Inside a thunderstorm with bicycle lightning: here’s what to do (and what not to do!)

With this unpredictable weather it is not uncommon to find yourself inside a thunderstorm with lightning on a bicycle. Both on the road and on mountain trails, and just like for any excursion, lightning and thunder must sound like a bell of alarm and danger: lightning in fact tends to strike the ground as directly as possible and, due to a physical law, strikes the objects that stand out the most. And riding our bicycle, under certain conditions, that object could be us.

Thunderstorm with bicycle lightning: here’s what to do

If we are caught in a thunderstorm with lightning when we are cycling the first thing to do is to move away from whatever object soars upwards: trees, if we’re pedaling in the open countryside in the mountains, summit crosses if we’re with our MTB, light poles if we’re along a road, antennas and any artifact that soars upwards. And likewise if we are on a hill or on a ridge we must descend as soon as possible, and certainly before thunder and lightning begin.If, on the other hand, we are that object that soars, we must find a place to take shelter and if this isn’t there, because we are for example in the open countryside or in a vast clearing, squat down and curl up, covering our heads with our hands. Certainly not lying down on the ground and not taking shelter with an umbrella.

Is it possible to continue pedaling during a thunderstorm?

The answer is already no from the previous point, but there is also another aspect to consider: it is not true that bicycle tires insulate from electric shocks of lightning, because the dielectric property of the tires is too low to guarantee us protection, even more so because they are also wet.
Then there is another aspect to consider, namely that bike frames and metal parts might just attract lightningand the ability to attract them is even greater for carbon frames, which if hit would literally explode into many small fragments.

So if you see a storm coming, or you can already see thunder and lightning in the distance, the first thing to do is find shelter, better if a block of flats or a building, in any case, stay away from metal objects, including your bike, and if there is no cover, crouch. Mirrors of water should be absolutely avoided in the illusion that lightning does not strike them: the opposite is true, namely that water strongly attracts them.
If you need to ask for help, smartphones and mobile phones are safe because they are wirelessand therefore there is no risk of receiving an electric shock in the appliance.

READ ALSO: Thunderstorm in the mountains: the risks absolutely not to be run

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