Cycling UK Forum

I was recently blown over by an extra-strong gust. Luckily, I was blown onto the pavement and got off with just a skinned knee. But it was an unsettling exprience!

Does anyone have any advice to offer, apart from the obvious - not to go out in windy conditions? In fact, it was by no means a gale - perhaps the seventh gust!

I was out recently with a strong cross wind, I leant towards it.

However, this does not guard against a sudden gust.

hi fif,
in such situations its the natural thing to instinktivly put your foot on the grownd.to parry the blast.mayb you were just too casual,which i am sure wud not b the case if the wind was blowing into the trafic.its just one of those things,yul learn from the experience,and b prepared for the next time it happens.(it will!)

I still remember the time we came back on a club run along the burton road which is on top an escarpement and it what so blowy we were all leant over by some ridiculus angle. if the wind had somehow suddenly stopped blowing most of us would probably have fallen over

... and a New Years ride along the Morridge where every gateway in the stone wall to our left required a sharp increase in angle of lean - that was still not enough to avoid being blown to the right.

That's just another good reason to always wear a good pair of track mitts, so you can help to break your fall without fear of ripping the skin off your hands as you skid along!
I remember an Orkney tour where my daughter was riding up hill on Hoy with full panniers and leaning into the gale. At the top of the hill the wind direction changed and she was suddenly cast into the road to her amazement.

A slight variation on the theme. ..

A few years ago I was cycling along the perimeter road that runs across the end of the Heathrow runways. A certain plane was taking off and passed overhead at a fairly low altitude. It was a real struggle to stay on the bike from the force of the jets. It was a real struggle to breath in a fug of engine exaust gases.

Fortunately, said type of plane flies no more . . . and good riddance . . . the noisy, polluting piece of s***

. . . maybe there is some natural justic after all

I find that my recumbent is a better proposition in strong side/head winds, as you'd expect I suppose.

london commuter so may not be applicable to all
cycle in the middle of the lane
lean into the gust as soon as you feel the wind pickup
cycle with a strong body position - hoods or drops not tops

A week past Wednesday I was on Route 1 and heading up the hill out of Stonehaven. At the top the wind was gusting so severely that gorse bushes were being ripped apart. I stopped to consider the wisdom of the rest of my ride and got blown into a fence with my foot on the road. Taking that as a broad hint I turned, having to lift the bike around, and headed down hill again. One gust took 15 mph of me heading down into Stonehaven. I was quite glad to go in the front door in one piece.
The power of wind is not to be underestimated.

I found myself in a Force 10 gale (check the Beaufort scale) riding from Dover to Folkestone in November 2003, on my return from the Gent 6 day race. The clifftop road made riding impossible, especially with front and rear panniers. Central lamposts had been blown into the road, and then manhandled along the road centre to allow traffic to pass. The keep-left boxes on central refuges had been blown over, and when the wind got into the open end, blasted them along the road like missiles. At times I had to turn my back to the wind, lean the bike towards me, and bend over it to lock-out until the blast eased. As it was also lashing with rain, I vowed to buy a GoreTex mountain hat, as nothing I had offered the required protection from being ripped from my head. Once I had walked downhill into Folkestone, protected by the buildings, it was possible to ride again; though the sea-front road to Hythe was a definite no-no!

It helps if you look out for gaps in walls/houses where the blast is stronger - and wind blocks where it suddenly disappears! You can't win 'em all though. If you ride in those conditions expect a tumble occasionally. (We've all been there I expect).

Thanks to all who provided comments or advice. The consensus seems to be to stay low and lean into the wind - but that it's an occupational problem.
Happy cycling!

Standing up on the bike helps with stability, because you have more time to react to the wind blowing you sideways as standing up creates a kind of pedulum effect, so the wind needs more force to knock you over.