adampj Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Hey Everyone, Thought it could be interesting to start a discussion around dealing with the wind, for both new and experienced riders alike. After a very windy day, with gusts around 30mph/48kph, as a new(ish) rider I certainly found conditions and riding a little more challenging. Do you ride on windy days? What tips do you have for challenging windy conditions? What should you avoid on a windy day? Just curious as to everyone's best practices, tips and tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z3n Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 17 minutes ago, adampj said: What should you avoid on a windy day? Umbrella for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Riding on super windy days is not fun, unless you have a Monster. I've ridden various of my wheels on windy and gusty days, and it's generally just not a fun experience. Now that I'm a bit more of a seasoned rider and can skip a day of riding, that's what I'll often do. However, when I still want to ride, the only wheel that is more or less impervious to strong winds is my 2400wh Monster. It's so heavy and stable that it just plows through the wind. And it has the battery capacity to fight the wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esper Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 If you are going against the wind and with the wind you can ride pretty reasonably. When you come over the top of a hill and the wind blows against you, the sudden shift can throw you off balance. The worst experience I've come across was going down a road in the city and getting smacked with a cross wind as I left the shelter of the building I was next to. As soon as I passed the edge of the building and entered into the street, the strong wind almost knocked me off. On that day it was much safer for me to just get off and walk the remaining distance. Of all weather conditions; Rain, Snow, Wind, Drought, etc, I find that wind is the most problematic for me. The next would be really high heat waves. They've caused me a number of problems this past summer. Overheated wheels and blown tires. @z3n makes a great point though. An umbrella would be a great object to avoid. But if the wind is blowing the direction you're going, you might be able to just use a normal skateboard and either a kite or an umbrella to tow you along. You'd need a way to stop and slow down though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanghamP Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Try riding much more aggressively and zig-zag a lot so you're always falling towards <something>. The higher kinetic energy plus you're already unbalanced anyway makes riding in gusty wind pretty easy. I often wear a relatively heavy full-face motorcycle helmet; while people like lighter helmets heavier helmets are less effected by win, and full-face helmets are designed for 100+ mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxkan Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Wind is OK if its not cold. I'm waiting for similar topic regarding winter conditions :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchet Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 I don't find the wheel is affected by wind, the problem is me, standing there like a sail, getting buffeted. Cross-winds are the worst as they can suddenly push you sideways. I ride in the wind a lot and I have a windbreaker that I wear that fits a little tight. It used to be worse but i've gotten used to it. The wheel doesn't really matter IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yourtoys7 Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Just the other day I rode in 45-50km/h Wind on my MCM5 from work, I thought I was gonna have a hard time, to my surprise because of an excellent torque machine it the ride was much better from I remember riding my ACM 670Wh., but I do prefer my MSX, much, much more stable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayRay Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 2 hours ago, LanghamP said: I often wear a relatively heavy full-face motorcycle helmet; while people like lighter helmets heavier helmets are less effected by win, and full-face helmets are designed for 100+ mph. Why do full-face motocross helmets have such huge visors attached? These things catch wind... Not a problem for typical euc speeds, but it seems like form-over-function. (Why so long?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 29 minutes ago, RayRay said: Why do full-face motocross helmets have such huge visors attached? These things catch wind... Not a problem for typical euc speeds, but it seems like form-over-function. (Why so long?) To keep the Sun out of your eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayRay Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, Marty Backe said: To keep the Sun out of your eyes. Oh, is that was visors are for? I thought we were pretending to be ducks or something... Seriously, am I the only one who thinks they are getting a bit long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermes Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 1 hour ago, Hatchet said: I don't find the wheel is affected by wind, the problem is me, standing there like a sail, getting buffeted. Cross-winds are the worst as they can suddenly push you sideways. I ride in the wind a lot and I have a windbreaker that I wear that fits a little tight. It used to be worse but i've gotten used to it. The wheel doesn't really matter IMO. For this reason I crouch a lot in order to present a low profile to the wind from any direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanghamP Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 1 hour ago, RayRay said: Why do full-face motocross helmets have such huge visors attached? These things catch wind... Not a problem for typical euc speeds, but it seems like form-over-function. (Why so long?) You need them long because by tilting your helmet your face is completely protected from debris kicked up by the bike in front of you, and also branches. I do notice that lots of amateurs and recreation riders simply use a full-faced helmet with no goggles so I think you're right...form over function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayRay Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 1 hour ago, LanghamP said: You need them long because by tilting your helmet your face is completely protected from debris kicked up by the bike in front of you, and also branches. I do notice that lots of amateurs and recreation riders simply use a full-faced helmet with no goggles so I think you're right...form over function. Makes sense. The dirt bike scene needs the whole goggle, full-face protection, and visor... (Hasn't changed much in a long time.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 15 hours ago, adampj said: Do you ride on windy days? What tips do you have for challenging windy conditions? What should you avoid on a windy day? Just curious as to everyone's best practices, tips and tricks. I live and ride in New Zealand's equivalent of Chicago, and it is almost always windy - in fact my best case scenario is that I ride fast enough with the wind behind me that it becomes still. I'm not sure what technics there are (other than just practice), but I find that being a heavier rider minimises the effect. So perhaps you need to eat more at lunch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jens Muysoms Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 On 10/13/2018 at 11:16 AM, The Fat Unicyclist said: I live and ride in New Zealand's equivalent of Chicago Wellington is just crazy windy, we had to cancel a few of our stopovers there due to high winds. Sailing a ship with a hotel strapped on the back is kinda tricky when the hotel acts like a giant sail blowing you off course. on topic: if faced with a headwind I just reduce speed, wind from the side I try to deal with by twisting my body to act like a sail if possible. The hardest conditions are strong gusts of wind from the side, that is just training to feel confident on the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbwhatsappapk Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Have a go at riding substantially more forcefully and crisscross a considerable measure so you're continually falling towards <something>. The higher motor vitality in addition to you're as of now lopsided at any rate makes riding in windy breeze truly simple. I regularly wear a generally GBWhatsapp Themes Phonesubstantial full-confront bike head protector; while individuals like lighter caps heavier caps are less affected by a win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieterGRAMS Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Like a few people said already, If you're carving aggressively you wont notice cross winds as much. Stay low and pump side to side. Now head winds... I just slow till they ease up You can't hear anything and I have no idea what strain is being put on the wheel. Seated in any wind is a nightmare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biped Phil Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 A backpack catches crosswinds. Is it better to pull a rolling suitcase? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adampj Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 1 hour ago, Biped Phil said: A backpack catches crosswinds. Is it better to pull a rolling suitcase? You're going to need a long handle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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