Wind

[Marty Backe]

22 hours ago, fryman said:

Yesterday I went on my first 10 mile ride at a local park and it was windy in areas. I had to go up a path against the wind and it was like pushing against a wall. I came upon a open area and a gust hit me from the side and I lost control and tumbled in the grass.  That was awesome! 

At least you tumbled in the grass 

The Monster is the only wheel that I've ridden that's impervious to wind and wind gusts.

[Steven D Wheeler]

I had a real hard time riding my monster sitting on a very gusty day.

It was knocking me over almost and I had to fight it with every ounce of my being, not fun!

I slowed way down and made it home. The winds had to be over thirty MPH that day.

Two weeks ago I was riding my ACM and again it was windy but I didn't look at the weather forecast

so I didn't know what I was in for. The strong winds make it very difficult to stay in your lane on the bike path

and I almost wound up in the grass too many times to count.

I had to slow way down and use every technique in the book just to stay on it even at slow speeds.

IMO - EUC's and wind don't mix well and makes for a nerve racked ride.

[Demargon]

On 4/2/2018 at 3:21 PM, Joker10 said:

I twist my body while going into a strong head wind and trying to conserve battery. I twist so that my upper body is more bladed into the wind.  Not sure if it works but it makes sense that it would, so I do it.  

Against head wind I find useful crouch. Twist is also better for the side wind, turn your back to the wind for speed up like a little boat sail 

[novazeus]

ya, gusty wind in my pasture riding is super challenging. i don’t think about it, but u will be going along like resting against the wind on ur side or something and then the wind stops, and it’s time to catch ur balance. i’m sure that was a contributing factor to my tumble today. plus i’m going in big circles around Bob and the jeep. circles in wind is tough.

[TremF]

On 2/5/2018 at 5:54 PM, Marty Backe said:

The Monster is the only wheel that I've ridden that's impervious to wind and wind gusts.

Exactly this. I used to have the ACM almost sideways on really bad days but the Monster just stayed upright like a tank through the wind.

[NECway]

When I just started to ride wind would make it impossible for me to continue, at this stage the body balancing has not fully learned to do everything automatically. Now after a year of riding wind is not much of a problem. Sometime I encounter a head wind that want to stop me by making me lean back. Now all the body motions are automatic and wind or not wind is no problem. But this took time to learn.

[Holt]

Timely topic - I was riding to the post office with a very light, large-ish box containing a Troy Lee Designs padded shirt (7850).  The box was thin but wide and acted like a sail in the wind.  Made it almost impossible to ride in the stronger gusts. 

Very similar to the deeper dish wheels I have on my road bicycle.  Deeper the wheel rim the bigger then impact to wind.  Sometimes a gust will blow you right across the road.

There is an old saying we learned in elementary school - March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb.  The lion part is certainly true right now in NC!

[Smoother]

On 4/15/2017 at 11:01 PM, Keith said:

The KS-14C is doing everything I need really, the only problem I do have is that the range is going down now preventing me being some of the longer trips I did last year. I'm aiming to put 4 off 4 cell LiPo batteries in the empty battery compartment on one side, if only Hobbyking ever get the cheap ones I want back in stock.

 

I'd like to try that too.  Keep me informed if you do.

I was riding at the beach last weekend with this famous arctic wind blowing in from Russia.  I was going down a fairly steep hill, into the wind, and I had to lean forward to keep moving; GOING DOWN HILL!!  The part of my forehead between my shades and my hat was so cold it hurt.  I used to avoid wind, but now, like others have said, I just add it to the "challenges" list and go for it.  It all helps improve your ability to control the wheel.  Wind, tree roots, tram lines, rocks, slimy wooden decking, ---all welcome "skill" developers.

[novazeus]

8 hours ago, Smoother said:

I'd like to try that too.  Keep me informed if you do.

