really kicking back up. I tell my wife "It wouldn't stop Mr. Beanz and his lovely wife". We get dressed and head out to fight the wind and dodge the palm fronds, together. Great ride.

So I wake up this morning. The wind is howling and the direction means a gusty headwind all the way to work. Yeah, I rode. Hopefully I'll at least have a good tailwind heading home tonight.

Hahaha! Some of the wind rides end up being the most fun!:D

Hahaha! Some of the wind rides end up being the most fun!:D

Yeah, hitting 30 MPH on my loaded commuter heading home last night was definately a treat. :thumb:

Wind can be fun or brutal, it just depends which direction you are going. Last spring I had to ride to one of our other offices during the day. The temps were mild, but wind was blowing steady around 25 mph and gusting to around 45. Heading to the other office was a brutal slug fest againt the wind. At times I was riding in my granny gear doing 7 mph working hard to stay up right. The ride back was killer. I was feeling like a racer... 25+ mph on a hybrid for a better part of 5 miles was a blast. Thank goodness the 1st part of the ride was into the wind... that makes the return trip that much more fun.

Happy riding,
André