I've been riding for 12 years now, fighting traffic and weather and twisty roads with a cliff on one side, and I've NEVER been so terrified as I was riding around Chicago in the heavy, gusty winds yesterday. I had to pull over a few times, I got blown into the curb once, and I got blown over WHILE STANDING STILL AT A LIGHT WITH BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND. It was nuts.
No matter how experienced you are, be careful out there!
Wind
Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff
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illnoise
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- Location: Chicago, IL
Wind
2strokebuzz: When news breaks, we put it under a tarp in the garage.
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peabody99
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- Location: San Diego
yesterday was terrible here too in Cleveland. Love it when it is 90 plus degrees with high winds. In order to avoid high level bridges I cut through some industrial areas with steel mils. It was so hot, loud and dusty, I thouht I was in hell. I have gotten very adept and rerouting my self around certain bridges and wind tunel streets during certain days. Sometimes the wind blows the bike side ways, and sometimes it blows you into the death defying lean. yesterday was the lean. Like you, on the worst days,I find it hardest to keep upright when standing still. I never dropped it, but have come close. that is when I know it is time to hang it up.
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scullyfu
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- Location: Niagara Falls
someone over at scooterdivas.com posted this tip for riding in gusty winds:
About those crosswinds.. just came across this tip..
"When riding in a crosswind, particularly a gusting one, all you need to do is stick your knee on the upwind side out as far as you can. The drawback is that if it is cold or rainy, you tend to scoop all the weather into your crotch. The reason it works, I *think*, is that with your knee out, you are putting your bike aerodynamically off-center and must compensate to get it to go straight. Now, when a gust comes along, your knee scoops up a bunch of the breeze, pulling you INTO the wind at the same time the wind is pushing the bike away. In any case, the effect of the gust is reduced by 90% or so."
About those crosswinds.. just came across this tip..
"When riding in a crosswind, particularly a gusting one, all you need to do is stick your knee on the upwind side out as far as you can. The drawback is that if it is cold or rainy, you tend to scoop all the weather into your crotch. The reason it works, I *think*, is that with your knee out, you are putting your bike aerodynamically off-center and must compensate to get it to go straight. Now, when a gust comes along, your knee scoops up a bunch of the breeze, pulling you INTO the wind at the same time the wind is pushing the bike away. In any case, the effect of the gust is reduced by 90% or so."
WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!!! Starbuck, BSG