[tumbleweed]

...you drag your knee just to go straight down the highway!

Well, it hasn't been that bad. I've been riding everyday despite the ridiculous wind we have around here- 20-30 mph sustained with 40-50 mph gusts. It seems to blow about 3-4 days per week.

I was sitting at a stop light yesterday and a gust nearly blew me over! It's much more managable when moving and no too bad with a head or tail wind. It's the cross wind that tries to lay you over.

What about you? If you ride regardless of wind, what's your strategy for high-wind riding?

 

[Ranger]

I went through the windstorm from h3ll going down the Steppe in Colorado last year. Spent 2 hours tucked behind a trucker hanging off the side of the bike. It sucked. I hope to never encounter that again.

I put an edge on the same tire coming back through South Dakota. Spent 700 miles leaning to the right to counter act the wind. That tire was toast after that trip.

 

[bradk04]

I was with a group leaving palm springs going toward the 10 freeway where the wind farm is. Anyway the winds were gusting over 50mph 90 degrees to us. We were getting blown off the road. I had a passenger and we were both leaning in to the wind. We got to the 10 fwy and sat in the motel six for half a day until the wind died down. We were behind a big rig swaying in the breeze. It was nuts!

 

[cirsory]

its really windy when your leaned over in a straight and then in corners your straight up

 

[tumbleweed]

...Spent 2 hours tucked behind a trucker...

I admit to drafting in the 'pocket' behind a big rig too, but it's a pretty risky position. There's just too much chance of the truck kicking something up and smacking you in the head. Forget about having enough time to react to an obstacle in front of the truck.

 

[froghammer]

You know it's really windy when someone nicknamed "Tumbleweed" is starting threads about the wind. ;D

 

[eteach01]

I thought I knew about riding in wind when I lived in the Midwest. You ain't seen wind until you've seen a desert wind! Late afternoon we had 60+ mph a couple of times last week.

 

[J-Dog]

It was quite windy this weekend. 45 degrees of lean to go straight was interesting.

 

[snowndirt]

The last few days have been quite Gusty here in NJ.. I went for a night ride and it wasn't so bad on the local roads, a few gusts pushed me around a little, but the Hwy was rough. I was tucked down, laying on my tank, going into the wind; and it felt like I was going to be lifted up and off the bike. That was a slow ride home on the hwy.

 

[latigid]

saturday in the northeast was killer. I was getting pushed around like crazy on the highways and bridges. I commited myself to the ride and I wasn't turning back, but I honestly considered it.

I was fighting the wind for the whole ride and it was right on the edge of being unpleasant. Then the twisties came and I forgot all about the misery.

 

[of_the_troops]

I had a physical fitness test and had to do the run portion in that crazy northeast wind Saturday...not fun.

 

[r3t1awr3yd]

I was with a group leaving palm springs going toward the 10 freeway where the wind farm is. Anyway the winds were gusting over 50mph 90 degrees to us. We were getting blown off the road. I had a passenger and we were both leaning in to the wind. We got to the 10 fwy and sat in the motel six for half a day until the wind died down. We were behind a big rig swaying in the breeze. It was nuts!

You're talking about the Santa Ana winds right through the desert hot springs next to san jacinto. Those winds SUCK. 60mph sustained winds on some days.

 

[asnydes]

I would prefer sustained winds to the awful gusting. At least with sustained you know it's coming. Last week I was fighting gusts from every direction, it's definitely no fun to feel like a parachute!

 

[NTJordan]

Riding through AZ and UT I learned that when you the a sign that says "blowing dust area", things are about to become unpleasent.