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just having fun..to h**l with work!

ultracyclist

New member
I was out riding the other day returning to my office from lunch with a client. It was in the 60's, sunshine, and LOTS of wind blowing perpendicular to the freeway, ie crosswinds!

With my schedule free for the next two hours, I spent about an hour and one half practicing riding in crosswinds. Traffic was minimal.

I tried to maintain speed and rpm -always staying in the powerband-all the while counter leaning and then recovery, repeatedly.

I had a blast! :laugh I could hear the words of Mr Hough in my head.

What a shame work has interfere with fun.
 
Wow that's pretty brave! I usually avoid riding in gusty winds, but we can never rely on the weather.

If the cross wind is relatively steady, it's OK, but the quick 40 mph gusts can be downright scary. Springtime around here is notorious for these types of conditions. I remember riding up 15N one spring, and I think I had the bike at about a constant 15 degree list to starbord as I trekked north. Exhausting.
 
Screwtop

What better way to practice than to actually do it?

Some day I will find myself 2 hours away from my office and the weather changed.
Learning in less traffic is better than being forced to learn in heavy or fast traffic.

When you go to the range, do you not shoot like you will in real situation?
 
I think maybe not so much the preacher than the congregation.
Yes, he has some words to spread but experience is the best teacher.
Ride on, Howard, and learn from the saddle, not necessarily the pulpit.
 
My teacher is The George Washington Bridge and the Tappan Zee Bridge with the Tappan Zee being the graduate school of crosswind horror. It's always an adventure with the winds shooting up and down the Hudson River.
 
Wezul,

You should have seen me intentionally riding on the freeway in a torrential downpour (traffic doing about 20mph) about 3 days after I read the book "Riding in the Rain".
I got to practice real live trail braking, and "coordinated braking" in inclement weather, as well as riding in the tracks from the car in front.

I had my flashers on and my pias.

It took me a lot longer to settle down on the rain exercise than doing the crosswinds. I gotta tell ya that my pulse rate was up a bit on that one!

Are you going to volunteer to work the MOA booth at the Chicago Motorcycle Show on Saturday AM with me? Gotta get Jim Strickland (woodnsteel) in on the deal, too.
 
You should give the Bridge of the Gods a try, it crosses the Columbia a bit east of Portland. The wind howls down the Columbia, and the bridge is an all grated metal deck. Don't look down! To add insult to injury, it's also a toll bridge.
 
Wezul,

You should have seen me intentionally riding on the freeway in a torrential downpour (traffic doing about 20mph) about 3 days after I read the book "Riding in the Rain".
I got to practice real live trail braking, and "coordinated braking" in inclement weather, as well as riding in the tracks from the car in front.

I had my flashers on and my pias.

It took me a lot longer to settle down on the rain exercise than doing the crosswinds. I gotta tell ya that my pulse rate was up a bit on that one!

Are you going to volunteer to work the MOA booth at the Chicago Motorcycle Show on Saturday AM with me? Gotta get Jim Strickland (woodnsteel) in on the deal, too.

I think we first met last year at that very event, give me a PM and let's discuss volunteering.
 
You should give the Bridge of the Gods a try, it crosses the Columbia a bit east of Portland. The wind howls down the Columbia, and the bridge is an all grated metal deck. Don't look down! To add insult to injury, it's also a toll bridge.

Bridge of Gods, an epic name to say the least. Alternate route anyone??
 
My teacher is The George Washington Bridge and the Tappan Zee Bridge with the Tappan Zee being the graduate school of crosswind horror. It's always an adventure with the winds shooting up and down the Hudson River.
We have the same teachers (though I graduated years after Mr. Snoone ;)), however, I also audited the extra-credits class given by the Croton Reservoir Bridge on the Taconic Parkway.


:thumb
 
crosswind practice

Lots of practice riding across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Southern California in September 2006 . . . Red Flag wind warnings every day, both directions . . . Sandstorms? No, Gravel storms! Makes a 500 mile day seem like a 1000 mile day. It is wise to ride both directions to equalize the wear on the sides of your tires.
 
wind and dust

Stop . . . hmmmmm . . . now why didn't I think of that?!!? the very worst of it was dropping down out of Utah, into Ariz. on rte 191 into Chinle. I finally gave up when, as I was crossing the continental divide, approaching Gallup NM, the temp had plunged into the low 50's, it was pouring rain with a good deal of hail in it. I stayed in a motel that night and the TV guys said the wind gusts at Chinle had reached 63 mph . . . I couldn't decide if I was one tough old fart, or one really dumb old SOB. You needn't tell me the answer to that . . . I think I already know the answer.:doh
 
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