Windy ... again!

briantrumpet

I was just wondering at what level of windiness do people give in and forgo their training runs. This morning it's averaging 15mph and gusting up to 30mph - it's manageable, I guess, but that sort of wind turns a ride into a real slog, and since I do this cycling thing (mainly) for pleasure, I really CBA, for once. So it's just the commute today. It seems we haven't had many non-windy (<10mph) days lately. Maybe they will all come in the Summer. If we have one.

danowat

briantrumpet wrote:

I was just wondering at what level of windiness do people give in and forgo their training runs.

Never, the only thing that stops me is ice on the road.

Secteur

The wind does somewhat spoil the pleasure for riders who ride for pleasure only (i.e. not training etc), doesn't it!

doyler78

Once it gets above 20mph I start to think about whether I go out or not. Above 25mph and it's unlikely I'll go out. Very much depends on wind direction.

Cross winds with gusts are much more dangerous as they can push into the traffic so if riding out put in a cross wind situation with no hard shoulder (which the vast majority of the roads round be are then I will not head out.

kamil1891

worse than wind is rain!! i just hate the weather in NW, cannot ride at all at the moment

briantrumpet

danowat wrote:

Never, the only thing that stops me is ice on the road.

I'll stop for cows on the road too.

danowat

briantrumpet wrote:

danowat wrote:

Never, the only thing that stops me is ice on the road.

I'll stop for cows on the road too.

Nah,just go round em

JST

I enjoyed the wind today on the way in to work - was behind me all the way Hope it drops for the trip home later :roll:

Garryboy

Weird - I was just thinking same thing this morning when, as usual I woke at 5.30 to go out for an hour before kids get up and get ready for work etc - looked outside, blowing a gale (gusts of 42mph) and raining - went back to bed, but feeling v guilty about it now.

My training loop is very exposed, particulalry one section where I nearly came off - gap between fieds = wind taking you by surprise!

DaveL

Better weather on the way apparently

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387492/UK-weather-2-week-heatwave-forecasters-predict-hottest-May-350-years.html?ito=feeds-newsxml



Dave

Secteur

Excellent!

Though I do not believe anything I read in The Daily Wail.

DaveL

That's why I said apparently and also I'm off for 2 weeks and the weather is always sh*t


Dave

crumbschief

I am similar to that Brian in that i mostly just ride for pleasure and fitness,if i see the trees bending and hear it whistling through the windows then i usually don't bother,for me it just becomes too much of a fight in the end so i turn around and hopefully get a tailwind back home.

rjh299

I'm just going to reduce the miles I'm out battling against it. Not as bad as it has been down here by looks of it. See what the coast road brings though.

meanredspider

About the only thing that stops me is wind. Needs to be 25-30mph and from the east - then crossing the Kessock Bridge is just too dangerous because you're in & out of the lea of the traffic. From the west isn't so bad because it's constant. It's ALWAYS windy up here - it's actually quite bizarre heading back south these days and experiencing still days.

Deep snow is the other thing that stops me - when even the MTB with spiky tyres can't get enough traction.

Mr Dog

Try living in North East Scotland, the winds up here are dynamic... they follow your every turn and actively try to knock over anyone wearing lycra.

onlyonearrow

Like others, since I ride for pleasure and fitness, if it's too windy I'll postone a ride or reduce it's length.

That said I took part in an Open5 MTB race back in Feb in extreme wind Iand rain) conditions with 30mph+ gusts. It's the only time I've been able to freewheel up a hill from a standing start on a (mountain)bike. :shock:

-steves-

I too am a for pleasure and fitness rider and try to get out as often as possible (Around 5 times per week on average). Although up to about 25mph winds don't stop me, they do certainly test out my quite low finess levels and leave me shattered after just a few miles of headwind, I dunno, maybe I am trying to go too fast against it cuz when I do eventually get a tail wind, I am too shattered to take advantage of it and just have a gentle cycle ride trying to catch my breath again. :oops:

For an average beginner I personally find it hard work, very tiring, and get little pleasure out of it at the time, though it has to be said once I have done it, I do have that little smirk knowing I wasn't beaten by the weather and feel quite proud for going out, getting off my @rse and doing something.

