Though rain showers were in my forecast last Wednesday, I decided to "take a chance" and go for a long bicycle ride anyway.
Early afternoon I left the house on my bike for a trek toward Coweta. I planned a 30-35 mile ride along the county roads.
ABOVE PHOTO: Ya know those annoying bikers riding down busy streets? I'm one of them!
By the time I arrived at my mid-ride destination rest stop I could see towering cumulus clouds building to my south. They were headed my direction. My wife called to also tell me of the developing rain and offered to pick me up, but I declined.... I might could make it home--I'd make a game out of it.
But I wouldn't make it. I climbed a couple of huge hills near Coweta and found myself exhausted. I had to rest again allowing the looming rain clouds to my south to near. The nicely developed updraft towers and darkened cloud bottoms insured that lightning would be possible.
After recatching my breath I peddaled northward to help delay the storm's onset. I decided to target the NSU-Broken Arrow campus to wait out the storm as I glanced at a distant rain curtain. I observed a cloud-to-ground lightning strike several miles to my southwest as I arrived in the parking area at the campus. I tucked my bike out of the rain and went inside to enjoy the storm.
From the huge windows inside "Building A" I watched rain overtake the campus. Thunder rattled the windows.
A lady walked by, smiled and asked "Did you forecast this?!"
"Sure did....we guessed good today" I smiled back.
Me being me-- I wanted to listen to the thunder more closely so I went outside and stood under a covered walkway. Occasional wind gusts blew rain drops on my face.
The NSU-BA campus buildings are covered in lightning rods, and I actually observed lightning striking one. The lightning strike occured about 30 yards in front of me, and the thunder sounded more like a rifle pop at that distance. It was a "weak" CG, but still dangerous. Of course I'd never recommend standing outdoors during a storm, but I felt relatively safe with the zillion lightning rods to hopefully redirect the lightning around me.
After the storm passed I rode my bike home via the wet Tulsa bike trails and through lingering mist-- it felt great! I love riding my bike in the rain on an otherwise hot summer day. The rain keeps me cool, and I enjoy splashing through the puddles. There's also no one else out on the otherwise usually crowded trails.
So if you see a weatherman riding his bike during the rain, I probably didn't miss the forecast. I'm biking in the rain on purpose just like a used to do hundreds of years ago as a child.
PHOTO BELOW: The beautiful NSU- Broken Arrow campus where I waited out the storm. I took this picture however on a sunny day.
