So, do bikes attract lightning, and what is your risk level if you are outside on a bicycle when thunder and lightning starts?<\/p>\n\n\n
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1. What “Attracts” Lightning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The height of an object, whether it is a pointy shape, and how isolated it is are the dominant factors controlling where a lightning bolt will hit. Mountains, for example, are a common target, as are lone trees and telegraph poles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is because the current will often seek the easiest route to ground, so targeting taller or solitary objects means it has less distance to travel. However, there is no guarantee that they will take preference\u2014lightning is indiscriminate and often unpredictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many people believe that anything metallic is a likely target for a lightning bolt to come into contact with. However, the presence of metal actually has little effect on where lightning will strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While metal has no effect on where <\/em>lightning will strike, it does still act as a conductor, so if a metallic object (such as a bike) is struck, the lightning will most definitely make contact with the ground and cause damage to the object and anything it is in contact with. This is why it is dangerous to be in contact with metal if it is struck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given this information, a bicycle will not specifically attract lightning or be any more of a target than a tree, telegraph pole or other object in the vicinity, but it is most certainly not safe just because something taller or larger is nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As lightning is more likely to hit a higher point to seek the easiest route to the ground, you are at more risk if you\u2019re cycling on a hill or mountain. If you are in a very sparse, open and flat area with not much else around, there may be an increased risk that your bike will be a target too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to lightning being so unpredictable, as soon as a storm with thunder begins, action should be taken to keep yourself as safe as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, cyclists have been struck by lightning on occasion, but there isn\u2019t necessarily proof that it was because they were on a bike, and indeed, many instances have actually occurred when the cyclist has taken shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anybody outdoors during a thunderstorm can potentially be struck, with casualties much higher during the summer months when outdoor activities are on the rise (and people are more likely to be outdoors cycling).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three siblings in Maidenhead were struck when sheltering from a storm under a tree in 2021<\/a>, for example. There are plenty of stories of near-misses too. The samy year, a trio of cyclists narrowly avoided being struck by lightning when riding down an outback street<\/a> in Australia, with dashcam footage from a fellow oncoming cyclist showing just how close they were to being hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Do Bikes Attract Lightning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Has a Cyclist Ever Been Struck by Lightning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n