On the weather radar it looks like some severe thunderstorms are approaching and might well hit me before I get home. Last night’s storms were apocalyptic so I am a bit worried…

Have you ever ridden in severe thunderstorms? What’s the worst you’ve experienced?

I was riding on 9 barrow down and a gale blew in that was too strong to ride in, could hardly stand up straight the wind was so powerful. Its not the rain or the lightning you need to worry about its the wind!

You’ll be fine. Rubber tyres insulate you from lightning strikes. 😉

I know you’re kidding but I’m always amused by people who think that wellies, tyres or a well timed jump could save them from a lightening strike.

I find it quite exhilarating riding in a downpour so long as you are not cold. Its not an issue for me – if its raining just get on with it.

Yes. I’ve never been waterboarded but I think I know what it feels like.

i was up a very very high part of the white peak a few weeks back, and it was a proper storm, i absolutly shat myself, i saw lighting striking in the not so far distance, and was convinced i was gonna get struck….made me go faster and the rain was rather refreshing…

but dry dusty trails please 🙂

Rain, no problem. Lightening I am a bit concerned about. Most of the commute is flat and very open.. and I am talking serious continental thunder and lightening here not just the occasional flashbang you get in the UK…

What are the road / drivers like? Or is the rain so bad no one can see anything?

Is the area you’re cycling very exposed miking you a lightning risk?

Are there high winds which my blow you sideways into traffic?

Are you riding under a large number of trees?

I once got home during a particularity windy ride home only to find out some guy had been killed in his van after a tree limb fell off a tree on the route I’d just cycled.

Biked home from London in severe thunderstorms, A23 was flooded in places and the head wind was pretty full-on, pretty intense at night with buses splashing puddles over you – I quite enjoyed it.

Being out in the open riding when there is thunder and lighning around is pretty exhilarating, but not at all something I’d look forwards to. Not as bad as being stuck on an open plateau in a tent wondering if there was the slightest chance it might function as a faraday cage, but not far off.

Last night the rain was only moderate but this time I think it’s going to hit full on. Lightening was more or less continuous in the sky. Route alternates between total exposure and under trees… sounds like a worst case scenario!

Once driving in the US the rain was so bad I could not see anything at all of the road ahead – just about managed to find a roadside car park to pull into. Astonishing, really. Several inches of water all across the road pouring down the hill. Don’t think it’s going to be that bad 🙂

Rain, no problem. Lightening I am a bit concerned about. Most of the commute is flat and very open.. and I am talking serious continental thunder and lightening here not just the occasional flashbang you get in the UK…

In that case personally I would be a little nervous, you’re not sat in a nice little Faraday cage are you?

I was walking in the highlands a couple of weeks ago and a huge thunderstorm travelled pretty much right over us. Huge lightning strikes all around and rain of biblical proportions. waterproofs on and get on with it. Been in huge storms in the alps as well – exhilarating.

Your odds on getting hit are very low. You should be able to see teh centre of the thundercell anyway and you can just avoid getting into the centre

The question is can I make it before it hits?

Time trial for your life! 🙂

You should be able to see teh centre of the thundercell anyway and you can just avoid getting into the centre

Current flat is on the 4th floor, so there’s a pretty good view. Last night the entire sky from one side of the building was thunder cloud, and the entire sky on the other side was another thunder cloud. We were in a thin sliverbetween them and still got hammered. There’s no avoiding these!

Last night’s radar – look for Muchen under all that purple

Today:

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-app/radar?CONT=euro&CREG=dbay&LOOP=1&LTYP=std&LANG=en&STRUCTUR=_&W=0&L=0&SLP=0&ROAD=0&CITY=

Still might get away with it…

Munich looking OK right now (edit: from a lightning PoV), but small storms all over the place.
http://www.blitzortung.org/Webpages/index.php?lang=en&subpage_0=7

In my most memorable ride in a properly heavy thundery downpour I rode down the pavement/verge on a 60mph rural road as I thought it would be safer than riding on the road in bouncing rain.

It ended abruptly with me going over the bars because the pavement/verge I was riding on suddenly narrowed. I landed hands first on the road, and looked up to see my bike bounce of a passing car, which turned out to be an unmarked police car*.

I can’t guarantee that this happens in all thundery downpours, but it is a good reason to take the train home.

