Thunderstorms
 

We have been having a lot of thunderstorms lately and I wanted to ask you all.... when you are riding and lightening happen, do you stop and take cover or continue riding? I know it will be different for all but just curious.

And for the car free folks, if it is happening when you leave for work or going home from work, do you just wait it out or ride in it?

It's always best not to ride in the rain, and especially during a thunderstorm...

While rain decreases both visibility and road traction, thunderstorms present even greater potential detriment with the addition of lightning.

I try to avoid riding in lightening...but I have ridden through several storms that certainly increased the pucker factor. The storms around here seem to move through fairly quickly...the lightening portion anyway. Rain doesn't bother me too much but visibility becomes an issue the heavier the rain gets. Seeing and being seen are equally important when riding on the road.

I did most of my commuting in Colorado where thunderstorms were a nearly daily afternoon event in the summer months only. Most were dry, lightning only, some were severe with damaging hail and winds, etc. In the afternoon I could often time the commute between storm cells. It's hard to go out into a storm you know will blow over in 20 minutes.

On the open road, I try to do the same--sometimes you can see squall lines, storm cells approaching, especially out West. I do the count--if it's less than five seconds from flash to bang, lightning is less than a mile away and it's time to get serious. If it's visibly passing way behind or off to one side, I'm not as worried. It's sort of a game to race a storm to shelter, whether it's a town or a spot I can quickly throw up my tarptent for an hour or so. Sometimes you just get nailed. Poor visibility and wind bother me more than the threat of lightning. I have this stupid rationalization that I'm riding on rubber tires and that insulates me--right. I don't like being the highest thing around, that's for sure.

I take my rear brake cable out and tie one end onto my helmet with a couple of inches sticking up as a lightning rod. The other end drags on the ground to complete the circuit. It's been 100% effective, but a b**** to keep the trailing end out of the rear spokes when the 50 mph wind gusts kick in....

I usually wuss out and get a ride home when it's severe. If it's just rain, I don't care and will ride.

use your best judgement. a t-storm on the horizon is different from lightning strikes every 5 seconds. Availability of cover is another factor. if you're worried, it never hurts to wait it out. on the other hand, i'm sure most of us have ridden through storms we shouldn't have and survived to ride another day.

I got stuck in thunderstorms twice before and it was no fun: almost zero visibility, high wind knocking branches down, lighting, etc. I never wanted to go through that again.

If the lightning gets close, I'll take cover until it passes. This rarely happens. Usually I just get wet and enjoy the distant light show.

Most of thr time the lightning is far enough away or not making ground strikes. If it clearly gets closer ill take cover or call for a ride

Having had the unfortunate experience of once being within 100 yards of a fatal lightning strike, I recommend heading for cover if there's lightning activity nearby. It isnt worth messing with, and whether you are the tallest thing around is not relevant. Don't be fooled by that. And never ever stand under a tree. Ever.

Highway overpasses or buildings are good choices.

I love riding in the rain, and the thunderstorms around here are not too bad. I just keep riding. The hail is irritating but not horrible, though I've only ridden in pea-sized hail so far.

I don't take cover because where I ride there IS no cover. I'm riding through fields with no buildings or houses. Getting under a tree is worse than nothing.

I got caught in a thunder and lightning storm many months ago. I actually should have known better. It had been raining the previous night and early morning, but it cleared when I was getting ready for work. It started raining hard when work ended. I was woefully unprepared. Rain was cold and I was soaked. My hands were numb due to my gloves being soaked. Didn't have my lights, only reflectors. It was dark and thunder and lightning flashed and banged. I was more scared about being hit by lightning than by a car not seeing me or losing control. Street shoulders were flooded. I stopped a couple of times at apartment garages only to try to warm my hands. I didn't stay long, just wanted to get home quick.

Fortunately I made it home safely. Took a warm shower and ate dinner. Looking back, it wasn't so bad riding in heavy rain. It was just the lightning storm that scrared me. I feel like I'm hardcore now :P

I've been in two storms where I took cover. The first one I bailed on and called my sister to get me. This was after lightning struck REALLY close to me TWICE. I figured they had my range then, and if I stayed out, 3rd time would be the charm.

In the other one, I was cowering beside the road when lightning struck a telephone pole less than a block away from me. I cowered till I thought the worst of the lightning had passed, then high-tailed it to a c-store. I hid out under the awning there till the frog-strangling rain storm had mostly passed.

I'm not ashamed to admit being scared of lightning. And I live in GA, home of a gazillion thunderstorms.

I disagree, if that were the case I'd almost never get to ride....

If you in the city where a lot of buildings and cars are around, I wouldn't care. It's nice to ride in the rain now and then.

However, if I was in farm country area, I'll take cover.

Agreed, especially for Seattle! Rain does not big me. First five minutes I usually complain but then it is fun!

I understand completely. Years ago, I delivered pizza in Michigan. During one particular thunderstorm I got out of my car with two pizzas and was running up to the front door when lighting struck a tree across the street. I could feel the heat and hear the sizzle. I nearly needed clean underwear. :lol:

Riding in the rain is zen like!

Riding in a thunderstorm is foolish!

:eek:

It's one thing to ride in the rain, it's potentially deadly if you ride during a T-Storm. The best course of action is to wait out said storm if at all possible. If caught out in the open, get off and away from your bike, even if it's not a steel frame, as it's a potential lightning rod because the bike is wet.

If this thread were in the touring forum, I'd say take cover or pray, depending on the availability of cover.

In the commute forum, stay under cover is the best option. I've become pretty good at reading weather radar, if I do say so. I'll leave work up to 45 minutes early, or an hour late, to try to miss the worst lightning. I've only taken cover once, when it started hailing through my helmet and there was a foot of water on the road as lightning was all around. Hail hurts!

i've been hit before.

if i'm heading out, i'll consider the car. if i'm heading home i just go and figure if it's my time it's my time....

funny timing. We decided to take the long way home tonight, which in this case involved riding along the ridge of a mountain in a thunderstorm. On the way up there was a flash from the guardrail, and then a bolt of lightning overhead. That was really strange, we were fairly well protected at that point. I had looked at the weather and decided that the string of thunderstorms was going to go north of us. Good think I didn't decide to become a weatherman.

What?


Really?

I love riding in the raiin. Here it rains in summer, so it is much cooler when it rains.

I am wondering if anybody, in the history of the world, has ever been struck by lightning while riding a bicycle?

z