While riding into work the other day:

I'm sitting patiently at a stoplight waiting for it to turn green - when this guy flies by me, through the red light , on a mountain bike, arms crossed (not using the handlebars), pedaling at a slow cadence - just cruising.

This stop light sits right at the base of a hill, where it's about 3/4 - 1 mile climb, with a good enough grade to get your heart rate up.

Light turns green, and I take off, determined to catch him - since he's about 75 + feet on me by now.

Click *shift*, pedaling faster, and faster, *shift*, and faster.. Good grief - I'm killing myself and barely catching him - and he was still riding without hands !!

Finally, catch him 1/2 way up the grade, and turns out he was on an electric bike... Should have figured it out way sooner with the large chrome motor on the rear wheel.

Anyhow, he was super friendly and had a HUGE grin on his face when he saw that I'd killed myself to catch him. I complimented him on his bike - and we exchanged good mornings... Then determined to put some distance between us, I stepped it up again.. By the time I got to the top of the hill, I'd about puked it hurt so bad.

Good news, I broke my old Strava record for that segment. Currently placed 21/441, and rode up the grade at 19.2 average speed.