4 ms·

I have an electric _bicycle_ that routinely dusts off ICE cars at stop lights. It just takes a while for all that machinery to start rolling.

notatoad 9y ago
I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... Not only does it take a while to get all that machinery rolling, doing it quickly kills your gas mileage. Most drivers aren't drag-racing out of the stoplights.
- lacampbell 9y ago
  I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... I've noticed that too. I'm no athlete, but I can often beat cars across an intersection. Another thing I've noticed is that many cyclists don't shift down before they stop. They have to get up off their seat to even start. Even people in full kit on expensive bicycles do this.
  - Theodores 9y ago
    The most 'ludicrous mode' vehicle for 0 to 5 metres has to be the small wheeled folding bicycle. After those first 5 - 25 metres other modes of bicycle will be going past at speed, but, in that initial start you cannot beat the low weight and low center of gravity found on a Dahon style folding bike with gears. Trackstands are instinctive on the folding bike and the small wheel helps filtering through traffic immensely. The grip-shift gears are also very helpful, there may be only half a dozen of them but it is much easier to rattle through them than it is with conventional shifters. In combination the special features of the 'shopper bike' means that I ace the fixie guys, the guys that don't drop into the right gear, the road-pro's with their pedals to clip in to and the people that best know how to time the lights. Getting off the seat is risky on a folding bike, putting a foot down easy, but there is no need for that or an awkward track stand, instead, for cool-ness(!) you can put your feet on the frame and coast along with feet up. Anyway, as fun as it may be to be the fastest and for that to be achievable with simple gear selection on a folding bike, when I am on a different bike and going some distance, I do not care about acing every light through that town center, if I can merely get to where I am going without being sent on a mystery tour of a ring road, to not get lost (losing 5 to 30 mins) then I am happy.
    - colanderman 9y ago
      Yep, I have a 6-speed Brompton; I have to make a conscious effort not to pop a wheelie at every light change. Having a 3-speed hub shifter means I'm always sure to be in one of the two lowest gears at a light. I do appreciate being able to stay ahead of cars for half of each block.
  - Vinnl 9y ago
    > Another thing I've noticed is that many cyclists don't shift down before they stop. Heh, I even try not to stop at all, but to slow down a while before approaching the lights in hopes of them turning green before I reach them. Works relatively often. Unfortunately, more and more traffic lights in my town detect when there's someone waiting before changing to green, so you have to paddle all the way up to the light and then stop for a bit.
- jjawssd 9y ago
  > Most drivers aren't drag-racing out of the stoplights. You sure about that? Out here they do.
- maxerickson 9y ago
  It's the starting and stopping that kills mileage. Rabbit starts don't really matter (modern engines don't waste a whole lot of fuel anywhere in the power band).
  - Neliquat 9y ago
    Its more about the loss, and subsequent regeneration of momentum. Some evs do quite well at this. But the real solution is better civil engineering standards like roundabouts that concerve momentum rather than forcing stops. That would benefit all cars, drivers, and non drivers alike.
- mason240 9y ago
  >I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... But wow do I feel great for those 10 seconds before they catch up.
- madengr 9y ago
  Yep, me too. Stand on the pedal with brakes on; torque at zero RPM. Though I have an EV too. Can't do that with an ICE unless power breaking.
davidgay 9y ago
I've always felt the biggest factor for dusting other vehicles is reaction time from the light going green...
driverdan 9y ago
That's because you're going full power and the car driver isn't.

notatoad 9y ago

I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... Not only does it take a while to get all that machinery rolling, doing it quickly kills your gas mileage. Most drivers aren't drag-racing out of the stoplights.

lacampbell 9y ago
I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... I've noticed that too. I'm no athlete, but I can often beat cars across an intersection. Another thing I've noticed is that many cyclists don't shift down before they stop. They have to get up off their seat to even start. Even people in full kit on expensive bicycles do this.
- Theodores 9y ago
  The most 'ludicrous mode' vehicle for 0 to 5 metres has to be the small wheeled folding bicycle. After those first 5 - 25 metres other modes of bicycle will be going past at speed, but, in that initial start you cannot beat the low weight and low center of gravity found on a Dahon style folding bike with gears. Trackstands are instinctive on the folding bike and the small wheel helps filtering through traffic immensely. The grip-shift gears are also very helpful, there may be only half a dozen of them but it is much easier to rattle through them than it is with conventional shifters. In combination the special features of the 'shopper bike' means that I ace the fixie guys, the guys that don't drop into the right gear, the road-pro's with their pedals to clip in to and the people that best know how to time the lights. Getting off the seat is risky on a folding bike, putting a foot down easy, but there is no need for that or an awkward track stand, instead, for cool-ness(!) you can put your feet on the frame and coast along with feet up. Anyway, as fun as it may be to be the fastest and for that to be achievable with simple gear selection on a folding bike, when I am on a different bike and going some distance, I do not care about acing every light through that town center, if I can merely get to where I am going without being sent on a mystery tour of a ring road, to not get lost (losing 5 to 30 mins) then I am happy.
  - colanderman 9y ago
    Yep, I have a 6-speed Brompton; I have to make a conscious effort not to pop a wheelie at every light change. Having a 3-speed hub shifter means I'm always sure to be in one of the two lowest gears at a light. I do appreciate being able to stay ahead of cars for half of each block.
- Vinnl 9y ago
  > Another thing I've noticed is that many cyclists don't shift down before they stop. Heh, I even try not to stop at all, but to slow down a while before approaching the lights in hopes of them turning green before I reach them. Works relatively often. Unfortunately, more and more traffic lights in my town detect when there's someone waiting before changing to green, so you have to paddle all the way up to the light and then stop for a bit.
jjawssd 9y ago
> Most drivers aren't drag-racing out of the stoplights. You sure about that? Out here they do.
maxerickson 9y ago
It's the starting and stopping that kills mileage. Rabbit starts don't really matter (modern engines don't waste a whole lot of fuel anywhere in the power band).
- Neliquat 9y ago
  Its more about the loss, and subsequent regeneration of momentum. Some evs do quite well at this. But the real solution is better civil engineering standards like roundabouts that concerve momentum rather than forcing stops. That would benefit all cars, drivers, and non drivers alike.
mason240 9y ago
>I have a pedal-powered bicycle that dusts ICE cars at stop lights. For, like, 5 metres... But wow do I feel great for those 10 seconds before they catch up.
madengr 9y ago
Yep, me too. Stand on the pedal with brakes on; torque at zero RPM. Though I have an EV too. Can't do that with an ICE unless power breaking.

davidgay 9y ago

I've always felt the biggest factor for dusting other vehicles is reaction time from the light going green...

driverdan 9y ago

That's because you're going full power and the car driver isn't.