No one likes feeling out of control and when you are traveling with extraordinary cross winds, you feel just that! Those of us with many miles under our belts are still stupefied at times when a big 50mph gust lets us have it, like a very cross parent. There are some simple steps to remember when riding in high winds, but the one that stands out the most is RELAX!! You have to be one with your machine, and by that I mean crouch over your tank and tuck. It’s NOT very likely that you are going to blow off the road, although it does feel like that sometimes. The second tip to remember is to lean the bike into the wind which will often take an aggressive counter steer.

David Hough says it best, “When riding through strong winds, you must lean the bike into the wind, and that may require forceful pushing on the grip. For example, with a strong but steady crosswind from your left, pushing on the left grip will lean the bike left (upwind). If the bike drifts too far downwind, you need to lean it even more towards the wind. Pushing a little harder on the “upwind” grip will lean it over more and point back towards your desired line. Of course, when the wind suddenly decreases, or changes direction, you will need to quickly countersteer to whatever angle is needed to keep the bike within the lane.” For an even more detailed account of how to ride in high winds, please check his article, “Dang Wind”, on soundrider.com.

So, relax and know when to throw in the towel. Sometimes the road stress is simply NOT WORTH IT!!

Anyone else have any keen riding tips for high winds??