I do often shorten the rides from around 40 miles to 30 miles and on windier days as little as 20 miles,as my fitness level is still quite low. Looking forward to some camler days where I can start getting longer rides in and do some more 50+ ones

Current rides on the flat have been averaging around 17.5mph to 18.9 mph, depending on wind direction and luck of how much is tail / headwind

martincashman

It does seem to be non stop windy since the start of April and I too, long for that calm summer day when I can really let fly and enjoy the feeling of speed and not be blown to a standstill going down hill.

Here's some things I've learned tho that have reduced the pain.

Check wind direction before you go out. http://weather.ie.msn.com/hourly.aspx?& ... &setunit=F

Plan a clever route, you want to come home with the wind at your back but this doesn't mean you have to cycle straight out into it. A triangle route instead of out and back or a round/square circuit means you can sometimes avoid a full on headwind.

If you must cycle into a headwind, plan to meet it on a narrower more sheltered road.

Go Aero - Tight Cloths, loose the saddle bag and lower the handlebars one spacer. I've done this and turned a windy 100km 29kph course into 31.5kph overnight.

Keep going, makes you mentally stronger when out in a group and facing difficult conditions or terrain.

bearfraser

MrDog's right , God just loves them Beanz

danowat

Think some people need to HTFU!!!!

Its only wind FFS , its no different from hills, do you not go out if theres a hill?

Avezius

I cycle most in lunchtimes (usually 4-5 days a week). This nearly always consists of:

- 2 miles warm up out of Peterborough (in traffic)
- 8.5 mile TT out & back across the fens on small roads (unusual to see more than one to two cars)
- 2 miles warm down in to Peterborough (in traffic)

In the land of the Fenland tigers with their webbed fingers & toes, Wind is King!

In "light wind" (up to 15mph wind - there's hardly any runs with no wind at all) with between 2 & 5 riders, we are getting up to around the 22mph average mark, while a ride would be considered good if we beat 20mph ave. For information, a really good solo run in similar conditions is around the 20.5 - 21mph mark.

Have been out in in 40mph wind, but regretted it (15mph ave) and 5 rides between 20 & 35mph this year that netted 17mph+ ave. It's the gusty days that are worse to be honest.

Note - we have all got very very good at finding wind shadow - helped a lot by the sparsely populated route!

Dan

ps- Other areas have hills - we have wind!!!

briantrumpet

danowat wrote:

Its only wind FFS , its no different from hills, do you not go out if theres a hill?

Except that hills tend not to suddenly jump out at you through a gate. At least, not here in Devon. Maybe that's what they do in Norfolk: it only appears to be flat.

tonyrockyhorror

At this time of year get out nice and early before the wind tends to build up. Saturdays and Sundays I'm out before 7am and, in general, it's so much nicer. It's not a guarantee, but it's a good rule-of-thumb - it's windier during the day (at least in Oxfordshire...)

Skerryman

Went for a 55 mile spin Saturday. Mad windy, and starting pi$$ing down for the first 15 minutes or so. Very nearly turned back after a few miles but figured I'd give it a few more minutes before I turned tail and hit for home. Rain stopped but wind kept up. Must say it was a real slog for the most part but thankfully had a bit of a tail wind on the way home so really enjoyed it for a finish. So glad I didn't go quit at the start, was smiling from ear to ear by the time I got home, really enjoyed it.

Alibran

Having lived in Cornwall, and had no option but to cycle to work whatever the weather, I now take great pleasure in watching the trees wave around from safely indoors. It was about 20mph here today, and since Spain doesn't tend to have much in the way of hedges, it's rare to get a bit of road that isn't exposed. I did go out in it, but kept my ride shorter than usual.

-steves-

tonyrockyhorror wrote:

At this time of year get out nice and early before the wind tends to build up. Saturdays and Sundays I'm out before 7am and, in general, it's so much nicer. It's not a guarantee, but it's a good rule-of-thumb - it's windier during the day (at least in Oxfordshire...)

Agreed, early morning tends to get the lighter winds on windy days, but for some odd reason, on a calm day you get some wind at that time of the morning, lol All very odd stuff