Where To Seek Shelter During A Thunderstorm?

In times like that and I was on the road, of course I would pull over to a place with awning like a small store. But if I can find a shelter like a gas station or a convenience store, that's the best place to go when there is a thunderstorm. Lightning is no joke here because last year there were countless incidents of lightning killing people in the fields.

It is rare to be hit by lightning. It is difficult to be hit. Cars are out in storms and drivers don't worry.

Laying in a ditch is always helpful. But I don't think it is necessary.

My irrational fear says to go indoors if possible.

Get into a ditch. It may be wet and uncomfortable but better than the alternative. Cars are essentially Faraday cages and perfectly safe in a thunderstorm.

I ain't going to a ditch, Campy Bob may already be there but seriously why would you go out with all the great forecasting available. Accurate???Maybe not totally but don't go out with the big orange stuff on the horizon.

Viking55803 said:

Get into a ditch. It may be wet and uncomfortable but better than the alternative. Cars are essentially Faraday cages and perfectly safe in a thunderstorm.

Cars and bicyclists rarely get hit by lightning. (Only 300 people die each year from lightning strikes in the US. So it is difficult to get hit.) That is the most important fact.

It appears a ditch is may not be a great place to be. (I was wrong to suggest it.) But I don't see the risk as great enough to need any action.

My opinion may not be popular, but I would opt to keep riding until I found proper shelter.

Duck and cover for the duration of the storm will leave you exposed in the elements much longer. I would rather spend 10 or 20 minutes busting ass than an hour in a half squat and hypothermic in the ditch. With the downdraft tailwind and adrenaline rush of a storm bearing down on you, ground gets covered quickly.

Odds of being hit by a strike are extremely low, the bigger risk is having a car ride off the road into you hiding in the ditch or being eaten by hungry wildlife.

If things get really hairy, like hairs standing on your neck then maybe its time to cop an anti-electrostatic squat.

The best course of action is to be cognizant of the weather, most storms give plenty of advance warning before they strike.

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It can be motivating - I had a couple of memorable rides outrunning or avoiding, and a couple more caught in them.

Unless it is really violent weather, pack your Frog Toggs and ride it out - rain rides can be quite the rush.

Statistics don't mean much when your the crispy, smelly ex-life form laying along side the road. I keep riding and count off the distance from the strikes. When you're sniffing ozone it's time to get into Maydog's squat and pray to the God of your choice.

Lightning ain't no joke. Like the fist of an angry God, my barn was smote and everything in it burned to the ground. The strike was so powerful a neighbor 3/4-mile or more to the South of reflexively jumped away from the farm tractor he was working on.

You need not to go cycling if you suspect that it is going to rain. Contact your local meteorological department nor advice or you download a weather app for your phone. The app will show you that day's weather conditions in your area.

True, lightning isn't a joking matter, nor are extremely violent windstorms or large hail or extreme temps or extreme winter weather - anything else is rideable with the right gear.

You can't go through life afraid of a little rain or a moderate thunderstorm - sweat the big stuff, not the little things.

Lightning is not the only danger in a thunderstorm. Sudden wind gusts could push you over before you have a chance to respond and adjust our balance. I would say do not ride out in the country if there are possible thunderstorms in the forecast. Look into new routes that will keep you within a short distance of shelters. It may not be as nice a ride as your fair weather routes, but you can still get the exercise you want without taking unnecessary risks.

Just bring a rain jacket in hand if you venture out when its cloudy or if it would be raining later that day.

An old Guy said:

It is rare to be hit by lightning. It is difficult to be hit. Cars are out in storms and drivers don't worry.

Laying in a ditch is always helpful. But I don't think it is necessary.

My irrational fear says to go indoors if possible.

Cars are different. Unless it's a convertible, the occupants are shielded by the metal body and frame, which conducts the current around the interior and discharges it harmlessly to the ground. It's what scientists call a Faraday cage.

Contrary to what many believe, the rubber tires offer no protection. In fact, modern car tires are a composite of rubber and other materials, including carbon fiber.

mpre53 said:

Cars are different. Unless it's a convertible, the occupants are shielded by the metal body and frame, which conducts the current around the interior and discharges it harmlessly to the ground. It's what scientists call a Faraday cage.

Contrary to what many believe, the rubber tires offer no protection. In fact, modern car tires are a composite of rubber and other materials, including carbon fiber.

True, it is called "skin effect". Most people do not realize that electrical particles travel on the outside of a conductor. That is one reason stranded wire is used it can carry more current sine it has more surface area. On the other hand static electricity such as lighting does not need a conductor to travel and that is why it is dangerous. Men in Florida are more likely to be hit by lightning.