I was riding at the beach last weekend with this famous arctic wind blowing in from Russia.  I was going down a fairly steep hill, into the wind, and I had to lean forward to keep moving; GOING DOWN HILL!!  The part of my forehead between my shades and my hat was so cold it hurt.  I used to avoid wind, but now, like others have said, I just add it to the "challenges" list and go for it.  It all helps improve your ability to control the wheel.  Wind, tree roots, tram lines, rocks, slimy wooden decking, ---all welcome "skill" developers.

next time it’s gusty like that, try and find a big field and go in 50 yard diameter circles so the wind is constantly changing forces on ur body, if u like challenges. 

[Smoother]

1 hour ago, novazeus said:

next time it’s gusty like that, try and find a big field and go in 50 yard diameter circles so the wind is constantly changing forces on ur body, if u like challenges. 

Funny you should suggest that.  I used to do something similar with powered paragliders.  At the beach flying into a wind, say 15mph, I would move forwards at a crawl about 6 feet above ground level (AGL) or less.  Then I would do successive left and right 360s, all the time trying to maintain the same 6 foot altitude.  Its a lot harder than it sounds.  Into the wind my speed over ground (SOG) was, say 3mph, crosswind it would increase, downwind it would shoot up to about 40mph, and turning upwind again it would slow rapidly to 3mph again.  Moderating the motor and wing to eliminate lift or dive and compensating for the lean in the turn,  and not eating sand ( and wipe out $6,000 worth of kit) was challenging, but so much fun.   The reason for left AND right loops was that the torque of the propeller and its interaction with the risers and the wing was different depending on which way one turns.  WITH the torque, it turned quicker, AGAINST the torque it resisted, and there is a catastrophic, torque induced condition if you force it, called riser twist, that will always end with a crash at 6 ft. AGL.  I do miss my PPG days.

[Scott Henley]

On February 26, 2018 at 4:09 PM, Holt said:

Timely topic - I was riding to the post office with a very light, large-ish box containing a Troy Lee Designs padded shirt (7850).  The box was thin but wide and acted like a sail in the wind.  Made it almost impossible to ride in the stronger gusts. 

Very similar to the deeper dish wheels I have on my road bicycle.  Deeper the wheel rim the bigger then impact to wind.  Sometimes a gust will blow you right across the road.

There is an old saying we learned in elementary school - March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb.  The lion part is certainly true right now in NC!

Funny you say this . I too live in NC and rode my ACM down to the post office yesterday to send out a park tool work stand I recently sold  on FB. The winds weren't unbearable but trying to ride while holding onto a fairy large box is extremely difficult . I almost lost it a few times . 

You're absolit right about deep section carbon wheels. Made the mistake last year of leaving my Mavic Cosmics on my road bike when I took it on vacation with me to myrtle beach. Damn near died . Lol. 

[novazeus]

27 minutes ago, Smoother said:

Funny you should suggest that.  I used to do something similar with powered paragliders.  At the beach flying into a wind, say 15mph, I would move forwards at a crawl about 6 feet above ground level (AGL) or less.  Then I would do successive left and right 360s, all the time trying to maintain the same 6 foot altitude.  Its a lot harder than it sounds.  Into the wind my speed over ground (SOG) was, say 3mph, crosswind it would increase, downwind it would shoot up to about 40mph, and turning upwind again it would slow rapidly to 3mph again.  Moderating the motor and wing to eliminate lift or dive and compensating for the lean in the turn,  and not eating sand ( and wipe out $6,000 worth of kit) was challenging, but so much fun.   The reason for left AND right loops was that the torque of the propeller and its interaction with the risers and the wing was different depending on which way one turns.  WITH the torque, it turned quicker, AGAINST the torque it resisted, and there is a catastrophic, torque induced condition if you force it, called riser twist, that will always end with a crash at 6 ft. AGL.  I do miss my PPG days.

Yeah before I got Bob I should have gotten one of those for the ranch. I got Bob Dec 3, 2016 and the longest we've been apart is when I have to run into Costco(Sam's has p.o. me)and grab a bunch of turkey breasts for me and Bob, mostly Bob. Now I'm such a careful parent cause I have my son to take care of and even tho I'm crazy enough, I won't endanger Bob.

[Holt]

45 minutes ago, Scott Henley said:

Funny you say this . I too live in NC and rode my ACM down to the post office yesterday to send out a park tool work stand I recently sold  on FB. The winds weren't unbearable but trying to ride while holding onto a fairy large box is extremely difficult . I almost lost it a few times . 

