High wind riding!

[Jkay]

Well I now have about 600 miles on my V12HT, and feel like I can “reasonably “ ride as I please.  We were recently on a long road trip and I had the EUC with us. To stretch my legs and relieve boredom of the road I hopped on the EUC at a rest stop on the Mississippi delta.  Winds were 25-35 mph, boy that was a challenge!  Every way but loose!  Initially rode downwind and thought this is cool!  20 mph and no cold wind in my face.  Then I turned around,  almost gave up and shame walked my ride back!  If you get a chance take a spin in really high winds, what an eye opener! 

Edited April 5 by Jkay

[Cerbera]

2 hours ago, Jkay said:

If you get a chance take a spin in really high winds, what an eye opener! 

You say that; I sit here at home waiting for 45 mph winds to drop to more like 20 before I dare get out on my Master.

I used to love the wind battles on my old MS3 - that was much more of a fun challenge than the 'dangerous liability' it is on the current machine !

As you say downwind is great, but you gotta watch it doesn't push you beyond your wheel limits, upwind is fine too in that at least it's predictable - what I really hate is those damn crosswinds; they destabilize me in a most disconcerting and unenjoyable way. every time I get stuck in some I think to myself 'must get those custom lower pedal hangers', but then the wind drops off and I am back to enjoying the height of the wheel so I don't order them

Edited April 5 by Cerbera

[Jkay]

I commented earlier in my riding career, about 5-10 mph was giving me trouble, I mastered that!  But a 25-30 gusty crosswind is brutal.  My V12 pedals are at the lowest setting, winds this high are quite unusual but if my pedals were at the highest setting…..mission impossible!  My tire pressure was at 40psi which made it more challenging, I had raised it beforehand to add a bit to my range. 

[novazeus]

99.97% of my riding is on ranchland. no rocks, just fine myaaka sand and silt. 

i've decided after living on this ranch for 70 years, the only protection i wear are the snowboarders shorts(naked riding would probably cause problems with passerbys)a full face visored tsg helmet(which is usually cracked opened a little), my van's mte boa sneakers, socks and my favorite, the weightlifter shin protectors. that's it.

and i still have to tuck and make myself small, going upwind, even with the lynx. clothing in winds is not ur friend.

we don't have that front tire for rotational stability like a bicycle, so tire contact patch is everything so we don't have this.

[Cerbera]

Well I did go out in the winds I mentioned above, which then increased radically at the end of my ride as Storm Katrina came rolling up from the south. Unusually, it was a really warm wind, which would have been lovely to be out riding in had there not been quite so much of it !

When it got above 40 kph steady and <70 kph gusts I really had to spend most of the time crouched very low over the wheel to remain upright at all, and there were some bits where the only safe thing to do was to get down and trolley it, so that's what I did. 'It's good for circulation to walk some bits' I told myself

That storm is only just blowing down from 60 to 20 now, but the sun is out, and temperatures are mild, and, glutton for punishment as I am, I'll be out in it later for another go, and this time I'm going up a massive hill and off-road, to really add to the 'fun' !