I was at the LBS earlier today to test ride a couple of bikes. (Trek 2300 verus the 5200) I will save that for another thread. While I was there a guy comes in and asks one of the employees if he can ask him a strange question.

The guy tells the employee that he has a Trek 4300. He bought it at the lbs about a month before. He says that when he and his family ride under the main power lines that he gets shocked on his bike but that nobody else (wife or kids) gets shocked. He says that he has to make sure he is only touching the rubber grips and the seat. He has to take his feet of the pedals and put his legs way out to the side so he doesn't touch any metal on the bike. He said that one time he didn't spread his legs wide enough and that he got shocked on his inner thigh becuase he was touching the saddle rails.

After waiting long enough to ask with a straight face we asked a couple of questions. Did his wife try his bike? He tried to get her to but she refused. Did he ride through on her bike? No but he was going to try that tonight.

He said that his old bike didn't do this and that this only happens when going under a certain spot of the main power lines that supply his area.

Nobody there had ever heard of anything like this, so my question is has anyone out there ever heard of anything like this before? I tend to believe the guy because I don't think anyone could make up a story that good and then tell it with a straight face and demonstrate how he had to ride through the area to not get shocked. Any ideas on what could cause it?

Steve