# Max Speed?



## Tollers (13 Mar 2011)

I'm sure a thread like this must have been done before...... What's the fastest you've ever been on your bike and where did it happen? I'm curious as i'm trying to improve my woefully bad descending technique and lack of bravery with a target of getting up to 40....to start with.

I'll start - 34mph down a coastal road in SF


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## I like Skol (13 Mar 2011)

49.7mph dropping down from the moors above Dovestones reservoir, Greenfield, Saddleworth. I was on my mountain bike running a 48T/11T drivetrain. I was gutted that I didn't touch 50mph but have only hit the mid 40's since and my new hybrid has a 46T (I think) chain ring combined with 12T cassette so doesn't get close, only done 42 or 43mph on this bike so far, seems much harder to hit the high speeds but could be the upright position while my MTB is low with a long stem?


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## Glover Fan (13 Mar 2011)

Yesterday actually, 33.0 MPH on the dot on measured for accuracy by GPS. Pretty sure I can go faster, but the gearing is fairly low on my bike right now.


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## Tollers (13 Mar 2011)

I like Skol said:


> 49.7mph dropping down from the moors above Dovestones reservoir, Greenfield, Saddleworth. I was on my mountain bike running a 48T/11T drivetrain. I was gutted that I didn't touch 50mph but have only hit the mid 40's since and my new hybrid has a 46T (I think) chain ring combined with 12T cassette so doesn't get close, only done 42 or 43mph on this bike so far, seems much harder to hit the high speeds but could be the upright position while my MTB is low with a long stem?



Were you on/off road? Going down a straight or winding road? I would have thought at anything above 40 the gearing becomes irrelevant and aerodynamics is everthing.


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## HLaB (13 Mar 2011)

The fastest I've been on road is 47.6mph down the String Road in Arran but tbh I'm a terrible descender so if I can hit that other folks would hit +60mph there.

The fastest I've been is 54.7mph on the turbo but I don't think that counts  and I got the whole of 4 inches


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## Tollers (13 Mar 2011)

HLaB said:


> The fastest I've been on road is 47.6mph down the String Road in Arran but tbh I'm a terrible descender so if I can hit that other folks would hit +60mph there.
> 
> The fastest I've been is 54.7mph on the turbo but I don't think that counts  and I got the whole of 4 inches



If you're a terrible descender, then i must just be a complete coward!




Ah well. Gonna keep trying to get quicker/braver/better until i'm up in the 50s


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## fungus (13 Mar 2011)

My max speed is 62mph descending the Tourmalet



In the UK probably 48mph descending the Lecht (A939) towards Tomintoul, I didn't have to touch the brakes once & would have been quicker but I was spinning out on 52/16. I had a 16/27 rear block on for the End2End Audax.


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## asterix (13 Mar 2011)

Over 80 km/h down Holme Moss (during which I was overtaken - my top gear is fairly low) and down Sutton Bank (watch out for the hairpin) and down Garrowby Hill (watch out for the side winds). Timing is critical down Garrowby Hill as it is easy to get stuck behind cars.

I did a very nice descent down the Col du Tourmalet (west side) during which several cars kindly pulled over to let me pass. I don't remember my top speed but it would not be exceptional due to the panniers' wind resistance. It was a lovely warm day and just right for descending.

The trickiest descent I did last year was also in the Pyrennees 32 kilometres long, down to Prades. It was both wet and cold and there were sections with road works and quite a bit of car traffic. Concentrating down such a long descent is quite wearing so is keeping warm but our support team had made sure all of us were warned about that. No idea of my top speed as I don't bother with cycle computers any more!


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## User269 (13 Mar 2011)

I live at the foot of an 18% hill, down which I get 51mph on a fairly regular basis in the right conditions. 
Descending Mont Ventoux you can overtake the cars as seen in my video (but beware it's 25 mins long, and the fast bit doesn't start until after Chalet Reynard). 
I often get faster speeds in the UK due to the steepness of the descents, but it's only in Europe where I descend for 30 mins or more at 30-40mph!!
I love descending, but only if I've done the climb first!

Oh, and be careful.


