Lightning

Chinley Churner

Out last night on top of hill on a steel framed bike in a thunderstorm...... started wondering about the safety implications.. thoughts?

MountainMonster

Surely you would be ok because the tires are rubber and that would ground it? No scientist by any means though.

cooldad

Think rubber tyres would do the opposite - not ground the bike, so no circuit, and no electrocution. Don't put you feet down.
Thin tyres though, could easily spark and ground anyway.
Never heard of anyone being struck though. Keep moving and outrun the lightning

Miggins

Probably not much different to if you were out walking with rubber-soled footwear. Just avoid open spaces and high places (like the top of a hill :shock: ) where you might end up being the highest point.

shm_uk

MountainMonster wrote:

Surely you would be ok because the tires are rubber and that would ground it? No scientist by any means though.

:shock:

If the lightning current can get from the sky to you, surely it can get from you or your bike a few inches to the ground ?

bluechair84

I don't thinka few inches of rubber is going to protect you. What you need however is a faraday cage which will allow the electricity to travel around you - maybe you could climb inside the main triangle? Gwon, give it a go and report back!

the science bit

weren't in Lincoln by any chace? Thunderstorm here yesterday was immense

bails87

shm_uk wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Surely you would be ok because the tires are rubber and that would ground it? No scientist by any means though.

:shock:

If the lightning current can get from the sky to you, surely it can get from you or your bike a few inches to the ground ?

Damn, beat me to it.

It's like starting a riot and then, when they get the water cannon out saying "pah, it can't hurt me, I've got my pac-a-mac on so I won't get wet"!

Miggins

bluechair84 wrote:

the science bit

:shock: B*gger that!!

Northwind

Ride with a more conductive mate.

Or alternatively, get off the hill. UK doesn't really do massive thunderstorms but we got told in France "If it looks even remotely like it's going to thunder, we get down out of the mountains as fast as possible, no discussion", then one night I saw one of their storms and realised why. One of the summits we rode across down closer to the plains was just covered in lightning-blasted tree corpses. Cool but a wee bit alarming.

ride_whenever

F@RRR

cooldad wrote:

outrun the lightning

but only if you can pedal at 270000 mph

jayson

F@RRR wrote:

cooldad wrote:

outrun the lightning

but only if you can pedal at 270000 mph

To equal the speed of light u would need to be travelling at 670,615,200 mph which even with a big 52 tooth ring is gon take some doin......

bluechair84

Northwind wrote:

Ride with a more conductive mate.

Squirt him with water then walk away?

Northwind

That'll work even better if you use an electrolyte drink in your camelbak, salty water conducts better. So that's that sorted out then.

supersonic

Aluminium conducts better that steel ;-)

thel33ter

jayson wrote:

F@RRR wrote:

cooldad wrote:

outrun the lightning

but only if you can pedal at 270000 mph

To equal the speed of light u would need to be travelling at 670,615,200 mph which even with a big 52 tooth ring is gon take some doin......

Phhhht, easy with this chainring

bails87

thel33ter wrote:

jayson wrote:

F@RRR wrote:

cooldad wrote:

outrun the lightning

but only if you can pedal at 270000 mph

To equal the speed of light u would need to be travelling at 670,615,200 mph which even with a big 52 tooth ring is gon take some doin......

Phhhht, easy with this chainring

Pah, that looks like my granny ring!

phoenixliston

yeah you need to not be the most attractive (and highest) ppoint of conduction..

slowslowslow

I would have thought you do not need to travel at 670,615,200 mph. just count the time between hearing thunder and seeing lightning. If its very close together get the hell out of there.

we have a Van de Graph generator at school and regularly charge kids up. We have to make them stand on a big chunk of polystyrene suggesting shoes may not be enough. In that case don't rely on tyres. just ride with your finger permanently on your mate, then any charge will go onto him..

gtd.

perfect excuse for buying a carbon fiber bike 8)

How is swmbo to know that carbon fibre conducts electricity

kaytronika

I recall back in the day, one of the mountain bike magazines addressed this... and said something like

'Before your bike is about to be struck by lightning it will start to vibrate, if this happens put the bike down and walk away... If it actually does happen you'll do this without thinking anyway'

Maybe not true but it made me giggle.

rudedog

kaytronika wrote:

I recall back in the day, one of the mountain bike magazines addressed this... and said something like

'Before your bike is about to be struck by lightning it will start to vibrate, if this happens put the bike down and walk away... If it actually does happen you'll do this without thinking anyway'

Maybe not true but it made me giggle.

'walk' away?

Buckled_Rims

Also, don't hide under a tree as if lightening hits it, the sap vapourises and explodes.

Anonymous

slowslowslow wrote:

I would have thought you do not need to travel at 670,615,200 mph. just count the time between hearing thunder and seeing lightning. If its very close together get the hell out of there.

we have a Van de Graph generator at school and regularly charge kids up. We have to make them stand on a big chunk of polystyrene suggesting shoes may not be enough. In that case don't rely on tyres. just ride with your finger permanently on your mate, then any charge will go onto him..

Erm, you do realise that lightning comes first, BEFORE the thunder, right?
(I'll leave it at that, really)

Valy

Northwind wrote:

Ride with a more conductive mate.

Or alternatively, get off the hill. UK doesn't really do massive thunderstorms but we got told in France "If it looks even remotely like it's going to thunder, we get down out of the mountains as fast as possible, no discussion", then one night I saw one of their storms and realised why. One of the summits we rode across down closer to the plains was just covered in lightning-blasted tree corpses. Cool but a wee bit alarming.

Your post needs moar pics.
_____________________________

Tires.. shoes - yeah but what if by any chance it might be raining during the lighting? According to my calcualshuns and associates, that is probable enough to bring up in this discussion.

Anonymous

Valy wrote:

Your post needs moar pics.

here ya go, lightning in the alps.




And just in case somebody is still wondering, NO, tyres and rubber soled shoes will NOT save you. There is enough voltage to jump a HUGE gap from the sky to the earth, the puny distance of your tyres or shoes will do NOTHING to save you.

joshtp

pah, Lightening cant hurt me. I ride a hardtail.

Valy

I was talking of the trees - shots of the trees that have been struck with lighting.

... and to be fair, it's the current that will do harm by going through you, not the voltage - big or small.

Anonymous

Valy wrote:

I was talking of the trees - shots of the trees that have been struck with lighting.

... and to be fair, it's the current that will do harm by going through you, not the voltage - big or small.

It's the voltage that causes the current to jump across gaps. The higher the voltage, the larger the gap it can cross.

But, like Joshtp points out, he's fine because he rides a hardtail. Hardtail riders are obviously immune.

Valy

I know about jumping voltages. Get effing wild when you put on some techno music.