Riding in strong winds

[onearmedbandit]

The g/f and I went for a ride today to a French settlement called Akaroa, great ride consisting of medium length straights joined by sweeping and 90deg corners, moving onto 13km of tight hill corners, followed by about 40km of twisting rising and falling bends.

However today was exceptionally windy, no problems with the last two sections, but the faster section, which follows the bottom of the hills. Large trees were being bent like small branches, and we were on a lean, constantly adjusting, trying to go in a straight line! And of course when a row of trees or a hedge shelters the road, you have to compensate immediately or go off the road. Not too mention going around corners changing the angle you're hit by the wind, the oncoming stock and milk trucks!

Most of the ride was great, but riding in that level of wind was farkin frustrating. The g/f found it unnerving, with the bike moving around and all. Who else here has found themselves in this situation, or worse. (sandstorm, etc.)

BTW, wasn't that windy when we left.

[Nouseforaname]

o yeh... windy days on the Harbour Bridge are always interesting......you just kinda float between lanes, i just pick a spot in the middle of two lanes and give myself distance between the cars so i have two lanes to float between :(

[riffer]

Hey, I live in Welly.

Par for the course here. When I was getting used to my bike in November the cross winds on the Welly motorway round the ferry terminal and the top of the 'takas used to scare the shit out of me - this is my first fully faired bike - but I've started to get used to it.

I know what you mean about wind in mid corner tho - happened to me last week on Haywards Hill - a bit scary going round a left hand corner pushing as hard on the left bar as you can cause of the wind and then the wind just stopped - a horridly disconcerting feeling as the pegs catch the ground before the wind picks up again.....

I get really sore shoulders from pushing against the wind. Should I just go with the flow or try to fight the wind - I'm never too sure quite what to do...

[discodan]

Was lucky enough to travel from Wellington to New Plymouth on my RGV150 once. That bike weighs somthing like 100kgs and along the Foxton straights I was getting blown from the far left side of the road, over the centre line and onto the right hand shoulder :gob: luckly there wernt any cars around the few times that it happened but just when I thought it was over I turned off at Sanson only to have a mofo of a headwind which totally made my poor bike gutless :weep:

[GPz]

you just have to ride through the wind, or stop and wait for a better day.
Went to akaroa on our way south on sunday 28th dec, left ChCh at 8am and followed a couple of ducs for a while. Supposedly there are between 2 and 10 Ducs do this road from ChCh every sunday.

[Jackrat]

Yep I find real strong wind a worry for sure,More so when you hit a shealtered
spot while leaning into it.I ran out of gas one time because I hadn't taken the wind into account :doh:
The AK habour bridge is a sod cause it is never constant,well not for me anyway.I don,t like involuntary lane changes :gob:

[Slingshot]

I've been blown from the left side of the left lane to the right side of the right lane once, it all happened so quickly!! I was lucky there were no cars around.

When riding a gale I try to stay as loose as possible.

It's never fun when you going around a corner with quite a lean and all of a sudden your hit with a gust of wind that stands you up straight.

[750Y]

would getting a Harley help or do even they get blown around too? I agree with staying loose on the bike, but easier said than done when you start getting swept over.

[Jackrat]

would getting a Harley help or do even they get blown around too? I agree with staying loose on the bike, but easier said than done when you start getting swept over.

I had a 1980 FLT Tour glide with all the fruit,It got blown about as well.Maybe not as much as a lighter bike but when you do get hit by a big gust you just have more wheight to control.
Was a top bike but. :)

[Slingshot]

I found having a tank bag on makes life in the wind quite a bit harder. I guess the more area on on the bike the more you become like a sail :doh:

[wildfire1]

I have found that a tank bag can also aid in putting some weight forward - especially when fully laden with a top box, panniers and two up. The small increase in surface area (against the wind), is easily accomodated if it means keeping the front wheel firmly planted in a side wind.
:) :wavey:

[andy1]

my mate wheelies in strong winds across the kopu bridge doesnt seem to worry him :shit:

P.S i heard they are building another bridge in 18months. about time!

[BigB]

P.S i heard they are building another bridge in 18months. about time! :whistle:
Only if they can sort out in the next month who foots the $200K a year bill to look after the old one. As it's a listed structure it can't be knocked down without speical permission.

Back to the original thread had this happen to me on the straights out of Dargaville, not a nice feeling being blown over the other side of the road.

[mangell6]

Most tiring rides have been the 30+km Foxton straights with the wind coming at 90degrees to you, wicked. Then there was the to Te Anau from the main road, wind a 45 degree head wind, mate on a KR1 250 lifts his head above the fairing and looses 40km in speed. Only just made it on his small fuel tank.