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## HLaB (13 Mar 2011)

Tollers said:


> If you're a terrible descender, then i must just be a complete coward!
> 
> 
> 
> Ah well. Gonna keep trying to get quicker/braver/better until i'm up in the 50s



Its not really a too technical descent, IIRC after you pass the summit there about a kilometre of straight (downhill) before a sharp rise before it does get more technical. You'd be able to easily get a good speed up on that first section; iirc my first pass (not knowing about the rise at the end) was 44.3mph. My second run was the 47.6mph, pitty I didn't have time for a third.

On the more technical and shorter hills closer to home I usually hit in the region of only 30mph+ (usually somewhere between 33 and 38mph).


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## Salad Dodger (13 Mar 2011)

43 mph on A road near home in Kent. On my 27 speed mountain bike I was in top gear and pedalling pretty hard, although I probably could have got a couple more mph if I had taken my brain out and really gone for it. But 43 felt plenty fast enough, thank you. I was a bit concerned that if anyone pulled out of a side road I would never have had enough brakes to get down to a sensible speed to take avoiding action.

So basically, I chickened out......


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## edindave (13 Mar 2011)

I was proud of myself freewheeling at 37.4mph down a slushy Redstone Rigg a few weeks ago on my hybrid


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## mcshroom (13 Mar 2011)

46.8 coming off of cold fell towards Ennerdale Bridge in the Lakes, completey spun out on a 48/14 hybrid. The end of the road there is a long straight where you can see all the way down to the end with a good run-off so I can really go for it without any worry about cars pulling out etc.

When the weather improves I'll have another go with my tourer as I feel I could make 50 on that.

Scariest decent was probably Blue Bank near Whitby. 40mph in the dark. Tigerbitten almost made 50mph on the same ride on his trike.


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## Panter (13 Mar 2011)

54.7mph on my SCR3.0 descending Detling hill in Kent. I'd been trying to beat the 50mph barrier for ages!


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## Dave Davenport (13 Mar 2011)

52mph with gears and a freewheel but 35mph on a 72" fixed gear is much scarier!


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## I like Skol (13 Mar 2011)

Tollers said:


> Were you on/off road? Going down a straight or winding road? I would have thought at anything above 40 the gearing becomes irrelevant and aerodynamics is everthing.





It was on the A635 road which is lovely and twisty in places. Gearing is important, not irrelevant. Take the argument to the extreme and you aren't going to do 40+ in the granny ring. As your cadence increases, the ability to generate meaningful torque decreases, until you reach the point where you are just frantically flapping your legs around trying to keep up with the wheels.



I hadn’t thought of Holme Moss. It would be perfect for a personal speed record attempt. Not sure which side would be the best, Holmfirth side is steeper but shorter then tight bends near the bottom while Woodhead side is much longer with more opportunity for repeat max speed attempts during the descent and while it isn’t as steep as the other side it is still an appreciable gradient.


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## Basil.B (13 Mar 2011)

140 mph in Germany, sorry wrong bike.


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## Svendo (13 Mar 2011)

I like Skol said:


> I hadn’t thought of Holme Moss. It would be perfect for a personal speed record attempt. Not sure which side would be the best, Holmfirth side is steeper but shorter then tight bends near the bottom while Woodhead side is much longer with more opportunity for repeat max speed attempts during the descent and while it isn’t as steep as the other side it is still an appreciable gradient.




I've found Woodhead side better for 50mph plus, as you say not as twisty, although still requires some bravery! You need a bit of wind behind you to get over 40-45ish.
Had 52 ish down blackstone edge to littleborough (A58), with a good easterly and a long run up!


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## mcshroom (13 Mar 2011)

Basil.B said:


> 140 mph in Germany



I might suggest that wasn't on a bicycle


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## ian emmerson (13 Mar 2011)

Commuting home in icy conditions last winter, braking hard whilst coming over a hill in Shildon, Co Durham only to spot a hand held speed camera in front of me. policeman waved me to a stop only to bollock me for being clocked at 42mph approaching a 30 zone. Didnt have it in me to say i was braking when clocked. Was also reminded about the icy conditions etc etc.


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## Albert (13 Mar 2011)

48.0 mph going down the hill into Pontrhygroes in Mid-Wales.


