Max. wind speed to scrub a ride

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If it will push me around while riding or push cars around, I'll always bag the ride. While I don't enjoy a headwind, I will hang up a ride for safety.
 
With a 50" chest, aerodynamic is not part of my vocabulary. Pretty much any wind makes a strong case for me to find something else to do
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Originally Posted By: cjcride
How high does the wind speed have to be to make you cancel a bike ride?
At some point of the ride it's a headwind.
 
1. It depends upon the temperature.
2. Depends on when was the last time I rode my bike.
3. Depends upon where I plan on riding.

My reasoning being that if it's windy, I can always go riding downtown where the buildings block the wind somewhat.
 
This is a great question. I don't ride much anymore due to knee problems, however, I have 40K miles under my belt. So, I've experienced some serious headwinds.

At about 15MPH, a headwind would slow me down to a crawl, in granny gear. I always ran a mountain bike gearset on my road bike. Not because I need hill climbing power, but because I have never been able to buck a strong headwind with road bike gearing.

One Christmas day, about 20 years ago, I rode my bicycle into work (about 22 miles) and by the time I rode home, a "Nor-Eastr" storm was coming. Headwinds were 25MPH+ on my ride Northbound! Ugh. It took me something like 4 hours to get home.

I was riding the slowest gear my mountain gearset had. I hovered around 5MPH or so the entire way home. Had to stop at a 7-11 type store to eat and drink some more.

It was not fun.
 
When I used to go to the far eastern end of Long Island (Montauk), there is a straight, dead flat section between the towns of Montauk and Amagansett, through the scrub pine barrens there which I call the Napeague stretch.

The prevailing westerlies (when going eastbound towards East Hampton/Amagansett of course) produce a 20+mph headwind here, even on an otherwise calm day.
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Once when doing this ride, there was a STEADY 30 mph headwind.

I was standing still in a 39x23, even fully in the drops, and in a full time trial position on my road bike!!
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Originally Posted By: Cujet


One Christmas day, about 20 years ago, I rode my bicycle into work (about 22 miles) and by the time I rode home, a "Nor-Eastr" storm was coming. Headwinds were 25MPH+ on my ride Northbound! Ugh. It took me something like 4 hours to get home.



I had to lol on that.
 
I can't think of a time that I've ever canceled a ride due to wind. And it's been highly unpleasant a few times. The most notable I can remember is a 250K "West out and back" from Grand Prairie, TX to West, TX. I did in late 2007, on the way back from the turnaround point the wind was a solid sustained 30mph, with gusts above 40, said the TV news that night. I kept it in the granny for at least 50 miles. At one point where it was wide open through farmland, I was only able to sustain 5-6 mph. I stopped at one point to turn on my taillights and I could barely stand up in the wind! It was actually better riding than standing.

When we got to Italy, Texas we stayed for about 45 minutes having dinner and it seemed like the wind subsided from really howling to a mere gale. So the remainder of the trip back was not quite as bad, other than the fact that the temperature dropped below freezing.
 
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I do ride wearing sealed goggles as soon as there is any wind. Above 20 mph wind gusts are no fun and I call it a day. Along the shore we tend to get sandstorms here. They even close the highway until they get a chance to cart all the sand back to the beach and dunes. The sand eats chain rings and chains. Dry lube only!

hotwheels
 
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