Early in 2015 during a club ride we experienced strong winds but were mostly protected by trees 'till we came to a stretch of road by open fields where we had the full force. The first blast almost blew me over but served as a reminder to keep a good grip on the bar but to otherwise keep the arms as loose as possible. The worst thing was to tense up and be unable to respond. Any lesson that does not come about with the loss of skin, or worse, is a good lesson.