Wild weather out there...

[andyoxon]

Quite glad I decided to wimp out of biking to work today (& the rest of the week?), currently dark, tipping with rain and gusting to 50mph-ish... 

[hellymedic]

Had that in Jerusalem this time last year.
Had it in Swansea on Friday.
Have it here in London today. Decided to get cab to eatery where astronomers are dining tonight.
It's winter; that's life...

[Kim]

Yes.  The weather was much better in the Frozen North.

[Redlight]

Will be venturing homewards soon, in full expectation of a battering

[TimO]

It looks like the heavy rain hasn't properly hit That London yet.  Looking at the rain radar, I'd say it's likely that it's very shortly going to tip down for an hour or two, before letting off, and then likely just reducing to drizzly stuff for a fair bit of the remainder of the evening.

The wind has conveniently more than doubled, from the tailwind I had this morning, into into a 25mph headwind, with gusts of around twice that.

Ho hum, well that's the UK's weather for you.  I'm not expect the commute home to be all that easy.

[Biggsy]

The wind speed is only 30 mph in London now (except perhaps if you're in a vortex near a big building: fun things, them).

[marcusjb]

That's the first properly grim commute I have had in a while.  There's some wind about in West London! 

Take it steady folks.

[rogerzilla]

Going in started OK, if a bit cold, but the black ice became apparent halfway, and then it was a real buttock-clencher.  I did better on the bike than many drivers:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-21234880

Cioming home was squally (not too wet) and it was hard to keep the bike in a straight line.  I'm sure the Inbred was better than the Hewitt for crosswinds, with its straight bars.

[phantasmagoriana]

That's the first properly grim commute I have had in a while. 

+1. All afternoon rain had been forecast, but we'd only had a few spots. Then, just as I was on my way out to the bike shed, the promised rain arrived. It was torrential. Coupled with a nasty headwind and a lack of appropriate outerwear, I almost wished I'd left the bike in a ditch in Northumberland (as I almost did yesterday).

[Ashaman42]

Luckily not too wet but very very windy. Gusting to 42mph. At one point I was crouched next to the bike to avoid getting blown over, for a good minute long 'gust' not a mere moment.

Prior to that I had trouble coming down the hill from work, gusts and crosswinds from side roads had me all over my lane let alone in a straight line. Obviously this warranted a blast of the horn from red van man  , did he think I was fighting the bike like that for gits and shiggles?!

I bailed to a train station halfway home, decided I'd carry on if the expected wait was more than 15 minutes. Lucked out and only had a 4 minute wait. I know I need more practise riding into headwinds but I regret it not a bit.

Wasn't actually that bad in the keeping moving front (my new easier gearing works then) it was more the lack of control that put me off. My legs don't hurt but my hands do, death grip on the bars was essential.

Ho hum, least the ride in was good.

[Steph]

Very windy as I rode in at 1440 hrs. The last stretch up to the bus station here was like riding into a wall. At least the wind was in line with my direction of travel; when I was in the Fens last June the sidewinds made me dismount several times as I was being blown into oncoming traffic.

[Fab Foodie]

Horrible horrible drive back from Bristol - M4/A34, due to the spray and rain visibility was dire, very tiring stuff.

[hellymedic]

The £x I spent on the cab from home to The Orchard @ Ruislip was money well spent! Weather was truly grim and it was wonderful arriving almost dry.
Friend had come with his girlfriend by bus; she spent about half an hour drying off in the Ladies so he never even chatted with her over a pre-dinner drink!
Rain and wind had stopped by home time.

[Redlight]

Very wet and very gusty. Got blown into the side of a car at one point but the driver was very understanding . Was pleasantly surprised that there were still so many bikes on the road though.  Shoes are still wet this morning - glad I have two pairs.

[jane]

Nearly clattered off the bike several times on the commute home last night, as great blasts of wind gusted out, firstly, as I rode through the tower block estate where I work, then a massive swirl of wind shifted the bike sideways as I headed up Peckham Rye.  After that, a few more, especially passing gaps in rows of flats or houses.
I arrived home damp and exhausted, partly due to the wind, partly due to struggling with the remainder of a nasty cold on top of an extremely busy day.

[Jurek]

Sounds a bit calmer out there this morning - I can no longer hear the wind whistling through the cables on the telephone pole.

[Ashaman42]

Whereas here it's still very windy and forecast to be gustier later (albeit with a slightly lighter steady wind).

Think I will wimp out and take the car, shame as I nearly managed to go the whole of Jan without putting petrol in it.

[Mr Larrington]

Sitting peacefully on the sofa.  BANG!!!

Turns out it was one of the wheelie bins blowing over and not someone driving into the back of a bus.

[Ray 6701]

Mahoosive tailwind on the way home last night & tonight & sadly a mahoosive headwind on the way in this morning.  It's getting even worse at the mo so tomorrows ride in will be a bit of a grueler 

[LEE]

40 mile Hampshire pub ride on Monday night.  Very windy, scary and very very wet.

A tree down on the way along a country lane made me nervous of more coming down. 

Got wet from the rain, got wet from deep puddles, flooded roads and got wet from tidal waves (as cars went through deep puddles)

The 20 miles back were dry and not so windy (and I had 3 pints inside me so it was a bit blurrier as well).

Despite thoughts of turning back initially I was glad I stuck with it.

It all makes the Chilli con Carne & Chips taste so much better when you arrive at the pub (and I'd taken a Merino top to change into...snug).


The last few days have been a constant side-wind, no matter which direction I've headed in.  How does that work?

[LindaG]

Pretty gusty out there today.

[spindrift]

Gusts on the way home that were whipping up grit and stinging my face.

[Cudzoziemiec]

As gusty as Gus's guts in his gusset.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Went through a roadworks contra-flow y'day with a following breeze.  The strength was such that I had no problem keeping up with the car in front, in fact I was hardly pedalling and probably doing 30.   Coming back was a real workout.