You're absolit right about deep section carbon wheels. Made the mistake last year of leaving my Mavic Cosmics on my road bike when I took it on vacation with me to myrtle beach. Damn near died . Lol. 

swinging bridge, grandfather mountain.  that would be an ambitious windy ride.  but (and this is another thread) we should do a blue ridge parkway mini-tour.  if ever there was a road built for these things that might be it.  

Edited February 28, 2018 by Holt

[novazeus]

26 minutes ago, Holt said:

swinging bridge, grandfather mountain.  

i remember going to grandfather a long time ago and there was this rickety looking plywood ramp built at the top for the hang glider people that was angled down and these stupid flatlanders(probably from florida) were walking out on it peering over.

[Holt]

That rickety ramp is the ‘swinging bridge’. The hang gliders (circa 1978) are long gone and the bridge is now a steel reinforced modern feat of engineering.

love it!  

Cadillac filmed a commercial that ran a few years back up there.

[novazeus]

4 hours ago, Holt said:

 

That rickety ramp is the ‘swinging bridge’

 

no, i’ve been back to the swinging bridge, this thing was literally like u a me grabbed some 2x4’s, plywood and nails and built ourselves a ramp like kids would do in their yards for skateboards. walking out on it with a kite on ur back is one thing, stupid floridians thing they are at disneyworld with public safety things, is another. unfortunately i have no pictures.

[Carlos V. Gonzalez]

I am thinking of buying one of these, mostly to commuting, I live near the seaside, and while wind can be good when pushing to your go direction, I guess it would be a problem when going in the opposite direction, so I think the solution will be to find a near street that have some wind shade made from some buildings or so, about the difficulty in riding on windy days, I can't tell anything about it since I haven't bought one electric wheel yet, but after seeing this video 

I think it's possible, or maybe the guy on the video is the super man, or maybe super crazy  

 

Best greetings to all

[Demargon]

Constant wind directions are rideable but affect a lot the ridding speed and autonomy. Its like going uphill or downhill.

Gusty winds are mostly the same but in that case the hill comes up, down and whatever direction with the added challenge of you can´t see it. 

[mrelwood]

I was surprised how effortless it was to keep my lane even at the strongest winds here. Although, while I live at the coast it might be that our winds just don’t compare to actual strong ones.

Yes for the hands! I started crossing my arms at my chest early on as it was easily the biggest help against winds that I could find.

[xorbe]

Went for a ride on Stevens Creek Trail today.  The crosswind was strong and gusty.  Just as I made a right turn it smacked me from the left and pushed me off.  Probably would have been easier if I hadn't used the lively MCM5.  I only went 1/2 as far as I wanted to go, as I wasn't enjoying it much with commuter bicycles whizzing by.

[MrRobot]

"...HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Southwest to west winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph possible.

* WHERE...Portions of northwest Indiana and central, east central, north central and northeast Illinois"

 

Sometimes I forget this weather isn't normal for most EUC riders and can get quite jealous of all of those pleasant weather areas where you never encounter these things 😋 It's rare I see a day with winds predicted for less than 15-20mph near the lake front. That's a good day here! 😭

Guess we're not called the windy city for nothing... Also explains the very few EUCs I've seen here. It really does make it quite less enjoyable when fighting strong head winds and random directional gusts. They are truly brutal and can easily throw you around if you're not careful. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by MrRobot

[xorbe]

I had a backpack on too, so that didn't help my side profile, hah.  Even a 425 pound motorcycle with 65 hp is no fun in a stiff wind.

Edited November 26, 2019 by xorbe

[WIZARD]

On 4/16/2017 at 7:48 AM, Demargon said:

My best choice would be a unicycle seat 

But there is no easy way to fit it without making holes in the shell and chassis of the euc, that isn't my intention for the moment. 

I gonna try to make something like the detachable seat of ks 18 for my v5f.

While it was done is easy to put a bicycle one instead.

 

[WIZARD]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tUGyPaY8SJBDKZG68

[WIZARD]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JYz7bKivPwFfpwtp8