Drags, Dos, and Don’ts of Riding Against The Wind

[@yusufcanaktas6929]

After trying out different tires, I have come to a conclusion that wider the tire the more stable it gets when riding through crosswinds. With a 80/90 tire, my master pro was literally unrideable despite being so big and heavy. After switching the tire to a wider 90/90 I can easily go 50+ mph at very windy days without getting dragged

[@AdamU1016]

Wider tires will give you more traction and therefore more stability. Do you do seated riding in high winds?

[@yusufcanaktas6929]

@@AdamU1016 yes seated riding is better at wind

[@reitze01]

Nice introduction to this topic Adam. Having been riding over 30 mph for a few years I can say there's more to it than you yet grasp in this video. For example, standing has advantages... the 1st examples: 4:17 his crash was not gust induced but rather lack of wabble control (no dampening in leg-positions). 4:27 again mishandled but how? Well his left hand extended like a turn signal into a headwind will cause the wheel to lean away just like it did. Had he put that arm down or held up the other arm he would have been fine. Basically hand-signals cause steering away not toward the turn. 4:55 This reverse hand-steering effect is again demonstrated by the extended selfie stick getting caught out to his right pushing him to his left. He recovered by standing for more control while also slowing down. 6:02 practice full speed turn-signaling before trying to deal with a selfie stick at speed. 6:20 always carve even if not turning (foot shifting carving motion)

[@AdamU1016]

I agree with your detailed analysis but regarding the first rider, his greater frontal area once he stood and therefore increased drag did contribute to his wobbling. Yes he did not have enough proper dampening technique to avoid the wobble. The wind did play a role in making him wobble in addition to his lack of dampening technique. Regarding the 2nd rider, he responded his usual way when he lost his balance by trying to put more weight opposite to his fall. However, that is the wrong technique because there is now the stronger variable of wind resistance which trumped the variable of gravitational pull. I agree with you with what he should have done. Regarding rider number 3, I agree also that the selfie stick sticking out to his right side pushed him further to his left towards traffic. Dave’s use of shifting his pedal weight to the right, decreasing his selfie stick angle, and decreased wind gust enabled him to finally have better control of his wheel. I totally agree that having wind involved as an extra variable totally changes the game in how one should react when loss of balance is involved.

[@reitze01]

​@@AdamU1016 Rider 1: I think you agree - but use word "but". I'm saying while standing wobbles happen if you're not dampening them. When he stood he had no contact with his shins to dampen wheel wobble and it wiped him out quickly. I don't think there is such a thing as a wind-induced wobble. Rider 2: you agree... hand up in the wind pushes you other way Rider 3: you agree. Same reverse-effect of hand/arm/selfie-stick extended.

[@AdamU1016]

@@reitze01 - In my previous video I did talk about wobbles. Not specifically wind induced, but anything that even slightly puts the wheel away from the direction of travel. That sudden mal-orientation from the direction of travel such as unequal drag induced due to sudden standing and being not able to dampen led to his wobbles.

[@reitze01]

@@AdamU1016 Note I practice "ride the crack", potholes, speed-bumps, other disturbances at speed. The only mistake was standing without dampening. Otherwise he would have been fine. The direction of travel twitch was pavement-wobble-related. And PS: Yea maybe he paid more attention to the wind than the wheel-dampening.

[@AdamU1016]

@@reitze01 Great to hear that you have the experience. I have been riding EUC since 2015 and have done the things you do too. There are many ways to stay stable on the road.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

people really do underestimate the wind. if its windy you really need to slow down a lot, and at high enough wind speeds it may be too dangerous to go on a ride.

[@pacochawa2746]

I agree if its too windy I wont even go out.

[@AdamU1016]

Wind can certainly be overwhelming. I really thought I was going to crash that day on the road. Just by reducing to half my usual speed made a huge difference.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

@@AdamU1016 i live on a busy road with a lot of crosswind and 50+mph traffic. its a short trip to get to safer roads but trying to balance not being too slow with not getting blown around is rough. wish i could afford a v13. had to cancel my preorder on it. more power doesnt always help though in those sorts of conditions

[@AdamU1016]

@@GillamtheGreatest It’s a tough act to balance when dealing with fast traffic and crosswind. The V13’s weight does help in its stability and traction when I ride on a windy day. Had I been on my Nikola which weighs about half that of the V13, I probably would have been more affected by the wind resistance. The V13’s lean shape and enclosed front area (vs the shape of the Master Pro) also helps in its ability to decrease drag so I think even if the motor were not as powerful, it would still be just as effective in fighting drag.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

@@AdamU1016 yeah definitely. v13 is a killer piece of kit. i still hope to get one. for now s22 is still pretty nice riding

[@pacochawa2746]

Very helpfull points. Yet in traffic its not always possible to slow down.

[@VictorBreazzeal]

This is great I was thinking about doing something like this but you kinda covered it perfectly

[@Godzdeal]

Great video👍 Wind is my ultimate nemesis when riding EUC's! more than rain!

[@AdamU1016]

Yeah that wind really can sometimes just unexpectedly show up and be quite overwhelming.

[@Zedicted]

Perfect examples of what i've experienced since I upgraded from 16x to Patton: uneven drag, like having the left arm out from your body and the right one tucked in, causes you/the wheel to steer right. Super scary. And my instinct has been to keep the left arm further out, but just taking it back in or reaching out with the other arm corrects the steering again. I've even started experimenting with this to help with steering in some high speed turns. Just gotta remember to use the opposite arm from where I want to go.

