55 MPH Gusts!

Brady · Post by **Brady** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:01 am

Since selling my house and moving into a little apartment while we build our new home I have lost my beloved gargage! What this means is that I have to choose between the bike or the truck and leave the other at my folks house. Yesterday it was a gorgeous 60 degrees and took the long way home. I knew the weather forcast for this morning was for a chilly windy fron to move in but they weren't calling for the 50-60 MPH gusts until last night once I was home on the R. Needless to say my 55 mile communte was a bit dicey. The first half of my trip is on the hwy and I had 3 unexpected lane changes! Luckily I there was no one in the other lane at the time I drifted over. I had my body pushed down as low as I could on the tank bag and have my knees and elbows out to help break the gust coming from the sides.
Once I got on the 2 lane back roads, there were enough trees to keep the wind down a but then I was dodging the very trees that gave me protection from the wind that had blown over the road. Dodging the trees wasn't so bad, but worry about the idiot coming the other direction who is dodging a tree and coming around a corner in my lane is a totally different story!

With that being said, I like riding in rain better.

Brady

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:29 am

Try riding a lighter bike in this weather! My SV gets blown around like a kite compared to the R1150R. It has been an awfully windy winter this year in Virginia. I had to buy a kit at Lowes to keep one of my young trees upright back in November and I'm still using it. Between all the rain/snow/ice that keeps the ground soft and the wind pushing trees in one direction, this particular tree (one of 20 I have on my property) has needed help. It seems like we've had at least one windy day a week. I hear the wind roaring around the corners of my house and it wakes me up sometimes.

Glad you weren't hurt. And yeah, the weather forecasting has been difficult for meteorologists this year.

Brady · Post by **Brady** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:14 pm

I see your from Haymarket and a Hokie I presume/hope? When the wind lies down and the weater warms up we should meet up for a ride.

Post by **yjleesvrr** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:18 pm

A die-hard Hokie! Yup, we should meet up. There are also quite a few other Roadser riders in VA.

Post by **towerworker** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:57 pm

If you fellas will allow a third in your ride let me know. I live in Staunton and would be glad to join you.

Wayne
03r
[email protected]

threebucks1996 · Post by **threebucks1996** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 10:22 am

Brady,
I had the day off that day and was taking a nice ride until that wind started whipping up. I really started getting scared a couple of times the wind was really pushing me hard. I stopped to refuel before I got home and it felt like the wind was going to knock the bike over! I was really happy to get a ride in but I was even happier to get the bike home without any unhappy events!
Count me in on any Va. rides!

Brady · Post by **Brady** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:48 pm

With erands to run today and ice in the forcast tommorow I decided to wash my riding gear and let it drip dry over the two days. When the weather clears we'll have to put something together. I just scrubbed in my new Conti Road Attacks and am looking forward to really putting them thorugh the paces. Ideas on starting places? From Marshall I can get us to the foot of the mountain in Sperryville with nothing but good twisty back roads, from there its up the mountain on 211 and then down 340 until you hit 64 at that point its a short ride to pick up the skyline drive and take it back north where you run back into 211 at the top of the mountin.

Just typing that is making me mad my gear is saoking wet!

Brady

fnfalman · Post by **fnfalman** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:23 am

I've found Jesus on a couple of windy rides too. Two years ago, coming back from Phoenix to Los Angeles, I was by Palm Springs on I-10 and it was gusting so badly that I was doing about 40-MPH beside a semi trucker who took pity on me and signalled that he was going to block the wind for me.

And two months ago, it was gusting so badly in Fontana that when I rode back to work that day on my Aprilia, I riding into the wind, the bike was in first gear doing 30-MPH with my whole body laying on the tank and the bike still wants to wheelie!!! That was the worst ever.

Post by **wncbmw** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:40 am

Years ago I crossed the narrow rock causeway seperating Cape Briton Island from the rest of Nova Scotia in 50-60 mph gusts, on an RS with my wife on the back! Leaned over to compensate, sudden lane changes, sudden drops in the wind veering me over to the side - it was the most intense few miles I have ever ridden. My wife said she started looking for sharks in the water to take her mind off the road!

BoiseBeemer · Post by **BoiseBeemer** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:41 pm

A couple of years ago, I had occasion to ride up US 95 through the open desert in Western Nevada. They warned me at a gas station that I would probably hit some "high winds" on the road. I gave them my best condescending smile and mentioned that I'd seen high winds before. Pride goeth before...

Wow. Not only did I get bent sideways by 40-50 mph cross winds for the next 70 miles, but the sand coming off the desert also blasted me continuously like a paint stripper. Every time I met anything larger than a Yugo it would knock me a car's width either toward the shoulder or toward the oncoming traffic. With the wind constantly swirling and the curves repositioning me in relationship to it, it was hard to predict and trying to estimate the safest place in the lane to position myself or the most stable speed to maintain became a nightmare. I've been riding 30 years and it's easily the worst and most dangerous 2 hours I've ever spent on a bike. Not anxious to do it again either; next time I'll pull over and call a tow truck.