Anyone been blown right off the bike in this wind?

[Banjo]

Part of my commute is across a causeway. Had to ride on the pavement at 5 mph a few nights ago after being blown off course just as a car was passing.

Then had the added joy of a bit of salt water spray from the wind whipping the tops off the waves.

I once got on my hands and knees on the Severn Bridge path holding the bike with both hands for a few minutes but never been unlucky enough to be blown over while riding.

 

[HLaB]

Not in this wind but once I left my Edinburgh flat into a far stronger headwind; the heavy hybrid was blown 180deg then right out from under me. I was left holding the bars of what had morphed into a kite

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Not blown over, but once I had to stop push the bike because I was scared of it happening.

 

[buggi]

once did my best impression of a track stand as i cycled across a crossroads and then nearly ended up in a ditch. Just glad it was a head wind.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I foolishly climbed a fair hilly main road last March,when we had the bad weather. It was already snowbound and as i got near the top a blizzard started. That's the first time i've dismounted a bike and decided to walk due to the strong winds. It was annoying as i had to walk the remaining 2 miles downhill taking ages,whereas it normally takes a few minutes!

 

[Globalti]

Have a look at videos of the 2009 Cape Argus race if you want to see cyclists being blown off their bikes - phenomenal. Fast forward past the silly bit to about 1:25:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8wtnBJOgdM

 

[marcusjb]

Along similar lines:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPwAIo0fseM

 

[MisterStan]

Along similar lines:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPwAIo0fseM

The SPD-L walk of shame

 

[paul04]

Not blown over, but once I had to stop push the bike because I was scared of it happening.

I've done the same

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I've been blown off my bike, but not recently. I was on tour in Northern Ireland (ironically on the 1st April 2011 but this was sadly no joke) when I was literally lifted off my bike and very unceremoniously dumped on the grass verge by a sudden very much stronger gust of wind. From my own journal

Somewhere before Ballycastle, whilst cycling across the moor, another of the 'firsts' arrived. I suddenly found myself lying at the side of the road, thinking that as landings go, this one was lined with feathers and silk. I had been blown off my bike by the wind. Luckily I landed on the grass verge which at that particular point had no rocks or barbed wire in it and was long thick grass and moss and plenty of it. I have only collected 2 new bruises where the top bar of the bike frame caught the inside of each leg. It could have been much worse. I was very lucky.

Further on in the day we were stopped dead in the road as we rounded a headland, stopped dead by the wind. I simply could not cycle in it and had to get off and push, but that has been the one and only time I have been blown off, but have had several occasions (noteably 2 days in northern Norway) where despite the road bike 2 very wide lanes, actually staying on the tarmac (irrespective of which side of the road we should have been on) was almost impossible. We were lucky that there was very little traffic and what traffic we met, in true Scandinavian style was exceptionally sympathetic to cyclists.

 

[NorvernRob]

Very nearly happened to me last weekend near the top of Holme Moss. Aero wheels and violent crosswinds don't really mix, the front wheel was actually pushed into the water drain just off the Tarmac but I managed to lift it back out before I fell off!

That hill, that wind, 57 tough miles and the fact it was my first ever ride on a road bike mean it's a trip I won't be forgetting in a hurry!

 

[mcshroom]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qgjyqibwY