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I was going to go on a ride with a mate who lives near Thurso, but a look at the weather forecast last night put me off. It predicted a "near gale".
I don't mind a bit of wind, but there's no shelter up there (heading to Ault na Breac), and seeing as I'm in recovery mode I chickened out.
Anyhow, it appears the wind gusts near my mate's house (Dunnet Head) were 82mph, but later were down to 50mph.
Regretting not going now. It would have been a brilliant tail wind... 🙂
But if that is a "near gale", I'd hate to see a proper storm.
Same here. Set out today and struggled for 10 miles. Then I got blown all across the road. No traffic, fortunately. 3 miles further on a gust blew me into the grass verge.
Gave up and came home into a 45-50 mph headwind.
Took me a while to calm down.
Rules 5 & 9 😉
First day back for our kids development club today and we debated it (Glasgow). Went ahead with all 8 groups, though called it in at halfway with the younger ones after advising parent/carers that this was likely. Was a success overall, though we had a few problems with some kids who were underdressed for the sub zero feel.
Chose not to ride on Thursday 🙂 Watching the football hiding from the sleet and hale was worth it 🙂
Always respect the weather!!
Riding on Thursday was a mistake. It poured with rain from start to finish, and the cold and the wind meant I got myself properly cold and took all afternoon to warm up again. Probably underdressed by one layer
I nearly chickened out at the prospect of potential top car bike rack being ripped by the gale winds today. Especially fully maxed with a heavy ebike and my sons mtb. But his 8 years life experience and desire to explore new bike parks won eventually. So we went to Penshurst bike park. A wet full of clay muddy enduro level Penshurst bike park. It was fun....for him. A bit scary for me.....2 hours to clean the clay off....
You have to draw a line somewhere. It was so windy today it would put you in the ditch. It’s a shame, because it was a beautiful blue sky - until it started hailing, then snowing...
Went to Glenlivet today and it was blowing a hoolie on the exposed areas. There was more than a few times I was saying to myself " you could be in the house now out of this wind and snow"
Glad i went though
Learnt a lesson a few weeks ago, decided to go road riding rather than MTB (because it was muddy/bog like) and got blown all the way across the road a few times near Beachy Head. So next time its that windy it'll be MTB (even if it is a clag fest).
So how windy does it have to be before it’s no fun? 20mph+ in exposed areas is just a slog for me. I feel like a little boy looking out of the window this morning desperately hoping the forecast is wrong, I too have chickened out but my 13 year old son will think nothing of the weather when he wants to play outside.
Its been blowing 50+knots all morning at my flat. Club run cancelled wisely enough but its brilliant wall to wall blue sky and warm.
Maybe a cheeky QECP hour later on but I smashed my legs on a turbo yesturday for an hour+ so it might be a short hour
I refused to cycle into town after completing an errand which was all cycle path. It was too windy to cycle on the road.
I did a short loop this morning. Hardest ride I have done for a long time, getting blown across road etc,. but benefit was a tail wind up a local hill climb where I got my fastest time for 5 years.
Turned round after 1/2 a mile, I'd already talked myself out of it in my head.
In the end our most comitted woman member who had a hip replacement last November made it out, so I feel like a right wuss. Got loads of house jobs done though. 🙄
Yesterday had a short road ride and was battered so knocked it on the head. Today is already far worse.
Bike clean and beer day.
Had a ride yesterday - proper windy! Seems worse today....
I was also planning to get out for a pootle to test out the repaired collar bone and the still-frozen shoulder but the prospect of being blown off the bike is too worrying so I spent an hour riding around some Swiss city on Zwift instead.
Was out yesterday around Ladybower in the Peaks. At the top of the Whinstone Lee Tor bridleway you could barely move to go northwards. Only about a 50m section, but the only way I could get along it was to crouch like a front row forward, looking straight down and inch the bike along sideways whilst crabbing along. I would say the wind was gusting at 70-80mph as it really funnels into that ‘neck’ near the top.
On the return leg I looked over my shoulder just in time to see the view over the reservoir to the north disappear into a white nothingness. A minute later and horizontal stinging hail was the order of the day.
A memorable ride.
Yep, had a 100km road ride planned for this morning but called it off last night due to the forecast. Was up early this morning and it didn't seem do bad so began to regret the decision but it's picked up now and glad I didn't chance it. Rescheduled for next weekend so fingers crossed
dannyh
...A memorable ride.
