gutted after Fridays commute

[gillelive]

I thought I was doing well with my work commute over the past few weeks, speed is picking up and legs are not aching as much (see my first post) but then came Fridays commute!!!! I was on my way home when I had to stop at a loch gate for a few mins while the bridge was raised, I didn't fancy a swim so I waited. While I was waiting this chap turned up on his bike. I am not sure what it was but although it looked expensive it reminded me of an old sit up and beg bike. He was wearing chords (not that chords are a problem), a heavy wool overcoat and shoes that would be worn in a office. I noticed he had a wooden box (briefcase size) sitting underneath his crossrail and some other odd things near his rear cassette - I have no idea what it was. Anyway as the bridge lowered I rode off and was doing about 16 mph when this chap cruised straight past me! I was pushing myself hard and could not understand how he was going so fast, he was not peddling very hard and he then disappeared in to the distance, I was gutted. I am sure he must have had a motor in that wooden box, any thoughts?

Please give me some good news as I was really gutted when I got home. How can some one in chords and a wool overcoat go so fast? And that's not the first part of a joke......

cheers

 

[Steve H]

Yep sounds like he had a huge battery in his box and some kind of electric motor hub.

However we can't be certain. Suggest buying some cords and a Cardigan and seeing if you can cycle any faster. Maybe this is an undiscovered secret of cycling? ;-)

 

[cyberknight]

Probably the president of the tweed cycling club,has more miles in his legs then you have had hot meals

http://www.tweed.cc/

 

[guitarpete247]

"The only performance enhancements are warm beer and woodbines." Sounds like my kind of club. Apart from the woodbines, the tweed and probably the plus fours and the Fair Isle vest. Other than that my kind of club . The warm beer though .

 

[perplexed]

Battery in the box. Has to be...

 

[Globalti]

He needed the wool over coat to keep him warm as he wasn't making any effort.

 

[Peter10]

Someone at work has one of these bikes, I gave it a go and it is surprising how much power those little motors give, especially when pedalling pretty hard on top of it.

 

[davefb]

hehe , was scalped by one this morning..... feeling pretty good going past the traffic, not fast, maybe 15... bloke goes past on little foldup thing ..



then i noticed the batteries CHEEEAT!



(could have done with em on the way home though, stupid wind)

 

[gillelive]

Thanks people, made me feel much better....commute today was a bit wild, some really bad wind (not from me) but do think I am getting stronger/fitter - was able to maintain 13mph despite 20mph wind......still hate the wind though!!!

By the way I hope that blokes battery goes flat, let's see how he does just on pedal power. I bet he would have a good sweat on in his big wool coat!

 

[Peter10]

The woman at work who has one isn't very fit and to her own admission she needs the motor. However, the way I look at it is; there is 1 less car in the road and one more bicycle. Also, someone is making a significant effort to change their lifestyle and improve their health. Those bikes can be a great aid for people who want to cycle to work but can't due to the distance.

 

[Chrisc]

Happens all the time in Holland. Toiling along into a typical Dutch headwind you'll be effortlessly overtaken by an impossibly ancient bloke with one hand on the bars and a fag in the other!

 

[summerdays]

One of the teachers at my son's school has just bought one ... and she doesn't look very fit. However she isn't going to get any fitter as she doesn't pedal at all - not even on the flat, and previously she used to walk so that will be a drop in exercise instead.

 

[Kestevan]

I nearly killed myself trying to catch one of these damned things over the summer. I hadn't realised it was electrickery till I was 10yds behind him.

I had to swallow my lungs, pretend to be composed and casually ride past him at the brow of the hill. I spent the subsequent descent desparately trying to a) breath and b) not throw up