Riding in the wind

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Dalemac · #1 Post by **Dalemac** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 8:58 am

So this morning i attempted to ride to York from Lincoln, the occasion to go and do an experience day racing go-carts. riding out of Lincoln was manageable, but after about 15 miles of open a roads, i gave up and turn around back for home. The wind was making it extremely difficult to ride in a straight line, never mind position the bike where i wanted it to be. I am not exaggerating, i was literally hanging off the bike just to try and ride in a straight line, but it was still almost impossible. I could see myself getting blown into an oncoming car or into a ditch. It would have been stupid to carry on in such dangerous conditions! the wind speed, according to the forecast is 27mph, but it felt like alot more than that!

Another day ruined thanks to the crappy weather, which only seems to be exceptionally crappy when i want to do something interesting :(

Dale

blinkey501 · #2 Post by **blinkey501** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:10 am

Yes unfortunatly not many more good riding days left this year. I think its time to put bike on optimate dale and get ready for 2012. Lincoln eh i am at misterton the other side of gainsborough. Pm me next year if you fancy a ride out

#3 Post by **mangocrazy** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:13 am

Riding in windy conditions is one of the hardest things to do. I remember nearly 20 years ago I went for a ride in conditions like today and wound up with muscle strain from trying to hold the bike in place. That proved that 'locking' muscles just doean't work.

The next time I was faced with a situation like that I tried the opposite; I imagined my head as the pivot point and the bike as the pendulum swinging about below me. I kept my head following the line I wanted to take and pretty much let the bike do what it wanted underneath me. It seemed to work, but your mileage may vary...

Dalemac · #4 Post by **Dalemac** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:47 am

Cool, we could organise something blinkey im sure. Unfortunately i cannot put the bike away as it is my only form of transport. Poor bike doesnt get a rest!

It was definately the hardest conditions I have ever ridden in. And that includes off roading in Cyprus, my first ever ride on the falco (which began at midnight and was from coventry to lincoln) and the snow last year. I would not have managed to do the full 160mile round trip without something going horribly wrong. Bloody wind.

Still cant get through to the carting place - i need to rebook my event day.

D-Rider · #5 Post by **D-Rider** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:07 am

Sounds a bit like the ride back from the Durham weekend a few years back.
Fortunately I've found the Falco to be much less affected by the wind than just about any bike I've ridden.

The worst situations are crosswinds with obstructions - like hedges and then gaps in them. One of the keys is keeping observant and predicting where and when the next gust will hit you.

blinkey501 wrote:Yes unfortunatly not many more good riding days left this year.

Yep - I make it that there are only 34 of them left .... but then we get 366 good riding days next year - bonus due to it being a leap year.
(Ok .... maybe we need to knock off a handful - I'm never keen on ice)

Samray · #6 Post by **Samray** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:09 am

I also use Mango's lighthanded approach.
The bike is also at it's most stable in those gusty conditions under acceleration, unfortunately as a technique this has it's limitations ......

randomsquid · #7 Post by **randomsquid** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:40 pm

D-Rider wrote:
The worst situations are crosswinds with obstructions - like hedges and then gaps in them. One of the keys is keeping observant and predicting where and when the next gust will hit you.

I discovered this coming from under a motorway bridge onto a flat barren stretch. I was more or less flat out on my old CX and the gust put me in lane 3. Then there was more gusts and a short period of weaving across 3 lanes as I tried to make it go straight again. Letting the bike do it's thing seems best. Also keeping the revs up but the speed down seems to.

D-Rider · #8 Post by **D-Rider** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:51 pm

randomsquid wrote: Also keeping the revs up but the speed down seems to.

Could be a bit of logic in that - keep the gyroscopes spinning

Dalemac · #9 Post by **Dalemac** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:32 pm

If i were to let the bike do its own thing i would have been in the opposite lane. The A15 near lincoln is a single carridgeway in either directon. It is also surrounded with large fields and has little wind protection. I have to say though that i wasnt keeping the revs up, i was trying to get to york on a 3/4 full tank of fuel.

Maybe there is a technique to riding in the wind that doesnt involde leaning off to go in a straight line...

Dale

D-Rider · #10 Post by **D-Rider** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:49 pm

Dalemac wrote:If i were to let the bike do its own thing i would have been in the opposite lane. The A15 near lincoln is a single carridgeway in either directon. It is also surrounded with large fields and has little wind protection. I have to say though that i wasnt keeping the revs up, i was trying to get to york on a 3/4 full tank of fuel.

Maybe there is a technique to riding in the wind that doesnt involde leaning off to go in a straight line...

Dale

Leaning off is fine.
I'm not being funny but learn to sail - sailing on a reach in very strong gusty conditions is very entertaining and improves your reactions to the wind no end (or your swimming ability)

flatlander · #11 Post by **flatlander** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:24 pm

I use the squeaky bum swearing, a hope and a prayer approach

And to be fair sailing or an awareness of it is no bad thing

randomsquid · #12 Post by **randomsquid** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:40 pm

D-Rider wrote:
randomsquid wrote: Also keeping the revs up but the speed down seems to.
Could be a bit of logic in that - keep the gyroscopes spinning

I dunno, just feels more natural driving into it rather than sit at a neutral throttle opening.

flatlander · #13 Post by **flatlander** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:51 pm

Joking aside I have over the years been in the habit of accelerating as I clear say a big wagon to cut through or offset the anticipated wind blast

Aladinsaneuk · #14 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:54 pm

I think Martdude has the most experience of this - or was that playing Russian roulette with wind after a dodgy hog roast?

HowardQ · #15 Post by **HowardQ** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:00 pm

I had a major problem yesterday as well, other than the wind the weather was quite cold but good, so decided to take the Kwack out. Not been on it for a few weeks so set off for Willingham. Seems I was a bit sheltered from the wind at home, which was much worse on the open roads. I had decided on a quick run up the A1 from Worksop to Bawtry then to Willingtham.
Had been going preety quick then got to an open patch and sat close behind an artic box trailer for a short while, a bit closer than I normally would as the airflow off the back of the truck was sort of sheltering me from the side wind. Had enough buffeting so accellerated hard out from behind it up to about 80 ish and there is this white object filling the fast lane.
Oh shit!
Looked a bit like a really big sheet of folded up white cardboard, (with the fold to me), but it wasn't.
The front wheel hit the middle of it with a really loud crack, like smashing through a wooden panel, (possibly a plywood shelf or something). The angle of it launched the front of the bike into the air and the back wheel flew over it. At the same time a piece of it hit the end of my left foot really hard. The Sidi Evo boots took this really well, as it hit near my big toe the strength in the sole and the good toe protection did it's job. If i'd been in something like trainers it would have broken my big toe at the very least.
Anyway the bike landed OK and I am just thinking have I stiil got a front tyre and wheel. It seemed to be rolling OK so pulls quickly back in front of the truck and straight up the Blyth sliproad wich was very well placed.
Pulls up on the sliproad to check the bike and there is a white line accross the tyre, looking like white paint from the wooden shelf or whatever.
Wheel looks OK, tyre still inflated and no fairing damage, (flying over the thing obviously helped). The impact had taken out a dipped headlight filament, but otherwise seemed fine.
Got myself together, thinking that fas fekkin lucky, could have been under the truck.
Thinks shall I go back down the A1 and get a better look at what I'd hit.
Er NO took back roads home pretty slowly.
Checked again today and the bike seems fine, now just need to sort my leather trousers!