perspiration

I don't know if anyone here has a death wish or special attachment to riding in heavy storms, but I've had a few really exhiliarating experiences lately that make me want to ride more. Not to say that my parents are very happy about this.


A few weeks back we had tornado-level storms come through my suburban area on a Tuesday night. It just so happens that Tuesday night is trivia night at the local pub (Ballydoyle's in Downer's Grove for anyone by me) and trivia simply can not be missed. My dad had the TV to the weather channel which was blaring red danger zones all over where we live, but my friend and I asserted that we would make it to the bar, no problem.

We hit the pavement pedaling like madmen and made it about half a mile before the wind started blowing....HARD. and in circular motions. And then the rain hit. I almost got blown straight off my bike while zooming down a hill, which was my first "oh shiii" moment. We pedaled furiously through the downpour and wind, making decent time, but visibility was quickly reduced to a few feet in front of us.

My 2nd "oh shi-" moment came when we hit the downtown area of DG and the streetlights went out and then the houselights across the street went out as well. It was about here that I hit the drops and really started going, but I didn't have enough time to react before a branch fell on top of me. Only the very crown and small branches hit me, but this thing was BIG. A foot to the left and I would've been really hurt...my buddy behind me said this thing was at least 15-20 feet long coming off of the tree. About here I couldn't see my friend anymore, so I ignored the pieces of sheet metal whipping around the air and turned around, doing a few laps before I saw him pull up and we sprinted into the bar, soaking and pumping with adrenaline.

It turns out a tornado touched down not two blocks south of where we were right then.

Now am I an idiot? Certainly, but I'd like to think a little brave as well. I mean, wow, did I feel alive after that.

There was another severe storm this morning while I was riding to work, and while it had a few hairy moments (rain water knocking my right contact out of place, momentary blindness) it was still a lot of fun. I love thunderstorms and seeing lightning strikes and the whole sheer tempestuous beauty of the thing.


tl;dr
Has anyone else ever had severe weather experiences, and if you have, did you enjoy them?

lostarchitect 

I've never been in truly severe weather on a bicycle, but I have been in bad stuff several times on a motorcycle. Torrential downpours are bad, but it's not the wetness or the slippery road that's the real problem. The problem is that you can't see squat. The visor fogs up if it's down, and if it's up you're getting blasted in the face. No win. But the scariest thing I've encountered is wind. Wind is terrifying, especially when intermittent. It can easily blow you into another lane and straight into oncoming traffic. Be careful out there!

Chris_in_Miami

This doesn't really compare to a tornado story (and you're completely nuts by the way,) but here's mine: I was leading a group ride a few years ago and rode about 12 to the starting point in darkening skies. It started raining about a mile from the start, and when I arrived the other riders were waiting out the rain under a shelter. After 15 minutes or so, I said "to he!! with it, let's ride!" and we got about 2 miles before the lightning began. It was pretty hairy for a few miles with the lightning and a downpour, but we finished the intended route in reasonably good time and had a blast!

I wouldn't ordinarily lead a risky ride with a group of riders, but I knew these folks and they're a hearty bunch.

Keith K

I am currently on vacation in Bohol Philippines. Last week I was on a bike ride when I noticed an ominous black cloud approaching. I passed by a small wooden waiting shed and someone yelled at me to turn around, but I kept going. A few minutes later, I saw people running out of the rice fields and heading in the opposite direction I was heading. I decided I had better turn around and follow them. Unfortunately, I was too late and got belted with a deluge of rain. I made it back to the waiting shed to hear about how I should have stopped when they yelled at me. They also had some "Tuba" or coconut wine to share. Rain lasted about an hour. Just long enough for the Tuba to wear off. Fortunately I was on a MTB, so the muddy ride home wasn't a big issue.

Northwestrider

I've had some great rides in heavy rain. But near a tornado !! Sorry I would not enjoy a ride where mere luck, not handling skill kept me injury free.

truman

I had a similar ride with a friend a couple years back, except it was at a local mtb trail. We wanted to get some riding in before predicted storms hit, but wound up getting caught out, menaced by lots of falling branches, then quarter sized hail with 1-3 second flash-to-bang-time lightning, then sheets and buckets of rain and shifting winds, before we made it back to his truck and the beer. The clouds overhead were clearly swirling at a couple of points, and I very nearly jumped into a ditch to hang onto a pipe railing that bounds the park we were in - the lightning convinced me to keep going.

Turns out that a small-medium sized tornado skipped right past us and tossed some roofs and fences around in nearby Flower Mound, TX. Driving home later, I had to get out and clear a 10 foot trampoline from the road that blew in from somewhere - there were no homes or yards within a 1/4 mile of it.

When I got home, I learned that I really should have turned my phone back on and called in. I had turned it off when the rain started. My Beloved Redhead knew about the storms had been calling for an hour and was freaked right out.

Tundra_Man 

I too have had my worst storm experiences on a motorcycle. Got to see a tornado form in a field about 1/4 mile from me. Another time I had a weird updraft attempt to pull me straight up off the bike, and darn near succeed. I really thought I was going down that day.

I don't run a full-face helmet, so I'm used to getting blasted in the face. Feels like a billion needles hitting you. My motorcycle has a windshield though, and once that gets covered with rain it becomes near-impossible to see through it so I too run into vision problems. One would think that the wind would blow all the water drops off the windsheild, but it doesn't work that way. They just sit there and obstruct your ability to see.

I love riding my bicycle in a rain storm, as long as the temps are above 50 and the winds aren't ridiculous. I don't love cleaning the bike afterwards, or spending three days waiting for my shoes to dry before I can wear them again.

no motor?

My worst weather experience on 2 wheels was on the motorcycle, and it was either when I realized the racket was due to the tornado siren while watching the water rise up over the rim on the front tire, or riding home from by the Dells in enough rain to cause whiteout conditions in my helmet.

Koa C.

sounds completely reasonable to me. I mean, you can't miss trivia night

macnolias

I rode around my bmx during hurricane andrew back in my teens.... fun times