Wind does anyone else have any problems with it

[spain]

Only seems to happen when I've been riding for hours in heavy wind and pitch darkness on remote roads with only my headlight for company for prolonged periods. It's almost like there's a split and there's the physical me riding along calmly trying to get home safely and deal with it, taking it all in my stride, and a mini-me looking down on myself screaming "f***king hell!!!" in the back of my mind.


The thing that I've found helps a lot is to try to relax as much as possible, grip the tank with my knees, try to keep a softer grip on the handlebars and let the bike do the work as much as possible. Kind of going with the bike but controling it, correcting the bike with my wrists rather than trying to take more charge of the bike and take it with you and your body if that makes sense. This seems to stop it being blown around so much. It only takes the tiniest of movements of the bars when you're going at speed to throw the bike off course (particularly when combined with gusts of wind), and I think sometimes if you're tensed up it's not so much the bike being blown around, as the wind hitting you and the little body movements and reactions that produces being transmitted to the handlebars and throwing the bike off course (even though it feels like it's the wind that's doing it as the body movements are so small and unconscious).

I've found even in heavy winds once I relax and loosen my grip a bit, it always seems to improve.

Thats so true!

[camnz]

dont know if anyone remembers the REALLY bad storms about 3-4 weeks ago.i brought my @ from brighton on the saturday and ride up to canterbury then to bristol on the sunday.woke up on monday morning and jumped on the bike with a stupid idea of riding back down to cornwall....yeah right!took me 2 hours to get to sedgemoor services on the m5(bout half way to exeter)kept getting blown onto the hard shoulder.ended up ditchin that idea and bunked up in a bnb for the night, that was my intro to bikes!

[RickSkye]

Many years ago, I used to stay on the outer hebridies, lots of wind and single track roads.
I got alot of practise and it didn't bother me too much.
Stoped biking for some years, now back on the bike (inner hebridies)I am having to learn again. I was supprised what a problem it is.
So I think that if you only ride occasionally in the strong winds you don't realy get used to it.

If you get my drift.

Rick

[Robster]

Thats so true!

I've done a fair bit of riding in very strong and gusty winds, and have found something that works for me.

On passing a truck or some other area where the turbulence suddenly increases, instead of tensing up to fight against the forces, I just tuck my elbows in and down towards the tank. I don't know why it works....but for me it does work!

Worth a go maybe.

[MCsanandreas]

I've done a fair bit of riding in very strong and gusty winds, and have found something that works for me.

On passing a truck or some other area where the turbulence suddenly increases, instead of tensing up to fight against the forces, I just tuck my elbows in and down towards the tank. I don't know why it works....but for me it does work!

Worth a go maybe.

a trick that works for me is grip the tank with my knees and relax my grip on the bars. also keep shoulders "loose" try not to tense any muscles apart from the legs on the tank.

[Steve C]

What IS going on here?

When I joined this forum, there's no WAY that a thread about wind would stay serious for more than about three or four posts...

Fletch! where are you dude?

[MCsanandreas]

What IS going on here?

When I joined this forum, there's no WAY that a thread about wind would stay serious for more than about three or four posts...

Fletch! where are you dude?

oh,well if you want to hear about my OTHER wind problem i can go into details. do you need volume,duration,odour?
i will be glad to pass (wind) on this any time anywhere!!

[Africa Tipple]

Maybe your centre of gravity has moved

Are you suggesting my b*lls are getting bigger????

[Africa Tipple]

My problem with wind really started when I turned 40......















Doesn't matter what I eat!!!

[Davy P]

Hi Twiggy, you have my vote. I especially don't like high winds on the motorway, as there is enough to contend with like the dirty air from larger vehicles on the road.

The countryside has its own challenges as well though. Whilst running over the Craiganlet Hills near Belfast, I was using a hedgerow to give me cover from gusting winds. When I came to a gate the sudden force of the wind blew me across into the opposing lane. Scared me sh1tless! Very lucky that nothing was coming the other way. Lesson learnt.

Davy.