Do you ride in thunderstorms?

CarlS

CarlS

Member
OK, so my buddy has a little bikepacking trip scheduled for this weekend up around Cuyamaca / Mount Laguna / BLT area. I feel like I'm letting him down by not going. I'm worried about getting caught out there in the forecasted thunderstorms. Just the other week we were riding Skyline trail at Big bear and we got a taste of some thunder and lightening and I didn't really like it. Thing with bikepacking, there isn't really anywhere to go if you get caught out in it.

Anyone had a close call with lightening? I remember being in Colorado and it was hitting around the lake we were car camping at, we jumped in that car so fast. Gets a little freeky when there isn't much of a delay between the strike and boom.

So should I go anyway? am I being a wuss? I will be bummed if it turns out to just be a nice few sprinkles that knock the dust down.
 
I say GO! Just don't use your "selfie stick" during the storm!

Lightening_Caddyshack2.gif
 
I noticed you were a bit nervous about the nearby storm at Big Bear. That one never really threatened us, but it sure did freshen the air!

If Coloradans didn't ride because of fear of t-storms, they would never ride. Just be wary. If the time gap between the lightning and thunder gets narrow (<5 seconds), seek shelter among the rocks in a low spot, or in a dense forest. Do not seek shelter under sparse, lone or high trees or the tops of ridges. T-storms usually clear out quickly - 30 minutes or so. So Cal T-Storms are rare and probably disperse pretty quickly. What's scary is being on a high chairlift during a thunderstorm! Even though technically, you are not grounded and shouldn't conduct electricity, the lift itself is - and can - I think. Golfing in thunderstorms also gets a little scary - or a lot scary. I've been "tingled" by lightning once and it blackened the tip of my umbrella while golfing in CO. That was a bit close for comfort.

As for riding in San Diego with a slight chance of t-storms, I say go for it!!!!
 
Ah, the timing of this post! Greg and I were in Northstar last week when we got ONE run in before they shut the lifts down because of lightning. If there is not another strike within 30 minutes they'll start up the lift. Well that didn't happen so we decided to pedal up, up, up and take then ride down. On the way up, we did not see any lightning but heard several thunder claps in the vicinity but kept on going and had an absolute BLAST on the way down. Can you say a mountain all to yourself?
Afterwards we had the discussion if that was a wise move or not. Won't your rubber tires ground you? Reading a thread on MTBR looks like if you stay in the trees and not in the open you're safer.
So would I do it again ... you betcha.
 
Go for it Carl!!

Cuyamaca is a great place to ride - be sure to pick up some apple pie in Julian before heading home.
 
OK, since I officially derailed the trip with my fear of death by lightening strike, I guess I will try to re-motivate everyone to go again. I suppose I would rather risk thunderstorms than deal with summer heat up there.

and for the more cautious, some good reading and tips. Don't stand under trees, don't stand near rocks, or in meadows or lakes. wait, HUH? :? WTF? where am I supposed to hide from a thunderstorm???
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.backcountry.com/explore/sol-surviving-a-thunderstorm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.backcountry.com/explore/sol- ... understorm</a>

oh ok, here we go, here is a visual haha

900px-Avoid-Being-Struck-by-Lightning-When-Caught-Unawares-Step-3.jpg
 
This is one of those things that may not be resolved until you're on the bike. Personally, it would depend on the chance. I rode last weekend where the chance of thunderstorm was roughly 10% - in town. Up on the mountain it was higher, and I was kinda worried since I was almost the highest thing up there.

It's a very personal thing, but no, you're not a wuss for deciding not to go. I'd go with "prudent." 8-)
 
If the lightning is really far away, why so scared? 5 secs between lightning and thunder is a looooooong time. 2 seconds is even conservative. Arm yourself with knowledge and such irrational fear goes away. If it's close, then ya, take cover.

I have some rain gear and was excited to make use of it the last time it stormed. Too bad it was only about 30 minutes long, that or I outran it. The south wind gave me a nice tailwind for a good while, riding it for as long as I could. Managed to make it half way to Box Springs mtn from my door with that boost. Not too scared on the road, but out on open trails and being the tallest thing around is another thing.
 
Varaxis said:
If the lightning is really far away, why so scared? 5 secs between lightning and thunder is a looooooong time. 2 seconds is even conservative. Arm yourself with knowledge and such irrational fear goes away. If it's close, then ya, take cover.
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Lightning can and does arc from cloud to cloud to ground, covering 10 miles rather unexpectedly. Under 5 seconds is a good time to start making a plan, especially if it is moving your direction, or you are moving towards it.
 
The "old" saying, more chance of being hit by lightning than winning the lottery...

Puts a bit of perspective on it

(but people do win, and people do get hit)
 
5 seconds is roughly 5,500 feet - barely over a mile (yes, I know that the speed of sound varies with air density and temperature, but not enough variance for the purposes of this discussion). Lightning can and does travel sideways, and I wouldn't be taking that chance myself.
 
herzalot said:
Lightning can and does arc from cloud to cloud to ground, covering 10 miles rather unexpectedly. Under 5 seconds is a good time to start making a plan, especially if it is moving your direction, or you are moving towards it.
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If that's the case, then 5 seconds is too conservative. Better stay indoors or in your car if there's storms anywhere in a 10 mile radius. Reminds me of my school in NY, where walkers were held forever if thunder pretty much sounded at all. Had to wait like 30 minutes after the last thunder before they let us go.
 
