Summer thunderstorms on the horizon?

There’s a storm and you are on the bike. The question is what to do in such a situation? Isolate the tires? Is the metal frame of the bike attract lightning? Or on the contrary, does it even divert lightning? Question after question, and the Eurobike team have the answers.

A metal bike does not attract lightning, but the metal has a conductive effect. Unlike a car, a bike is not a Faraday cage. Unfortunately, the rubber tires do not protect you. Therefore: as soon as a thunderstorm begins, keep at least 10m away from the bike. If lightning actually strikes, it spreads across the floor and you could be injured.

Measure the distance of the thunderstorm: It is important to count the seconds between lightning and thunder. Divide the number by three to get the distance of the thunderstorm in kilometres. Why is this so? Quite simply: the sound propagates at a speed of 333 metres per second, i.e. around one kilometre in three seconds.

The best shelters during thunderstorms are reinforced concrete houses or bridges. These act as lightning rods and you will be safe. If you are cycling in open terrain, quickly move away from the bike and look for the lowest point. There you should take a protective posture: arms over your head, crouch down and wait. Please avoid freestanding trees in the forest! The same applies in the forest as in an open area: search for a point as deep as possible.

• If in doubt, always pack rain protection. Functional clothing is also easy to store and can really protect you when it pours.
• Waterproof overshoes not only ensure comfortably warm feet, they also protect against wetness and fight the cold.
• A new bike is good and beautiful, but you should be particularly careful with new bike tires. They can be very slippery at first and should definitely be tried out in good weather.

• Pay attention to the road surface! Rain and street dust as well as mossy forest floor can have slippery spots – there’s a risk of falling!
• Even though there’s water all around you – don’t forget to hydrate. Because even when water is falling from above, the body loses fluid through physical exertion. And you should replace it sufficiently.

If you are able to interpret the language of the clouds you have a clear advantage. For then rain and wind have no chance to spoil your cycling tour unexpectedly.

Clouds in all altitudes:

• Nimbostratus clouds: typically grey rain- or snow clouds, which appear dark underneath.
• Cumulus clouds: dense, radiant white water-clouds, dark underneath. They feature  clear boundaries. If they form around midday and dissolve in the evening, it remains sunny. However if they appear in the morning or in the evening, the weather often gets worse.
• Cumulonimbus clouds: large, thick cumulus clouds hulking up. They are known as the classic thunderstorm clouds.

High clouds: 5 to 13 kilometres

• Cirrus- or feathery clouds: thin, fuzzy clouds consisting of ice crystals, quite often announce a warm front with rain.
• Cirrocumulus clouds: white, thin ice crystal-clouds, often promising a mighty thunderstorm.
• Cirrostratus clouds: usually cover the entire sky and shroud the sun like a veil. 36 hours later you can expect rain.

Medium height clouds:  2 to 7 kilometres

• Altocumulus- or fleecy clouds: white or grey wave-like clouds consisting of little droplets of water, indicating consistent weather conditions.
• Altostratus clouds: clouds expanding over a wide reach and getting thicker, so that you are unable to see the sun. They bring heavy rain or snowfalls.

Low clouds: up to 2 kilometres

• Stratocumuli: thick grey or white stratus clouds, where the sky partly filters through. They indicate improved weather conditions and cooling.
• Stratus clouds: form a consistent grey layer and announce bad weather.