# First time over 30



## RedBike (16 Mar 2010)

I finally managed to crack 30mph on the fixie. 

I'm using 48x18 so thats 'only' a cadence of 148, so not a major achievement for most but seeing as it's taken me months i'm rather chuffed.

Its not spinning my legs quick enough that the trouble, it's having the nerve to go downhill that quickly while pedalling that quick.


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## Vikeonabike (16 Mar 2010)

I've managed 31 on the flat on 44x16...was trying to over take one of my colleagues in a marked car at the time


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## Rob3rt (16 Mar 2010)

Congrats! I have no idea my top speed, maybe I need a computer for fun-times? B)

I too suffer the nerve issue too if im honest, I brick it and back out.


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## magnatom (16 Mar 2010)

Vikeonabike said:


> I've managed 31 on the flat on 44x16...was trying to over take one of my colleagues in a marked car at the time




Was this in a 30mph area.....tsk tsk...B)


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## Vikeonabike (16 Mar 2010)

magnatom said:


> Was this in a 30mph area.....tsk tsk...



I think the phrase I need is "NO COMMENT"


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## trio25 (16 Mar 2010)

Wow! I don't think my legs will ever go that fast!


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## palinurus (16 Mar 2010)

My first yesterday was pulling my foot out of the pedal while doing over 30.

I was wearing a different pair of shoes to my usual ones, different amount of cleat wear.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, the attached foot kept going round nicely.

It's not just nerve for me, my legs won't go faster than about 150 rpm.


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## 4F (16 Mar 2010)

palinurus said:


> It's not just nerve for me, my legs won't go faster than about 150 rpm.



Find a big hill and they will. I have got to 34.5 mph of a 48 x 16 set up and it was starting to get decidedly uncomfortable


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## BigSteev (16 Mar 2010)

Not given it a go since I refurbished mine and it's now got a higher 44x15 set up (was 42x16). Normally used to feel spun out (no clips or straps) at around 24-25mph but did hit 28.5 once. Should be able to get past 30 now if I can find a suitable stretch of road.


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## gaz (16 Mar 2010)

magnatom said:


> Was this in a 30mph area.....tsk tsk...



We all know that speed limits only apply to vehicles with a motor


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## MacB (16 Mar 2010)

BigSteev said:


> Not given it a go since I refurbished mine and it's now got a higher 44x15 set up (was 42x16). Normally used to feel spun out (no clips or straps) at around 24-25mph but did hit 28.5 once. Should be able to get past 30 now if I can find a suitable stretch of road.



Steve, how do you find fixed with no attachment to the pedals? Do you need to change your riding style or is it just business as usual?


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## longers (16 Mar 2010)

I'm not Steve but have had on a pair of spds with platforms on one side as part of a creak identifying process this week and have been at around 20mph with them and it's a very different feeling to what I'm used to. Me no likey.

I'd really not like to go quicker without being attached.


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## MacB (16 Mar 2010)

longers said:


> I'm not Steve but have had on a pair of spds with platforms on one side as part of a creak identifying process this week and have been at around 20mph with them and it's a very different feeling to what I'm used to. Me no likey.
> 
> I'd really not like to go quicker without being attached.



Ah, but Big Steev rides flat pedals most of the time, as far as I know, just hadn't realised he did it with fixed as well. I've got some velcro foot straps if I need them anyway.


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## dave r (16 Mar 2010)

I have made thirty five using 44x17 on 700cx28 tyres and clips and straps, not sure if I would want to go a great deal faster.


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## MacB (16 Mar 2010)

I made 37 the other day freewheeling down a hill, all seemed rather easy


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## longers (17 Mar 2010)

After reading about Big Steev and flat pedals I had a go at being brave on the hill this morning. 25mph really was the limit for me without being clipped in.

