Didn't know I had one....
I usually check the weather before heading out on a ride of any distance. Yesterday's was going to take me about 125 miles RT so I should have checked.
All was calm when I left the house but a little over half way to my destination there it was. A temporary road side sign lit up with the warning "Gusty Winds Ahead".
Ok fine. A little breezy through that stretch most days anyway.
Gusts got stronger as I progressed. I hit an exposed overpass doing about 72 mph.
I was in the fast lane...then I wasn't. It was if this giant hand gently pushed my bike over a full lane to the right.
I had just thumbed the turn signal to change lanes to the right when the Automatic Lane Change occurred.
High winds have hit me before but never to the extent that this gust had. Before this "ALC" happened I was thinking I'd ride it out then exit the freeway if need be then cut across on a surface road. After the unexpected lane change it was not a matter of waiting but rather where was the next exit.
Got off and being stubborn I did indeed make it to the store with a now somewhat blocked crosswind.
After parking the bike so that wind was pushing it to the kickstand side I went inside the store.
Reaching inside my pocket I dug out my phone and hit the weather app. Where I was (San Bernardino, CA) it said the current wind speed was 32mph. At the point my bike made it's Automatic Lane Change the app told me the wind there was 39 mph.
So... the moral of the story is: Always check the weather where you are going as well as the weather along the path there. Also our 6's are big and heavy but getting broadsided by 39 mph winds with even higher gusts will be effected and can catch the wind like a sail.
P.S. Took an alternate way home where the wind was to my back until it died down enough to head back with a greatly diminished crosswind.
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Originally Posted by DaWadd
