Rain vs. thunderstorms

[SlackMan]

The typical Spring where I live is mostly free of rain. Even the winters are pretty dry. This year, though, we're about 50% above average on rain. And most rainy days, there is not only a forecast of rain, but also of thunderstorms.

So, for those of you in different climates who ride in the rain frequently, my question is whether that is always or almost always on rainy days without thunder / lightning. Said another way, do you ever go out when there is chance of thunder and lightning? I had never really thought about it until now, but it seems like sitting on a steel bike while holding on to aluminum handlebars can't be a safe thing to do if lightning might strike. Does the forecast of thunder / lightning automatically make it a "no ride" day?

[saf-t]

Forecast? Not an issue- the weather folks are wrong enough for me not to be too worried. If I see or hear anything though, I'm on my way home by the most direct route ( or stay there). 30-30 rule worked when I was coaching soccer, and it still holds. Lightning can hit 25 miles from where you see it.

[tiretrax]

I live in Dallas, so Thunderstorms are more of an issue this time of year than in the fall. College Station is actually on the border of wet area (East Texas and upper Gulf Plains) and a milder climate, but it should be pretty humid from Gulf moisture blowing in all summer. So, I would expect occasional pop-up showers in the summer - yes?

[bcroslin]

Funny you ask this question tonight. I bugged out of the training ride tonight 5 miles in because of lightning. I do not ride in lightning and nearly every rain storm in central FL this time of year means insane lightning so rain means no ride.

(guess who got to go "rescue" several of his dumb-ass friends who thought they could out run the rain and electricity)

[Vinci]

I don't try to ride in the rain/storms, but if it shows up on my commute, I'm not staying at work to avoid it. :)

You are probably a lot lower to the ground than a lot of other things around. I wouldn't worry too much about lightning.

[SlackMan]

I live in Dallas, so Thunderstorms are more of an issue this time of year than in the fall. College Station is actually on the border of wet area (East Texas and upper Gulf Plains) and a milder climate, but it should be pretty humid from Gulf moisture blowing in all summer. So, I would expect occasional pop-up showers in the summer - yes?

Yes, but "occasional" is the key word. The past two weeks, though, and this week, it seems like there are thunderstorms forecast virtually every day. I'd like to be bike commuting to/from work, but I'm not keen on riding with lightning and not keen on asking my wife to come get me every time I'd be stranded at work by the threat of lightning. Of course, as fate would have it, we put in a swimming pool last summer, so I haven't been able to use that much either. I am so out of shape given that it's May already.

[JAllen]

Rain is never an issue. We don't get too many electrical storms out here but on the occasions that they do pop up? I'm not in it. I lived in the deep south and have a lot of family roots (went to visit often) so I was educated from a young age of potential dangers of lightening.

[rwsaunders]

Getting caught out in a thunderstorm scares the hell out of me and I have done so on a few occasions last year. I'm as much worried about lightening as I am about falling limbs.

[tiretrax]

Yes, but "occasional" is the key word. The past two weeks, though, and this week, it seems like there are thunderstorms forecast virtually every day. I'd like to be bike commuting to/from work, but I'm not keen on riding with lightning and not keen on asking my wife to come get me every time I'd be stranded at work by the threat of lightning. Of course, as fate would have it, we put in a swimming pool last summer, so I haven't been able to use that much either. I am so out of shape given that it's May already.

Well, I've been commuting. Fortunately, lightning hasn't been much of a problem for me. Tomorrow's forecast is probably the most troubling for late afternoon so far. I have been caught in some bad storms before, and it was scary when lightning struck in the area. Just got me to sprint the whole way home. As you know, the storms move through quickly with high winds. I'm more concerned about the wind blowing some heavy debris in my path than the lightning.

[ajhapps]

Living in NYC, we typically got showers in the spring. Not a ton of thunderstorms, but enough rain that you got used to being wet. As they say - you can only get wet once.

Fenders, a Gabba jersey, and/or a light rain jacket/vest, usually solved the biggest issues. That and not being afraid to stop and jump into a cafe while the worst of it passes.

