No secret it is windy in the North East today. Last night was super windy I could hear it howling and hear the trees limbs banging off the house. This morning, it seemed much more calm. Checked weather in my area 40 degrees and 25mph winds. Looked out the window and thought, It looks really nice out, ill ride.
Once I got moving I could tell it was certainly more windy than it looked in my back yard especially once I got up on top of the mountain ridge line I pretty much take the entire way to work. So not only is the road on top of a ridge line it is mainly farm fields along it as well so not many trees which gives the wind plenty of open space. Oh it's also a windmill farm
Ride wasn't bad, just normal windy day with some strong gusts until I came around this one mild turn that also crests a hill at the same time in between 2 large farm fields. Slight right hander you can normally take with some speed and since it crests a hill it gives you that light front end lofty feeling, one of my favorite turns on my commute route.
But good lord, I came over the crest just after apex and I got broadsided by a huge gust of wind way stronger than any I had experienced ever. I was leaned over to the right going through the turn and the gust hit me on the left, I had to shift my weight and crank down on the left bar really hard. Normally that would have been enough but I was really close to the apex and edge of the pavement on the right going through the turn and the gust was enough to send me off the pavement, luckily it was fields, regardless I never went more than a foot off the road and just road it out for several yards then got back onto the pavement.
I have always been pretty comfortable in the wind but still goes to show that being a little more cautious when conditions are atypical is always a good idea.
Definitely rider error on my part, over confident, should have been going a little slower for the conditions and should have chose a more neutral line through the turn vs the line I typically take.
Another lesson learned
I checked the weather for that area when I got to work, 32mph wind with gusts over 40mph. Helps explain things a bit