An ebike and road bike were stopped at a traffic light ...

[ebikemom]

So, it was supposed to be a non-rainy day. The night before my commute, the weather report said it'd be in the upper 40's/lower 50's during my commute time, and dry. Precipitation, 0%. Great cycling day tomorrow!! I headed to the garage and got everything ready... I dialed on my timer plug for a couple of hours of charging to top off the battery. Squeezed the tires. Checked the lights. All ready to head off to work the next morning.

In the morning, I packed up my bike with my work stuff. Off I went to work with my son on his ebike, with the loop to his school beginning my 14 mile commute. And, there it was. drizzle. Stopping at his high school, he went to lock up his bike and I pulled out my phone. Weather report now said 30% for precipitation. Drat. Oh well, let's do this. I looped back home for my "tomato" (red cycling poncho), and headed to campus, stopping part way to put the poncho on.

At the last intersection before pedaling onto campus, at a traffic light, in the drizzle, I'm next to a road biker in full spandex.
Him: "I thought it'd be dry today."
Me: "Looked like it would be a perfect cycling day."
Him: "I rode all the way from <20+ mile distant city>"
Me: "I stopped part way to put on my tomato"
Us: laughter

The light changed. I accellerated quickly and pedaled through the intersection using a high pedal assist setting for the uphill route up the overpass by the light rail station, uphill through the campus park, uphill onto an internal campus road, then downhill a bit. Then, in a flattish area, he passed me.

Him: "Gotcha!"
Me: "Have a great day!"

It was nice. Different bikes. Different attire. Age gap of at least 30 years. Different levels of fitness. Both keeping our eyes on the weather reports, expecting a great cycling day and enjoying the unexpectedly drizzly, double-digit commute, being out there on our bikes.

Happy cycling!

 

[Ken M]

Sometimes the Spandexters are good people, but some still haven't taken a liken to ebikers. They need to understand most urban ebikers are primarily about effective transportation, not caring about shaving all body hair and being so aero while riding that our backs are trash the rest of the day. I like riding in an upright position so I can see better while riding and I like riding is casual everyday clothing (not that I don't sometimes have a pair of padded biking shorts underneath). An ebike just makes commuting more enjoyable in my opinion...when I ride my old traditional road bike it just beats me up (every crack is felt).

 

[steve marino]

The spandex crowd can be very strange. My ex used to call them the One Brain people because they all seemed to dress alike and have similar bikes. None of them ever carry a lock, they just position one of their members by the bikes while they go inside Starbucks for their $8 coffees. The bike shops they frequent I avoid because if you don't wheel up on a carbon fiber $4,000 bike they actually will pretend you are invisible and ignore you until you leave. On the other hand, OUR crowd of eBike, mountain, and comfort bike folks are always friendly and interested.

 

[DDBB]

I bought special e-bike padded shorts to try and fit in with the serious road bikers and they just spit when they pull up next to me. Oh well

 

[ebikemom]

You should have tried your doge meme lines on him for fun.

You made my day!!!

 

[Arrius]

I love reading stuff like this. We need positive human interaction and a nice dialogue for our soul and this is one of the reasons why I love most of the bikers. We are a colorful bunch for sure but most of the biking community are relaxed people who like to have a nice ride and a casual conversation unlike those always stressed pesky car drivers

 

[DDBB]

Most of us are also pesky car drivers but when we're on our bikes, those pesky cars are our enemy.. Funny how that works.

 

[AHicks]

Had a "spandex" moment the other day. Me in my jeans and very casual dress, I turned on to a bike path and saw a bike way out in front of me. So far, I thought it might be an electric as he was so far away I couldn't see him peddling. I was in no special hurry so it took quite a while, eventually getting close enough to figure out it was not an electric. Maybe half an hour to catch up to him, which I did just before we got to a stop sign. As I pulled up even with him, he says "hey, that's an electric!". To which I replied "yes, and I'm absolutely loving it!". The color of his face left the impression he had been trying to outrun me the whole time I was catching up to him. We both stopped for the sign at a fairly busy road waiting for the traffic to clear. With an opening in traffic, we both took off. Fully prepared to be dusted by an athletic burst of acceleration from him, it would have been difficult not to notice he had forgotten to down shift as we stopped. I couldn't bear the irony, and turned down the road at the intersection to avoid his embarrassment.... but couldn't avoid the big grin thinking about it. -Al

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Most of us are also pesky car drivers but when we're on our bikes, those pesky cars are our enemy.. Funny how that works.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Had a "spandex" moment the other day. Me in my jeans and very casual dress, I turned on to a bike path and saw a bike way out in front of me. So far, I thought it might be an electric as he was so far away I couldn't see him peddling. I was in no special hurry so it took quite a while, eventually getting close enough to figure out it was not an electric. Maybe half an hour to catch up to him, which I did just before we got to a stop sign. As I pulled up even with him, he says "hey, that's an electric!". To which I replied "yes, and I'm absolutely loving it!". The color of his face left the impression he had been trying to outrun me the whole time I was catching up to him. We both stopped for the sign at a fairly busy road waiting for the traffic to clear. With an opening in traffic, we both took off. Fully prepared to be dusted by an athletic burst of acceleration from him, it would have been difficult not to notice he had forgotten to down shift as we stopped. I couldn't bear the irony, and turned down the road at the intersection to avoid his embarrassment.... but couldn't avoid the big grin thinking about it. -Al

My wife and I were out running errands last week when a road biker blew past us. We were doing our usual 17-18 mph and I reckon he was running in the mid-20s. Just for fun I bumped the PAS from Eco to Sport and passed him at about 28 mph. My wife's comment: "Enjoy the testosterone?"