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## Baggy (14 Mar 2011)

42mph somewhere on Dartmoor - the slight bend at the bottom didn't look like much...until I took a really bad line through it, which nearly gave me a far closer look at a stone bridge than I ever wanted!!


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## rich87 (14 Mar 2011)

50.6 mph down one of Kent's many hills on my old road racing bike. After the initial sprint on the pedals it was all about tucking in and getting as low over the handlebars as possible. Might have to try it on my new bike with the racing tyres on!


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## Shrim (14 Mar 2011)

42mph going down Crank Road in Billinge but I must admit I did bottle it as there is a nasty little blind road for the golf club halfway down where the cars have to edge out to see. Its a 14% incline at its steepest section.


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## PpPete (14 Mar 2011)

42 mph (according to the GPS) on the tandem... with my 9 year old son on the back calling "faster Dad, faster" as we approached a 40 mph speed limit.

A3090 approaching Romsey from the west.. a nice quiet bit of dual carriageway with a safe run-out at the bottom.


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## Tigerbiten (14 Mar 2011)

mcshroom said:


> Scariest decent was probably Blue Bank near Whitby. 40mph in the dark. Tigerbitten almost made 50mph on the same ride on his trike.



Blue Bank was fun ............. 
But I only hit 49.7 mph.

On my local hills, ~9-10%, I'll hit ~45mph with a good wind behind me and ~40mph normally.

Ps. I normally spin out at ~34 mph pedalling.

Luck ...........


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## Garz (14 Mar 2011)

Only 46mph last year. Will try to break it when its a dry surface this year!


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## summerdays (14 Mar 2011)

Well some how my bike COMPUTER not the bike ... recorded a speed of 71 mph last week ... no idea how it did it, I doubt me and the bike were going faster than 25 mph .. but my fastest (I'm a wimp), was about 40 mph down a hill in Devon doing the C2C.


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## Cubist (14 Mar 2011)

summerdays said:


> Well some how my bike COMPUTER not the bike ... recorded a speed of 71 mph last week ... no idea how it did it, I doubt me and the bike were going faster than 25 mph .. but my fastest (I'm a wimp), was about 40 mph down a hill in Devon doing the C2C.


Wireless by any chance? They get set off by strobe LEDs and Taxi radios. Mine once did 72 mph on the breadbin, I think set off either by the signal from my Blackberry, or a faulty under-cupboard worktop light.


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## JonnyBlade (14 Mar 2011)

42 mph on a 7 speed Raleigh Pursuit. If I weighed about a stone heavier (currently 9 stone 10) then I suspect it would have been somewhat quicker. Getting speed down hills is a little difficult if you're a feather weight


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## ramses (14 Mar 2011)

44.7 mph on a mountain bike on tarmac. It was last year (London To Brighton BHF Ride), I was descending after having just climbed Ditchling Beacon.

I looked down at my speedo, and I did contemplate going faster, but the wife's words started nagging at the back of my head, so I decided to back off.

However, I now have a road bike






I have told the wife, no way would I go that fast on the road bike





Hopefully she won't read this, as I probably will


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## Bodhbh (15 Mar 2011)

Cubist said:


> Wireless by any chance? They get set off by strobe LEDs and Taxi radios. Mine once did 72 mph on the breadbin, I think set off either by the signal from my Blackberry, or a faulty under-cupboard worktop light.



Yes, I've noticed the usual culprit for mine is checkout tills. Good place to bump up your milage in comfort 

I did 42mph on the flat on a loaded touring bike on a last year! A thunderstorm was oncoming, lightning and blackness behind, tailwind was stripping branches off the trees, the panniers were acting like sails, and I was s***ing myself trying to outrun it. Don't think done much faster than that downhill even, I start bottling soon after 40.


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## Paulus (15 Mar 2011)

My fastest was 52mph coming down the Ventoux towards Malaucene (see my avatar). The rims were quite hot when I got to bottom, but very exhilarating.


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## GrasB (15 Mar 2011)

On the A428 (the old A428 was basically closed at the time) I hit 37.2mph on the flat - a constant stream of traffic does wonders for your speed. Normally I get into the low 40s on the short descents around here but in the Alps it was around the 60mph marker iirc.


