{"id":48505,"date":"2019-04-19T16:29:09","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T21:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/?p=48505"},"modified":"2019-04-19T16:29:16","modified_gmt":"2019-04-19T21:29:16","slug":"32-mph-wind-tunnel-effect-bike-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texbiker.net\/blog\/2019\/04\/19\/32-mph-wind-tunnel-effect-bike-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"32 MPH Wind Tunnel Effect Bike Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Based on my checking the weather at the beginning of today’s bike ride I figured it would be tough riding at the turn around point on Ramsey Road back to Kingwood but I didn’t know it was going to be that hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started the ride at 11:51 AM following the “Kingwood to Ramsey Road – Huffman” route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is the weather at the finish of the ride at 2:51 PM. Notice the NW wind at 28 mph with 32 mph gusts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was a little chilly (for me anyway) so I decided to wear a thermal long sleeve jersey under a wind jacket with shorts but no leg warmers. The wardrobe choice kept me comfortable during the ride even with the very strong wind. Weather during the bike ride: start 70 (43% humidity), fair, wind N 15 mph. Finish 72 (33% humidity), a few clouds, wind NW 28 mph gusts 32 mph<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally the wind didn’t pose much of a problem on the way to Ramsey Road. Over Lake Houston on FM 1960 biking to the east and out in the open I felt the wind as the gusts would push the Canyon to the right and I would make a steering correction without too much effort. On the return trip riding to the west it was a whole different situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the ride to the east the wind blew across five lanes without much in its way and on the ride to the west I thought being close to the concrete guard rail I could expect some shielding but that didn’t happen because the wind was so strong. Not long after starting across the lake a gust of wind caught me and pushed me toward the traffic lane from the shoulder but I was able to get back about two feet right of the white line. The wind didn’t let up and several times it was so strong I thought about getting off the bike and walking but instead I crouched lower over the bike and pedaled on. I think my speed over the lake was 8 to 11 mph with more 8 than 11. The lake had whitecaps in the water to my right. A lone boat was anchored with a man fishing but the boat was moving around quite a bit. Once I was on the west shore among trees and houses the wind could not buffet me and I sped up some but my legs were wore out and I slowly made my way back to Kingwood hitting open spots where the wind hit me again with force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Old Atascocita Road the north side has places with a thin line of trees lining the road. The wind was so strong that I felt the difference when only a scrawny tree provided a little wind break. Around the 23 mile point riding west I remembered seeing some cows in a pasture laying down so I stopped and took these photos as an excuse to take a break from the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n