My vote is go! If I stayed home each time I let my fears get the best of me, I would have missed out on a lot for no solid reason...
 
Nothing better...do it. You can smell the Ozone and the hairs on your arms will stand straight up. That is the time to ditch the bike and get all metal off your body. Stay away from wire fences and don't stand by the base of tall timber use the smaller tress to get out of the rain. If you hear thunder you are OK because if the lightening hits you...you won't hear it :idea: . Monsoonal rain and hail are to be experienced they are a treat that many will never get to experience. Me I go out of the way to ride in storms. Our local summer storms are nothing compared to some areas.

Ride enjoy use common sense don't be that one that misses out on the fun.

Dean
 
In the USAF, there's something that would pretty much ground every jet, evacuate most everyone on the flightline to hardened shelters, and it's not anything Russia, China, Korea, Iran, etc. can throw at us. It's "Lightning Within Five" (nautical miles).

Anyone remember the laser based lightning weapons, which use a laser to create a column of ionized air in which lightning travels down? <a class="postlink" href="http://www.wired.com/2009/04/armys-multimo-1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.wired.com/2009/04/armys-multimo-1/</a>
 
Living in Socal, my thought is - we have perfect weather 90% of the time, so I would rather just wait a few days or for another weekend and go bikepacking. I hear you Dean about cool experiences riding in storms. I have ridden in a bunch of them and it made for some memorable rides, but that is one thing on a day ride and something very different on a multi-day ride. I did enough rain riding living in BC, and it happens enough here unintended that I don't need to seek it out.

My original plan for this weekend was to ride in Wrightwood and Gabes leaving work early afternoon. I decided to pass when I saw lightning in the forecast, which is a good thing as I would have hit the massive traffic pileup for the fire on the 15 friday, and would have been unable to ride Wrightwood anyways.

Hope your bikepack went well (and safely) Carl!
 
I recommend a carbon fiber bike. They're much safer in a thunderstorm. Haha

I hope you stayed dry or at least had a fun, memorable trip.
 
evdog said:
Living in Socal, my thought is - we have perfect weather 90% of the time, so I would rather just wait a few days or for another weekend and go bikepacking. I hear you Dean about cool experiences riding in storms. I have ridden in a bunch of them and it made for some memorable rides, but that is one thing on a day ride and something very different on a multi-day ride. I did enough rain riding living in BC, and it happens enough here unintended that I don't need to seek it out.

My original plan for this weekend was to ride in Wrightwood and Gabes leaving work early afternoon. I decided to pass when I saw lightning in the forecast, which is a good thing as I would have hit the massive traffic pileup for the fire on the 15 friday, and would have been unable to ride Wrightwood anyways.

Hope your bikepack went well (and safely) Carl!
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Sounds like common sence to me, lot's of flash flooding going on in Wrightwood, this storm is awesome but no need to ride in it for three days. 8-)
 
My teenage daughter was at her equestrian show yesterday & today, in San Juan Capistrano. I had seriously considered taking my road bike and having a good time. The lightning in the area made me glad I didn't. I really have no desire to be a carbonized life form. :shock:
 
SoCal_Rider said:
I recommend a carbon fiber bike. They're much safer in a thunderstorm. Haha

I hope you stayed dry or at least had a fun, memorable trip.
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Even a carbon bike still has metal. When I was a kid growing up in Nor-Cal one of the kids I went to school with was hit by lightening while playing baseball. He lived but they blamed the strike on the metal button on top of his baseball cap and his metal cleats on his shoes.

Dean
 
Back when my sister was a CSO at UCLA two of her coworkers were killed by a lightning strike. It started drizzling and they went outside to bring their clothes inside. The lighting struck the clothes line and that's pretty much it.

I'm sure there are tons of factors that can contribute to the likeliness of being struck by lightning. I'm not sure how Roy Sullivan got struck 7 times in his life, but perhaps some people just attract it?
 
SoCal mountains in late summer = afternoon rain and lightning.

A hiking experience I'll aways remember was atop San Gorgonio. When we summited, we could see across to San Jacinto. Hikers there were flashing us with mirrors. Soon the clouds descended between us and it began raining in the valley. Before long, we were getting rain and lightning. It was AMAZINGLY cool. We stuck around for a while to marvel in the wonder, then bailed to lower altitudes.
 
Well,Carls,I had the experience riding in thunderstorms,It has proved to be an awful descision. :( So we're not wusses for deciding not to go.Confident and professional sometimes won't stop accidents.I perfer think twice and go with "cautious".
 
Well, we went for it:
http://www.imtbtrails.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2727

I have to admit I was nervous about the lightening on Day two when we rode into the storm. It was one final loud clap of thunder right overhead and just pouring, buckets and buckets of rain that turned us around back to the car.

I guess, there comes a time to choose between having an adventure and winning a Darwin award. lucky for us, it was all just adventure this time...
 
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I didn't even see a single raindrop, as it was likely too warm. I could only just hear the thunder. Was actually getting excited, since it's rare weather and I could put my raincoat to use, but I only got to play in a bit of wind.
 
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#rainorshinetrailtime

Never miss it! NEVER
image.jpg

poppin, crackin, dumpin, sunnin, ridin....

Jah, please let me go doing what I love, if it be by lightning, leave my ashes in a pile so my wife can spread them where I love/live....!

Amen
 
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