I unwittingly entered a hill climb race on the commute and won.

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mustang1

Guru
Location
London, UK
That's excellent!

A few months ago I was on a leisurely ride on my brompton. Some kids on their MTBs laughed at the bike (or were they laughing at rider+bike package?) Shouting out "what is THAT!!?"

I thought nothing of it, at least for a second, then doubled back and rode a couple to circles then asked if they wanted a race. After laughing at me we lined up (kind of a rolling start) but I told them I had better give them a head start.

Ive gotta tell you they thought that was the funniest thing ever considering the hysterics they were in!

Ok let's cut to the chase. It hardly took any time for me to catch them up at which point I nonchalantly had a conversation telling them how cool their bikes were. And shortly after that was the jovial "anyway that was fun I gotta go" and laying down some power all while hardly breathing, I shot up the hill leaving the teenagers back there.

(Once out of eye sight of course I had to catch my breath :smile:)

Edit: typo
 
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QFour

Regular
Location
Nottingham
Not on commute but it was a laugh. We were in Spain earlier in the year and set off on our two reasonably standard MTB for a couple of hour in the afternoon. Cycling down one long straight road into the wind we overtook this guy with all his kit on. First me and then my wife flew past him. I looked round and he had lifted his butt out of the sadle and started after us. We pulled away from him and carried on. We stopped a couple of miles later to see what was happening at the local sports ground. Few minutes later a rather tired looking Spaniard guy pulls up at the side of us looks at our bikes and says something purely in Spanish .. Only bit we did catch was the reference to electric before he set off again. We both have Bafang Fun motors driving the front cog but then we are both over 60 so need a bit of an edge.
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
Not on commute but it was a laugh. We were in Spain earlier in the year and set off on our two reasonably standard MTB for a couple of hour in the afternoon. Cycling down one long straight road into the wind we overtook this guy with all his kit on. First me and then my wife flew past him. I looked round and he had lifted his butt out of the sadle and started after us. We pulled away from him and carried on. We stopped a couple of miles later to see what was happening at the local sports ground. Few minutes later a rather tired looking Spaniard guy pulls up at the side of us looks at our bikes and says something purely in Spanish .. Only bit we did catch was the reference to electric before he set off again. We both have Bafang Fun motors driving the front cog but then we are both over 60 so need a bit of an edge.
Last year was at a trail centre with my Dad (in his 70s) who rides an eMTB, we were climbing up the first part of the trail when we saw a guy on a very expensive full suss MTB ahead, so first I on my beat up old style hard tail passed him and then my Dad and all I head behind me was "oh for f*cks sake".

Dad has a nasty habit of easing off as he goes past people so they can't hear the motor.
 
OP
OP
confusedcyclist

confusedcyclist

Veteran
Haha, yes since I started this thread I also acquired an ebike with battery built into the downtube, so it's not overtly assisted. I love it when I get comments about my pace up hill from non ebikers. I blast past them out of the saddle, to make it look authentic, then let them catch up for a little chatter, let them over take momentarily thinking they've perhaps got enough strength to attack and then let the motor rip again, all before they worked out I was on an ebike. The reactions you get are phenomenal. It will be a sad day for comedy when ebikes become more ubiquitous and everyone expects it.
 
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I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Haha, yes since I started this thread I also acquired an ebike. I love it when I get comments about my pace up hill from non ebikers. I blast past them, then let them, catch up for a little chatter, let them over take momentarily thinking they've perhaps got enough strength to win and then let the motor rip again. Salt in the wound, as they say. Childish, but fun.
Was mountain biking on the Marin Trail in Wales last year with a bunch of forum members and mates. We were just turning into the bottom of an uphill section of forest fire road when some ignorant prick on an e.MTB bombed right through the middle of the group without slowing and passing at speed within inches of the chatting riders that had been unaware of the reckless e.bike rider's approach.
As the e.bike departed up the hill, rapidly leaving us all behind, wondering what had just happened, I decided to release my childish inner ego and chase the fekker down!!!
Using just good old fashioned leg power and determination I set off up the hill in pursuit. The trail climbed around 80ft in 0.2 miles and despite a good head start I still managed to reel him in and reach the top well in front. A meaningless victory, but it still felt like a win to me :okay:
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Was mountain biking on the Marin Trail in Wales last year with a bunch of forum members and mates. We were just turning into the bottom of an uphill section of forest fire road when some ignorant prick on an e.MTB bombed right through the middle of the group without slowing and passing at speed within inches of the chatting riders that had been unaware of the reckless e.bike rider's approach.
As the e.bike departed up the hill, rapidly leaving us all behind, wondering what had just happened, I decided to release my childish inner ego and chase the fekker down!!!
Using just good old fashioned leg power and determination I set off up the hill in pursuit. The trail climbed around 80ft in 0.2 miles and despite a good head start I still managed to reel him in and reach the top well in front. A meaningless victory, but it still felt like a win to me :okay:

I seem to remember he wasn't very good downhill. He was a right tool. He went under my left elbow.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
Reminds me of a race I won whilst touring in Germany:smile:.
I was touring with a Dutchman I'd met up with on the road and we found ourselves overtaken by two young Germans. We maintained our steady speed after this totally disrespectful behaviour and after a little time we caught up with and overtook our tired challengers. I think they must have had some magic energy restorer as the two youngsters had summoned up enough energy to overtake again but not enough to pull away from us. I was a little impatient at having to adjust my speed so determined to overtake once more and leave the lads in the dust. I heard them say something , which my Dutch friend later translated for me. Turns out I had not been playing fair, one had said to the other, referring to me "but he had a racing saddle"^_^.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
Not really unwittingly though is it, as you challenged them to a hill climb? Good effort though. Today I caught a road group out riding whilst I was on my Brompton. Hilarious comments as I passed them, especially from guys at the front. Pushing my HR higher than intended was well worth it for that. Admittedly I’d been taking it easy the rest of my ride so had plenty in the tank to dish out to get past them.
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
My GTech electric assist does not do slow well particularly uphill. Guy on a MB came past as I was unloading from the car. Went as slowly as reasonable but caught up with him on a steepish hill and had to hammer past as bike cannot handle slow on hills. He was really struggling. Went back to where I started and the guy appeared and we had a nice chat and it seemed he regularly did several circuits for the exercise. Was impressed as my bike did not at first appear to have assist and due to his exertions he could not hear the motor.
 
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