But wind in Wgtn when commuting just the norm, I do get apprehensive if the wind is above 80kmh AND its raining. he he he.

Mike

[LB]

On two separate occasions have had bad experiences on the Rimutakas.

The first one I wasn't expecting it, hadn't heard the forecast as had been in the Wairarapa all day and the wind had got up unexpectedly. Me and a mate on a Blackbird were both blown onto the wrong side of the road on a blind left-hand corner, blown by an extremely strong gust out of the blue. Thank god nothing was coming. Took about 10 metres or so till we could fight our way back. (I was on an R850R, not a light bike, and my mate on the Blackbird is 6'4" and built like a brick shithouse, so his package wasn't light either)

Second time was about a year ago, had to come back that way, heard the forecast and were prepared, but came within an inch or so of being blown into the bank. (on my R1150R)

Now I won't ride over the Takas if it's more than about 50kph (cos that means gusts up to about 80 or so). Call me a girl if you like.........

[wkid_one]

The g/f and I went for a ride today to a French settlement called Akaroa, great ride consisting of medium length straights joined by sweeping and 90deg corners, moving onto 13km of tight hill corners, followed by about 40km of twisting rising and falling bends.

However today was exceptionally windy, no problems with the last two sections, but the faster section, which follows the bottom of the hills. Large trees were being bent like small branches, and we were on a lean, constantly adjusting, trying to go in a straight line! And of course when a row of trees or a hedge shelters the road, you have to compensate immediately or go off the road. Not too mention going around corners changing the angle you're hit by the wind, the oncoming stock and milk trucks!

Most of the ride was great, but riding in that level of wind was farkin frustrating. The g/f found it unnerving, with the bike moving around and all. Who else here has found themselves in this situation, or worse. (sandstorm, etc.)

BTW, wasn't that windy when we left.
Top of the 'takas is renouned for this.

Esp the second to last left hand bend before the top on the Hutt Side.

I was riding up with Mangell et all - and literally got stood upright by the wind from a full knee down position.....kinda fucks your steering up somewhat too (not as bad as my highside tho). No warning - no avoiding it.......

I hate wind.

I remember riding down the himatangis to Wellington - full on breeze (read wind for those out of Wellington) - and had the big lean on - and then the following sequence of events occured.

1. Went past some trees - wind blocked - me shoot right from lean - past trees, wind hits me again - shoot back left until I adjust.
2. Truck passes me - get hit by the wind wall the lovely aerodynamics of the truck, then it sucks me in as it passes - and as it spits me out I get hit by the wind again
3. The wind stops all together and I nearly shoot of to the right.

Gotta love it

[Pickle]

Coming back from cold kiwi couple of years ago nearly lost my tank bag coming in to Bulls. Turning on to Foxton straights is always interesting when its blowing which is 90% of the time.
Best way to combat the wind Ive found is to attack the wind, keep the power on and use body weight. Just my way.

[Hitcher]

My worst wind experience (now there's one for Beavis) was between the Mt Bruce summit and Eketahuna -- an absolute screamer of a nor'wester! And it was flat calm when we left Masterton...

Another tricky moment was going up the 'takas -- not so much the wind itself but the weird "suck" effects it created on some corners -- into the hill too, which came as a surprise.
:sick:

[Panther]

My worst wind experience was going along SH1 just south of Foxton, there is a short bridge and then a gap and then a very long bridge, and of course i was going along the very long bridge and wasn't paying enough attention and when i came out i was half blown off the road. i quickly adjusted and got to the 'safety' of the short bridge. but man, i was not prepared for the big wind gust between bridges.

[pritch]

Over the years I have decided I don't like the combination of strong winds and wet roads at all.

Down near Bluff on my K100RS once I was down to about 40kph and was getting passed by Mack trucks. Not much fun.

On my way back to New Plymouth from Auckland another time I moved over to the left prior to a right hand bend then got a huge gust in my right ear which put me into the loose metal at 100kph plus.
Guaranteed to wake you up.

Coming north through Dunedin this year; rain, fog, and a howling gale. A long way from home, I didn't know where I was or where I was going, but all the other traffic was bombing along as if it was full visibility. Very uncomfortable.

I'd avoid these conditions if I had the option, otherwise I guess all one can do is slow down and change the lines so as to stay nearer the middle of the lane.

[babyblade250rr]

i'm also not a great fan of wind however i would rather compete with wind than rain i hate rain!!!

[Str8 Jacket]

When riding a gale I try to stay as loose as possible.
.

Yep, I find that that's the best thing to do. I have had quite a few incidents that were caused by the wind. I found that if I kept my arms loose and my leg firmly (but not to tightly) on the tank it really helped. Gusts are awful though cause it kind of just hits you like a wall, but if your legs are firm on the tank and your arms loose then (if it hasnt already blown you into a grass bank) you can usually use your hips to guide the bike where you want it... Just what ive found anyway. Relaxing really does help!

