Gusts matter more than average wind
Forecasts give a sustained wind speed and a gust speed. A steady 40 km/h crosswind is something you lean into and forget. Gusts to 70 km/h in the same wind are sudden shoves that can move you half a lane — worse when they stop as suddenly as they started.
A tall, light bike with a big screen and full luggage catches much more wind than a stripped naked bike. Top boxes and soft luggage add a surprising amount of side area.
Where the wind catches you
Exposed places: bridges, causeways, dams, open moorland, coastal roads and the gap after a cutting or a line of trees. Overtaking a lorry takes you out of its wind shadow and into the full gust in one go. On mountain passes the wind is often much stronger at the summit than in the valley below.
Ride loose on the bars, grip with the knees, and give yourself room in the lane on exposed stretches, so a gust has somewhere to push you that is not the kerb or the oncoming lane.
When to stay home
RideWindow vetoes any hour with gusts above 90 km/h — the score is 0, No-Go, whatever else the weather is doing. Below that, the wind costs more points the stronger it blows, and above the most wind you are happy with (50 km/h by default, set in a rider profile) the wind scores nothing at all.
The Atlantic Ocean Road and the Snake Pass are two famous roads where wind, not rain, usually decides the ride — both have live pages, as does every city and pass.