Question about wind

[onewheelkoregro]

Ok so quick question that I have been unable to find a yt video discussing. I had to call my wife the other day because I almost got pushed right into oncoming traffic because of a 35 mph gust of wind. Now there is a weather alert in my area that says 65 mph gusts are possible and 45 mph sustained. Is it just because of my inexperience or is it not recommended to ride in high speed winds?0

[techyiam]

49 minutes ago, onewheelkoregro said:

there is a weather alert in my area that says 65 mph gusts are possible and 45 mph sustained.

I would consider 45 mph sustained and 65 mph gusts as heavy winds for riding an electric wheel. And you are only riding a 16X.

Personally, I would avoid it.

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by techyiam

[Cerbera]

It totally depends on what machine you ride, how experienced / skilled you are at riding, and whether you enjoy a challenge or not !

On my old MS3 wind riding was enormous fun, and unique challenge all of its own. Why ? Because that machine is incredibly low to the ground, has a very thin, narrow profile, which doesn't catch wind so much, so stability is not affected so much as with larger wheels. You can zig zag through it and that can be quite 'fun'.

The Master, on the other hand, which is big and tall, and top-heavy is a proper nightmare in strong wind however, and really anything gusting over 25 or 30 can be enough to literally push you off your wheel if you get caught at the wrong angle by crosswind. You'd think the enormous weight would help, but the distribution of it is not conducive AT ALL to remaining upright in strong gusts ! The KS 16X is somewhere between the 2 examples, so you'll have to find out what is 'dealable with' and what is 'too much'.

There is also a lot of difference between 'types' of wind. If, for example, you are riding parallel to a seafront, then the wind will usually be of fairly consistent strength, and coming in from the sea in a typically 'fixed' direction, which is very easy to counter because of its consistency.

But if you are at the top of a wide open hill, where wind direction is constantly changing, hugely gusty, strong and unpredictable, the 'fun' is likely to stop quite quickly !

So, 'pick your battles' would be my best advice, and make sure they are within the limits of what you and your machine can handle !! You'll know fairly quickly if the wind is too much for you or not, so get out there and try it, but do so somewhere where the landing won't be too hard or risky if it takes you down !!  So windy days are not the days to do your cliff-top riding 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Cerbera

[redsnapper]

40mph wind is heavy wind! if a wind is gonna push you around while walking then will definitely do so while riding! And don't forget the artificial wind you are creating simply by riding in still air - so if you are riding 20mph directly into a 20mph headwind then the effective wind is approx 40mph! Your body is by far the biggest surface & factor in wind effects. Turn your body slightly sideways and you can easily create powerful forces pushing you off to one side or another! In heavy wind I like to tuck my arms behind me (like speed skaters do) in order to reduce surface area and drag but no doubt riding in wind requires extra margin  around obstacles/terrain to avoid bad voodoo!

Edited April 2, 2023 by redsnapper

[Cerbera]

We should also mention that seated riding is sometimes better because you present less surface area to wind (and possibly because it might be less distance to fall!), but you also have less instant directional control, so it's a bit 'swings and roundabouts'...

One thing that often gets me is when you emerge from a relatively sheltered area into a wide open one; it can be like feeling almost no wind at all, then coming round a corner and suddenly finding yourself in a jet blast of directional air that can properly fuck you up if unexpected and from the wrong direction !

Lastly I should mention that I don't consider it wise to ride next to traffic in big winds. You risk being blown into the path of the cars beside you...

Edited April 2, 2023 by Cerbera

[novazeus]

the difficult part of wind for me, is leaning into a gust to maintain my line, and then the gust abruptly stops and u fall into where the gust was coming from. like leaning on a wall and then the wall vanishes. wind is a challenge and can be fun but even 30 mph gusts could be dangerous. hard to steer.

[Cerbera]

2 minutes ago, novazeus said:

leaning into a gust to maintain my line, and then the gust abruptly stops and u fall into where the gust was coming from

Yeah I hate that. I am told we can use The Force to predict when it will stop 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Cerbera

[The Brahan Seer]

3 hours ago, redsnapper said:

if a wind is gonna push you around while walking then will definitely do so while riding!

Riding a wheel is a lot more stable than walking. You have a contact patch on the ground continuously in the centre whilst walking you are moving the contact patch from left to right and on and off the ground. From my experience anyway.

3 hours ago, redsnapper said:

40mph wind is heavy wind!

This is certainly true on the S18.. 32Mph sustained, 55Mph gusts below..

 

[novazeus]

the other day i picked up a little box from amazon, cr2032 batteries, like maybe .5 pound counting the little 6” cubed box.

tried to carry it in my left hand. nbd right? no the wind would hit that little box and almost pull me off the road. same thing with a big envelope i tried to tote home.

tight fitting clothes like my leatt 6.5 body protection, padded shorts, etc are the best for windy days.