Catch That 30-Something? (Perhaps a Chuckle)
 

I thought you all might find this worth a chuckle. Happened a few years ago when I was doing the daily bike commute. True story. I Swear!

I'd been doing the average daily 28 mile bike commute (19 miles AM, 9 miles PM) for some time and was in pretty fair cycling shape.

Evening, I'm headed to the bridge and home.
From the side street ahead a guy turns onto the expressway in front of me.
He's early-mid thirties and looks like he knows how to ride a bike.

I'm about 700 feet behind my new target, crusing speed of 16 miles/hour.
Turn up the wick, new speed 18 miles/hour. Not closing.
Turn up the wick, new speed 20 miles/hour. Still not closing.

Light turns red, stop.
Light turns green, target is no where in sight.
Hmmm, strange, he was here just a minute ago.
I say to myself, okay this guy flys like a pro.

Week later, similar situation.
He turns onto the street in front of me, this time, no pesky red light.
I go straight to the full-throttle 20+ miles/hour rate and this guy is flat leaving me behind.
His speed must have been 24 miles/hour or better. By the time I get to the bridge, about another mile or so, target is nowhere in sight. Color me puzzled.

I decide this guy is either a pro in sheeps clothing or he should ride the Tour and leave it at that.

Time passes, a month goes by. I'm across the bay, in the game reserve and I spot the same guy loading his bike into his car. I stop to chat, real friendly guy.

Here comes the punch line.
Wait for it...




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......





He has a motor in the front wheel!
Man, I laughed about that for a good solid week.
My co-worker (fellow bike commuter) got a good laugh out of it too.

My speedy friend uses the motor for commuting so save his legs for fast lunch time rides with friends.

Jeff, your friendly fat biker

Dat thar is funny!!!

That's good, really good. My story is different....my gf and I were out for a ride about 3 mi. from home and just cruising on a beautiful back road when a guy came flying by. He waves and keeps truckin'. He was about 40 yrs. old and really fit looking. He got about 100 ft. ahead and I thought, "Oh, what the hell..." I said to my gf, "I've got to try to catch him." She replies, "I know" and rolls her eyes. He's pulling away as I begin to crank it up. I'm 64 yrs. old, far from my "prime" and need to lose 10 lbs. but I know this road and if I can just catch him......As I'm getting closer we are headed for a lovely "S" turn that always puts a smile on this Ducati and Masi guys' face. I set up for the turn....we are still going faster than I've ever done before on this road. I hit that turn straightening it out just like I wanted and I'm on him. He sees me behind him and is surprised. He lights it up but I'm on his wheel and I just sit there. He's is cranking it up like crazy and I'm just sitting in. What a joy to be in the draft of a fast rider. After a couple minutes of hard riding he sits up and waves me on. I came along side and we had a nice chat until we reached a fork in the road. He went left and I went right and waited for my gf. When she arrived she asked, "So?" I respond, "I caught him. You will be hearing about this for a long time." Again, a roll of the eyes..."I'm already dreading it."

I'm pretty sure everyone I've ever ridden with has that same bike.

Help me here, 19 miles in the morning and only 9 in the evening?

From much of what I've been reading lately, we're likely to see more electric assist bikes on the roads very soon. One of the custodial staff at the university where I teach, just bought one, and loves it.

He uses a wormhole to fold space in the evening

Not to worry, I've seen plenty of faster people that didn't have motors, too, so it's just being accustomed to it.

Long ago, when I started hiking, i was overweight and slow going up the hills. I huffed and puffed for 4 hours going up Round Mountain, finally got to the top, and there were a bunch of old white-haired people up there that looked like they were right out of the nursing home. Then going up Greys and Torreys Peaks, I got passed by a 12-year-old kid. Then going up the Longs Peak Trail, I got passed by a fat lady, which wouldn't have bothered me, except that I couldn't tell she was even breathing hard. Then back down here to Texas for bicycling and all the sweet young thangs riding bikes are faster than me. So I learned humility along the way, and now it doesn't bother me if somebody really IS faster than me. And I also appreciate it if they wait up for me, which is really cool.

My husband used to have a thirty-five mile morning commute and a fifty-five mile ride home. At 3:00 A.M. he could ride the main highway, which only had five vehicles on it at that time, but in the afternoon he had to take the BLM road along the river to get home in one piece.

Sweet Mother of Mercy! Now THAT is a commute!

In order to get dinner on the table 30-45 minutes sooner, wife picked me and the bike up, shortening the ride. Not every day for sure. Those occasional 38 mile round trips made for a good nights sleep for sure.

Jeff, still fat

STOP!
You're scaring me.

Different job, run-up to tax time. Wife works for a CPA so they are all working late.
Two weeks straight, 46 mile round trip.
That my friend is two cnsecutive 230 mile weeks.
Wife thought I would cry uncle. WRONG!

Jeff, still fat

I passed a cyclist once. It was a woman with two children and a dog in a trailer behind her bike.

Many years ago -just after I started riding-I went down a slope along the Seafront and my mate--Well I thought he was a mate--Told me to speed up and we would take the bike in front of us. So lots of effort and we passed him. Wasn't a bike- it was a moped. All I could think of till we stopped at the cafe was--I am knackered but I now have to stay in front of this bloke on an upslope and he has a bigger engine than me. Rest of the ride was done at a very slow pace.

I would guess he goes a different way, many people do for a few reasons, like avoiding a nasty hill or heavy traffic, and yes that could make one way much longer then the other.

Come on now, it's always longer going to work, time wise and shorter going home.