BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I hate the wind.

Sunny, 56 and dry at the end of the business day Friday, my kind of perfect riding conditions. But 20 floors above downtown, the wind was howling. I opted for the bus.

For Saturday, Weather Underground says the county had a maximum speed of 21 mph with gusts up to 26. The airport had a max of 26, gusts up to 32. Friday night I was in the North Hills, and noticed the wind whenever I was up high. I agree there's been a lot of it the past few weeks. Last Sunday had some impressive dust storms next to the Cathedral of Learning (where it seems "keeping the soil from blowing away" is not one of the things they're learning).

Some streets act like wind tunnels -- for whatever reason the wind funnels up them. Greenfield Ave and Shady Ave between Tilbury and Forward come to mind. I'm thankful I have drop bars during windy times like these.

There is somewhat of a wind tunnel on the jail trail near the bike rental... No matter which way the wind blows. I lived in Erie for a few years, going to school a few blocks away from the lake. I had enough of wind tunnels for the rest of my life. Glad it is dying down here though. The jail trail is part of my daily commute, and once the weather breaks, I realize how nice it is to have calm winds when it finally happens. I wish I could lean forward on the bike and not act as such a sail, but leaning forward aggravates my hip.

An iPod or other device with some Anthrax or Megadeth cranked all the way up, will drown out any wind, unless it's a tornado. Water swished around in your mouth will get rid of the dirt. Sip, swish, spit, repeat. PS: If you're looking for Sympathy, it's in the dictionary between Shit and Syphilis: HTFU!

LOL, ill skip the anthrax. Give me napalm death and terrorizer.

Man, are you serious? You'd really skip some good old Anthrax!?

@wind A couple on the jail trail passed me with road bikes last Wednesday, with me only to pass them with my jalopy of a commuter a few moments later due to strong headwinds they couldn't pedal through heh, heh

While I'm not a fan of riding with headphones, I'd definitely pick Anthrax or any other thrash-metal over mrosswog's suggestions. As for the wind, going to school in Chicago is what finally drove me to invest in a bike with drop-bars. I prefer hills to wind and never both simultaneously.

All bullshit aside, it seems to me when I'm riding from Oakland back to the Point, the headwinds are somewhat diminished if I cross South over Hot Metal Bridge and go that way. Any of you ever notice any change, one way or the other?

Steady winds can be pretty annoying unless they are going in the direction I'm going. What I really hate is gusts, or riding in urban areas with wind and large buildings. Sudden gusts or wind from between buildings is startling and sometimes pretty scary. Side gusts are another reason I stay away from the far right of the road. A sudden gust once pushed me into the curb just as my right pedal was coming down so the pedal was forced into the top of the curb. The whole bicycle jumped and I tore up the aluminum pedal. For gusty situations, I recommend giving yourself more clearance and go a little slower than you ordinarily would. For constant wind, pedal harder =P

brybot wrote:Side gusts are another reason I stay away from the far right of the road.

Headwinds are a challenge to work through. Crosswinds are the hot breath of the Devil itself. (Tailwinds, of course, are blessings bestowed by a benevolent deity...)