Windy bike rides

[Elybazza61]

HTFU

 

[Blue Hills]

I doubt I am alone in occasionally introducing entirely controlled "erratic" riding when wishing to encourage a driver behind me to give a little extra room. I suspect the concentration of vehicles on English roads is rather higher than in Canada, and the rural roads are generally narrower. I didn't say so when you joined, but . YMMV

Exactly. I very often do a bit of apparently erratic wobbling/weaving in the country and in London. It is perfectly good cycling practice. It is I stress always on my side of the road - I am merely laying claim to it.

Examples

@ To stop some numpty car driver behind me coming too close when overtaking if I have reason to think they might.

@ To caution some numpty driver approaching me to be careful/stick to their own side of the road. A particular issue in London residential streets with cars parked both sides - some approaching drivers seem to think you have no right to be on your own side of the road.

@ When approaching a junction side-street to caution some numpty driver not to pull out on me.

@ Wobble/weave inwards to caution some numpty London cyclist not to come through on the inside, particularly if they are on a Boris bike and think that the green piccie of a bike it chucks on the road in front of them gives them some claim to the road in front of me and that they can access it any way they want.

 

[Cronorider]

Gosh! Once upon a time you must have been a really good cyclist. Still you can go for 'good for age' times now. Riding in large groups of cyclists does seem to result in a lot of crashes, though.

Must admit - that is a good one

 

[NickNick]

Not sure I like the idea of

Exactly. I very often do a bit of apparently erratic wobbling/weaving in the country and in London. It is perfectly good cycling practice. It is I stress always on my side of the road - I am merely laying claim to it.

Examples

@ To stop some numpty car driver behind me coming too close when overtaking if I have reason to think they might.

@ To caution some numpty driver approaching me to be careful/stick to their own side of the road. A particular issue in London residential streets with cars parked both sides - some approaching drivers seem to think you have no right to be on your own side of the road.

@ When approaching a junction side-street to caution some numpty driver not to pull out on me.

@ Wobble/weave inwards to caution some numpty London cyclist not to come through on the inside, particularly if they are on a Boris bike and think that the green piccie of a bike it chucks on the road in front of them gives them some claim to the road in front of me and that they can access it any way they want.

Not sure I like the idea of weaving or wobbling. Taking a strong more central position seems to do the trick with regards to making drivers give you the space and there's the option of moving centrally if need to block an overtake for safety reasons, but unpredictability just increases risk for everyone imo. But if it works for some of you then fair enough.

 

[Blue Hills]

I find that a fair percentage of drivers think that bikes are very predictable nick, as in slow. So they underestimate your speed as you approach them at a side road they may be tempted to pull out of. Hence my wobbling to introduce perceived unpredictability. I also often speed up, while of course keeping a close hand on the brakes. And I am always in control. And always on my side of the road.

 

[SuperHans123]

I'm hating the windy weather at the moment, its either giving me jolts of Adrenalin I could do without when a sideways gust catches my front wheel, or the headwinds are making flat rides feel like I'm battling hills!

Any advise for riding in the wind, or is it just a case of getting used to it?

ADVICE!!!

 

[NickNick]

ADVICE!!!

Well that's embarrassing! Im going to blame it on autocorrect...

 

[iateyoubutler]

I'm hating the windy weather at the moment, its either giving me jolts of Adrenalin I could do without when a sideways gust catches my front wheel, or the headwinds are making flat rides feel like I'm battling hills!

Any advise for riding in the wind, or is it just a case of getting used to it?

When I have to pedal to get DOWN hills I get grumpy

 

[iateyoubutler]

Why is it that the non cycling fraternity always say "well you`ll be wind assisted going home" when you say you have cycled there into a headwind?

They have no idea..................

Two things I don`t get. A fortnight ago on my way to work I entered a roundabout into a headwind. I needed to go back home because I had forgotten my ID badge, so did 360 on the roundabout - with a bloody headwind all the way around!!

Then, later on the same day I`m cycling into a headwind (surprise surprise), but the leaves on the road below me were going in the same direction as I was How the hell does that work??

It baffles me..............

 

[iateyoubutler]

Oh and another one, in a department of 40 people, it is only myself and a mate of mine that cycles to work. We ride in from completely opposite directions, and still end up battling the headwind at the same time????????????????

Any clue????

 

[steveindenmark]

Strong headwinds was the best training I had for getting up Monte Grappa. We don't have mountains in Denmark so I had to use something.

But as weird as this sounds. I find wearing a Buff over my ears makes riding in wind much easier.

 

[jefmcg]

Quite honestly, having ridden in extreme conditions of all sorts, and having done rather a lot of bike riding, I do not understand this difficulty with crosswinds that people seem to be having.

I was thinking about this while on a ride yesterday. I am certainly subject to cross winds, indeed 2 days ago when I crested a bridge, and an unexpected gust moved me 1/4 metre of so to my right I understand why they effect me, it's basically newtonian mechanics and vector addition.

So the question is, why are you not subject to the laws of nature? It's hard to say without knowing you better. Are you two dimensional, so only present a zero width line to the wind? Did a wind god smile kindly on a lover's request that he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit your face too roughly? Are you yourself a wind god? So many possibilities.

 

[Ajax Bay]

They have no idea..................
Two things I don`t get. A fortnight ago on my way to work I entered a roundabout into a headwind. I needed to go back home because I had forgotten my ID badge, so did 360 on the roundabout - with a bloody headwind all the way around!!
Then, later on the same day I`m cycling into a headwind (surprise surprise), but the leaves on the road below me were going in the same direction as I was How the hell does that work??

"They have no idea............." Seems to me like they have a pretty good idea really.
The wind during your roundabout 180 (a 360 would have had you continuing to work(?) not returning home) was an 'againsterly'.
Leaves blowing with you - how does that work? Caused by ground effect eddies, excited by vehicle traffic, possibly (but not dependent on that).

So the question is, why are you not subject to the laws of nature?

Good riders like @Cronorider , experienced in cross wind riding, learn to anticipate the cross wind effect that much quicker and apply course correction in anticipation.

 

[Cronorider]

I was thinking about this while on a ride yesterday. I am certainly subject to cross winds, indeed 2 days ago when I crested a bridge, and an unexpected gust moved me 1/4 metre of so to my right

It's that baggy jacket you are wearing

 

[Cronorider]

So the question is, why are you not subject to the laws of nature? It's hard to say without knowing you better. Are you two dimensional, so only present a zero width line to the wind? Did a wind god smile kindly on a lover's request that he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit your face too roughly? Are you yourself a wind god? So many possibilities.

It's because when it's really windy I take the deep rim off the front and just go with the stock wheel with bladed spokes