Literally Blown Away!! Suggestion on riding on windy days?

[aquafina]

Fourth day on two wheels. I was driving at about 40mph and it was pretty windy. Suddenly this gust of wind threw me off course and into the next lane. Fortunately, no car was there!

Are there any tricks to riding when it is windy out...or should one avoid riding in general?

[jmazza]

Are there any tricks to riding when it is windy out...or should one avoid riding in general?

Yes and yes and no!

The Buddy is really light and can get pushed around pretty good. So there are days when it's probably best to not ride.

The simple tips that I've picked up for riding in the wind are to ride in the center position unless you know where the wind is going to come from (give yourself the biggest space cushion). I ride near the ocean and the wind always comes from that direction so I know how to adjust my lane position for any potential gusts. If it's coming from my left I ride in the left 3rd of the lane, etc.

Another thing is to counter steer against it. If you get a gust from the left, press a bit on the left grip and you'll hold stronger.

Finally, keep yourself loose, don't tighten up. You can react quicker if your muscles are loose... don't be afraid to let the scooter move a little with the wind. With the first two tips you should have enough margin to go a bit with it and not tighten up (which would cause you to actually have less control of the scooter).

[Corsair]

great tips that have worked for me

[scullyfu]

get off the gas, slow down a bit.

[aquafina]

Thanks jmazza. I guess my hopes of cruising the PCH have to wait awhile until I get a better hang of things.

[ericalm]

Thanks jmazza. I guess my hopes of cruising the PCH have to wait awhile until I get a better hang of things.

Hey—another LA scooterist! W00t! You should come out to the rally in April—barbecue at NoHo Scooters on Saturday.

ANYWAY, good advice so far about riding in wind. The "staying loose" part is key. Counter steering against the wind may be pretty tricky if you're a new rider. There's a possibility of overcorrecting, especially when you get hit by those quick, sudden gusts. Watch out for those unexpected sideways blasts when crossing intersections.

The Buddy has a fairly low center of gravity, making it very easy to lean but also less stable in the wind than some other scooters. Not to say that it's more dangerous, just that you have to be ready for it when it hits you.

And maybe in a couple months it'll be time for a group PCH ride. I still haven't done it!