Interestingly, or not, my left foot felt fairly secure but my right one was very hard to keep on the pedal


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## MacB (17 Mar 2010)

longers said:


> After reading about Big Steev and flat pedals I had a go at being brave on the hill this morning. 25mph really was the limit for me without being clipped in.
> 
> Interestingly, or not, my left foot felt fairly secure but my right one was very hard to keep on the pedal



so you need clips on one foot only? you could be starting a new hipster fashion trend here


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## fossyant (17 Mar 2010)

Blimey, I'd not like to pedal downhill on fixed without being clipped in. Can do 33 on a 74" gear - about 160 rpm. That's the absolute limit for my legs, just before the bolts come loose and my knees ping down the road.


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## RedBike (17 Mar 2010)

MacB said:


> Steve, how do you find fixed with no attachment to the pedals? Do you need to change your riding style or is it just business as usual?




I have a large scar on the back of my leg from where I tried my fixed gear MTB with flat pedals. Never again.


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## 4F (17 Mar 2010)

RedBike said:


> I have a large scar on the back of my leg from where I tried my fixed gear MTB with flat pedals. Never again.



I have to agree it is not something that I would do for that very reason


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## BigSteev (17 Mar 2010)

Couple of things. Firstly, as MacB points out I ride flats on everything (in fact I just did my first track session at Calshot and had to be clipped in which did feel a bit odd - speedplays in case you're wondering). Secondly, I do run brakes on my road fixed, and thirdly, there aren't any major hills on most of the routes I use it on. On hills I tend to use a fair amount of back pressure to control my speed until I reach a point where I can see that it's clear to let it run. Other than that it's business as usual.


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## 4F (17 Mar 2010)

BigSteev said:


> Couple of things. Firstly, as MacB points out I ride flats on everything (in fact I just did my first track session at Calshot and had to be clipped in which did feel a bit odd - speedplays in case you're wondering). Secondly, I do run brakes on my road fixed, and thirdly, there aren't any major hills on most of the routes I use it on. On hills I tend to use a fair amount of back pressure to control my speed until I reach a point where I can see that it's clear to let it run. Other than that it's business as usual.



But there is the possibility you may slip off a pedal for example when it is wet and that is going top make a nasty mess to the back of your leg.


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## Rob3rt (17 Mar 2010)

Surely the counter arguement to that is, if you wreck at high speed your legs are still attached to fast spinning pedals?

I ride flats on my fixed, I can see why others prefer clipless or track pedals (mine are actually track pedals with the cage removed) though. Whatever you feel most confident on is best.


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## longers (17 Mar 2010)

Rob3rt said:


> Whatever you feel most confident on is best.



Exactly, hope there wasn't any implied criticism in my posts as it wasn't supposed to be there if it looks that way.


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## BigSteev (17 Mar 2010)

No problem Longers, I didn't detect any criticism and I'm quite used to people being skeptical about flats and fixed riding. It's just that coming from a BMX background, being attached just feels very odd to me and I can't actually remember the last time I slipped a pedal. I'm using Fly Rubens Graphites (they're plastic!!) on it at the moment and they grip my Vans amazingly well.

Just for the record I was going to give 30 a go on the way home. There's a small downhill but going fast involves filtering the inevitable traffic queue on the outside (there's lights at the bottom) and unfortunately the lad on the 50cc scooter in front of me was a bit of a pussy and I had to hold back a bit. I took revenge on the bus lane after the lights passing him while he struggled to reach his top speed. My speedo showed 29.79 as my highest speed so hopefully with a bit clearer road tomorrow, I should beat the 30 barrier.


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## MacB (17 Mar 2010)

interesting, thanks guys, I had a look at those Fly Rubens, they look the same as my metal ones. I may try a set as the black seems to be coming off mine. Hopefully a plastic set will retain the colour as they wear, plus I think one of mine weighs more than a pair of those


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## Rob3rt (18 Mar 2010)

longers said:


> Exactly, *hope there wasn't any implied criticism in my posts as it wasn't supposed to be there if it looks that way.*



Not at all from where im standing 


Im new to this road cycling business and I tried clipless since its the way forward according to the majority (and I dont doubt it is in terms of performance), but after a spill which managed to bend my drops, some other close calls and generally feeling unsafe, a burden to traffic (due to flase starts trying to clip in) I didnt feel like riding my road bike (that I'd pretty much bankrupted myself to buy ) very much, it put me off riding it, I'm now looking at buying some double sided pedals, or maybe some track pedals for it. 