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## Jonathing (15 Mar 2011)

My fastest was 47mph coming down off of the South Downs north of Portsmouth, my fastest on the flat was 40mph, with a nearly gale force tail wind. I shall never forget the look on the face of the bloke on the Vespa as I pulled out, overtook him and pulled back in.


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## Glover Fan (15 Mar 2011)

New top speed earlier, 37.7mph, but topped out gearing.


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## Bman (15 Mar 2011)

Ive not reached 40mph yet, but around 35mph is my personal best (Aston Ford and Stevenage Road). However, I regularly top 30mph on my morning commute. 

On my MTB, no idea about the gearing ratios.


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## Downward (15 Mar 2011)

I got 41mph yesterday down the A456 past Halesowen cycling club. Was windy too. I have never gone down there with no traffic.


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## summerdays (15 Mar 2011)

Cubist said:


> Wireless by any chance? They get set off by strobe LEDs and Taxi radios. Mine once did 72 mph on the breadbin, I think set off either by the signal from my Blackberry, or a faulty under-cupboard worktop light.



No wired ... but a couple of years old ... and it seems to have been playing up occasionally and not recording my mileage - but that's the first time it has mis-recorded the speed. I even wondered if someone had spun my wheel till I remembered I had it on my when I left my bike and I don't think you could hand spin the wheel that fast anyway.


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## ianrauk (15 Mar 2011)

49.4mph drafting young Mr ILB's down the Devils Dyke


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## Nigel182 (15 Mar 2011)

Road Bike 47 mph Downhill.... 
South Hill in Langdon Hills near Basildon....
Must go back and try for the elusive 50+


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## TheDoctor (15 Mar 2011)

Fasted verified was 49.6 mph down Cap Gris Nez towards Calais with a massive tailwind.
Sadly my new wireless computer packed in coming down Ventoux, but it has to be more than that - possibly 55 mph.
I'll have to go and do it again sometime. On a Brommie.


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## Bman (16 Mar 2011)

50mph on a brommie! Were the axles smoking!?


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## Flying_Monkey (16 Mar 2011)

Over 50mph (I can't actually remember the exact speed), coming down Tan Hill in Yorkshire on a steel road bike with rear panniers!. I may or may not have gone faster than this but I've long since abandonned bike computers.


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## Norry1 (16 Mar 2011)

45mph during the Great Shakespeare ride last year. Hitting 50 is one of my targets for the year.

Martin


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## I like Skol (20 Mar 2011)

Tried a quick speed run last week after this topic came up but got caught in traffic so only managed 35mph. This morning managed 41.9mph on my way home after a 12 hr night shift and with 2 loaded panniers acting as wind brakes. This was down Crescent Rd from Dukinfield into Ashton, no traffic at 7.30 on a sunday morning!


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## biggs682 (20 Mar 2011)

we saw a 25.7 mph this morning on small downhill section on tandem this morning freewheeling , down tell the other half


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## Shrim (20 Mar 2011)

Checked my computer after a run down Roby Mill Hill in Wigan and managed 40mph on a 12% incline. When I got home checked my computer again and it said max speed 97.3mph. Can't remember falling off a cliff! Will have to check the batteries.


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## HelenD123 (20 Mar 2011)

37mph on my fully loaded tourer somewhere on the US Pacific Coast. I'm a real wuss going downhill and despaired of ever breaking 30mph but finally did it in Canada.


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## HLaB (20 Mar 2011)

Flying_Monkey said:


> Over 50mph (I can't actually remember the exact speed), coming down Tan Hill in Yorkshire on a steel road bike with rear panniers!. I may or may not have gone faster than this but I've long since abandonned bike computers.



Must of been fun  The only time I've got over 50 (57.4mph), I only actually got 4 inches; it was on the turbo.


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## Goto10 (2 Apr 2011)

41mph (Garmin Edge 500 speedo) downhill on my hybrid bike. Felt faster!


