Hybrid commuting

I ride my bicycle into the lab everyday in the summer here in Ottawa. Today I was passed by another cyclist which, as always, instigated an understanding between the passer and myself that we were racing. This guy was dressed in nice shoes and a shirt and I think he even had a tie on. Thing is he was riding a power assisted bicycle, available from Canadian Tire. He was fast and not sweating nearly as much as myself on a fast road bike. I would have thought that these bikes were for geezers and out of shape nerds but I was really impressed. The website has good reviews of the bike and it is only $500, and parking would be free at work. If these bike could make a longer bicycle commute more comfortable these things might really be a viable alternative to a car for a larger number of commuters.
I can't wait to race him again.