For many, just riding IS the accomplishment. How fast is not even thought about. For me, just the fact I commute daily with a bike is a great joy and satisfaction.

Oh, a note, some of us Clydes (or in my case, ex-clyde) are not without our pride. A skinny guy was going up a hill with a bike stuck in a single gear (really common here) and when he stopped, I said - why are you stopping? He said, "no tiene cambios" (I don't have any gears). So I borrowed his bike and showed him how it was done. As I told him, I have the legs of a horse!

One of those satisfying clyde moments...