Wind & Commuting
03-03-10 | 05:04 AM
#1
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From: Bradenton, FL
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Wind & Commuting
Does wind discourage anyone from commuting? What are your sustained wind speed limits and gusting wind speed limits?
Last edited by jryan; 03-03-10 at 05:09 AM.
03-03-10 | 05:31 AM
#2
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From: Binghamton, NY
Bikes: Workcycles FR8, 2016 Jamis Coda Comp, 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker
It hasn't discouraged me and I'm a year round commuter. However my city is surrounded by mountains so we rarely get any severe wind gusts. I don't have any limits as of yet. I may reassess though if I feel it is to dangerous to go out by bike.
03-03-10 | 05:35 AM
#3
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From: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
others things will hold me back but not wind. no sure ha makes sense though. one morning we had a torrential rain storm and high wind advisories, etc. I was crossing route 30 in Natick, 4 lanes when a huge sustained gust of 50? mph slowly build up. the wind and rain almost knocked me over but because it built slowly (in about 2 seconds) I was able to lean into it. i was pretty weird though. I've walked leaning ino he wind but never did so on a bike. if my whole wind was like hat, hen maybe I would have said it was a bad idea to ride
03-03-10 | 06:06 AM
#4
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From: Cambridge MA
My commute is sufficiently short that I don't think that winds would deter me. However, I do need to make a river bridge crossing in which cyclists merge with motorists in a lane with no shoulder. Nasty crosswinds could lead me to reconsider doing that particular dance. There is a separate pedestrian path for use in a pinch, but the militant road user in me would feel as though that was capitulating. 
03-03-10 | 06:34 AM
#6
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From: Potomac, MT, USA
03-03-10 | 07:41 AM
#8
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
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So far, I've been shying away from sustained winds over 30 mps and gusts in the 45-50+ range. I will likely be more adventurous once the temps increase, but those kinds of winds in addition to winter temps just don't toot my horn. My route is 9 mi each way, with a fairly long stretch parallel to a river (morning headwind). I think wind has kept me from riding 2-3 times since October (when I started bike commuting).
03-03-10 | 07:46 AM
#9
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From: Fort Worth, Texas Church of Hopeful Uncertainty
Bikes: 1966 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, 1973 Schwinn Varsity, 1983 Raleigh Marathon, 1994 Nishiki Sport XRS
Wind is one of many factors. If there is an unfavorable wind... AND it's below freezing... AND whatever other factors, etc..... I may decide to drive.
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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
03-03-10 | 07:48 AM
#10
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From: Michigan
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It did the first year, then I decided to treat it as an adversary to overcome. If anyone were along the road they'd think I was nuts sometimes, as I swear and growl at the wind.
I haven't bailed due to wind yet. Probably 25 MPH constant and maybe 40 MPH gusts so far.
I haven't bailed due to wind yet. Probably 25 MPH constant and maybe 40 MPH gusts so far.
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03-03-10 | 09:58 AM
#11
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From: Bradenton, FL
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I've been bailing on commuting lately because the sustained winds have been 20 - 26 mph and would be in my face the entire time. I know I need to just get out there and see how it affects me though. I just wanted to know where other commuters drew the line. Thanks!
03-03-10 | 10:00 AM
#12
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From: Alexandria, VA
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Last week, I posted this:
Too funny. Good job. Serves the bee-otch right.
Fun ride in this morning. I expected it to be hellish with the winds that are out there, but it wasn't too bad. I just accepted it was gonna be a windy, windy ride with a lot of strong headwinds and spun away. Normally 30-ish minute commute was around 40 today, so not bad. Also had the exciting experience of "sailing" across the 14th St Bridge over the Potomac. With sustained 30+ mph winds coming from my 7 or 8 o'clock (as in aviation speak) and gusting to 45 or so, I got buffetted around a bit, but I was also able to use my body and panniers as sort of a sail. I went the last 3/4 of the way across the bridge without pedaling, easily going 15 mph or so at the end (no computer to be absolutely sure), and having to tap the brakes a couple times. Crazy and fun!
I sometimes joke about "if I had a sail for my bike" on windy days, but today I didn't even need the sail! ;-)
Fun ride in this morning. I expected it to be hellish with the winds that are out there, but it wasn't too bad. I just accepted it was gonna be a windy, windy ride with a lot of strong headwinds and spun away. Normally 30-ish minute commute was around 40 today, so not bad. Also had the exciting experience of "sailing" across the 14th St Bridge over the Potomac. With sustained 30+ mph winds coming from my 7 or 8 o'clock (as in aviation speak) and gusting to 45 or so, I got buffetted around a bit, but I was also able to use my body and panniers as sort of a sail. I went the last 3/4 of the way across the bridge without pedaling, easily going 15 mph or so at the end (no computer to be absolutely sure), and having to tap the brakes a couple times. Crazy and fun!
I sometimes joke about "if I had a sail for my bike" on windy days, but today I didn't even need the sail! ;-)
03-03-10 | 10:02 AM
#13
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From: where the mild things roam
the issue, i think, isn't so much wind as wind chill.
last winter i canceled two commutes because of wind chill -- when the rcmp start hauling pedestrians off the road into protective detention because the wind chill is too high, it's too cold to ride!
last winter i canceled two commutes because of wind chill -- when the rcmp start hauling pedestrians off the road into protective detention because the wind chill is too high, it's too cold to ride!
03-03-10 | 10:08 AM
#14
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
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I haven't tried/experienced that yet. Sounds fun. It seems to me that the wind typically is in the direction of the river and thus perpendicular to the bike, which doesn't seem to facilitate helping with forward direction much. But then again, what do I know about sailing?
03-03-10 | 10:25 AM
#16
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From: Chapel Hill, NC
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Have you ever had one of those "mini tornados" cross your path while cycling? I lived in Texas for a summer and saw a few of those...
03-03-10 | 10:41 AM
#18
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From: Queens, New York
Adam
03-03-10 | 10:44 AM
#19
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I had a day this winter when the temp dropped down to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the course of the work day, and I rode home into a 25-30 mph sustained headwind, gusting to 50. My commute is only five miles, but still, I'd probably re-think that ride if I had to do it again. My wife laughed at me when I walked into the house, what with the frozen tears streaking straight back from my eyes.
03-03-10 | 10:53 AM
#20
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You just need better clothing. I got a bit of frost nip last year when the wind chill got down to about -35*F, so I bought a neoprene face mask. A week or so later I was out with -50*F wind chills and was OK.
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Work: the 8 hours that separates bike rides.
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03-03-10 | 11:04 AM
#22
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From: Bradenton, FL
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OK. I'm officially a pansy! I live in Florida and extreme temps to me are anything in the low 40s and high 30s. 
I don't have to worry about icy conditions or anything like that. So, I'll just shut my mount and start riding.
I don't have to worry about icy conditions or anything like that. So, I'll just shut my mount and start riding.
03-03-10 | 11:13 AM
#23
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From: 25 miles northwest of Boston
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reading my early morning posts are funny. the shared laptop at home has a sticky "t" key so that gets missed. add that to my early morning dyslexia and early onset Alzheimers and the result is a piss poor reply. hahaha
03-03-10 | 11:15 AM
#24
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From: where the mild things roam
yeah, i got a face mask this year and a set of ski goggles with a mini circulation fan in them. made huge difference on the sub -30 days!
03-03-10 | 11:22 AM
#25
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From: Overland Park, KS
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I hate the wind. I haven't not ridden yet because of it, but could see this happening if the wind speed was too high. As others have stated, especially in cold weather where the wind chill can be dangerous.