How much wind?
#2
Scarlet Knight
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 11,271
Likes: 14
From: In a Haggard Song
Bikes: 2009 ORBEA Onix Rival. 2012 Felt Breed, 1999 Raleigh 500
If the gusts are >50mph I won't ride.
If the gusts are to 40mph (like they were today) I will do intervals or hill repeats to keep the ride to an hour or so.
If the gusts are to 40mph (like they were today) I will do intervals or hill repeats to keep the ride to an hour or so.
#5
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,275
Likes: 6
From: SE Minnesota
Bikes: are better than yours.
#8
If you are as lite as my wife 110lbs, 35mph it will stop her dry and nearly throw her into a roadside ditch. I have yet to ride in a wind that i found to be dangerous. But we do not have large drop offs to worry about.
#17
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,272
Likes: 0
From: Austin
Gusting to 35+ today and I was due for a rest day anyway, I decided not to ride. I'll ride in strong winds (I consider 30+ strong), especially if riding in a group where you can share the work. If I'm solo, I'll usually keep it to an hour or so on really windy days. I know that some folks probably think 30mph winds are nothing, but that's about the wind speed that starts to take the fun out of it for me.
#18
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Omaha, NE
Bikes: Trek 1000, Marin San Rafael, Scott CR 1 Team
Gusting to 35+ today and I was due for a rest day anyway, I decided not to ride. I'll ride in strong winds (I consider 30+ strong), especially if riding in a group where you can share the work. If I'm solo, I'll usually keep it to an hour or so on really windy days. I know that some folks probably think 30mph winds are nothing, but that's about the wind speed that starts to take the fun out of it for me.
Spending 2-3 hrs riding into headwinds really blows!
#19
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 912
Likes: 0
From: Golden, CO
For me it's all about consistency. I can handle strong wind from any direction, but the gusts out of nowhere that almost throw you in front of a truck then back into a ditch as you correct your steering, those are just stupid. If I can't reroute my ride as a headwind-tailwind ride in strong gusty conditions, I'll call it off.
#20
#21
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 0
From: Northeast TN
i am very close (bike + rider = 135lb) and yes wind sucks!
#22
Iconoclast
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,176
Likes: 2
From: California
Bikes: Colnago Super, Fuji Opus III, Specialized Rockhopper, Specialized Sirrus (road)
I ride in highish winds A LOT. Since I live in a rural mountain community that is noted for it's consistent northeasterly winds and is thus one of the major wind energy producers in the US, 30-50mph winds with 70+ mph gusts are quite commonplace. What's not commonplace, is no wind. The wind is always blowing. Some routes are worse than others, though. There are a few roads here that no matter when you ride them, you have to ride leaning toward the (cross) wind or a gust will easily push you clear off of the road.
I plan my rides around peak winds hours as much as I can, but I often get caught in it, since the low wind times are usually only 2-3 hours long.
I plan my rides around peak winds hours as much as I can, but I often get caught in it, since the low wind times are usually only 2-3 hours long.
Last edited by rat fink; 05-31-11 at 09:28 AM.
#25
Shuckin' and Jivin'
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 317
Likes: 0
From: Central Ohio
Bikes: Giant OCR3
Since I primarily ride alone, I have no drafting partner and have found that anything north of 35 mph starts to make the bike unstable in crosswinds.
A bike ride is not worth getting killed over.
A bike ride is not worth getting killed over.





I love the part where the guy can't get his bike down onto the ground again.