[@AdamU1016]

It seems counterintuitive and can be confusing during the stress of the moment. I just usually keep both arms tucked in, slow down, and just do seated riding. The variables for drag are reduced and the wheel becomes easier to maneuver.

[@spartacus3570]

Thanks for all that information and explanation well done 👍 Looks like your really enjoying the V13 too!

[@AdamU1016]

You’re welcome and thanks for the kind words. I do love the V13. It’s my first InMotion wheel. It performs like a Gotway but has all the quality and safety features InMotion is excellent at. I do feel quite reassured when on rare occasions that I decide to really go fast.

[@hedovein3540]

That was amazing advice. Thanks.

[@fatharrahman]

Very beautiful doc 🙏

[@ed_boogie]

Drag almost got me by Golden Gate bridge this weekend.

[@AdamU1016]

Being so close to the water with no buildings nearby to block the wind, I am certain wind velocity was pretty strong. Glad to hear you are OK.

[@hectorsilva3053]

thanks forr the tips! but, in my experience! carving helps a lot when the wind is strong cause you have the control of the wheel! (you cut the wind) if you make the zombie ride the wind will affect you and is probably to lose the control af you wheel

[@AdamU1016]

Carving is good to a certain extent. What I meant was the wide swaying carving where a crosswind effect can make the ride unstable.

[@senseivegan]

Thank You Adam!! This was very informative and contained a lot of useful information. Excellent video!!

[@AdamU1016]

You’re welcome and thanks for the kind words Sensei. If you’re free June 17th, come join us at the Hudson River Trail Ride. facebook.com/groups/456539332116723/permalink/903724624064856/?mibextid=S66gvF

[@TheEVside]

Great tips thanks

[@tonygomez185]

Great content! Thanks

[@eucfng]

a very scientific test 👍

[@fredisyoga873]

I think it’s time you upgraded your poc helmet since you’re getting faster haha

[@AdamU1016]

I actually have the Bell Super 3R MIPS full face and I do interchange between that and the POC. I modded my POC chinguard by adding another POC chinguard affixed securely at both ends and the middle with paracord wound multiple times. I actually will be adding more reinforcement in the future. I agree it is not as strong a chin guard as the Bell full face.

[@volooooo]

You need to have a “thanks” button so I can financially contribute to your channel. Won’t be much but it’s better than nothing.

[@AdamU1016]

Thanks for the kind words. I will try to get a Thanks button then. I have affiliate links in the description. Next time you want to purchase an EUC, please click my link. You will get a discount as well as I get a commission. I actually told Jason of EWheels that my viewers should get a discount when they purchase a wheel. Not all KZbinrs do this. If you need Clark pads or any of my recommended gear or equipment, please click my affiliate link also. That would help me out at no cost to you. Take care and have safe rides!

[@elgringodelasscooters9616]

I noticed that all these people fall lifting the wrong arm, you need to lift the arm where the wheel is angle to, so if the wind is blowing hard and wheel starts to tilt to the left then you lift the left arm up to correct the angle or tilt, not your right arm beacuse will just do the oposite.

[@AdamU1016]

You are so right. The riders are reacting the way one would when there is no wind resistance and only gravitational force at play. With wind drag at play, the arm that needs to be lifted is the same one where the direction of tilt is.

[@osbornroxas973]

Hmm a lot of great stuff here but Id have to somewhat disagree with with Don’t #2 & Don’t 3. This maybe good advice for novice riders as it keeps it simple however this may hinder riders proficient with carving. If used correctly a form of maintenance carving, coupled with proper body placement with slight level changes is a great way to combat heavy winds. This way you’re not married to the movement limitation of seated riding. I’ve ride in 15-25mph winds regularly while maintaining speeds of 33mph+ city effectively this way. It can prove to be an exhausting method for sure but effective. With all that’s side, Great content 🙌🏼

[@AdamU1016]

I agree with your point of view but I need to further elaborate my statement from the video. What I meant by the carving was the wide swaying carving that should be avoided. Wide swaying carving can cause a crosswind effect. The small maintenance carving is fine. In my situation in the video with the 18 mph wind towards me and my 30 mph travel, trying to stand from seated riding would be fighting against drag going at almost 50 mph. Standing will increase the frontal area plus the high velocity would result in increasing drag that can cause massive instability to the point of a fall. That was seen in the rider #1 clip. If one is able to maintain stability in the standing position from the outset then that is fine.

[@osbornroxas973]

@@AdamU1016 yes absolutely! Standing straight to sit and vise versa can feel precarious as well as heavy sweeping carves 🙌🏼 I figured you made this video simple for the sake of newer riders too.

[@mrfinnegan27]

i was thinking carving would be active riding and would help combat the wind i am dealing with over 20 mph gusts on inmotion v12 ht and it is dangerous

[@AdamU1016]

Carving can help up to a certain degree during strong winds. Carving should be narrow and not wide though. In strong winds, I lower my center of gravity by doing seated riding. The V13 being 116 pounds really helps in preventing being thrown off by the wind.

[@MonkeyOnMyBackOutdoors]

Great content…your gown is going to get eaten up by your wheel though.

[@scottbones]

You sidnt emphasize enough how wind can cause a cutout.

[@AdamU1016]

That’s a good point. The tips I gave will cause less work on the motor and battery hence decreasing risk of cutouts.