Wind strength

[tykeboy2003]

Wow that's even worse than my bad off 4 years ago. Where was your clavicle separated at ? Did it need surgery ?

My clavicle separated at my left shoulder. I landed on my left site and my skull was fractured from my left temple to the eye socket, I now have a damaged retina which isn't a problem yet but probably will be sometime. I had no treatment for the clavicle, and it doesn't affect my movement and doesn't bother me at all. For a while, I used to get pins and needles in my left hand when I slept on my left side but that seems to have gone now. It must have been restricting the blood supply. I still play Badminton, Table Tennis and Pickle Ball to the same standard as before (I'm right handed). I still cycle, in 2021 I averaged 10 miles a day although all my activities are curtailed at the moment because of a kidney stone but that should be sorted next week. I'm 70 next year and don't intend slowing down...

[Cowsham]

Wow that's even worse than my bad off 4 years ago. Where was your clavicle separated at ? Did it need surgery ?

My clavicle separated at my left shoulder. I landed on my left site and my skull was fractured from my left temple to the eye socket, I now have a damaged retina which isn't a problem yet but probably will be sometime. I had no treatment for the clavicle, and it doesn't affect my movement and doesn't bother me at all. For a while, I used to get pins and needles in my left hand when I slept on my left side but that seems to have gone now. It must have been restricting the blood supply. I still play Badminton, Table Tennis and Pickle Ball to the same standard as before (I'm right handed). I still cycle, in 2021 I averaged 10 miles a day although all my activities are curtailed at the moment because of a kidney stone but that should be sorted next week. I'm 70 next year and don't intend slowing down...

Good on ye ! --- there's a youngish chap at work who separated his out at the shoulder in a bicycle accident and says same as you -- it hasn't affected his movement at all -- still cycles and keeps very fit.

I'm actually fortunate mine broke ( distil fracture ) just about an inch inboard of the AC joint although it took longer to heal than it should've cos I moved about too much and didn't give it a chance at first so 6 weeks after when my ribs ( 13 breaks ) and scapula had healed I had to keep my left arm / shoulder immobilized for a further 5 to 6 weeks but it did eventually heal well. It went from being a sharp bony end below the skin to healing so well you'd never know I had done it. The human body is an amazing thing. The chap at work still has a bony clavicle end sticking up at the outside end. I think he could've got an operation to fix it within a short time window but didn't bother. I would've paid to get mine fixed if it had been like that -- looks uncomfortable.

[Cowsham]

Sorry for thread drift -- noticed there seem to be more trees down than last time ( storm Ewan in January ripped up some of my roof tiles -- 120MPH winds ) maybe the damage had already been done and rot set in by the time Amy came along.

[jimster99]

I went for a short cycle during the recent storm and it was so gusty I was occasionally blown to a standstill and sidewinds felt like shoves from an agitated overweight man. I found it fun but possibly slightly unsafe and I was a lot slower. YMMV.

[drossall]

Would be interesting to know in what region, as it was worse in the north, so experiences may not be valid for the whole of the UK?

[roubaixtuesday]

I wouldn't go out for a leisure ride in a storm, but commute regardless of weather.

I don't find wind as bad as most people describe it; you feel buffeted but don't actually change course much at all, even in a proper gale.

No idea on the relative risk increase of driving vs cycling in the wind, or the absolute increase in cycling risk.

I'd be surprised if other vehicles wasn't a much higher risk than being hit by debris, and that's unchanged vs a normal ride, but could be completely wrong.

[Cowsham]

YMMV.

Yonder Monsoon May Vex

[drossall]

I don't find wind as bad as most people describe it; you feel buffeted but don't actually change course much at all, even in a proper gale.

That's possibly because, although a cyclist is quite lightweight in wind, most of us don't exactly have the surface area of high-sided vehicles.

[mattheus]

I don't find wind as bad as most people describe it; you feel buffeted but don't actually change course much at all, even in a proper gale.

That's possibly because, although a cyclist is quite lightweight in wind, most of us don't exactly have the surface area of high-sided vehicles.

