Understanding the weather...

[Arch]

Just one correction to something said above, about lightning. Don't lie down if caught in the open. Crouch, on the balls of your feet. You want as little surface area contact with the ground as possible. And tuck your head down as low as you can. If you can stand you bike up a little way away, all the better, as it'll be taller than you.

Your tyres will do nothing to insulate you. A lightning bolt has jumped hundreds of metres through the air, an inch of rubber won't hinder it.


I have been caught out, coming over the Trough of Bowland, moorland with nothing higher than a fence for miles, except me. When the lightning appeared to be coming down in the field to my left, I jumped off, propped the bike on its kickstand and crouched down, having a vague recollection that that was the thing to do. The next flash appeared to be in the field to my right....

When I got home, I made a point of looking up the correct thing to do, and was glad to find I'd been right.

 

[ufkacbln]

 

[byegad]

One thing to add, which may be more a motorcyclist thing, as well as the paint, whitelines overbanding mentioned above, keep an eye out for those "rainbows" on the road, that is a sign of oil / diesel, particularly corners and roundabouts

This is one advantage of the wet weather, you can see the damn stuff, in the dry its nigh on invisible.

Whatever the weather I take greater care on any roundabouts with petrol stations nearby, the amount of small fuel spills caused by vehicles filling to the brim and the overflowing as they go round a roundabout is stupidly high

Good point. Riding three wheels has made me complacent.

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

Even if lightening strikes close to you, you may not feel your best afterwards - a fine famous example HERE

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

Oh, and my favourite weather phenomenon - sundogs - you probably never noticed them before, but you'll be looking for them from now on.

I love the weather

 

[davefb]

Oh, and my favourite weather phenomenon - sundogs - you probably never noticed them before, but you'll be looking for them from now on.

I love the weather

/like

 

[stevieboy378]

Oh, and my favourite weather phenomenon - sundogs - you probably never noticed them before, but you'll be looking for them from now on.

I love the weather

My favourite weather phenomenon - the Brocken Spectre :

 

[Matthames]

My favourite weather phenomenon - the Brocken Spectre :

Knowing the physics behind various optical phenomenon they don't take you by surprise, you instinctively know when to expect them and actually go looking for them. I can spot a rainbow without even having to look for it, plus I know exactly where to look for it when I want to see it.

For me personally, I don't find the colours in a rainbow that fascinating, I am interested in the part of a rainbow most people don't even notice much. A rainbow is usually accompanied by another bow which is the exact opposite. Between the primary and secondary bow there is a dark band and in the middle of the arc of the primary bow everything is lighter. The dark band is called Alexander's dark band and is produced because light cannot be reflected back to the viewer at a certain angle.

Sun dogs can be used as a rather crude weather forecasting observation. If you see sun dogs in the west you can sure as bet that the day after it would be chucking it down.

 

[summerdays]

Knowing the physics behind various optical phenomenon they don't take you by surprise, you instinctively know when to expect them and actually go looking for them. I can spot a rainbow without even having to look for it, plus I know exactly where to look for it when I want to see it.

For me personally, I don't find the colours in a rainbow that fascinating, I am interested in the part of a rainbow most people don't even notice much. A rainbow is usually accompanied by another bow which is the exact opposite. Between the primary and secondary bow there is a dark band and in the middle of the arc of the primary bow everything is lighter. The dark band is called Alexander's dark band and is produced because light cannot be reflected back to the viewer at a certain angle.

Sun dogs can be used as a rather crude weather forecasting observation. If you see sun dogs in the west you can sure as bet that the day after it would be chucking it down.

Observing the weather gradually builds your knowledge as well ... I can be in my house and notice the change in light levels that often indicates that its about to rain ... and usually rush out trying to save my washing before it starts within a minutes (seconds) of me noticing the fall in light levels.

I must admit I love a double rainbow and usually watch out for it if the rain is heavy enough - last good one I was on the motorway in August unfortunately as you could almost see the complete arch.

 

[jimboalee]

Observing the weather gradually builds your knowledge as well ... I can be in my house and notice the change in light levels that often indicates that its about to rain ... and usually rush out trying to save my washing before it starts within a minutes (seconds) of me noticing the fall in light levels.

I must admit I love a double rainbow and usually watch out for it if the rain is heavy enough - last good one I was on the motorway in August unfortunately as you could almost see the complete arch.

That's bloody good going to see Arch.

 

[Jaguar]

The worst winds are cross-winds for the potential to blow you into the path of traffic.

It's always windy here, on the east coast. I hate it, hate it. The prevailing wind is southerly, but every few days (or even mid-ride) it switches round to northerly.


I've only been brought down once by a white line:
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDHq_Jop_k8



I've cycled in thunderstorms too; the advice I read re: lightning is to lie down in the road

 

[Willo]

Being quite fascinated by the weather, somehow this thread passed me by so will have a good read. In the meantime, and dumbing down the discussion, is it just me or is a wind always a bloomin head wind . I went out for a spin this morning, 20 miles but the first time I'd done anything over my 6 mile commute since my holiday over a month back. I was a little worried when I set off with it being pretty windy, and my fears were confirmed about 7 miles in I was really suffering. Thing was I went in a long loop and whatever direction I faced the wind was coming at me; the best it got was a kind of diagonal head on but headwind it remained Anyway, I battled on and wasn't much slower than usual but the legs certainly felt the workout.

 

[jimboalee]

The wind was 14 mph this morning. I was riding at 17 to 18 mph. At some parts of my ride, there was just a faint whisp on my face. A 3 to 4 mph whisp.

On my return this evening, the wind was still at 14ish mph. I was at 14 to 15 mph, so on those 'head on' sections, there was a 29 mph whisp on my face.

 

[darth vadar]

Another fascinating thread.

I started reading it and then couldn't stop!

Lots of people trying to do their best to be more 'intellectual' that the previous contributor.

I know that the weather is the most talked about topic in the UK, but does it really warrant four pages of mind numbing nonsense.

The weather is easy to understand. You look out the window or poke your nose out the front door. If its raining or cold you wear something waterproof or warm, and if its nice and sunny you wear a tee shirt and shorts!! If you aren't sure, then stick a coat, a jumper or a pair of long pants in a bag and carry it with you.

It seems to have worked for me for the last 40+ years.

 

[jimboalee]

Another fascinating thread.

I started reading it and then couldn't stop!

Lots of people trying to do their best to be more 'intellectual' that the previous contributor.

I know that the weather is the most talked about topic in the UK, but does it really warrant four pages of mind numbing nonsense.

The weather is easy to understand. You look out the window or poke your nose out the front door. If its raining or cold you wear something waterproof or warm, and if its nice and sunny you wear a tee shirt and shorts!! If you aren't sure, then stick a coat, a jumper or a pair of long pants in a bag and carry it with you.

It seems to have worked for me for the last 40+ years.

"stick a coat, a jumper or a pair of long pants in a bag and carry it with you." & "mind numbing nonsense".

Says it all.