Biker395 

OK, so here is one memory.

We had pretty good weather throughout the ride until we emerged from the Rockies and got into the Great Plains. The area we were riding through was skirting the Dust Bowl, and boy could you tell. There were few farmhouses or anything in the area whatsoever.

We were doing 2-person teams doing 30 minute pulls for 4 hours, then resting/sleeping for 4 hours while the other 2 person team were out riding. We had made it to just outside Kim, Colorado, and the RV was waiting for the riders to get to our position. They had a pretty good tailwind and were coming fast.

We had seen the weather reports and knew that the wind would change and that thunderstorms and even possibly tornadoes were in the offing. I wanted to get moving, but all we could do was wait.





Finally, Teresa and Steve made it to our position, and it was time to get on the bike. The wind had turned to more of a headwindy crosswind by that time, and we were getting little drops of rain by then, but it wasn't a problem. But as we took our turns and it got darker, we could see a lot of lightning flashing in the clouds around us.

The sun had set and I was out riding in front of the follow van. Frankly, I was concerned. The lightning had intensified to the point where the flashing was more or less constant, and to my right maybe a few miles. I know that riding out in lightning storms is dangerous, even when the lightning appears to be far away, so I kept looking over my right shoulder to see if it was getting any closer. The lightning appeared to be going from cloud-to-cloud instead of hitting the ground, but if it started striking the ground, I was going to hop into the van.

And of course, it did exactly that. I heard a honk behind me. Apparently, the follow van saw that too and decided it was best to pull me in. Frankly, I was grateful ... I really wasn't comfortable riding out there in an electric storm.

We radioed ahead to the other van to tell them we were waiting it out, and they drove back to our position. We also got a radio transmission from the RV ... ahead a few miles. They told us they had just gone through a storm with marble-sized hail.

And what a light show. The flashing was so consistent, you could not miss getting a picture of it. It was intense and consistent, and yes, it was striking the ground. All we could do was wait for it to pass.



The First Lightning Storm

Finally, it appeared to move on and it was time to get back on the bike. Outside, it was windy, a little drizzly, and there was a charge in the air. I really didn't want to go out, but it appeared to be reasonably safe. The other van passed ahead of us and headed to the next point where we would switch ... a town called Pritchart, CO. I saw the van make a long right turn and head toward the town.

The flashing on our right had moved on, but there was now a lot of lightning activity in front of us. The sky was utterly black, and except for the frequent lightning strikes, you could see nothing at all except the road directly in front of you. Off in the distance, there was a black cloud with lightning flashing behind it. As I approached the town, there were four hulking grain silos ... invisible between flashes, but their sinister shadows appearing against the lightning with each flash. There was also a single lit window at the top of each grain silo. Pedaling toward them and the lightning in the gathering storm had a definite nightmarish quality to it.



I got to the town and we made the transition. Steve then took over for his 30 minute pull. I noticed there was now a lightning cell on our left. Again, it appeared to be some distance away, and the lightning didn't appear to be reaching the ground. But as the 30 minutes went on, the lightning came closer and closer, and I could see ground strikes.

Now it was my turn again. OMG, I did not want to go out on that bike. I resolved that if lightning came at all close, I was going to take refuge in the van.

I pushed off and started riding, all the while looking at the lightning on my left. It appeared to be getting closer and closer until I could see it strike the ground 1-2 miles away.

Then, the wind changed direction by 90 degrees. That was it for me. I pulled over and told the support crew that I was getting off the bike. Too dangerous.

They agreed. We put the bike on the van and hulked down to wait it out. We got a few drops, then a lot of drops, then hail. Then the hail got intense. Lightning was flashing all around us and it was hard to see. Mindful of the fact that they had marble sized hail earlier in the evening, we decided to head for shelter. That wasn't easy as the rain was so intense, it was hard to tell the road from the prairie.




Heading for cover


We got to nearby Springfield and took cover under and awning of a gas station. It had been closed, but they reopened for the cars on the highway taking refuge from the hail. It was a good 40 minutes until the storm passed over, and by then, our 4 hour pull time was up and it was time for Steve and Teresa to take over. It was wet, but the lightning had passed and was now heading away from us into the distance. So they got their rain gear on and headed out into the dark ....