Thunder 'n' lightening

Totalnewbie · May 2007

Would you cycle in in a thunderstorm?

I confess, I wimped out today because they kept going on about thundery showers due this arvo/evening on the radio. I don't mind getting wet, but lightening is another thing when I'm travelling along attached to a lump of steel, past loads of big trees in Hyde Park...

Is that just really wimpy of me or is there a real risk when you're on a bike?

Eat My Dust · May 2007

Wimpy!![;)]

SNAPS

Archcp · May 2007

I don't think there's a greater risk on a bike than walking - I don't think the metal of your bike would attract lightning particularly - it's the height of your head that counts isn't it?. And in a city, I'm not sure you are too much at risk - although I guess the parks are pretty big... Unless you are right under the tree you should be OK from actually conducting a strike, but I've heard that the trunks can explode, showing you with woody shrapnel...

But not wanting to go out in crap weather isn't necessarily wimpy either, depending on how bad the weather is...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

dondare · May 2007

You've got rubber tyres, haven't you?

Baby elephants? Pah!!

urrrrrrrrrs · May 2007

wimpy mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!! bendy sausage !!! brown derby mmmmmmm !!!![:p][:p][:p]

i'd rather have a bottle in front of me,than a frontal lobotomy

Unknown · May 2007

Won't the rubber tyres help insulate you from earthing, along with non-conducting saddle and handlebar grips?

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)

The Ace · May 2007

Not as dangerous as scaffolding, fishing or pole vaulting.

Mosschops2 · May 2007

Immediate reaction would be - yes, I would cycle in a thunderstorm. But then in a city, I'm never the highest thing around. There is possibility of lightening striking a tree, and the trunk exploding - there was one tragic case in the US where a kids hockey game was stopped due to a torrential outburst, and half the kids hid under the massive, but only tree in the field, and the other half went into the school...

In the US, partially I reckon due to over-done due diligience / lawsuit culture, you can't even play an organised game of football if it's thundery. In the middle of the city. But then, as I recall, the lightening did regularly strike - taking out substations mainly - even in the middle of the city...

Have you ever tried pressing Alt+F4 ??

Anonymous · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

Won't the rubber tyres help insulate you from earthing, along with non-conducting saddle and handlebar grips?

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No they wont.

They did an experiment on Top Gear ages ago where they put the Hamster in some car and turned the Power station on (focusing the power at the car). They explained afterwards that it was not the rubber tyres which protects from lightening, but rather the "Faraday cage" of the metal chassis.

A Baby Elephant is for life, Not just for Christmas

Anonymous · May 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_ca ... aday_cages

And anyway, lightening could jump more than a few inches so your tyres (on the bike) would offer no protection.

A Baby Elephant is for life, Not just for Christmas

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by killiekosmos

Won't the rubber tyres help insulate you from earthing, along with non-conducting saddle and handlebar grips?

_____________________________________________________________________
Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, as nutfield says. That spark has successfully crossed miles of open air - an inch of rubber isn't going to stop it...

I have ridden through a storm - but in the middle of nowhere on moors in Lancashire. I get get worried enough, as it passed overhead to get off and prop the bike up and crouch down away from it. Otherwise my head really was the highest point around.

Annoyingly, my companion, who is a foot taller than me, had ridden off ahead some time before...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Totalnewbie · May 2007

There are lots of tall trees on my route, which I do pass under, and weren't two women killed in Hyde Park a while back trying to shelter under a tree during a storm...?

I don't mind the rain, honest, I cycled in it yesterday.

dondare · May 2007

Cycling in a thunderstorm is beneficial because the air is a lot cleaner. (It's the negative ions, not the rain, that does that.)
Your chances of being struck by lightning are too small to be worth worrrying about.

Baby elephants? Pah!!

Jacomus-rides-Gen · May 2007

Wind is far more dangerous (in terms of liklihood of something nasty happening) than lightning. I would, and have, ridden in storms before, and on 1 occasion stopped to put my bike down with my friends bike and then we slunk off out further in the field to lie down until the lightning had stopped forking out over us. We didn't see any lightning come down at all, but didn't facy getting in the way!

I really enjoyed riding in that storm, we were luckily on MTB's. The clarity of the air, and the storm surging around us, outrageously loud thunder that shook my chest and hurt my ears. So much rain, and every time lightning forked out it momentarily seemed to freeze the whole of the picture, raindrops and all, in a dazzling blue flash. When we got in we were both soaking, freezing cold, covered in scratches and dirt and absolutely exhausted but smilling like stoners!!

