# When is it to windy to cycle ?



## Mark Walker (23 Nov 2012)

I have been laid up this week with a elbow injury. however last night in my area there were recorded winds of 74 mph.
On my way home in the car the thought struck me that if I had come in on the bike how would i get home ?
When is it to windy to cycle ,what wind speed would you not consider cycling ?


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## jarlrmai (23 Nov 2012)

Gusty crosswinds are the most dangerous.

Wind speed is a hard one to judge it's more about the gusts, 74 is clearly don't go on the roads time, 20-30 is dangerous on exposed roads with traffic.

Head/Tail winds are annoying/fun but can also place you in danger.


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## mcshroom (23 Nov 2012)

jarlrmai said:


> Gusty crosswinds are the most dangerous.
> 
> Wind speed is a hard one to judge it's more about the gusts, 74 is clearly don't go on the roads time, *20-30 is dangerous on exposed roads with traffic*.
> 
> Head/Tail winds are annoying/fun but can also place you in danger.



I'd almost never get to cycle in winter if I avoided days with winds over 20mph.

Cycling in windy conditions needs more care and less speed, but as long as you aren't likely to get blown off physically by a gust then it is manageable (if not always fun). I cycled over the Cairnwell Pass into winds well over 60mph with 4 sails panniers and my commuting record was a gust recorded by our site weather station at 79mph (from about 2 o'clock so blowing me towards the verge not the cars). 

I'd prefer a quiet day some time soon though please?


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## jarlrmai (23 Nov 2012)

I just worry about a gust pushing me into close passing traffic.


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## akb (23 Nov 2012)

Quite a bit of my route is next to a river, so that combined with darkness and wind isn't a good mix. The last few weeks has been quite hairy at times he to the wind. The met office said 40mph gusts, any more and I would have bothered purely for my own safety.


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## gaz (23 Nov 2012)

When you can't get on your bicycle


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## jarlrmai (23 Nov 2012)

Love that video


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## e-rider (23 Nov 2012)

I cycled in gusts up to 80mph in Scotland - it was very dangerous indeed. I'd say if it's 30+ mph then stay at home if you can


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## Hip Priest (23 Nov 2012)

Use common sense. I didn't use my common sense one time last year and got blown literally from one side of the road to the other by a surprise gust. Luckily there were no other vehicles about!


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## Sheffield_Tiger (23 Nov 2012)

This week.

Part of the shed blew off and hit me on the head as I was opening up to get the bike out.

Things flying at my head are what convinces me to sit in the steel cage I park outside


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## johnr (24 Nov 2012)

Voice of unreason here: I cycle all the time, so there are days when I'm out in very strong winds. Fortunately I commute on relatively quiet country roads. Last winter, I was blown to a standstill on flat parts of my commute by 60-70mph headwinds. If there's a risk of getting blown across the road I get off and walk for a bit. I just try and hold my own when the gusts are strong and make headway when they drop a little. It can be quite exhilarating.

Everyone to their own, however.


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## BenM (24 Nov 2012)

I thought I would cycle in any weather, however this week I found that, on the 'bent at least, force 7 gusting 9 is about my limit of nerve/stability. I suspect I would risk higher winds on the Marin Halifax, but on a 'bent your lever over the centre of gravity is not great so reaction to gusts is difficult to say the least!


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## palinurus (24 Nov 2012)

If I can't open the door the bike shed 'cos of the wind then it's too strong.

So far, so good.


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## MattHB (24 Nov 2012)

I dont have the option not to cycle, so I cycle whatever and just go steady


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## lulubel (24 Nov 2012)

I used to take the car if the forecast was for gusts over 50mph.


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## compo (24 Nov 2012)

jarlrmai said:


> I just worry about a gust pushing me into close passing traffic.


 
I would also be concerned about the risk of traffic being pushed into me, especially HGV's, buses and other high sided vehicles.


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## Drago (24 Nov 2012)

When it's so windy you can't make forward progress is when I throw in the towel.


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## dave r (24 Nov 2012)

Mark Walker said:


> I have been laid up this week with a elbow injury. however last night in my area there were recorded winds of 74 mph.
> On my way home in the car the thought struck me that if I had come in on the bike how would i get home ?
> When is it to windy to cycle ,what wind speed would you not consider cycling ?


 
When its too windy too stand up.


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## Noodley (24 Nov 2012)

gaz said:


> When you can't get on your bicycle




That is a great video.


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## subaqua (25 Nov 2012)

when i am the granny gear and struggling to make progress.


