Old 10-03-24 | 04:56 PM
  #25  
mev
bicycle tourist
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Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Austin, Texas, USA

Bikes: Trek 520, Lightfoot Ranger, Trek 4500

Originally Posted by gauvins
indyfabz Yup. Took a quick look at historical data and saw gusts of 60 mph somewhere in western Nebraska, or south-east Wyoming IIRC. Not used to wind like that. In Quebec, early June, winds are usually less than 10 mph and gusts rarely above 20 mph. In Laramie (WY), gusts are quite frequently above 40 mph. On the nose, a 40 mph wind would slow me down to 3 mph (!). This is a serious issue...
Define "quite frequently". Laramie can definitely get wind strong wind gusts and I remember an example where I gave up my plans for a Fort Collins->Cheyenne->Laramie weekend ride due to wind [1]. However, I have at least as many cases where I had trips including Laramie with much less wind or even none [2]. Weatherspark will give you 75th and 90th percentiles for average wind (different than gust but related) - https://weatherspark.com/y/145657/Av...tes-Year-Round and the 90th percentile is less than 25mph in the winter and lower in the summer.

So the trick is to be prepared on how you react but also realize we're likely talking an occurrence percentage in single digits.

[1] On that same trip after giving up I decided to cycle back to Fort Collins from Cheyenne and came across a semi-trailer on the interstate that had been flipped due to wind not long before I cam past.
[2] Laramie was in my "backyard" when I was in Fort Collins so did different weekend loops (e.g. Fort Collins-Laramie-Walden-Fort Collins or Fort Collins-Cheyenne-Laramie-Fort Collins or Laramie-Walden-Saratoga-Walden) and some basic tours that also came past (e.g. from Yellowstone via Laramie to Fort Collins, or from Glacier to Casper to Laramie). Most all those didn't have have as extreme winds at the one that tipped over the truck.
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