surgeonstone

Curious what you all do out there when caught in a thunderstorm.

Orangejuice

I actually just ride a bit slower around turns.

kenji666

I get wet

Pirkaus

I check the weather before I head out
Pirk

robbyville

I almost never ride in rain or storms but the other day did a poor weather check (forgot to look at adjacent town) and found myself in the middle of a downpour with claps of thunder all around me. I pulled under someone's carport for a bit and almost made the call of shame. My ignorance towards all things of electrical conductivity had me thinking that given how few metal bits I have on my bike and that perhaps tires act as a ground that I was probably a low risk target

Then I realized the storm was passing Over so I went on my merry way! Other than freaking out over how poor braking performance on carbon rims is in a downpour it was a pretty nice respite from the heat and humidity.

JoeB14

Look for (and get under) shelter-like some ones open garage, covered stoop, under a bridge, etc. And just wait it out.

uncrx2003

Got soaked 2 weeks ago. Weather looked sketchy but we decided to ride anyway. Got in 13 mi. Couldn't see anything

roadiejorge 

Find shelter if it's really bad otherwise I ride through it.

Bob Dopolina 

Ride

FLvector

Pop up thunderstorms happen frequently in the hot afternoons in FL. Sometimes radar shows nothing pre ride, then during the ride you see the clouds building up within a brief period. I usually just ride though it, but with more distance in the group and more caution on the corners. I've had some very close lightening strikes which scare the crap out of me, but hiding under shelter won't help you there. Although I don't like starting in the rain, I've had some great wet rides.

Mike F

Ride next to a tall guy on a steel frame Kinda like swimming in the Ocean after a shark sighting, Swim next to the slow fat guy. Honestly I dont know. We almost never get lightning here. If I did get stuck, I would probably stop and get coffee.

Walter

One of the Velominati rules tells us that riding in bad weather makes one a badass. Since they include heat in the list of bad weather I figure I don't need to ride in the rain also. I really dislike the spray from my tires going up my back and despise the spray from the bike in front of me hitting me in the face. However, as noted above if you ride in FL you will get caught out sooner or later then I tend to get wet; as also noted above.

If it's really bad and shelter is available you should avail your self of that.

Is titanium particularly conductive?

CrankAndYank

Avoid lighting by seeking shelter.

CrankAndYank

Doesn't matter, really. The lighting has to arc thousands of feet to get to your head. The two feet of tubing under your ass doesn't matter.

kenji666

My carbon fiber frame and rubber tires repel all electrons.

Nerull

You are quite conductive.

Lightning can jump tens of miles of open air to it's target. Do you think a half inch of rubber is going to keep it from reaching the rest of the way the ground?

Cars offer some protection from lightning because they provide a conductive shell around you. The lightning tends to stay on the outside of the car. I know many storm chasers who can tell you exactly how much of a myth rubber tires protecting the car from strikes is.

Bikes have no such protective shell. If lightning strikes, it's going to strike you.

MarkThailand

If you look up the weather forecast now for Bangkok, Thailand, you will find there literally is a forecast for a 50 % chance of isolated thunderstorms every day.

When I wake up at 5 am to go on my rides, I generally listen for thunder and flashes of lightning in the direction of my ride before getting dressed. When I am about to leave the house at 6 am, it is day break and I try to see if there are storm clouds in the direction of my ride. On the drive to my loop, I ignore the rain, if there is any, because I figure that the isolated thunderstorm is not raining at my loop - this actually not wishful thinking because the thunderstorms here are really, really isolated. At my riding loop, unless it is raining, I start riding. The isolated nature of the thunderstorms here are amazing - in my 10 mile loop, it is quite common for a 2 mile stretch to be completely flooded and another stretch to be bone dry. Even if it rains while I am riding, I continue unless the storms are so strong that I can not literally continue - a couple of times not only were the motorcycles pulling over and stopping, but the vans were too, and I just stood in the middle of the rain and took it like a man.

Mark

coasting 

Cower under a bridge.

bhchdh 

I try not to start out in the rain. I have been caught in thunderstorms, if they are severe I'll seek shelter, if not I just ride on.

CrankAndYank

When considered as an electrical conductor the human body may roughly be modeled as an RC circuit with a resistance ranging from 1 to 10 kΩ and a capacitance of 100 to 300 pF.

RUOkie

this.

with the types of storms around here (often flash floods, hail, tornadoes) I will check my phone weather app and look at the size of the cell. If it is a bad one, I'll find shelter. (I knocked on a stranger's door 2 yrs ago during a hailstorm and they let me ride it out in their garage)

Otherwise, I keep riding.

rica rica

If lightning seems likely i ride a route that would keep me fairly close to home.

Nerull

Most people also don't realize that carbon fiber is conductive.

Machka 

Keep riding ... unless it is particularly bad.

I've raced a few storms home ... nothing like a huge thunderstorm bearing down on you to encourage you to pick up your pace a little.

Myosmith

Rain = Ride
Wind = Swear and Ride
Lightning = Seek Appropriate Shelter Immediately (not under a tree)
Hail = See Above

Riding in inclement weather builds skills, stamina and character.
Riding in life threatening weather is just stupid.

As far as dealing with traffic, stay as visible as possible, expect bad drivers and try to anticipate trouble early, slow down, try to be as predictable as possible, don't be afraid to walk your bike on the sidewalk or take shelter if conditions are unsafe for riding in the street.