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## cyberknight (25 Nov 2012)

This morning !
Bins etc blown over, club run shall we ? i think not ....


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## Hip Priest (25 Nov 2012)

The worst thing about a bad headwind is grinding up a hill, only to find that you've got to grind down the other side too.


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## cloggsy (25 Nov 2012)

Windy conditions are by far the worse weather to travel by bike in IMHO!


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## MrGrumpy (25 Nov 2012)

When the Forth Road Bridge is closed to high sided vehicles, trailers, caravans and motorbikes . No choice really when that occurs, it is possible to cadge a lift over from the bridge staff but it is not a given! Besides when it is that windy on the roads only an idiot would go out and risk themselves being hit by a vehicle by gusts of wind!


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## Dan_h (25 Nov 2012)

Cycled my new commute home across the Chilterns last week in 50mph gusts (according to the met office), sure there were some hairy moments on the higher and more exposed part of the route but in general it was manageable. Kind of tiring when you need to keep pedaling going down hill but it is amazing how bad the weather needs to be before you really can't ride in it if you are determined enough.


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## Miquel In De Rain (25 Nov 2012)

Shoot,I cycled in a 30mph headwind today,it wasn't nice with the crosswinds.Scared the hell out of me at times.


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## Bromptonaut (25 Nov 2012)

Never too bad in central London but I've been whipped across entire width of a Scottish A road between Inverness and Carbisdale Castle by a sudden gust - lucky nothing coming other way.

And then there was the occasion circa 1988 riding down Glencoe from Rannoch Moor towards Ballachulish pedalling all the way in low gear.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (27 Nov 2012)

If I don't cycle, then I have no transport. Last week I cycled Tuesday through to Friday, plus Sunday. Thursday was by far the worst day here - on one (slight) downhill section which was directly into the headwind, I could not hold 9mph downhill and having to cycle downhill is just not fair in my book.
Coming home along that section going uphill with the tailwind I was easily holding 20mph despite having not had lunch (and I'm not good when I miss food). For once, and it has been the only time, going home was much quicker than getting there. Other than finding it more tiring, I have found that (assuming you make yourself visible to motorists) motorists are generally more accommodating in bad weather than they are normally, but they have to be able to see you.

I have (or at least tried to) cycled in conditions where at times I could not stay on the bike, where I could not actually keep a fully laden bike on the road (but not quite like that video - great but as my husband would say, those bikes clearly don't weigh enough!) - we had no choice but to carry on that day on tour (exposure was a serious concern, the only time I have considered sleeping the night in a public toilet). I look back at our 12 month tour and I know without a doubt that they were the 2 hardest days - when you can't actually keep the bike on a 2 lane road, you know it is time to quit cycling and take a few days off.


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

gaz said:


> When you can't get on your bicycle




The bit that starts at 47 seconds nearly made me laugh a cashew nut out of my nose.


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

We went on an informal forum ride on Sunday morning and ended up hitting 58mph headwinds, which is the worst I've ever experienced. The folk with gears struggled a bit, the chap on a fixie nearly imploded. We usually average a nice comfortable 16mph but were reduced to walking speed for most of the journey home.

Full ride report...


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## Hacienda71 (27 Nov 2012)

It depends on wind direction and if you are going for a Strava segment.


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

Hacienda71 said:


> It depends on wind direction and if you are going for a Strava segment.



The view from my office window tends to inspire me to attempt certain segments:


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## biggs682 (27 Nov 2012)

when its that windy you struggle to keep a straight line or when you get blown off by the wind as i had once last year


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

biggs682 said:


> ...get blown off by the wind as i had once last year


 
Must... resist....


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## biggs682 (27 Nov 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Must... resist....


 Andrew_Culture why resist .....


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## Andrew_Culture (27 Nov 2012)

biggs682 said:


> Andrew_Culture why resist .....



You said blown off, which sounds like blow off, which is a trump!

*giggles like a titmouse and runs off*


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## biggs682 (27 Nov 2012)

Andrew_Culture said:


> You said blown off, which sounds like blow off, which is a trump!
> 
> *giggles like a titmouse and runs off*


 no mine are far? like


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## Saluki (27 Nov 2012)

I was going to ride on Sunday but when I saw that the telegraph pole was at 45 degrees and that the apple tree had blown down, I decided to stay indoors with flapjacks and a nice DVD instead. We live at the top of a rise (not a hill, or at least a proper hill, we are about 35' above sea level here) and surrounded by fields so there is not much of a wind break to be had. 
I do use my common sense with the weather but quite frankly, I didn't even want to take the car out on Sunday!


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