How windy is too windy.

[Twilkes]

Weather forecasts take windspeed at a height of about 20-30 metres iirc, the windspeed at ground level will be much less, especially if there are buildings nearby, so people tend to overestimate the windspeed they experience, if not their physical effects. Used to have to lean sideways to make it past Ocean Terminal on the exposed Leith peninsula, but once around the corner it was back to normal again.

I've often wondered why there are no airspeed gauges for bikes - maybe there are.....

 

[sleuthey]

If it's OK - what would others deem "too windy"?

Sainsbury's Lentil Curry.

Oh sorry, with you now, 45 mph gusts for me. My commute is through the suburbs with terrace/semis on either side of the road which shield me.

Forecast tomorrow is for 50mph winds.10 mile commute INTO it.

I assume where you live is the same as Bristol where the wind will change direction for your return commute? 😉

 

[vickster]

Sainsbury's Lentil Curry.

Oh sorry, with you now, 45 mph gusts for me. My commute is through the suburbs with terrace/semis on either side of the road which shield me.

I assume where you live is the same as Bristol where the wind will change direction for your return commute? 😉

Should make his/her 10 mile run feel like 5 then

 

[Flakey]

The wind always blows in the same direction round here - "against"

 

[screenman]

The wind always blows in the same direction round here - "against"

You live in Lincolnshire as well then, no hills, few houses and long straight roads.

 

[12boy]

Being picked up and moved a few feet over in the path of a car is not good, nor is being knocked over while turning. Can't said I enjoy fighting 25 mph headwinds, either. Sometimes in winter I will go anyway since I need a fix of bike medicine so bad. 10 miles of 25 + headwinds would leave me whipped. A shorter ride would be in order for me.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Cars passing in a crosswind may indeed blow you off the road, as @12boy says. I usually limit to 30mph gusts, as it gets futile beyond that. I rode in 30 mph winds over the weekend, and even without traffic, the wind buffeting you is no picnic, nor does it improve bike handling. I might look at a mixed commute, ride to the bus or train, and get most of the rest of the way home .

 

[ColinJ]

Bit windy in Capetown

View: https://youtu.be/AZRU9y-BZF8

Ha ha - that's what happened to me in Spain!

Here's a similar video...

 

[Blue Hills]

Bit windy in Capetown

View: https://youtu.be/AZRU9y-BZF8

Bikes too light?

 

[Pale Rider]

I once spoke to an older cyclist at a cafe stop who said he doesn't go out if the forecast is any more than 15mph.

That's probably out of a combination of safety and enjoyment considerations.

I've been gusted about a metre across the road a couple of times, on both occasions I was passing a T junction.

An experienced cyclist would have predicted what might happen.

No idea what the wind speed was, but it would have been nothing like 50mph.

 

[Stompier]

I've often wondered why there are no airspeed gauges for bikes - maybe there are.....

Think about it?

 

[Blue Hills]

Have cycled into winds of 40kph plus, maybe a lot plus, but agree about being wary of strong gusting sidewinds. Dangerous.

 

[vickster]

The OP does say mph and not kph. There’s quite a difference. 40 kph is around 25mph at a rough guess (not that I’d go out willingly in that either)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

When the winds blowing the tree's out the back horizontal, or I go out and find I can't cycle in a straight line, then it's too windy.

 

[Twilkes]

Another thing I've noticed is my heavier wide bar hybrid is much more stable in crosswinds than a road bike, which seems more susceptible to being blown sideways and has less leverage to counteract it. The measure was 15mph sidewinds and 30mph gusts this morning and it was fine, if a little harder work than usual, even right next to the river where you'd expect the wind to be howling through.