Your Max. Wind Speed
 

What is the highest wind level you've ever been up against whilst cycling?

I'm trying to figure out what conditions are 'un-cycleable' due to either it taking too much effort to pedal forward or being blown into traffic!

What sort of clothing helps against wind in your experience?

40 gusting to 60+ mph in a dust storm in the San Luis valley of CO. Tight clothes that have no excess material to flap or balloon.

Like Looigi, I've been out with sustained winds over 40 mph and gusts near 60 mph. I was out for the 2014 Westside Dirty Benjamin (unsupported gravel century). It was something to see the line of riders all leaning like they were in a turn, but they we were going straight. I was out with typical cycling shorts, jersey, and a rain vest, cause that wind came with pouring rain. I would not ride in these conditions on roads with any traffic. In fact, last spring I was riding with winds around 20-25 mph, I was riding around a large lake in my area. As I rounded the lake and the wind went from a tailwind to a cross wind from my right, coming off the lake, I had to reroute. I was getting pushed into traffic on a busy narrow county road.

if the forecast is over 20mph for most of the day I sometimes second guess riding, however I do need to HTFU. I was caught out in like 40mph gusts in the rain once, and it was not fun.

30mph steady, 45mph gusts.

07 the Winter Storm + cyclone , had gusts of 100 knots , My ride home was mostly protected by the hillside ,

when I came around to the windward side where My Apartment was , I walked. :eek:

now I have a House on the Lee side of the hill .. winter storms come out of the southwest..

Wrap-around sunglasses. A fleece with wind shield on the inside of chest area.

A few years ago when I was still a kid of 67 I rode for 11 miles into a steady 25 mph headwind. Averaged about 12 mph. The ride home with the tailwind was great. :thumb:

I'm older and smarter now. Along with the radar I check the winds on intellicast.com before heading out. I look at wind speed and direction. Don't want any big cross winds.

Here in Nebr in March the winds can whip up to 50 to 60 mph at times. If it is warm enough for me to ride I do. However I take my trike, and modify the main direction out and back. Since the wind is usually out of the north, I plan a route mainly east and west.

Sustained 50-60 mph headwind in Wyoming, touring loaded. Managed to ride 20 miles in 5 hours. Learned not to do THAT again!

I have a 15 mile plus 15 mile return commute tomorow on flatish roads.... Wind prediction is in the 40-50km/hr range

it will be great going there as wind will be from behind. Coming home will be a different scenario though, as I have 2 pannier bags and carry some gear with me

I know this is the internet, so all the time is "hike up your trousers and spin a yarn time," but really guys? Heading out in sustained 40mph with 60mph gusts? Hear that sound? That's the sound of the Improbability Meter exploding. By the Beaufort Scale, 40mph is gale force. Those gusts at 60mph are strong enough to uproot trees and cause structural damage. That magic 60mph/100km zone is where Typhoons form over water. Dial it back a little, guys.

I live in a convergence of mountain passes. We get some days of 40mph winds, and trucks have to pull over, there are accidents, freeway signs get blown over. I rode one day of 20-25mph winds with gusts to 40, and it was absolutely miserable. Just awful. Not again.

I don't go out in anything under 100mph.

50-55 mph crosswinds with 25 mph headwinds a few years ago while cycling
hwy 67 from jacob lake to north rim-grand canyon national park in arizona.
first part of the ride started off so nicely but got increasingly crazy. this was
midweek in early summer. if i hadn't driven 8 hours to ride that road, i
woulda packed it in. the scenery was outstanding but my arms, shoulders
and neck were all tight from my death grip on the bike. had maybe 10 cars
pass me in 50 miles so traffic wasn't bad. it was one of those "take the (whole)
lane" days. curtailed the rest of my riding plans in the area but bounced over
to zion national park area where things were calmer so it was a happy ending.
really need to do that ride again tho, under better conditions.

I did a 40 with gusts that rocked my world a few days ago - you can really feel the heavier silica particles as they blast away your skin. Bring glasses.

Anything over 20 isn't much fun - unless it is all tailwind.

I hate riding in the wind.

and it's been gusting all week...my mileage is way down as a result.

over 20 mph sustained is pretty much a deal-killer.

yeah, pretty wimpy, but there's so much good riding weather here, I don't see the point of going out when it's not enjoyable.

problem here in the UK is that if you are car-less and commute by bike you have to face all extremes including strong wing and heavy rainfall. Only time I don't ride is when it snows.... and where I lie, that is rare

no work=no pay so I have to ride :(

"You know sonny, I used to walk 40 miles in the snow to school every morn' with a 200 lb. backpack, and all I had to eat for lunch was the snow on the ground...."

Being from SoCal I can understand why you dont believe some of us. But-----------------in many states in the center of the country, you know the fly over people, if we didnt ride in the wind, we wouldnt ride at all.

That said no one likes a wind, unless it is a tailwind. Unlike hills that once you are on top give back when you go down hill, wind is unrelenting.

Highest wind on purpose was probably around 25mph. It was rough, but it was the last day of the month and I needed to get the ride in so I could reach my mileage goal for the month.

Highest wind not on purpose had to be close to 40mph. It was a cross wind that sprang up suddenly with an unexpected thunderstorm. After riding in that for about 1/2 mile, I took cover and waited for the storm to blow over. Unfortunately, when the rain stopped the wind only died down a little. Thankfully I was only a couple miles from my car so it wasn't too bad.

Recently we've had several days of steady 15 mph winds and gusts up to 35 mph so I took a few rides just to see how it felt. Definitely slower. My usual average is 12 mph and with wind at my back I was doing 15-18 mph without much effort, but the return trip with head wind was 5-8 mph and still exhausting.

My favorite local rural route runs through wide open prairie and signs along the hilltops have been blown over, so I'm avoiding that area until the wind settles down. Probably only 30-40 mph gusts, but enough to do some damage. A couple of side wind gusts felt like someone shoved my rear wheel. Not something I'd want to tempt very often.

I don't usually ride the local MUP but for now it's a bit easier as it's lower elevation near the river.

And I quote, "The Cajon Pass area is known for high wind, turbulence and fog. The weather over the pass can vary, from foggy days with poor visibility to clear afternoons where aircraft are bounced by gusting Santa Ana Winds that top 80 mph (130 km/h). In gusty conditions it is especially difficult to navigate through it as the winds usually push through that area. As a result, there are usually high wind advisories as well as road signs posted throughout the area. It is not uncommon to see overturned trucks during such windy weather there."

I ride that pass regularly, and live in the valley that it pours into. So I am all too aware of the effects of high wind. OH, and by the way friendly yarn-spinners, here's some 60mph winds for you:


They look like they're having a grand old time.

If you live in a populated area, the Weather Underground fullscreen view (overlays weather data including personal and school weather stations on google maps) is great for this. I use it to check the wind speed and direction if I'm riding my SS and flip the hub to gear up or down a bit accordingly.

I never clocked it, but I've had a hard time adjusting to pedaling downhill to maintain headway.

15+ mph the last week or two.

I'm getting used to it.