I was once with a big group ride and a bunch of people stood under a big tree in the middle of a lightning storm. I was more than happy to stand a bit further away and just continue getting wet vs. the alternative.

[verticaldoug]

The odds of being struck by a car are about the same as being struck by lightening. Yet you ride your bike when cars are on the road. I'd guess when it is raining and visibility is poor, your odds of being struck by a car are higher than being stuck by lightening. You are worried about the wrong danger.

[tlittlefield]

Isn't the fact that you are riding on rubber tires and not grounded help you not getting struck?

[Tom]

Right, and there's no water on your tires with anything in it that'll conduct electricity. And lightning is proven not to travel through the air.

[Saint Vitus]

You are probably a lot lower to the ground than a lot of other things around. I wouldn't worry too much about lightning.

Tell that to Lee Travino...

[bcroslin]

Tell that to Lee Travino...

This story is from just last year (http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/this-summer-florida-leads-the-nation-in-deadly-lightning-strikes/2192111). Lightning is not something to be ignored.

[FlashUNC]

I have to hide in a ditch from a thunderstorm because I was too stupid not to pay heed to the weather forecast. That leads to some introspection on your decision-making.

Rain? Totally go ride in the rain. I think it can be fun, especially during the summer.

Thunderstorms? Even with a slim chance, no, not worth it. Growing up in the South, these kinds of things could sneak up on you in a hurry. And its not just the lightning to worry about. High wind gusts. Potentially blown debris -- power lines, tree limbs, etc.

Just not worth it.

[Shortsocks]

I live in Dallas, so Thunderstorms are more of an issue this time of year than in the fall. College Station is actually on the border of wet area (East Texas and upper Gulf Plains) and a milder climate, but it should be pretty humid from Gulf moisture blowing in all summer. So, I would expect occasional pop-up showers in the summer - yes?

TT is right.

This year in Dallas, there has been much more rain than average. I've gotten much less riding this spring that I usually get because of the rain. Can't tell yiu how sick I am of cleaning my rig AFTER I get back from getting caught in an unexpected rain.

A few times that I have gotten stuck out in thunder/lightening I have to stop under cover. Generally whatever is concrete, overpass, church but Never trees. If I do see serious lightening won't go out but I can't trust Dallas weatherman anymore. It's causing me to miss out on some days that I KNEW I could have gotten some riding in.

[redir]

Where I live this time of year if I didn't go out when they predict thunderstorms then I'd never get to ride. It's like clock work. I typically get off work at 5PM and it starts to rain at 4:59 :D

Seriously tho!

If you go to NOAA website they have a link to an active radar in your area and it's really quite accurate. I can look out my window and see and hear storms then look where they are on the radar and know I have nothing to worry about depending on which direction I go.

[SlackMan]

The odds of being struck by a car are about the same as being struck by lightening. Yet you ride your bike when cars are on the road. I'd guess when it is raining and visibility is poor, your odds of being struck by a car are higher than being stuck by lightening. You are worried about the wrong danger.

True. But with my front and rear lights, I look like an ambulance coming down the road.;)

[shovelhd]

I don't race in thunderstorms, why would I ride in one?

[MattTuck]

this is the radar mosaic loop from NOAA. (http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/full_loop.php)

I avoid thunderstorms. Been caught in a handful of them while riding. Like flash, it gets real when you are crouching in a ditch with thunder and lightening all around you.

[gdw]

I'd prefer not to ride or race in thunderstorms but they're something you can't avoid if you spend much time in the mountains of Colorado. Storms can move in pretty quickly so you need to pay attention to your surroundings and look for a safe place to wait them out or keep riding and hope your luck holds out. It really sucks getting caught above tree line where you're totally exposed.

[Michael Maddox]

Lightning will KILL you. Period.

You might get lucky, but then again...you might NOT.

Remember, all the "rubber tire" nonsense is just that...nonsense. The bicycle does NOT protect you in the way the Faraday Cage of a car body will.

