In a recent tour in South America I have experienced two thrilling thunderstorm where I was not in a safe place.

There was a thunderstorm behind a crest, but I was not concerned because the wind was pushing it away. In few minutes the wind switched direction and the perturbation managed to pass the crest pushing the storm against me. A lightning stroke not far from me and because of the wind I was able to smell the burning vegetation. I immediately dropped the bike on the track (with the rear derailleur that landed on a rock...) and I jumped in the first ditch, crossing my fingers. Luckily everything went right. When I stood up half an hour later, the crest from which the thunderstorm came was completely whitened by the hail.

Another time I was riding in an pampa with a thunderstorm building up behind me. I pushed hard to get away of the area but suddenly a lightning stroke a few meter in front of me. My hands were grabbing the insulated rubber part of the handlebar but the fingers of my left hand were hovering on the metal lever of the brake. When the lightning fell I was able to perceive a quite strong discharge passing from the brake lever to my fingers. There must have been some induced current created during the event.

It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle. When the thunderstorm builds up, you'd better be running!

just reading the information on riding bikes and thunderstorms. We are currently riding in Central America, and it's wet season. That basically means that there are thunderstorms every other day. The writers of the article recommend looking for shelter when the lightning and thunder are within 30 seconds apart from one another. I believe that the lightning is then within 10 km from you. That means we'd have to lie in the ditch somewhere every other day???
We are trying to outrun the storms by cycling early, but sometimes we get caught, and so far if the area we are in is not flat, we cycle on.
Hope we won't get electrified.....that would give our trip a slight spin....
anna