Ask the Amateur: 3

Hi, Amateur:

If you get struck by lightning on your bike, will the bike tires ground you? Can you survive?

Ugly Juice

Dear Juice:

Whoa, I had the same question! Being a complete amateur and a part-time moron, I thought that--as long as you held on to your rubber handlebars or did not touch metal--you were good to go. Wrong. According to the National Weather Service, you are literally toast if your bike gets struck by lightning, because it is thought of as a natural conductor.

Don't fret. Although you'll likely get struck by lightning before you win Powerball, you still have only a 1 in 600,000 chance of frying. If you are caught out in the open and on a bicycle, the best thing to do is get under a bridge or, get this, under high voltage power lines (but away from the metal tower). If you are out in the open with no bridge or high voltage power lines to protect you, then you should be desperate. As in, get off your bike, lay it down, and get into the "Lightning Desperation Position" (not to be confused with the Duck and Cover maneuver in the case of a nuclear bomb).

To illustrate, the National Weather Service provides a nice picture, and I've courteously swiped it and placed it here. Next time you are in a lightning storm but safely in your car, look carefully over at the side of the road and chances are you'll see a few dozen folks in this position.


Lightning Desperation Position