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## david1701 (2 Apr 2011)

I wanna computer now


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## davehann (3 Apr 2011)

45 mph heading down the caerpilly mountain road towwards cardiff :-)


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## Bicycle (3 Apr 2011)

Just over 45 mph on the Malvern Hills on a descent I do regularly-ish.

The upper part of the descent has a dreadful surface, so I can't really have a go where speed would be easy to pick up.

I'm sure that's a 50+ descent, but I always seem to chicken out where the tarmac's bad.

The WORST descent ever was on that same slope... I got into what we used to call a tankslapper on motorcycles and was weaving right across the road and looking for a soft place to ditch. Had there been oncoming traffic I would have been launched or lunched.

I was astounded both to get to the bottom still in the saddle and to see that my max was 39 mph. It felt like 139...

I still don't know what happened to set the wobble up, but found nothing wrong with the bike afterwards.


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## biglad (3 Apr 2011)

Some of these speeds are...intimidating! 

I hit just under 25mph on a downhill today, I was petrified!


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## ramses (3 Apr 2011)

I managed 62.5 mph the other day

What impressed me was that I had locked my bike up in the shed at work, had my shower and had just sat down at my desk, put the computer down and WOW! I was going 62.5mph
No effort at all!!






It was the mobile phone actually



I had put it on my desk next to the cycle computer and it had set it off. 

Still, went out on the new road bike for the 4th weekend in a row on Saturday and clocked 38.4 mph, I intend to beat my MTB speed of 44.7 mph but am just getting used to the new bike, and indeed a road bike, as it's been a while.


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## Matthames (4 Apr 2011)

The fastest I have been has been down Exceat hill towards Exceat bridge on the A259. I clocked a speed of around 45mph. Close to that was what I call the Mallydams run, which starts near Mallydams wood in Hastings and descends to Pett level over 3 miles. I can usually do speeds over 40 for the entire decent. 

The scariest decent I have done is Cheddar gorge. I don't know the speed I was doing, but I nearly needed to have a change of underwear when I panicked and nearly lost control and face planted into a 100ft cliff face.


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## Andrew_P (4 Apr 2011)

Fastest I have been is 33mph, how do you lot get so high? @ 33mph cadence according to my Garmin was 93, but it felt like I couldn't get push on it and the speed of rotataing was making me quite unstable so backed off and coasted.

I am on a Roubaix comp Compact


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## Moodyman (4 Apr 2011)

biglad said:


> *Some of these speeds are...intimidating!
> *
> I hit just under 25mph on a downhill today, I was petrified!



When I first got into cycling, I was intimidated by every downhill. Pressed brakes every few intervals.

But you soon get used to it. I now don't bat an eyelid hitting 40mph.

Having confidence in your ability and your bike's integrity makes a lot of difference.

PS - gotta aim for the top speed on the right roads. No point going hellfire if there's a junction at the bottom or a tight bend or if the road is far from smooth.


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## arallsopp (4 Apr 2011)

ianrauk said:


> 49.4mph drafting young Mr ILB's down the Devils Dyke



None of us with any sleep, and he with the brakes on, IIRC. 

My max to date (verified) has been 52.4mph, on Reigate Hill in the dark, pursued by the Martlets TT group. We were the advance guard, and I was only really measuring my speed relative to the group. In hindsight, not a brilliant idea.

Though it would be churlish to omit that it gave me the giggles.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/100814


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## GrasB (4 Apr 2011)

LOCO said:


> Fastest I have been is 33mph, how do you lot get so high? @ 33mph cadence according to my Garmin was 93, but it felt like I couldn't get push on it and the speed of rotataing was making me quite unstable so backed off and coasted.
> 
> I am on a Roubaix comp Compact


93 rpm on what length cranks? Max RPM this morning was 137rpm on 175mm cranks, that'd be 50:14 on a compact assuming 700x23c tyres.


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## fossyant (4 Apr 2011)

Regularly break 40mph on 'Otterspool' between Romiley and Marple on training rides - TBH every time I ride down there - only problem is cars - the speed limit's 40.  

Often see 50 mph - Chinley Head, Chunal, Woodhead. Woodhead is good for about 55 mph, but that's wind assisted and it gets really dodgy with side winds.

