- News
- Reviews
- Bikes
- Accessories
- Accessories - misc
- Computer mounts
- Bags
- Bar ends
- Bike bags & cases
- Bottle cages
- Bottles
- Cameras
- Car racks
- Child seats
- Computers
- Glasses
- GPS units
- Helmets
- Lights - front
- Lights - rear
- Lights - sets
- Locks
- Mirrors
- Mudguards
- Racks
- Pumps & CO2 inflators
- Puncture kits
- Reflectives
- Smart watches
- Stands and racks
- Trailers
- Clothing
- Components
- Bar tape & grips
- Bottom brackets
- Brake & gear cables
- Brake & STI levers
- Brake pads & spares
- Brakes
- Cassettes & freewheels
- Chains
- Chainsets & chainrings
- Derailleurs - front
- Derailleurs - rear
- Forks
- Gear levers & shifters
- Groupsets
- Handlebars & extensions
- Headsets
- Hubs
- Inner tubes
- Pedals
- Quick releases & skewers
- Saddles
- Seatposts
- Stems
- Wheels
- Tyres
- Health, fitness and nutrition
- Tools and workshop
- Miscellaneous
- Buyers Guides
- Features
- Forum
- Recommends
- Podcast
Robert Forstemann toasts a slice of bread (Toaster Challenge YouTube still)Video: Thunder-thighed track cyclist Robert Förstemann takes on a toaster
It’s fair to say that German track cycling star Robert Förstemann has the most thunderous thighs in cycling, with a circumference of 74cm – but just how much power can his legs put out? Well, the answer, according to this video is … enough to toast a slice of bread.
We’ve come across harnessing pedal power to generate electricity before – mobile-phone battery charging and a Christmas tree powered by cyclists are two examples, and a sheriff in Arizona even got prisoners pedalling to generate power so they could watch TV.
And back in 2009, with the help of the company Electric Pedals, BBC One show Bang Goes The Theory recruited an entire peloton of cyclists to power a family home in Cheltenham.
Here’s Förstemann, winner of a bronze medal at London 2012 in the team sprint – improbably, he’d been included in the German team as a mountain biker thanks to a UCI rule that allows cyclists to switch disciplines if needed – taking on the Toaster Challenge.
We’re not sure who exactly is behind the initiative, but it is certainly grabbing attention including on Twitter with the #toasterchallenge hashtag, and the message seems to be one about how much energy even the most routine of daily tasks takes up.
Since the video of Förstemann was uploaded yesterday, two more clips have gone up on its YouTube channel, both featuring Swedish athletes – Olympic rower Lassi Karonen, and cross-country skier, Ida Ingemarsdotter.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- Hirsute 2 hours 26 min ago
Radar tells me their closing speed, if they are slowing and how far away. Then I decide to say a prayer. The change of light pattern is incidental.
- lonpfrb 2 hours 46 min ago
Quite so, which is why our village 20mph zone covers the whole residential extent. Of course, enforcement is another thing..
- lonpfrb 3 hours 12 min ago
No, that's very doubtful while proper testing would be fully destructive.
- TheBillder 3 hours 58 min ago
In that £1000 exactly scenario, beginners should probably be made aware that pedals will be extra.
- don simon fbpe 4 hours 26 min ago
What's wrong with dropping down on to the Millenium Bridge, or the swing bridge, then the brief, but satisfying climb back up the hill? #training....
- chrisonabike 5 hours 7 min ago
The relatives might of course disagree, but in general I'd countenance a relatively light sentence* if only we could fix it so that those who...
- ktache 5 hours 46 min ago
Id forgotten that I got a second hand set of project two's for my getting to work bike over twenty years back.
- Veganpotter 6 hours 43 min ago
My bet is that all these tires popping off are from people with bad pressure gauges or they're simply just putting too much air in on purpose. ...
- chrisonabike 7 hours 59 min ago
David9694 - you were right! These new autonomous vehicles really are conspiring to run out of control!...
Add new comment
13 comments
Yeah ! But how many toasters have you seen riding bikes !
Now if there were a picture of Jesus on the toast we would have a worthy exercise. Plus he could then sell it on E-Bay for 10,000 dollars.
I just did a piece of toast and my Heart rate didn't go above 54. I also didn't break out in a sweat.
Know who could do it quicker? Movistar's Giovanni Hovisconti.
Can't prove it, but I just get the feeling that they set the ergometer to 700W and that the toaster was actually powered separately.
Unless they did a bit of engineering, a lab ergometer doesn't produce electrical power from the rider. And if they did do that, wouldn't they have mentioned it?
Indeed, the only reason to use a lab ergometer is to apply the method I described above. If they actually produced power from a bike, there's no need to start the build using ~£20k ergometers.
I don't think this video quite shows what it claims to, in short.
Seriously people. Why is there only ONE slice of bread in the toaster!?
Probably got another 50w above his normal performance from the additional motivation of the toast smell
They could have at least put a second piece of bread in, they just wasted 50% of the power.
Just wraps denim around and around
but where does that man buy his jeans?
Why would he need jeans? It's clear that the spends all his time at the track or in the gym and you don't need jeans for either!
Joking aside I had this problem myself recently and had to return a set of trousers that otherwise fit perfectly. I found a set that are an acceptable fit but I'm still taking up more room in them than I'd ideally like. Maybe road cc could provide a buyers guide to casual and smart dress for the fuller thighed bike lover?
Another Heath Robinson fan, that's two this morning!