Lanesplitting with the wind

[ducnymph]

I was wondering if anybody lanesplitts with heavy winds— heavy winds like the way it was on Tuesday? I commute from the city to the East bay during rush hour twice a week. This week on Tuesday had to be one of the most awful experiences I’ve ever had riding a motorcycle.

The traffic was backed up on the 101 as usual and there was very little flow. I’m always really cautious when splitting this kind of traffic because I’m afraid people are going to dart into the next lane and cut me off. The traffic is bad because of the wind and the wind is making the experience of going through traffic even worse. By the time I get to the lower deck, the wind is so ferocious that there’s no way I’ll split between the cars. I settled in behind a car and went 30mph the whole way.

In other really windy situations, I’ve felt if I go faster then I have more forward velocity to counter the forces of the wind. I feel like I cut through it.
What do you all do… does anyone split in heavy wind? And in some windy situations does it feel like you deter some of the wind if you go faster? Just wonderin’ 

[sonofabike]

High winds per se won't deter me much from lanesharing, but certain conditions might.  For instance, if a tall or top-heavy vehicle is clearly getting buffeted by a cross-wind, I'll refrain from sharing a lane with it and wait for an opening to weave around it with a greater cushion when I can.  In a stop-and-go highway jam situation, I'd find it more unnerving to be going at a very slow speed in winds and would rather maintain some speed and momentum which (maybe it's my imagination?) actually helps me control my line better.

[Desmostro]

I think a little speed helps, but there are many variables to be super careful of.
I came around PotreroHill on the raised freeway into the city. In parts there are wind channels that can blast you almost into an unexpected lane change.

Personally when that's going on, i wait until traffic is moving pretty slow before I start splitting.

Also, IMHO, cagers seem to get more stupid when the wind blows hard and do more unexpected things. Like they're chasing leaves or something.



  watching the news... tennis ball size hail balls in Texas right now.
40MPH wind isn't so bad after all. 

[ducnymph]

High winds per se won't deter me much from lanesharing, but certain conditions might.  For instance, if a tall or top-heavy vehicle is clearly getting buffeted by a cross-wind, I'll refrain from sharing a lane with it and wait for an opening to weave around it with a greater cushion when I can.  In a stop-and-go highway jam situation, I'd find it more unnerving to be going at a very slow speed in winds and would rather maintain some speed and momentum which (maybe it's my imagination?) actually helps me control my line better.

Yeah, I hear you about the truck thing. I always watch out for when I can see a truck is being bobbled.  In normal conditions, even with slight wind, I always split too. In normal conditions, if traffic is moving at 30mph on the BB, I'd have no problem going between the cars at 35-40mph. I think speed definately helps keep your line and so that's why it was so unnerving on tues. That day I only saw two other bikes on the bridge. One was splitting and the other was also sitting behind a car. I usually see three to five bikes all splitting during that commute.  I think to keep my line I would've needed to go so much faster than would've been comfortable. It was a very uncomfortable situation all around -- I'll be Barting next windstorm 

I think a little speed helps, but there are many variables to be super careful of.
I came around PotreroHill on the raised freeway into the city. In parts there are wind channels that can blast you almost into an unexpected lane change.

I was coming from Sf State down Ocean towards the 280 and OMG! That's where the wind is produced, I swear it's totally undiluted around there. I was sitting at a light and put my right foot down and had my left foot resting on the peg. Out of nowhere, a wind gust hit me so hard I had to stomp my left foot down to keep from toppling. I'm sure the people at the bus were a little concerned for me