You have reminded me of the problem with chickening out.
You miss out on some epic rides.
This morning had a gentle breeze and just light drizzle. Thought I'd chance it after yesterday's debacle. 15 minutes into the ride and the rain came in. The the wind arrived. Then the snow started. Then the wind got back up to yesterday's levels. According to Garmin 520 the temperature was never higher then freezing all my ride. Chickened out...again. Next week is forecast for more of the same. Every bxxxxxx day.
Ive been home 90 minutes and have still not got warm; core temperature was way down. Have we had summer already?
So how windy does it have to be before it’s no fun?
This windy....
That was above Hawes a few years ago, so bad we couldn't stay on the bikes. Mustv'e been 60+ mph from the side. It was funny at first but then it became very unfunny with very little fun involved so we turned round & went home.
Saw a few roadies out today who didn't appear to be smiling.
You have reminded me of the problem with chickening out.
You miss out on some epic rides.
Sorry for that, not my intention.
Look at it another way. Sure the rides where the weather gets ‘epic’ are memorable, but so are the rides where you have a smash and hurt yourself, so ‘memorable’ is not always good...
Cancelled both (road) rides I was due to lead this weekend - 40mph+ winds yesterday made riding a straight line on your own pretty tough, let alone with a dozen others, and we had a yellow Met Office warning for snow this morning which did materialise
Happy I made the right decision, got to see my daughter do a gymnastics competition this morning instead of sliding round the lanes of Derbyshire.
Yep. Had a three hour window for a ride this afternoon,I’ve chickened our,still blowing a hooligan.
Tea and biscuits instead!
I rode the 18 mostly road miles to the forest yesterday with a mostly tail wind but the sections with a cross wind were scary. Fenland drainage channel on one side shit drivers on the other. I wisely took the train back.
Couldn't face the freezing water from above and below today. I decided to use a few hours to put new brake pads on the van instead. A wiser use of time I reckon, now I have a free afternoon when the weather is better 🙂
most weeks i manage 100 miles. last week i managed 70. felt shyte all week. so decided npt tp lift a finger this weekend. wise choice because the weather has been rubbish.
Wind is more of a reason to ditch a ride than rain for me - can be downright dangerous - car drivers don't tend to give you a 'wind' allowance when out on the road...mind you they don't give you a pothole avoidance alliance either. And probably not a good idea to hit the woods on the MTB when its very windy either. Was very blustery around here today so planned a run instead.
2 hours into a ride yesterday turned back, out in exposed areas we were being blown by some ferocious side winds.
Was lucky this morning, got the rain, snow and sleet/hail but the really strong wind didn't kick in until we got to the caff . Had a short uphill ride back to the car and actually caught my fairly small mate who is a much better cyclist than me simply because I am a lot bigger and the wind blew me faster up the hill due to larger surface area.
Just back from a quick half hour spin at Cathkin between the showers. Slushy and cold and I’m full of the lurgy, but glad I went for some fresh air at least..
I had an invigorating ride this afternoon, I think I might have a touch of hypothermia now though
dannyh
...Sure the rides where the weather gets ‘epic’ are memorable, but so are the rides where you have a smash and hurt yourself, so ‘memorable’ is not always good…
True. The ride was going to have quite a bit of it on the road, so the danger from being blown in front of a car was a deterrent.
I ended up spending an hour on the Turbo trainer...
We've had sleet,hail & rain & it's still blowing a gale.
I've no intention of riding my bike or motorbike in those conditions,no fun at all.
Bustaspoke
We’ve had sleet,hail & rain & it’s still blowing a gale.
I know. I was in that lot. Been home 7 hours and my hands and feet still haven't warmed up. Must have been close to hypothermia.
I was wondering what you lot were all moaning about - lovely ride out this avo, slightly breezy but otherwise quite sunny. Then 5 mins ago it went dark. Then the snow started. Then the wind came, we had some thunder and its all got a bit more interesting... Yeah ok I would probably have stayed at home too.
Had half a mind to go riding today, but after seeing broken trees etc. decided to knock it on the head and have an easy day instead. I've previously been blown off my bike on top of Pitfichie hill and had a soft, heather-cushioned landing, but my local rides would all result in a much harder hit.