danadear

do you just go ahead and ride anyway?

Living in the southeast afternoon pop up thunderstorms are a way of life. Too often this is messing up my ride schedule. This weekend I am scheduled to do 50 tomorrow and was supposed to do 25 last night. Last night's ride was rained out and tomorrow is likely to be rained out. I can probably fit in a shorter ride if I get up at the a$$ crack of dawn.

Sooo...how do you avoid this? What do you do if you are caught out and it starts thundering and lightning?

cafzali

Depending on where you live this year, that's been tricky. About the only thing you can do is use weather.com and similar sites to get an "hour by hour" forecast and use that to try and squeeze in a ride of the desired length when you can.

I used to not worry about getting caught in the rain since thunderstorms in the Northeast have historically been rare birds. But the last 2-3 years, we've seen a marked increase in summer temps and humidity and that's brought thunderstorms. Rain I don't mind getting caught in, but you have to consider things like suitable shelter areas if thunderstorms are potentially possible and that can be tricky, so I generally avoid those days. The way I look at it, if I'm stressed about potential storms or other issues the entire time I'm out, the benefit of the ride is negated too much.

If I do get caught out in one, I try to find an underpass ASAP. Unless there's a lot of wind, they'll provide suitable shelter until the storm passes. And thunderstorms usually pass pretty quickly since they're caused by small storm cells rather than large bands of precip that can go on for hours or even a couple of days.

delcrossv 

Just ride. If there's a lot of lightning, I'll find an underpass etc. but if it's just rain, meh.

fietsbob

Move .. buy another house in AZ 'it's 112, but its a dry heat'

ThermionicScott 

The human body is remarkably water-resistant.

1nterceptor

Just ride, unless it's a lightning storm. Try to schedule your rides
early. Cooler temps and less chance of rain than in the afternoon.
Bring a jacket if you get cold easily or just get wet if you overheat
or get clammy in a jacket, like me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7jf...IoDLA&index=45

Mvcrash

I use an Airdyne in the house or a spinner at the gym. water means less friction, less friction means falling down.

dicktill

Forget about the rain (and the dark), that is dangerous, stupid cycling. No wonder drivers don't respect cyclists.

1nterceptor

Forget about about gaining the respect of drivers and ride your bicycle.
In my area; drivers don't respect the police, pedestrians, red lights, other
drivers, etc. why would you think they would respect cyclists? Not riding
a bicycle because you're scared of drivers is stupid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oK7...IoDLA&index=43

mprelaw

And it's also a remarkably good conductor of electricity.

Rain mostly just gets your bike all crapped up. Getting hit by lightning can ruin your whole day in the worst possible way.

I usually check the weather radar before heading out. Depending on what it shows, I plan my route accordingly. I choose a route that offers opportunities for relatively safe shelter, if thunder stoms are a distinct possibility.

ThermionicScott 

Meh, less conductive than many other things. When riding in the city, there are buildings and trees that are taller and much more likely to be struck. If in the country, there are usually power lines and trees in the vicinity.

I agree on this part, though. My whole point was that the presence of airborne water alone shouldn't be enough to keep us inside:

linnefaulk

Remember that when it is snowing in the rest of the country that we can go out and ride.

bconneraz

fenders

danadear

Yeah I don't relish riding on wet roads but its mainly the lightning I'm afraid of. Summer storms in South Carolina usually have thunder and lightning.

NormanF

In Colorado, summer afternoon thunderstorms are a fact of life.

I ride in the late afternoon when the day's storm has moved on.

FBinNY 

Twice daily I pull up the Nexrad radar map, locate the rain, and animate it to see where it's headed. I'll adjust my schedule and route to avoid where I think the rain will be, or I'll resign myself to getting wet.

Lightening isn't an issue for me, I just estimate the distance by the light/sound delay at 1,000 feet/sec. If lightening seems to be coming within 1,000 feet, I'll take a break until the cell passes.

BTW- I use weather underground -- Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather Underground -- as my key weather news source.

Machka 

Ride in the rain. Get some rain gear and mudguards ... and ride in the rain. That's what we've got "rain bikes" for.

If you are caught out and it starts thundering and lightning ... well, the thunder won't hurt you. As for the lightning, just keep an eye on it. If it gets close, take shelter in a ditch or under an overpass or something.


If you really don't want to ride in the rain, ride your "trainer bike" ... the bicycle you have up on a trainer.

Dudelsack 

Get wundermap. It's awesome.

I have a Showers Pass jacket I carry this season.

Yesterday I got hit by a pop up. I have front and rear blinkies, and the jacket is hi-vis. I felt safe.

Lightning is a different matter. I seek shelter until it passes. Southern t storms usually don't last that long.

RoadTire 

Rain messes with my workout too, and I'm not riding urban traffic. I just hate getting rain in the face.

Wundergound Android app is the bees knees. Use storm tracks to better predict where / when the worst of the storm will hit you, or not. Actually works better than the web site.

Lone

rest is supposed to be as good if you are exercising all the time. i think rest is the point of exercising, since that when your body improves itself. i don't believe in cyclists even professionals, who say they are getting better by cycling all the time.

mprelaw

I've had some of my fastest rides after coming back from a vacation, where I only did a couple of casual rides on borrowed bikes. Rest is good. Rest is especially good as we age. It doesn't have to be total rest. On rainy days, I like to hook up my bike to the trainer and do some easy to moderate spinning for 45 minutes to an hour or so. Headphones and some music that I've downloaded to my iPad helps with the trainer boredom.

Bandera 

Other than living in a drought area as I do have two road bikes, one set-up for winter/wet conditions.
Club riders of my era had machines that would accept narrow mudguards and still provide a lively efficient ride, qualities rare in today's "performance" & "race" bikes.

I ride quite comfortably when others are loathe to dirty their uber-$$$-bikes or suffering slung-up road-spooge. Not necessary with a bit of requirements planning and a reasonable budget.

I do avoid cycling during lightning storms and take shelter if caught out in one, you'll know when.

-Bandera

wolfchild

OMG ... call 911...

wahoonc

I live and ride in the deep south. Rain won't hurt you, hail and lightning will. Learn to read weather forecasts and the radar. Wunderground is one of the best. I use Forecast Advisor to find out who has the best forecast for the area I am in. If rain pops up while riding I roll on, thunder storm? I seek shelter IMMEDIATELY. Riding early in the day or late in the day will usually miss the worst of them. They are generated by the heating during the day. Fenders are your friends.

Aaron

GravelMN

I actually like riding in a warm summer rain as long as there is no lightning, high wind, or hail. If I know it's going to be wet, I'll put the fenders on the touring/gravel grinder and use it. I'm sure to have a good blinky on the back and wear hi-viz. I may alter my routes in unpredictable weather to stick closer to towns and I make mental notes of places where I could take shelter when I'm out in the open. Just use your head and light to moderate rain will be no problem. I don't recommend that anyone ride in severe weather.