Bike Riding During an Earthquake
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Bike Riding During an Earthquake
NC experienced a fairly significant earthquake this morning. I was just a couple miles into a ride and never really noticed it. I think I was riding on a fairly smooth road but if I hadn’t gotten a lot of texts from my family I’d wouldn’t have known. We live about 100 miles from where it occurred and folks here really noticed it.
Has anyone ever noticed one while riding?
https://abc11.com/weather/51-magnitu...al-nc/6362392/
Has anyone ever noticed one while riding?
https://abc11.com/weather/51-magnitu...al-nc/6362392/
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Last edited by jppe; 08-09-20 at 07:10 PM.
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I felt it...
It happened before my ride but here in Raleigh -I was the only one among several neighbors who felt it. Some were walking and didn't feel it.
I was on the second floor just getting out of bed when I felt a gentle shake that lasted for a few seconds.
But a friend 8 miles south had a water pipe burst in his house and has significant damage! I don't think his insurance will cover it.
I would imagine earthquake insurance in this part of the country is relatively cheap - might not be a bad idea. Hard to believe only 15% carry it in CA!
I was on the second floor just getting out of bed when I felt a gentle shake that lasted for a few seconds.
But a friend 8 miles south had a water pipe burst in his house and has significant damage! I don't think his insurance will cover it.
I would imagine earthquake insurance in this part of the country is relatively cheap - might not be a bad idea. Hard to believe only 15% carry it in CA!
#3
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I grew up in southern California and apparently rode during several minor earthquakes, but never noticed them.
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Never noticed one while riding but big quakes are pretty rare. If a bigger one, like a 6.5 or so, were to happen you wouldn't be able to ride. My father was shaving in 1971 and the big quake threw him off of his feet. He tried to grab the toilet to keep from being tossed into the glass shower and ripped the seat off the toilet. I was in bed sailing around my room. I couldn't have stood up.
#5
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July 4 2019 I was riding on Glendora Ridge Road approaching Mt Baldy Village when the magnitude 6.4 Ridgecrest quake occurred. I think about 100 miles as the crow flies. I did not notice it at all on the bike, but my wife said it was a pretty good shake at our house, about 135 miles from the epicenter.
BTW, I do have quake insurance here, but given that it is all through the California Earthquake Authority created and run by the state, I’m not that confident it will be able to pay all the claims when the big one hits. I seriously consider dropping it each year. I’ve lived in SoCal my entire 62 years, we’ve had a lot of quakes, but other than crooked pictures and a few minor items that fell over, never had any damage. The deductible is 15% of the home value, so there must be a lot of damage before insurance kicks in.
BTW, I do have quake insurance here, but given that it is all through the California Earthquake Authority created and run by the state, I’m not that confident it will be able to pay all the claims when the big one hits. I seriously consider dropping it each year. I’ve lived in SoCal my entire 62 years, we’ve had a lot of quakes, but other than crooked pictures and a few minor items that fell over, never had any damage. The deductible is 15% of the home value, so there must be a lot of damage before insurance kicks in.
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100 miles from a 5.1? I’m not surprised that you didn’t feel it.
#7
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#8
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Well, sorta. Distance is the key. I was in my office maybe 30+years ago, almost right on top of a 4.5. It was the most violent shaking I ever felt in a quake. Once you get some distance it’s mostly rolling. Except Sylmar ‘71, that was shaking, even all the way out in Riverside.
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I was driving into my work parking lot in the City of Industry when the 1994 Northridge 6.7 quake hit. At first I thought I had flat tires until I looked at the SCE towers and saw the flashing, swinging cables and arching. I imagine that if you are near a major quake on a bike, you better have a full suspension or you are being tossed.
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Landers 7.2 quake: Happened early on a Sunday morning in 1992. I was spending the night camping on top of Mt. San Gorgonio (about 25 miles away from the epicenter as the crow flies) and the place shook violently at about 4AM. Two other guys in a neighboring tent let out a loud 'WTF?' we all popped out of our tents and just stood there in the morning darkness waiting for something else to happen, but nothing did. About 1.5 hours later another quake (6.5) happened over near Big Bear Lake. Craziest thing was looking down the sides of the mountain in all directions you could see a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of dust kicked up from all the small landslides that occurred on the slopes. No damage when we got back down the mountain later on that day.
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I was living in West Chester PA in the early 1980's and there was a reported earthquake that I think was centered in Delaware. Didn't so much feel it as heard it. I lived in an apartment complex that had a speed bump right outside my place. I heard a noise sort of like a large, heavy truck going too fast over the bump. I looked but there were no vehicles outside. When I heard the news that evening, it was all abuzz about the earthquake and the timing matched exactly.
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A 20 year veteran of coastal central California, i've ridden thru many. Never felt any, but on one ride I wondered why the suspended street lights were swinging on a windless day. It was 6point something.
Our (relatively new) house was about 1/2 mile from Loma Prieta, think 1989 Giants/As World Series, no structural damage in a 7.2 - 7.4 rumbler
Our (relatively new) house was about 1/2 mile from Loma Prieta, think 1989 Giants/As World Series, no structural damage in a 7.2 - 7.4 rumbler
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A friend of mine lives in Greesnboro, N.C. She texted me about the earthquake. Said it was a 5.1.
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A 20 year veteran of coastal central California, i've ridden thru many. Never felt any, but on one ride I wondered why the suspended street lights were swinging on a windless day. It was 6point something.
Our (relatively new) house was about 1/2 mile from Loma Prieta, think 1989 Giants/As World Series, no structural damage in a 7.2 - 7.4 rumbler
Our (relatively new) house was about 1/2 mile from Loma Prieta, think 1989 Giants/As World Series, no structural damage in a 7.2 - 7.4 rumbler
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I’m thinking the Cannondale Criterium guys would feel that.
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I have that very frame and nothing feels better riding on smooth fresh black asphalt....and nothing feels worse when you aren’t.
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Well stated. Black top like you describe is rare as hen's teeth in my neck of the woods. Some years ago, one of our river trails was newly paved. I was excited hearing about it and took the BL out for a ride. It was the worst ever! Instead of being "top coat" smooth, they used as a rough aggregate mix. I simply gave up after a couple of miles for fear of losing my dental fillings.
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I was in the Navy around 1960 at Moffett Field in Ca. I was giving a hop in our flight simulator when it started to shake. The pilots remarked that the simulator really felt like they were flying. I ran out and the Chief and first class were trying to keep the simulator computer cabinets from tipping over.
#22
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Everytime I would visit LA for work, the whole time I'm driving, when I go under a bridge I think, don't have an earthquake! And Every time I go over a bridge, I think, don't have an earthquake!