12/11/14 8:06 PM

62 MPH gust recorded @ PDX earlier. 36 MPH sustained winds currently at the airport. Whew!


I ran out for a ride before it arrived, bit it got cut short and turned me around. That last 2 miles back to the house were blustery, and that may be an understatement. ;)

I got home before anything like early 2014 when a headwind stopped all of my forward movement at one point. But I bet it is that bad now. ;)


News just reported a 67 MPH gust topped the 62 earlier today. ;)

12/12/14 6:44 AM

One time riding up Mt. Washington I turned into a headwind and literally could not propel the bike forward. I had to put my foot down simply because the bike was not moving.

Later on the same ride I tried to round a hairpin, the bike didn't turn and I looked down as I thought my handlebars must have twisted. Nope, handlebars fine, the wind was just pushing me toward a long fast, airborne descent. Foot down again.

12/12/14 7:30 AM

Here in Vermont we've just had a snow storm with the stickiest snow I've ever seen. Trees down everywhere, and anything with residual leaves or needles sagging and falling down. Some people lost power on Tuesday and have not gotten it back yet. We did not lose it until noon yesterday, but the estimate for restoration is late Sunday night.

A couple of years ago we got a proper generator, and even had a proper legal transfer switch put in. Since then the power has not gone out for more than an hour, but it's sure nice when you need it.

12/12/14 9:32 AM

I returned yesterday from a 1 day business trip to London. With the high winds, the trip to London from JFK took less than 5.5 hours. (Couldn't get enough sleep on the redeye.) The return flight took over 7.7 hours. (Got to watch 3 movies and two TV shows.)

12/12/14 1:54 PM

Have you seen this Youtube clip of a cycling team training in strong wind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qgjyqibwY&hd=1

Especially the segment at about the 50 second mark where one of the riders is trying to remount his bike and it keeps getting blown from under him...

12/12/14 2:20 PM

Holy Sheit! LOL, that was brutal to be sure...

12/12/14 5:24 PM

I think they were showing the GPS with a speed of 47 mph with the tailwind. Or was that kph?

12/12/14 5:49 PM

...I wasn't able to accurately determine how fast the wind was going but it was appx -10C (snot freezing in the nose cold) out and on a flat pedestrian path along the Erie canal I was pushing over 500W and was going appx 5mi/hr. I was having to push hard to go fast enough just to stay upright. That lasted about 5 mi until the next town when I decided it was too stupid even for me to ride. Turned around and was effortlessly going 35mph plus and spinning out my top gear on the CX bike.

*sigh* Miss those days

12/12/14 7:13 PM

*sigh* Miss those days



Think of the bright side. It will only be 3-4 times harder next time around. ;)

12/12/14 11:13 PM

In the TT at the Masters Nationals a few years back, we had an absolute pig of a headwind on the outward leg of a 25km out and back course. I don't know how strong the wind was, but the outward leg took me 25 minutes into the wind to get to the turn. Coming back took only 14 minutes.

12/12/14 11:25 PM

I once walked south on the beach from Hollywood, FL toward Miami. I do not know how far it was, but it took 35 minutes south, and under 10 coming back north. I was practically running to not fall forward on the way back..

No gusts, just a 25-30 MPH constant wind....

12/13/14 6:44 AM

Wind events are funny. Another part of that ride up the Rockpile I turned away from the wind and actually felt like someone put their hand on my back and shoved me forward. Only time I've felt that.

I used to ride a fixed on a moderately hilly circuit where I would be about at my limit spinning out on one descent, but could always do it without problem. Then one day I failed to account for a tailwind, and halfway down I was spinning so fast I was about to explode, and still accelerating. By the time I realized I was in deep trouble it was too late to hit the brakes or apply back pressure, so I shot my feet out of the toeclips (yes it was back then) and finished the descent spreadeagled. Yow.

Way back in maybe 2000 I did the Ride Across Florida with Bill Karow (Yammie). 170 miles, east to west, Cocoa Beach to Pine Island (I think). I understand normally this ride has a headwind, but this time it was a tailwind, so flat ride, pack, tailwind. Felt like I was riding about 15 mph, looked at he computer, 22. Passed the century mark under 5 hours, not even tired. Finished the 170 no problem. Fortunately it wasn't an out and back.