_________________________
Quote: "25mph is pretty fast when you aren't wearing a car..."

Archcp · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jacomus-rides-Gen

Wind is far more dangerous (in terms of liklihood of something nasty happening) than lightning. I would, and have, ridden in storms before, and on 1 occasion stopped to put my bike down with my friends bike and then we slunk off out further in the field to lie down until the lightning had stopped forking out over us. We didn't see any lightning come down at all, but didn't facy getting in the way!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Apparently, you shouldn't lie down, it increases your amount of contact with the ground. You should crouch on the balls of your feet, with your head tucked down as far a possible below your shoulders. You want as little contact with the ground as possible...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Jacomus-rides-Gen · May 2007

ooh, thanks Arch, I shall remember that one!

_________________________
Quote: "25mph is pretty fast when you aren't wearing a car..."

alecstilleyedye · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch
Apparently, you shouldn't lie down, it increases your amount of contact with the ground. You should crouch on the balls of your feet, with your head tucked down as far a possible below your shoulders. You want as little contact with the ground as possible...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

easy in look cleats[:)]

if i had a better signature, i'd use that instead

dondare · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arch

Apparently, you shouldn't lie down, it increases your amount of contact with the ground. You should crouch on the balls of your feet, with your head tucked down as far a possible below your shoulders. You want as little contact with the ground as possible...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

And kiss your 'rse goodbye.

Baby elephants? Pah!!

Cyclingphil · May 2007

I once got caught out by lightning south of Fort William. I had to cycle 3 miles before I could find some shelter. Believe me it was really scary at the time.
Last year I got caught out again on the Derbyshire moors. Luckily I was near a pub and had to wait some time before moving on by which time it was dark and I still got drenched trying to find the way to Matlock

Guy Young · May 2007

The last time I cycled in a thunderstorm, I was more at risk of drowning than electrocution!

dsoutar · May 2007

Cycling ?? Pah !!

You should try alpine climbing in a thunderstorm. You've got crampons on your feet, have a harness on which has shed loads of metal attached to it and you've got two ice-axes atached to your hands. Scared the sh!t out of me.

Absolutely ideal for those people who need syrup of figs.

Totalnewbie · May 2007

So the general consensus is that it's ok in cities?

Hmm, I'm still not confident about those trees along the cycle lane in Hyde Park!

They were also talking about hail, which I've never encountered on the bike but am imagining is rather painful.

Alcdrewcp · May 2007

Just bike near women, if you are a women don't bike in a bra and you'll be fine
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by http://www.orionlp.co.uk/info.html
LONDON - Two women were killed by a bolt of lightning in Hyde Park when their underwired bras acted as conductors, a coroner said Wednesday. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Totalnewbie · May 2007

I am a woman, but I suspect the steel bike might be a bigger problem than the bit of wire in my bra?!

And sorry guys but there will be no biking without bras in any case; not all bras have an underwire, none of my sports bras do...

jedster · May 2007

dsoutar,

I was on the top of a Pyrennean peak in an electric storm, just before the lightening start the metal summit cross started humming in a very odd way. We crawled off the the summit, ice axes stowed...

J

Totalnewbie · May 2007

Well after all that the sky is blue and I reckon I would have made it home before any rain. Blimmin weather forecast, why did I believe it...

Archcp · May 2007

But darn it, I'm just thinking about heading home and it's raining and I just heard thunder...[:(!]

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Archcp · May 2007

Oh, crap, it's chucking it down now! May hang on for a bit...

If I had a baby elephant, it could help me clean the car. If I had a car.

Totalnewbie · May 2007

Obviously hasn't made it down here yet Arch! I suppose I should scarper to the bus stop before it does...

Asterixcp · May 2007

There was a fantastic thunderstorm here last Friday night. At one point the flash of lightning and crack of thunder were simultaneous. I live in a caravan and it was like being in a drum, not only that but the zig unit under one bunk was emitting blue flashes and loud cracking noises. Disconnecting everything in sight cured it but I didn't feel any inclination to go on a bike ride to celebrate.

Next morning my rain gauge showed that 30mm of rain had fallen overnight. Fortunately, I am near the top of the hill not down in the valley[8D]

Pour vivre heureux, vivons le v‚lo..

Hairy Jock · May 2007

From my experence of two hours ago, the best place to be in a thunderstorm is sitting inside watching it through the window...

A hirsute Scotsman.

**************

Best advice I ever got was "better get a bike then"
Cycle commuting since 1994. Blog with cycle bits.

Thunder 'n' lightening

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