Windy weather with extreme gusts

Tusher

Actually, I'd call it a gale. Various weather sites have told me that it was a Force 8-9 (xc weather) whilst Metcheck told me it was 15 mph with stronger gusts.

It felt like a Force 12. With wheelie bins being blown around the roads. Being hit by a car/lorry would be bad, but I would sit on a fluffy cloud seriously objecting if I was killed by a wheelie bin. I mean, it wouldn't sound right in an obituary, would it? Or garroted by a flying skipping rope.

In retrospect, although my previous riding was in a windier, coastal part of the country, the road I was on was sheltered by trees. Now, it's longer with nice, wide (fast) roads, but very exposed. I used to moan about riding into a strong head wind, but sudden side-winds are evil.

And water, water everywhere. Huge chasms of dark puddles that I could have drowned in if I hadn't had to stop, then 'overtake' them. In place, the cars were having to take it in turns to ford them. I felt like a cyclo-cross rider, carrying my bike along the verge.

Garmin tells me I have used 500 calories.
Since returning home, I have eaten around 2,000 calories.
This is not why I commute on a bike.

Any advice in riding in such conditions would be more than welcome.

craker

Whereabouts are you?

My commute takes me across the Severn Bridge - this morning it was closed for the first time in about 5 years, presumably because of the wind. It didn't seem too bad though and it was certainly nice crossing the estuary without the rumble of traffic on a motorway yards from the path. Pretty horrendous on the A38 into a headwind. Bottom gear grind for a couple of miles.

On the way home though... I thought things were going to be a bit tasty on the bridge. There was a cyclist a 100 yards in front of me as I cycled up the path. As he got on the bridge proper I could see him start weaving until he veered into the barrier next to the motorway. When I caught up with him his visor was flapping up and down on his helmet and he could barely stand. When I stopped I found myself blown against the fence stopping folk from falling off the bridge.

We got going again and took it steady, was an entirely new commuting experience for me :shock:

Tusher

I'm in central Scotland, having recently moved from the north west Highlands.

You ride over the Severn Bridge? Wow, r-e-s-p-e-c-t. I'd be terrified.

meanredspider

I do the Kessock bridge and it's crap in 25-35mph winds - especially from the east - only a 3" high Armco between me and 40T lorries which I veer towards when suddenly in the lea of a 40T truck. Once it's passed, I then veer towards the 4" fence that protects me from a 40M drop into the Murray Firth. I have to admit to pushing the bike across on a couple of occasions...

Tusher

And the Kessock Bridge?

I am seriously in awe of you both.
And here was me moaning about a couple of airborne wheelie bins.

peejay78

i rode up over the mendips yesterday and today, it was pretty fruity.

http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/201 ... -headwind/

tptvmbircn

"Windy weather with extreme gusts" - i'm in sunderland, i agree, its fun!

plowmar

meanredspider ? 3 inch Arnco and 4 inch hedge ?, hope you meant feet ' unless they would have no effect at all.

Back on topic I want the wind to continue for at least another two days as completely stuffed with cold at moment.

meanredspider

plowmar wrote:

meanredspider ? 3 inch Arnco and 4 inch hedge ?, hope you meant feet ' unless they would have no effect at all.

.

Well spotted - should have been 3' not 3" :oops:

bakerstreet

I used my bike to drop something off st my mum's on saturday. Did 95% of the jouney against a head wind. Also had a spliting headache. Probably my worst half an hour on a bike since I bought it in October

Thanks to my mum's offer of anadin, the journey home was a bit more pleasent

BoardinBob

Brutal this morning in Glasgow. The wind wasn't that bad but the rain...my god, the rain.

meanredspider

Yup - cold and wet this morning with snow on the high points - not nice

wgwarburton

BoardinBob wrote:

Brutal this morning in Glasgow. The wind wasn't that bad but the rain...my god, the rain.

You had rain? Lucky B****, near Stirling it was very, very wet snow...!

Seriously contemplating going out to buy a better jacket at lunchtime!!

Cheers,
W.

Cuchulainn

Wind was insane again here today. Had a load of tiles come off a roof in Cheltenham just ahead of me - serious scare when they exploded on the road about 10m ahead..

Tusher

I shuddered at your post, Cuchulainn.

Yes, this morning was dreadful. So bad, I took one look out the window, toddled back to bed for an extra 30 minutes and took the car (hangs head in shame).

WGWarburton- did you get your jacket? Rock 'n' Road in Bridge of Allan have a sale on just now- they're very good.

meanredspider

Wet, cold AND windy this evening (oh and nearly wiped out by a 4x4 overtaking at a junction as I was turning right) sleet & snow - apart from that, it was a great ride home. Not riding tomorrow - funeral of close family friend.

Full of the joys of Spring

russmcp

Horrid head wind going in this morning......

Horrid head wind going home this evening, even worse than the morning.

I feel knackered. Took me 10 mins longer to get home than normal

Tomorrow looks better.

Tusher

I've just spent the past 20 minutes checking on the weather for tomorrow. Each site tells me a different thing.

Think I'll pack for cycling anyway, and see what it's looking like tomorrow morning.

peanut1978

Weather isnt that bad up here, was a little icy 2 days ago but nothing to worry about. As mentioned earlier, it is all the fuckers in 4 x 4s that have no spacial awareness!!

peanut1978

although I have been forced to walk over the kessock bridge once as it was far too windy to cycle.

Pushing single speed by bars and wheels were being lifted sideways in wind

not much fun

meanredspider

Nice day today - arrived dry

peanut1978

yup

not too bad at all

where do you commute from?

meanredspider

peanut1978 wrote:

where do you commute from?

Culbokie - up over the hill, then across to Tore, then parallel to A9 to the back of Raigmore - though sometimes mix it up a bit.

peanut1978

I see

good going

just Munlochy as you will have seen here.

Use the old road/brewery road in summer, but prefer main road in dark/slippery conditions.

meanredspider

peanut1978 wrote:

I see

good going

just Munlochy as you will have seen here.

Use the old road/brewery road in summer, but prefer main road in dark/slippery conditions.

I sometimes go via Munlochy as it's quicker but I'm not keen on that road at busy times. The road from Tore is incredibly quiet. I may have seen you on the other section but I reckon I only see another bike going my way about once a fortnight - less in the winter - and the old boy on the shopping bike coming the other way

peanut1978

Old Ian in the camo get up

he is sound, live near my inlaws.

You train with a club?

you commuting back home tonight?

meanredspider

That'll be the one.

No - not into the whole club thing. Only really ride my bike to commute at the moment - too busy with other things (including son's cancer unfortunately) to do any more cycling.

Yup - heading out at around 6 I guess

unixnerd

Culbokie - up over the hill, then across to Tore, then parallel to A9 to the back of Raigmore - though sometimes mix it up a bit.

Lovely area for a pedal, not been that way in years! You must be roaring fit with a commute like that. Maybe a bit too easy to call into the Black Isle Brewery though :-)

meanredspider

Yup - I know - it's fantastic as commutes go. I was pretty fit but an enforced break visiting various hospitals made a mess of that. It's coming back though.

Yes - the brewery does call as I pass!

Tusher

Hoping all works out well with your son, spider.

meanredspider

Tusher wrote:

Hoping all works out well with your son, spider.

Thank you. It's going well so far. He has an op at the end of the month to remove the tumour and surrounding bone (pelvis), nuke it with radiation, then put it back in. His chances of fully recovering are apparently "very good" and it probably couldn't have gone better so far. Obviously everything else, including cycling, takes a back seat.