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Wind sucks!

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rides4sanity
rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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Other than tightening your tuck, is there anything to make it suck less?

I have friends who can ride in, but it blows me all over. Is this payback for all of my bigger friends who curse my small frame on the climbs? I assume a 20-30mph wind has more affect on a smaller person, but dang.

Even with quite a significant lean yesterday (according to friend/coworker who was running the opposite direction at same park I was riding in and laughing. As a matter of fact she was still laughing this morning) I could not hold my line against the crosswind. I seriously thought I was going to hit a truck first time through because I wasn't prepared for the gust coming off the side street.

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  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    On windy days, I try to ride wheels with a shallower profile, but other than that, hang on for the fun shaky ride!

    Being able to pace yourself into the wind so you don't burn out is a skill to work on, but it won't make the wind hurt less.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,473 Member
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    I LOVE IT!!, its much more intense and harder!
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    I LOVE IT!!, its much more intense and harder!

    And they say I'm crazy. :drinker:
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    I LOVE IT!!, its much more intense and harder!
    And they say I'm crazy. :drinker:

    You can both be crazy.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    I was rolling down a hill at about 35 mph yesterday and a crosswind about took me out. I got that funky handlebar shake. That would have sucked!
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    A good bike fit can kind of hide you from the wind. Headwinds and tailwinds are manageable. I ride by HR for the most part as I don't have a power meter yet. Crosswinds suck though.
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
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    I was rolling down a hill at about 35 mph yesterday and a crosswind about took me out. I got that funky handlebar shake. That would have sucked!

    A good sudden crosswind on a high speed descent can really ruin your day. I hate those!
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    Winds are supposed to be much calmer here today. The last several rides I've been on have been very windy.
  • narak_lol
    narak_lol Posts: 855 Member
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    One time I was leaning hard against the crosswind direction - well you know head down & try to hold the speed, not realising the wind got completely blocked by a wall at a point and nearly hit the deck coz I was leaning so hard that was funny LOL!
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    One time I was leaning hard against the crosswind direction - well you know head down & try to hold the speed, not realising the wind got completely blocked by a wall at a point and nearly hit the deck coz I was leaning so hard that was funny LOL!

    Yup, I've done that, not yesterday, but....felt stupid, hoped nobody saw, etc..
  • ksavvy
    ksavvy Posts: 52
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    We moved from the plains of ND to the rolling hills of WI a couple of years ago, and I'll tell you what, I don't miss the 30 mph winds at all! Or the dust in my eyes, ears and teeth. Well, maybe I do miss it a little bit. But at 5'10', 175 lbs, I'm not in danger of being blown over, either.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
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    it's something that affects all cyclists whatever the level they ride at - even at the grade of the pro-peleton, you can see when it's a hardd day on wide open roads with a cross-headwind, they form the echelons and the big hard rouleurs (usually the flandrian/dutch lads) just get on the front and motor, and the "poor ikkle climbers" just try and try and hold their wheels... Which is usually why when it comes to the hills, the climbers go all out to hurt the big rouleurs as payback...

    I'm afraid, short of riding a Tandem with Fabian Cancellara or Tony Martin up front, there's no way of avoiding it :wink:
  • CentralCaliCycling
    CentralCaliCycling Posts: 453 Member
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    Shallow rims, hands on the outside of your bars, pay attention dropping downhill at speed with cross winds. High tempo spin into the wind.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
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    and the "poor ikkle climbers" just try and try and hold their wheels...

    Yup, that pretty well sums it up. If it's a bigger ride and I can hide behind a big guy or Lord love the a tandem, I take no shame in it.

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