[jrandom]

Thick fog in the dark on the open road always gives me the shits. Riding SH1 through the Waikato before sunrise a week or so ago, I was tiptoeing along at 80kph being passed by cars and wiping my visor every 10 seconds.

[vifferman]

Yeah, fog sux.
I'd rather ride in rain, wind, rain+wind, or whatever than fog.
SNow's OK, except it has the same problem as fog - visor gets obscured, and it's hard to ride with it up too.

[Virago]

Panther, Panther, Panther...

[jrandom]

Panther, Panther, Panther...

Mushroom, mushroom?

Snake!

[cowpoos]

meh...ridden in gail force winds heaps on the farm...ya soon learn how to counter wind blasts...its not enjoyable riding!!

[don rocard]

Had a tank bag,got hit with a real puff of wind on the Bombay Hills.The bag let go on one side and flicked over my arm,shit that was a quick lane change,thankfully no cars to deal with.:shutup:

[Mr Merde]

In the mid 90's I was working as a intercity bike courier.

Day started out OK but by the end I was riding in what turned out to be a hurricane.

I was up in the valleys of Wales and trees being uprooted and blown over in the narrow roads and lanes.

I rode most of the way at speeds of 20-30 mph with frequent stops.

The firm I was delivering to made me stop and rest for an hour before I was allowed to carry on.

Needless to say I was absolutely knackered by ther time I got home. Something that should have taken an hour or two took more like 5-6 hours.

[McJim]

I went out for a ride after eating beans, tuna, egg and onions all mixed up and then spread on toast.

Sheesh that was a windy experience - I threw the trousers in the bin when I got home....sorry, my bad, wrong kinda wind. :rofl:

Wow - who necro'd this thread?

[Virago]

...Wow - who necro'd this thread?

Panther - she appears to be stalking OAB...:rofl:

[young1]

My worst experience was when I used to commute to Wellington from the Hutt on a VT250 (also used to do it on my racing push bike, big winds with your feet clipped to the pedals is "interesting").

I stopped at the traffic lights at the bottom of Stout Street, on the Quay, the wind was so strong I was struggling to hold the bike up. Then I got hit by a gust by the railway station and found that I had changed lanes, luckily no one was in that lane....

On bad days going past the bottom of Ngauraunga Gorge I would slow and wait for a truck to come along so I could use that for shelter.

I hate wind far more than rain!

[Omega1]

When I got my Harley I thought that the wind wouldn't be an issue, the bike weighs a tonne and I thought would be as solid as a rock.Well I was wrong one memorable trip over the Rimutaka's in a howling gale solved that, I swear the wind almost pushed me backwards and the sensation of coming around a sheltered corner into the full on wind was freaky and here I was hanging on in the breeze to these widebars like a bloody america's cup boat sail.I have a lot of respect for the hill now that's for sure

[Tickler]

Ive had two very windy experiences, both on Tamaki Drive.
I admit they were during storms, but a uni students gotta get home.

The first time it was rain+wind and i had two lanes on my side of the road and managed to use them both. I just stayed in a big gap between cars. I also think that the cars behind me saw i needed space and gave it. (I know, a miricle, cagers who care)
Second time was just wind, but i was use to it now. was a bit tricky coming round the headlands.
Riding in heavy wind and rain is fun! had the best time laughing in it, lucky other drivers cant hear you! haha

[superslug]

Coming down ngaranga gorge can be hairy in the wind. Its like being in a wind tunnel, but Ive also been caught out when riding on the motorway by the ferry terminal, I always stay to the left of the lane cos you know you whats coming!! :yes: But i wouldn''t want to be out in the rain that is battering my house right now. . . . no sir!

[unrealone]

My worst experience was when I used to commute to Wellington from the Hutt on a VT250 (also used to do it on my racing push bike, big winds with your feet clipped to the pedals is "interesting").

I stopped at the traffic lights at the bottom of Stout Street, on the Quay, the wind was so strong I was struggling to hold the bike up. Then I got hit by a gust by the railway station and found that I had changed lanes, luckily no one was in that lane....

On bad days going past the bottom of Ngauraunga Gorge I would slow and wait for a truck to come along so I could use that for shelter.

I hate wind far more than rain!

I know exactly what thats like. I used to commute from Tawa and the gorge was rather dodgy, especially with peak hour traffic at very slow speeds.

And probably more recently, 120kph winds I believe, no idea why I was out on my Hyosung but was getting pushed around like a peanut heading past the Ferry Terminal. Full lean and all - not amusing stuff I must say.