FiftySix

NEELTJE JANS, Netherlands (AP) — Call them riders in the storm.

"While much of northern Europe hunkered down Sunday and hoped that Storm Ciara would blow over quickly with its hurricane-force winds, an intrepid band of cyclists made the most of the conditions to take part in the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships.

“We call this the Dutch mountain,” organizer Robrecht Stoekenbroek told The Associated Press. “It’s like climbing a 10% slope on the worst bike you can imagine.”

The ingredients were simple: A basic bicycle with no gears, no featherweight carbon race frame, no drop handlebars, strong legs, steely resolve and wind. Lots of wind."

https://apnews.com/1608827d3dba3105c7a0466befe45a03

FiftySix

I think I'd rig a sail and head downwind.

bikemig 

You have to respect a bike ride where the organizers thought of everything like this:

"Organizers provided vomit buckets at the end."

Korina

^ ^ ^ ^ I wonder how many years it took to come up with it? Probably not many, as I'm sure organizers quickly grew tired of hosing off the road.

Stadjer

Actually the early end was because the storm was still gaining in force and it would get too dangerous for the trucks transporting all the event's gear later in the day. For the cyclists the danger with storms like these are flying branches, falling trees and pieces of buildings blown off. But there's no trees there and the storm surge barrier is build quite solid, so the biggest danger for a cyclist is to get hit by a fish. Trucks can get blown over or blown off the road.

I'd like to take part once but for me it's too far away. I did a short ride through the storm yesterday before it was on full force and it was fun.

FiftySix

Glad to know you didn't stay out in the full strength of the storm, Stadjer. I can only imagine trying to stay upright on a bicycle. I've done it on motorcycles where you lean hard into the crosswind for miles on end, but never on a bicycle.

FiftySix

BTW, I wouldn't want to get by a fish no matter the method.

FiftySix

Did y'all see the handlebars mounted to the bag frames at the vomit area? The really did think of everything.

Stadjer

For some reason it's much safer on a bicycle I think. Partly because of the speed of course, but I never liked strong winds on a moped. On a bike the wind seems part of the balance, when you lean into to it forward or sideways. also gusts aren't really that surprising. I live in a city and it's the wind that blows between high buildings that can be really strong and surprising, also there's lots of trees and in storms there's chance of roof tiles falling down, people left trampolines in their gardens, things like that. That's more of a concern than the wind itself. For some reason I like to power into the strong wind and that probably helps dealing with it, but I certainly wasn't the only one out on a bike so it also might have something to do with groing up with it.

Storms are not even always the most difficult winds to cycle through, sometimes there's 'only' a 8 beaufort wind but it's a continuous 'fat wind', the speed isn't that high but the air is heavier or something. Then you can find yourself doing some kind of track stand leaning over the handle bar, and if it eases off slightly you'll have to put a foot on the ground. In a storm you can usually gain some momentum between gusts and use that to steer into it. With strong head or side winds you won't be going fast anyway.

I was thinking of this video, but that's probably only a possibility at certain coasts elsewhere. .

San Rensho 

I wonder if they returned to the start line going down wind. That would have been really fun. If they did I hope they had good brakes.

rumrunn6

just no

WizardOfBoz

"One man made a bold fashion statement by wearing a onesie emblazoned with Brussels sprouts over his cycling gear."

DrIsotope

FiftySix

Wow. If my town had reporters like that, all news would be interesting.

Stadjer

Tom Scott has a great channel, he makes lots of well researched video's about the science, history and engineering of all kinds of strange things around the world. He's hopped over to the Netherlands a few times to do something about wind and/or water again and he manages to find things that even aren't very well known here and even if they are he makes the best video about it. I assume that's the case for the locals of his other subjects too, he must have made hundreds of video's in total by now.

DrIsotope

^^^ 100% agree. Tom Scott is basically a YouTube jewel, AFAIC. Quality, well-produced videos generally around 3-4 minutes long, and the next thing you know you've watched 2 hours worth.

Stadjer

@DrIsotope: You might like "The Tim Traveller" too. In general I see more YT-ers who manage to combine a few thoughts and observations into a well edited concise video and present it with some sense of humor. It doesn't take much more imo.

Notso_fastLane

I want to see some of the video footage from this ride. Please tell me at least some of the riders had GoPros or Cycliqs going!

CycleryNorth81

The Doors- Riders on the Storm

Stadjer

Good shot.

FiftySix

Talk about mashing.

canklecat

Most of the world: It's too windy today for bicycling.

Netherlands: Hou mijn bier vast.

bobwysiwyg

Hmm, lost me at "no gears."

Stadjer

I have 3 gears on my bike but the lowest gear isn't very useful in this kind of wind. It's not like you just spin right through, you need to be able to step on it and lean against the wind.

bobwysiwyg

I think you missed my point. Wasn't anticipating spinning through, or stepping on it.