Still getting used to the differences between my tri bike and my road bike. One that I’ve really noticed is the feeling that I’m going to get picked up and tossed by crosswinds. I’m on Zipp 404s so deeper than I’m used to, and the frame is much more airfoil-like than my road bike. I’m only 5’2", so I don’t have a lot of weight to hold everything down on the road. The other thing I’m finding is the front end feels squirrelly… might be worsened by the water weight sloshing around in my BTA system (another new addition).
Tips, anyone? Apart from white-knuckling it on the basebars?
How is your body weight distributed on your aerobars? I think if your weight is behind the aerobars, you might have this problem. If it is centered on the pads, you should be good to go. Weight probably has as much to do with it as anything but if a TdF climber can do it, then so can you!
Hey mate, I weigh 57kg and ride with a set of 808s and initially felt pretty unstable on them if I got hit by a crosswind… After a season of racing on them I feel much more comfortable and confident with handling… I’d recommend getting out for a few training rides when there is some wind… You get used to compensating with weight transfer… All the best
I’d say, practice with your tri bike and deep wheels and stay in the aerobars, and in time you’ll learn to relax. You are certainly not too small to ride comfortably on an aero frame with 404s. If after you’ve gained some familiarity you still feel uncomfortable, then maybe it would be time to look at your fit.
It definitely feels less stable than a road bike. But, I usually try to stay on the aerobars and relax.
If you get too tense I feel you’re liable to over-correct when a gust hits you.
My main concern is when you’re passing other riders or cars. The riders can be unpredictable, and cars and trucks can block the wind momentarily and make you feel like you’re going to get sucked into them.
Thanks for the tips and encouragement, all. About to go for a ride on an east-west parkway – with the wind blowing 26km/h out of the north. lol Pray for me, if you’re into that sort of thing.
I thought about where my weight was, per your suggestion, when I was out on the bike today. I felt a lot steadier – maybe because I was too busy trying to avoid cars, potholes, road construction, woodchipper debris (I kid you not… they chipped up a bunch of fallen branches, right onto the bike path – went on for several km), and broken glass. Ah, spring time in Ottawa. One thing I did was remove the water bottle from the front, which seemed to help (I think a pound of sloshing water wasn’t helping my situation). All in all felt much better… not a lot of speed on the city streets, but lots of practice dodging things, and even managed a cyclocross move scrambling up a grass hill with the bike on my shoulder – stupid bike path just ended.
In the spots where I was able to safely go aero, I was able to relax into that position much better than before. Hopefully I can continue the positive trend!
This could be a matter of practice, or a matter of some adjustment not quite right with your bike or fit, or it could be the winds were just REALLY bad.
Any other riders around that day? Were they having trouble too?
No reason not to run a deep rear wheel, but deep front wheels can sometimes be a handful. A 404 should be fine even for tiny people almost all of the time though.
In a sense … it’s kind of like riding through sand … you keep the bike going in the direction you want, but let it move around underneath you. It can be a bit unnerving at times, but you have to remember the bike really wants to stay upright with the wheels spinning at a descent speed.
With that said … you have to watch out for traffic behind you
Position on the bike and general bike fit makes a difference. I know on my previous bike that was a bit longer, it handled crosswinds and corners better when in the aero bars than my current bike. I was more stretched out which probably put a bit more weight on the front wheel and the longer wheelbase made for a bit more stable ride.
Yesterday I completed a 40k ITT and we had some good cross/head winds that freaked a lot of people out at speed. Some felt like they were going to be blown off the road, I could feel it even though I’m bigger at 190 pounds, but was running a 90/disc combo. However this didn’t slow me down hitting a top speed of 50.8 mph in the bars (went over 50 a couple times) and getting blown around at the same time. There were a couple times where I got hit with gusts and I was doing mid 40’s and it was lifting my helmet … If it wasn’t strapped on, I think it would have been pulled off my head.
Just stay relaxed and make sure the bike goes in the general direction you want … if the winds are really bad, take the lane so you have movement room.
I had a fit done when I had the bike assembled (at Placid Planet), but maybe there is room for improvement. Definitely time on the bike seems to be helping. The ride when I was having trouble was only my 2nd ride a) on that bike and b) outdoors this season. I was on rural roads with the wind gusting and whipping across empty farmer’s fields for much of the way. Didn’t see more than one or two other cyclists, and was too busy trying to keep the rubber side down to notice if they were struggling.
If you have a cross wind, try being nice to it and perhaps it will be less cross… problem solved…
solution comes down to using equipment that makes you feel confident, if you are confident you will relax and you will ride better…
So to start out may mean a shallower wheel than most… that’s OK… you’ll be faster with that in aero position than a deeper wheel on the pursuit bars…
Make sure to train on windier days and not avoid them… but be smart… use roads you now with good verges which will let you be moved around a little without freaking you out…
When the conditions are ideal, use these to try a section you may have bottled from in the aero bars… you will have little breakthroughs where you discover a stable powerful and secure feeling where previously you thought it may be risky… and slowly your confidence will grow…
As you become more proficient, then try the “faster wheels”… again good conditions first, then on a slightly blustier day…
