Crosswinds and storm yesterday....best way to stay upright??

[Kingfisher]

Went out for a 20 miler yesterday here in Central PA. Started out at 66 degrees, so just regular jersey and shorts. Then headwind started and things changed dramatically.

Getting darker all the time, colder and the wind became crazy. At 10 miles decided to turn around and use the tailwind to kick it coming home.

Well, it was not only tailwind but VERY strong crosswinds when I came to wide open spaces. Going well over 28 mph all was good until crosswinds then I'll admit, got a little scared. Crosswind would hit me and it was difficult to maintain straight line on a semi busy road.

Made it back to car, with temp's in low 50's. I've been out riding many times with an approaching storm, but NEVER with these type winds.

What is best way to handle crosswinds at speed?

[dgauthier]

Stay home?

It only took me one experience like that to start avoiding riding in high winds. Your life depends on your ability to ride in a straight line along the roadside.

[carpediemracing]

With a steady crosswind it's pretty straightforward so I'm assuming it was a gusty/inconsistent crosswind.

For that really you can only try and anticipate being hit by stuff. If you go by a building and the wind slams you, next building you pass.... also look at plants and stuff next to the road. Different pattern = different wind.

With cars passing it's tough because they end up breaking up the crosswind. If the wind was from your left then you'll naturally push left a bit to keep a straight line. When a car comes and disrupts the wind you'll veer left, directly toward the car. That's tough, you have to anticipate the lack of wind and correct.

If the wind was from the right I expect things wouldn't have been too hairy.

Another thought is if you're veering a little anyway then look back frequently and veer a bit more when cars are approaching. They'll see that you're not consistent and hopefully give you more room. I use this approach if I'm on a busy road and people no long wait to pass and instead pass with just inches to spare.

Personally I always end up on the drops when things are sketchy, but that's just me. I wouldn't want to be on the tops or drops. However I can really hang onto the front wheel if I have to. I remember being moved sideways pretty substantially at a Tues Night Worlds, which is on a former airfield (really flat so there's wind) with a stadium built on it (means the wind swirls around it). We pass by the stadium on the backstretch and the wind really socks you when you get past the stadium.

Of course a lower profile wheel works better, and a U shaped rim seems to be better than a V shaped one.

[carpediemracing]

I'll add that the most fun I've had on training rides were on heavy crosswind days. Nothing pushes you along like a cross-tailwind, and I'll work really hard to get into a position where I can get a cross-tailwind for a bit. Those days make me feel like I can actually ride a bike. Last one was coming out of Red Rock Canyon in Vegas, was turning a 53x11 or 53x12 for many miles at 30-34 mph, almost to the strip. For whatever reason it seems that wind flows down away from Red Rock so it's a hellacious headwind getting to Red Rock. But if you take Blue Diamond / 159 south away from it, and then 160 back to the strip, it's a tailwind/cross-tailwind pretty much all the way.

It helps to have a tall rear wheel, relating to that other thread. They get pushed nicely in a cross-tailwind. I think I had a tall front wheel also, 60mm, but I don't remember.

The other fun ride was when Hurricane George hit Florida. The crit at Coconut Grove was cancelled, we'd traveled for the race, I only had my tubular TriSpokes (for racing of course), and so we headed out when it was "50 mph steady, 80 mph gusts". This the day before the hurricane actually hit that night. We (three of us) struggled like mad to get out but when we turned around it was magical.

[shovelhd]

I agree with CDR, get in the drops and relax your forearms.