[Red Tornado]

Yes, but "occasional" is the key word. The past two weeks, though, and this week, it seems like there are thunderstorms forecast virtually every day. I'd like to be bike commuting to/from work, but I'm not keen on riding with lightning and not keen on asking my wife to come get me every time I'd be stranded at work by the threat of lightning. Of course, as fate would have it, we put in a swimming pool last summer, so I haven't been able to use that much either. I am so out of shape given that it's May already.

I'm in central Texas and it has rained almost every day this month - and the extended forecasts show a higher than normal rainfall pattern for the rest of the month. Some of the reserviors around here are already releasing water because they're above their "approved" levels. We had a wet late April to boot.
I did the riding in the rain thing in my racing days ('cause I had to train) but now there's no way I will start a ride in the rain. If it rains once out, that's a different story, you have to keep going. For me personally, the rain takes the fun factor out as all I can think about is the inevitable bike drying/cleaning/lubing activities.
Typically if the chances are above 30% I won't ride or commute to work either, been burned enough times to know better. Same reason as you; the extra gas to get a ride from a family member negates the saving of commuting.
Won't ride in a T-storm period.
Also, like you, my form is down and my weight is up big time. Seems like whenever I can ride it rains; and when I can't ride it's raining 80% of the time then, too.

[srice]

Isn't the fact that you are riding on rubber tires and not grounded help you not getting struck?

Wouldn't even be a consideration if lightening hit you. The electrical arc just jumped across thousands of feet (if not miles) of air. Do you think it will be hindered by a couple mm of rubber?

[jischr]

Happened last year in St Louis. http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/08/29/cyclist-struck-by-lightning/14784763/
I'm more worried about cars in the rain then getting hit by lightning

[bikinchris]

Wouldn't even be a consideration if lightening hit you. The electrical arc just jumped across thousands of feet (if not miles) of air. Do you think it will be hindered by a couple mm of rubber?

+1

People in different parts of the country do not understand the severity of thunderstorms in different parts of the country. People from the great plains and further south understand the severity I am talking about. In a super cell storm of the spring you will have large hail, dozens of lightning strikes per minute and sometimes a nice straight line wind and tornado. Here in Louisiana, thankfully, we seldom get tornadoes as strong as north Texas and further North.

Sitting on a lightning rod in a severe thunderstorm is not a good life plan. I never liked to ride in a Tstorm and once was caught out where there was no place to get out of it. I felt the bite in my bars when a strike hit about a 1/4 mile away. That was not a comfortable feeling.

[kenw]

Just yesterday: local runner ducks under tree to avoid storm;
lightning strikes same tree; runner not hit but scared sh**less. Your
experience may vary.

[saf-t]

"He said the men were on the roof when it started sprinkling. Then it cleared up overhead. Then they heard thunder in the distance (emphasis mine) and decided to get down."

"As they were approaching the ladder, it hit them. They just waited a little too late," Peck said.


http://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/bonita-springs/2015/05/13/lightning-strike-bonita-springs-southwest-florida/27252155/

[gdw]

Lightening doesn't have to hit you to wreck your ride. The racer that finished second, Jesse Carlsson, in the Tour Divide in 2013 almost got taken out of the event by a close call.

"Now in second position, Carlsson reportedly arrived in the small town of Como, Colorado, in a state of shock. David Tompkins, the operator of a bed and breakfast in town, reported that Carlsson arrived shortly after ITT rider Kerrin Walker. “We had a major electrical storm, thunder, lightening, a little bit of moisture, Kerrin just missed it,” Tompkins wrote. “What we think happened is that halfway down Boreas (Pass), Jesse had a flat, he was running tubeless and put a tube in. Coming into Como, it is pretty open; he was found on the town limits dazed and confused, cycling with a totally flat tire saying he was looking for a guy called Como. We sat him down, got some water and coke into him. We thought he had major concussion. He had obviously come down on his right side, knee and wrist hurt but no cuts or major abrasions. Now he is now lucid, but it took him sometime to come around, he was insisting he was third in the race, all he remembers was the thunder and lightening. We think he was near a lightening hit and was blown off his bike.”