*NB:- best type of car to hit. I didn’t pay for their dented front wing and missing wing mirror, and got a lift most of the way home.

I once had lightening hit a house just as I rode past.
Amazing bang, nearly fell off but I rode on heroically.

Andy rocketeer – like that site.. presumably the white strikes are within the last 20 mins, and they get redder as they get older?

Right – best get a move on. Wish me luck!

molgrips, something like that. It is historical data obviously, so need to interpret it a bit. Oh and looks like one is headed towards MUC.

Out-sprinted a few before now. Last time wearing Black Iridium Oakleys. Thought it was night time in the forest!

Your odds on getting hit are very low. You should be able to see teh centre of the thundercell anyway and you can just avoid getting into the centre

Lightning strikes frequently are not in the centre of the storm.

I did not long ago (post below) was brilliant but a bit scary and as soon as you put your foot on the pedals it was very difficult to see as the rain was that heavy. We finally cut the ride short due to the lack of vision and one of our group questioning whether our battery operated night lights would attract lightening!

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/riding-in-a-storm

What is the score regards riding and lightning?
Been out on a few occasions and been able to feel the lightning hitting the ground. Once your out in the countryside there isn’t many places to shelter.

For sheer auto-crappage try windsurfing when a summer’s day suddenly darkens over and things start to crackle and tingle with static.

Things like that 18ft pointy carbon fibre mast that you’re holding onto with wet hands.

When the bolt came, (about 1/10th of a second after the tingle) all the windsurfers got a bit of a hit – some were out for a second or two.

The actual strike turned out to be a mile away

Had a very wet ride out the Deeside railway track from Aberdeen years ago. It started bucketing and within seconds I was absolutley drenched. It was warm though and after a few minutes sheltering under a bush I thought, “sod it”, and carried on regardless.

Got to the Maryculter Bridge which is huge, and it had a river about two inches deep flowing down it. I began cycling over the bridge when, BAM! Lightning hit the far end of the bridge and the whole road went completely white! Wasn’t scared – just yelled like a loon and went faster – incredibly exhilarating 😀

Well I made it.. in a very quick time too 🙂 Not a particularly big cell this time, I rode towards it for most of the way but as I got closer I could see it was tracking south of home. Just caught the rain as I got in, and now it’s flashing and banging.

Nothing like a bit of mortal danger to focus you on sustaining power 🙂

Was on a ride at about 9000 ft. elevation in the Jemez mountains here in New MExico about 10 years ago when a thunderstorm ramped up. Bolt of lightning hit a big Ponderosa Pine about 75 yards away. Just a big, blinding flash of light and a sound like a bomb exploding. The tree was about 125 feet tall, with a trunk about 2 1/2 feet in diameter. When it hit, the tree literally exploded into fencepost sized pieces of burning wood-the larger pieces landed within about 40-50 yards of the tree and where I was at was just smaller pieces, bark, branch-ends, etc. Needless to say I set some new MTB speed records getting to lower elavation. Ever since have been REALLY cautious riding in thunderstormsm sitting atop a metal-frame bicycle/lightning rod.

I’ve always descended as fast as possible as soon as I hear thunder..!

I had a roadride a few years ago with lightning strikes all around, it’s great for getting the heart rate up.

another good storm viewer (UK)(need to look at the second image on the age for “real time” strikes)

top tips…if it’s actually raining on you then you are unlikely to get hit by lightning. It’s when there’s lightning around and you aren’t in the wet zone you need to worry.

Carbon Fibre doesn’t like lightning, carbon fibre helicopter blades delaminate when struck…

Technical helicopter babble

Ive had lightning strike close enough to feel the warmth off the damn thing – turned & headed for home after that!

Rode out to Kippen In 94/95 on the day that the lower level train station at Glasgow Central flooded and the carriages floated up and touched the roof. That was properly biblical. I remember riding through several inches of running waterbed it poured down the road. I was only old Orange Prestige and had a headwind all the way back home. A truly epic ride.

Myself, my good lady wife and Myheadsashed got caught out near Killearn a couple of years back when Glasgow area experienced a proper Alpine storm. A LOT of lightening struck very close by. When we reached the car and headed back via Wheelcraft, lightening struck an barn beside us and it lot up like a Xmas tree. Definitely exhilirating!