With my fixed I had track pedals with cages, they also irritated me (because they werent rigid enough and collapsed when foot removed, hence struggled to re-insert) so I removed the cages and I ride on the flat side, sometimes you get on bottom and its unconfy for a moment but just flip pedal and its sorted, I feel confident riding it like that.

So I concluded to myself that in the persuit of increased efficiency, if your percieved loss in confidence/enjoyment is greater than perceived gain in performance, I'd settle with less performance with increased enjoyment.


BigSteev

I too used to ride a mountain bike with flats all my teen years, and a bmx for commuting while doing my undergrad, so I guess im just used to not feeling attached to the bike the same way you are.


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## BigSteev (18 Mar 2010)

Bit clearer on that road tonight  Mind you I reckon that's not the limit.


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## colinr (18 Mar 2010)

Pffft, a mere 34. I hit 85mph the other day, because if the computer says it then it must be true


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## Rob3rt (23 Mar 2010)

hah, my purchase of a cheap cycle computer has shamed me, I think I chickened out at about 24-25mph due to risk of faceplant through potholes! Must equip helmet and find nice stretch to hit at least 30mph before I can consider myself a worthy cyclist  

Im running a pretty low gear so should be able to manage some nice top end if I can get over the fear of nailing a pedestrian walking into the cycle lane while not paying attention. Cycle computer was indeed a dangerous purchase.


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## toekneep (12 May 2010)

30 mph is my current limit on 48 x 18. I can't imagine ever improving on that but I live in hope.


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## Rob3rt (12 May 2010)

Now I read back and see my top speed previously, 24-25mph is now like only 2-3mph over my cruising speed and far below my top speed ability. Ive improved a lot in just a few short months.

My top speed is now 31mph on the flat, since then I've added tri bars, low profile base bars, a brake and set bike up for TT'ing (so its noticably faster for a given effort). But due to a crash, a running injury and a trip away Ive not really had much chance to try and top my 31mph.


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## totallyfixed (17 May 2010)

Up until yesterday my top speed was 40.6mph. Out on the club ride [and I was warned about this hill] I hit 44.16 at which point my muscles obviously went into an anaerobic state and I lost feeling in my legs, in fact it was all I could do to stay on the bike. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had lost control, all I know was that I was on the very edge of something fairly scary.
I looked at a cadence calculator this morning and it says I was doing 198rpm [going to look for another that tells me it was 200+]. I'm happy with that though, but will not be attempting that again any time soon, still not bad for someone with long legs and 175 cranks.


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## 4F (17 May 2010)

totallyfixed said:


> in fact it was all I could do to stay on the bike. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had lost control, all I know was that I was on the very edge of something fairly scary..



Hi Steve

Aah yes I recall a sensation very similar to that when I got to in the mid 30's. Not something I will be rushing to do again 

I trust both you and Helen are well


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## totallyfixed (17 May 2010)

Yes thanks Tony, Helen is racing the National 10, 25 and 50 over the next few weeks starting with the 10 next Sunday so training is taking up a lot of our time just now, good to see you are still alive and kicking.


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## longers (21 Jun 2010)

I've been aiming for 40mph and then I'll stop trying. 

39.56 mph this morning 

44 is lunacy!


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## fossyant (21 Jun 2010)

longers said:


> I've been aiming for 40mph and then I'll stop trying.
> 
> 39.56 mph this morning
> 
> 44 is lunacy!




39.56 is lunacy.......


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## robin IX (29 Jun 2010)

Managed to get a computer to confirm my thoughts.
30.8 mph on 44x17 (about 68 inches I think)
That's me, pretty much as fast a I can pedal, maybe just need to find a big hill.


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