Riding with high cross winds

[E'ville Rider]

Experienced or not, it's not fun to be out in those conditions. I used to say that icy roads were the only thing that would keep me off my bike, but after this fall high winds will do it too.

[rmccutchan]

The biggest caution I have is be ready for obstacles on the side of the road like a farm house or other large building or a grove of trees. They can momentarily block the wind and you could find yourself in the ditch or other side of the road. If you navigate the momentary pause in the wind successfully, then be prepared for the sudden burst as you come out of the calm. If you have navigated these obstacles successfully, you will likely need to change pants shortly afterwards.

[Raven080510]

I definitely agree- high wind surely sucks for anyone, not just the inexperienced. It'll wear you out QUICK as well, which can make it harder to react.

[Tcspencer211]

I have been lucky and able to catch a ride to work. But do have to ride half way there. But only at 60 mph not at 75+ mph.

Tcspencer211

[rjdaines]

Was windy here in Phoenix today, certainly 25 to 30 with gusts. Worst part was it kept pushing my head to the side. Bike did fine. I think experience helps, less death grip and more relaxed in knowing you are not going to be blown over.

[rmw]

As someone who rides a large heavy touring bike I'll tell you that 50 mph winds/gusts are over the top. 20-30 is managable, 50 is dangerous. If you see those kinds of winds predicted, stay off the bike. If you encounter them, get off the road.

[DarkSpirit750]

Coming from the desert, if I didn't learn to ride in high wind, I'd never ride. It takes practice learning to lean into the wind and correct when wind speed or direction change.

[Earthling789]

I agree with everyone else... 20-30mph is very manageable for gusts, but when they hit 50... it is very dangerous, even for the seasoned rider. And, gusty winds out of nowhere can scare the crap out of you if you are not expecting them... steady winds are nowhere near the same issue to deal with.

I didn't notice if you mentioned having a windshield on your bike... if you do, it can make riding in those winds even worse, as the windshield will act as a sail, pulling and pushing you all over the place. If you have one on the bike, and the weather calls for gusty winds... take it off for that day (if you can).

My son was freaked out with gusts as low as 10 mph when he started riding... now he has no problems in gusts up to 30 or 35 on his NightHawk... and it has a much higher center of gravity (and lighter) than our Shadows.

As everyone else has already said... experience is the best teacher, and always ride within your limits! If the wind is too much... don't ride... if you have to ride, slow down a bit... you'd be surprised at how much more manageable a wind gust can be when you are only doing 50 as opposed to 60 when they "grab" you. Alternate, rural-routes can be your friend when winds are gusty... tree-lined back-roads will rarely have the high winds you'll find on the Interstates, parkways, and major highways!

Things I learned (and taught my son) about handling sudden gusts:

1. Ride loose... no death-grip on the bars (yes, this one is important)
2. Lean forward a bit, it will lower your center of gravity and reduce your profile to the wind
3. Let the gust push you at first, then lean into the gust until you are back on a straight path
4. Give a little throttle into the wind to maintain speed (or accelerate a bit), like coming out of a curve. This will help you maintain straight line.
5. As you feel the wind dropping off, back off the throttle and reduce your lean (this takes practice to match lean/throttle to the wind power). If you back off too much, the wind will push you again.
6. Most importantly, you have the whole lane to use... don't be afraid to use it! If you know it's going to be a gusty day, spend most of your time in the center of the lane (not closer to the center-line), so you'll have room to be pushed by the gust, and plenty of room/time to compensate for it.

After you learn to handle 30mph gusts, the sudden 50mph gust won't scare you as much (but it will still catch you off guard and get your heart racing). Don't panic, and you'll get through it.

[GrumpyOldMan]

On both my bikes, when hit with a side wind gust, the bike leans into it. I actually have to control the lean to keep from changing lanes.
Both bikes have windshields, just not hugeous ones.

[BoomBoom]

this past weekend the wind was 25 mph and not sure of the gust but it made my bike feel like it wasnt preforming well. but as someone said it above, slowing down makes a huge difference but maybe that's because i was going 85.