Yes, high-sided vehicles have it worst - they are frequently blown clean over. passenger cars have carefully tuned aero profiles which are probably quite crosswind-resistant too.

I seem to be at the tolerant end of the wind spectrum - I think at the first strong gust you think FUDGE!!! but then realise that you+bike somehow ploughed on, and remember that you've survived crosswinds before. And hence carry on. Being relaxed helps enormously, but that's a lot easier when you already have the experience of NOT being blown off. (I'm not in general a very brave person!).

But there's a limit: I was up around 600m in Scotland on Sunday. The wind really did beat me - I walked an enormous stretch, and on remounting downhill I had 1 leg dangling and had to dab down and stop numerous times. Eventually got lower, into more tranquil air. Mountain weather forecast said around 50mph at the summit.

Interestingly I didn't see another rider all day; but several motorbikes went past leaning into a corner quite hard, as if they didn't know it was windy!

[pjclinch]

I don't find wind as bad as most people describe it; you feel buffeted but don't actually change course much at all, even in a proper gale.

Wind has different characteristics than plain strength. Gustiness is an a obvious one, particularly if it hits from the side. Also, the effects of wobbling 50 cm are a bit different on a road compared to on a bit of rocky single-track.

In towns there's sometimes gustiness caused by gaps between buildings. In Dundee there's a particular road on my normal travels where gaps for side roads between old 4 storey tenements can mean you go from practically zero wind to gale force over the space of a few meters if the wind is just so. That's... "interesting"...

Pete.

[drossall]

I agree with Mattheus though that it makes a difference how you react - or rather, that you don't over-react. That itself can determine how much the wind "causes" you to wobble.

None of which is to deny that there is a limit to wind speeds in which riding is safe, which is of course where we came in.

[irc]

Do others have a limit when they decide it is just too dangerous to cycle because of the wind strength?

Yes. I no longer bike commute so unless I am touring and riding every day cycling is part of my exercise mix including swiming, hillwalking, and jogging.

I won't cycle in high wind, heavy rain, or risk of black ice. I will do something else instead.

[irc]

Do others have a limit when they decide it is just too dangerous to cycle because of the wind strength?

Yes. I no longer bike commute so unless I am touring and riding every day cycling is just part of my exercise mix including swiming, hillwalking, and jogging.

I won't cycle in high wind, heavy rain, or risk of black ice. I will do something else instead.


Hillwalking - I once failed to ascend the easy path on Ben Lomond. We were getting blown from side to side after 1500 feet.

Once in the Cairngorms we were heading into a sheltered corrie because the forecast was too high for the tops. Due to a funnelling effect there was a section of a couple of hundred yards where the wind was really gusting strongly near the mouth of the corrie. I heard a gust coming, crouched down, but got lifted off my feet and deposited 6 feet away. Luckily on flat snow not rocks. I crawled the next 200 yards at which point reached more sheltered conditions.

The same say a party did not let the forecast and current conditions put them off. They tried to go up the Fiacal Coire Cas to the top of Cairngorm One got blown of her feet and onto a steep snow slope and was killed after hitting boulders at the bottom. High wind needs to be respected.

Incidentally the weather station on the summit of Cairngorm recorded the highest ever land windspeed in the UK - 173mph in March 1986.

[mjr]

In fact if you sack off the ride and do an alternate varied exercise every so often (maybe go for a swim) it might actually be more beneficial for your life expectancy (citation needed!).

If it's not safe to ride, it ain't gonna be safe to go out for a swim, unless you have a home swimming pool.

[cycle tramp]

Would be interesting to know in what region, as it was worse in the north, so experiences may not be valid for the whole of the UK?

Indeed, and the hazards might be different in ares with different architecture...
..for example areas with a large amount of tall buildings with flat elevations, such as office blocks or flats may increase the wind strength by funnelling or buffeting high winds , whereas areas which might include a large amount of bungalows or more open housing developments, may present less hazards..
Whilst a percentage of the population may not like wind turbines... they may in themselves be useful for allowing more cycling trips, by reducing the power of the wind, in the area behind them.