Help ! It's Windy (or everybody knows..)

[Pita1963]

I need some tips for riding in wind. Was going home from work last nite and the wind was gusting over 30mph. Being a noob, I am not sure how to ride in high winds and was all over the road. Needless to say it was an interesting ride home, and more than a little stressfull.

Robb

[un_designer]

sorry no tips from me either. just htought i'd share that i just got in from a short ride about half an hour ago and agree that it is windy out there.

the only thing i'd say is that windy condition would qualify as one of those things that you should avoid if possible according to the MSF course. there are certain conditions that just do not benefit two-wheeled vehicle, and wind seems to be one of them.

[scullyfu]

hey, pita. the trick to riding in wind gusts is to not put a death grip on your handlebars. (to use a horse racing analogy) give the scooter its head and let it ride it out. and slow down.

i personally stay off my scooter if the gusts are over 25mph. i've done them at double that in downtown seattle and it was definitely a harrowing experience. no more. not worth the tension headache.

[Christy]

we regularly have high winds like that and the best thing I can suggest, besides getting a windscreen (it's not sail-like, it directs wind over your head) is to remain relaxed and don't 'lean' too much in and out of the wind.

[jmazza]

Check out this thread.

Here's my post from it:

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).

[Pita1963]

Check out this thread.

Here's my post from it:

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.

Thanks Jmazza - I looked around and didn't find the other thread, or I wouldn't have re-posted....

Thanks all for the advice - i guess the next couple of months here in CO are going to be a learning experience.

Robb



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).

[jmazza]

no problem- I just remembered posting in that thread so I dug it up.

Yah wind is crazy but can be fun. Gotta have limits though.

I've learned to anticipate some windy places on my normal rides. But when those gusts come out of nowhere it's freaky- it almost feels like there's nothing you can do. That counter steering against it tip really helps with that.

[sunshinen]

I find my adjustments for the wind come naturally. Wind is very inconsistent, so for me at least, thinking about leaning or countersteering to correct for it usually makes things worse. It's best to avoid it, especially until you can build your skill level and confidence.

Here's what I have learned:

relax and roll with it, don't let it phase you to be using your whole lane to absorb the wind, carefully moving back to your desired position in the lane each time the wind pushes you out of your desired position (the center if the wind is coming from multiple directions or the side the wind is coming from)

slow down -- lots

let the cars know you are not comfortable with the conditions: put on your hazards (if you have them, or attach a flashing bicycle light if you don't), especially if you are going slower than the speed of traffic.

watch the vegetation/leaves/trash to anticipate gusty spots

add some weight to the underseat compartment

stay out of groups of traffic if possible

if not, watch and adjust your position in traffic to maximize the distance between you and the cagers in lanes beside you

[robtaylor]

relax

yep this is the main thing relax don't grip too hard (easier said than done) but if you try this you will learn to ride in the wind so much happier.

eventually you'll feel comfortable leaning into the wid for stability, but never trust it as the wind is unpredictable for even the most experienced rider

[ericalm]

If you go for a windscreen, try a short one. The tall ones can have problems in high winds.

The main problem with the Buddy in the wind is its low center of gravity. This creates what I like to call the "Weeble Effect." Basically, in addition to winds pushing you around on the road, I think the Buddy is more vulnerable to the wind causing extra tilt and lean. More importantly, though, is the danger from overcorrecting when fighting this, leaning against the wind.

The advice provided above is all right on, though. loosen your grip, don't fight it too hard, and give yourself plenty of space in your lane.

[Pita1963]

Thanks again all! I gues I will get to put the advice into pratice this evening as I am again working and the wind gusts are 34mhp according to the local news....
As long as I know what to expect and what to do I should be ok, even during the ride home last nite in the wind I was having a blast

Robb

[rajron]

I also think a short windscreen makes a big difference in the wind (short in my case) – a couple of times I had to remove my screen for one reason or another and I am surprised how much it actually helps and how unstable the scoot can be without. Stability aside what I don’t like about riding in the wind is how much performance is lost going against a strong headwind, all the fun blown away, so much so I sometimes just park the scoot and drive the car.

[xtetra]

When I bought my scoot almost a year ago I road it home in some pretty serious wind. I had a few years on a motorcycle so I was kind of used to it but my Yamaha weighs quite a bit more than my Buddy, so yeah it was a bit un-nerving.

I did get used to it after awhile though. If its "kinda" windy I'll slow down a bit and try and stick to roads that have some sort of wind break. If its "really"windy I take the bus or drive, depending on where I'm going.

My worst trip home form work was last summer while trying to evade a thunder storm. Lesson learned, stay in town, get a cup of coffee read the paper until the front moves through.

I did buy the Prima Medium Universal Windscreen towards the end of last season. For the first two days I didn't really like it at all. After a bit of adjustment I got it in just the right spot and it does seem to help with the wind. I've yet to experience the "sail" effect that some talk about but then again, I stay out of thunderheads now.

[Buddy_wannabe]

relax is about the best advice .... This was kind of neat the other day. It was windy as heck here and I had to run uptown during lunch break and I was going with the wind and I was going about the same speed as the wind , so while riding ther was next to no wind in my face. Almost like I was standing still. .... now going back to work was a different story ....

[polianarchy]

Everyone else have given you great advice, so I'd just like to add one thing: know your limit. 34mph gusts are just about my limit. If you feel overly uncomfortable riding, please remember there's no shame in not riding in inclement weather.

[illnoise]

-if you're in the city or woods, prepare yourself for the huge gusts that come down cross streets as you pass. Sometimes a street can act like a canyon and the wind builds up speed and nails you hard as you cross a street or a gap in the trees.

-other than that, what everyone else said: slow down, try to relax and go with the flow, leave yourself a lot of space, and if you feel unsafe, pull over and wait it out (make sure you use your center stand and park somewhere where it won't blow over.

Windscreens might help if the wind's coming at you or from behind you, but most of the time, it's going to be diagonal or perpendicular crosswinds, and the front end of a scooter is sail-like enough without adding another sail on top. But plenty of people disagree with me on that one.

Bb.

[jencallwa]

When I ride to work winds are at 15mph and it does not feel bad until I get to the Viaduct (a two floor bridge over Downtown Seattle). It feels like I am going be blown off. Should I avoid that route completely?

Has anyone been blown off by wind before? Thanks. -Jen

[ericalm]

When I ride to work winds are at 15mph and it does not feel bad until I get to the Viaduct (a two floor bridge over Downtown Seattle). It feels like I am going be blown off. Should I avoid that route completely?

Has anyone been blown off by wind before? Thanks. -Jen

I don't know if anyone's been blown off the Viaduct, but there are a lot of instances where people have crashed due to winds. I don't know how bad the winds are on the bridge, but it may be a matter of experience, learning to ride that particular location. At the same time, if you feel uncomfortable riding it and and don't have confidence when crossing it, consider changing your route.

When I first started scootering one thing I would do to learn to ride my frequent routes was to hit them on weekends or early, when there was little traffic.