The mysterious bicycle

A week or so ago, I was driving to work when I saw an unusual bicycle in the bike lane, going the same direction I was. It had much fatter tires than a bicycle usually does, maybe not quite as big as motorcycle tires but close, and it was going faster than I usually see bikes move, but was in the bike lane and the rider seemed to be pedaling. The rider was wearing one of those bowl-shaped helmets.

I passed the bike and continued on my way. Got on the freeway, got off at the next exit, crossed under the freeway, continued along the road...

...and there, ahead of me, was a bicycle with the same fat tires, ridden by someone wearing the same kind of round helmet, going a bit faster than I expect a bike to go.

I was behind a slow car, so I couldn’t quite catch up with the bike, and then we got to a red light and the cars stopped but the bike zipped on through it, and then I had to turn left to go to work, so I never got a good look at the second bike.

But it seemed like a very odd coincidence—seeing a style of vehicle I had never seen before, twice in one day, a mile or so apart. I had a momentary thought of “The Hitch-Hiker” (the Lucille Fletcher piece, not the Roald Dahl story).

I later looked at a map, and I think what must have happened was that the rider took a surface street that runs right next to the freeway, and that they ignored stop signs and/or lights, and that I was slowed down by something, and that the rider ended up ahead of me. But still seems odd.

And I’m still curious about the bike; I’m guessing it must’ve been motor-assisted in some way, but I didn’t get a good look at it.

Join the Conversation