Wind speed

[gerry84]

When deciding whether to go for a ride or not, I look at the Met Office weather forecast. It tells you expected temperature, "feels like" temperature, wind speed and gust speed. Temperature does not bother me, but wind speed does, especially gust speed, since it can be enough to blow me off sideways.

Anyone else take this into deciding going out or not?

[fastpedaller]

I do take a look sometimes, however in the Norfolk flatlands the wind is usually from the West, so if I fancy a helpful tailwind home I need to head west for a tearoom stop

[peetee]

Yes. It’s a pretty big factor here if it’s from the south west as both the high ground and coast are exposed. The Atlantic is very close so there is not much chance of the wind force being diffused and softened by land mass. I keep telling myself that riding into the wind is good strength training. That may be but it’s also soul destroying. Gimme a steep hill before a stiff breeze any day. At least you feel a sense of achievement. Gusty wind is a hazard too. A lot of lanes round here are very narrow and at this time of year full of grit and mud and in need of a hedge trim. You have to pick your line carefully if you want to make good progress without incident - a difficult prospect on a gusty day.

[foxyrider]

I usually look the night before, mostly to see if i'm going to get wet and which direction i should go to not suffer into the wind on the return leg! Wind strength is a consideration, exposed edges or flatlands with little cover are best avoided if its gusty so i'll adapt my route accordingly - often my ride track is less than straight as my route tacks across the prevailing wind.

That said, if the wind speed before gusting is looking to be over 20mph i will think twice about going out, been there, done that, nothing to prove, i'd rather stay in one piece than end up under a bus or in a ditch!

[simonhill]

After rain, wind is the most important thing I look at. For some strange reason I often wake at about 5 am and then stay awake to hear the shipping forecast before drifting off. For touring, it is probably the most important thing for me.

The trouble with the Met Office is I don't find their forecast very accurate. I also use the BBC and the embedded one on my Android phone. Always amuses me to see the differences which are sometimes quite big.

My daily ride is along a W>E 10km seafront, then on a bit. The wind is usually SW or easterly-ish, so I face it one way or the other on the flat, exposed seafront. I call it the longest hill in Essex.

[Audax67]

It used to be that I drew the line at a gusting speed of 60 kph, but nowadays I'm old and feeble so my limit is more like 45. For setting out against the wind these days I draw the line at around 15 kph average. When it's that speed I'll ride against it through forest on the outleg, banking on it not veering before I ride home via the plain.

Ancient cycling adage: climbing is earning, descending is spending, wind is income tax.

[rotavator]

My limit is don't go out on an exposed route if the forecast average windspeed is over 10 mph. If the weather is fine otherwise on a windy day, I would choose a sheltered route e.g. old railway lines, which are commonly lined by trees.

Incidentally, my limit for hill walking is 30 mph average; I ignored this once and ended up leaning against the wind then turning back.

[Greystoke]

Working from home means my daily cycle commute doesn't happen so I try to go out every day but not having to go out does make a difference. I've done more miles than I would have since lockdown but I am more choosy based on the forecast. I think it has to be pretty bad now for me to not venture out.

[rmurphy195]

When deciding whether to go for a ride or not, I look at the Met Office weather forecast. It tells you expected temperature, "feels like" temperature, wind speed and gust speed. Temperature does not bother me, but wind speed does, especially gust speed, since it can be enough to blow me off sideways.

Anyone else take this into deciding going out or not?

Yup, if its gusting too much I don't bother. Direction can always be handled by choice of route (on a leisure ride) - locally I know where the sehltered spots are and can bring those into the ride. And of course to go out and get home its always a circular route anyway!

[djnotts]

Tend towards routes which give a tail wind home. Also don't take lightest bike on busiest roads when gusts of over 30mph forecast. Today's Club ride likely to be "windy", but side-on. Mainly quiet roads and tracks/trails so as only 5 of us so should be ok as long as don't get blown into each other!
Deep section rims on full carbon aero lightweight probably best left at home today I think.

[tykeboy2003]

I always check the wind, I remember as a teenager cycling down a hill with a long row of terraced houses to my right. When I reached a gap in the houses, the wind blew me into the ditch on my left. Could have been nasty if it had been the other way...

[francovendee]

Never take too much notice of forecasts but I don't bother going if gusting over 50 KPH.
I hate winds more than hills, at least with a hill there is a downside.

[djnotts]

Met Office says 17mph, gusting to 33 here today. Solid and steady 531 framed 26" wheel tourer I think!

[Tiberius]

My limit is don't go out on an exposed route if the forecast average windspeed is over 10 mph.

If I stuck to that rule I would hardly ever ride. North east coast of Yorkshire, it's a rare day that the average wind speed is less than 10 mph.

I tend to check 'XC Weather' They have their own wind speed sensors all over the country and the web site shows the wind speed at the time it was measured. If you know the area well, you can (more or less) work out your own forecast by knowing the 'here and now' wind speed.

I can handle rain, snow, hills whatever BUT I absolutely hate that wind !!

[gbnz]

I hate winds more than hills, at least with a hill there is a downside.

Perhaps, but my daily commute to the gym in 2013/14 involved 12.5 miles directly NE, with a full 8.25 miles downhill, the prevailing SW wind always behind me (Nb. Little or no effort to hit >30-35mph over a good 7-8 miles )

God, the return was always absolute murder