Max has been just over 60 descending into Betsw-y-Coed after climbing Llanberris Pass, and we were in a group of four. No wind though - crazy pace. - Just kept shouting, 50......55.....60....whooooooo !


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## Angelfishsolo (4 Apr 2011)

42.7Mph on my MTB. On a Tarmac road from the Top of Treherbert Mountain heading for Rhigos


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## perplexed (4 Apr 2011)

43 mph on my road bike!

Can't remember the name of the hill...


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## Andrew_P (4 Apr 2011)

GrasB said:


> 93 rpm on what length cranks? Max RPM this morning was 137rpm on 175mm cranks, that'd be 50:14 on a compact assuming 700x23c tyres.



Not sure on the length they are Shimano 105 on a Roubaix Comp 2010


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## oliglynn (4 Apr 2011)

49.8mph going down Chain Hill coming off the Ridgeway...

Gonna ride it again on Weds and try to beat the 50mph mark!


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## Fnaar (4 Apr 2011)

43.5, MTB on the road, somewhere near Otterburn, Northumberland, a few years back.




Was a bit wary of the sheep wandering about, so hit the brakes


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## sabian92 (4 Apr 2011)

Fastest I've ever done is about 16mph. That was under my own steam though on a flat. I don't like bombing it down hills - Not got great balance and knowing me I'd be killed trying to be a smart arse and go as fast as I can.


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## twozeronine (4 Apr 2011)

Only about 32mph for me. I don't think I'd have the balls to go some of the speeds posted here. Even at 32mph, irrational thoughts start popping up like "what if my front wheel suddenly falls off".


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## Cyclopathic (4 Apr 2011)

barefoot said:


> Only about 32mph for me. I don't think I'd have the balls to go some of the speeds posted here. Even at 32mph, irrational thoughts start popping up like "what if my front wheel suddenly falls off".




That sounds like an incredibly rational thought to have at anything over 20 mph. 

The fastest I've ever recorded was about 35mph. I did it down a fairly sharp hill on a country road with a fairly crappy surface and I was terrified. The bike was a Raliegh team Panasonic completely bargain basement copy. Sachs Huret all the way and the vibrations were incredible. I say it was about 35mph because I was recording it on the old analogue speedos that read the speed from a wheel touching the front wheel (no doubt slowing me down) I might have been a little bit faster since then but haven't had any record.


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## Matthames (4 Apr 2011)

barefoot said:


> Only about 32mph for me. I don't think I'd have the balls to go some of the speeds posted here. Even at 32mph, irrational thoughts start popping up like "what if my front wheel suddenly falls off".



When I am going at speed I really don't think about things going wrong like that. I usually check important things like this before I ride, so I know that the wheel is very unlikely to fall off. Having ridden motorbikes helps also. 

I have had a spoke pop at 30mph before, nothing too serious came of it. As soon as I heard it ping and rattle around I brought the bike to a controlled stop. I did then have to wait a little bit after that for the rims to cool down to avoid scalding my hands whilst working on my wheel.


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## monnet (4 Apr 2011)

I hit 53mph coming down a hill with a tailwind in Lanzarote a couple of weeks ago. 

I empathise with the thoughts of wheels falling off though! 

First thought, 'thank god this bike is a quality, well built brand, well looked after with fully functioning kit'. 

Second thought 'sh1t! It might be all those things but I put the thing together. This morning.'


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## steve52 (4 Apr 2011)

a good tailwind today and i got 37 mph but that was on the flat, not for long pant dribble gasp, a compact if it matters,


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## addictfreak (4 Apr 2011)

Not to sure what my personal fastest has been. But my mate clocked 57.1 at the weekend on the descent from Killhope Cross throught Cowshill.

I was taking it easy as I had damaged my rear tyre, so only managed 42+. Cos it doesnt hurt if you come off at that speed


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## twozeronine (4 Apr 2011)

Is there any reason to think a bike might fall apart at the seams when at high speed? Does it put any extra stress on the bike at all?


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## Matthames (4 Apr 2011)

barefoot said:


> Is there any reason to think a bike might fall apart at the seams when at high speed? Does it put any extra stress on the bike at all?



If it has been maintained properly then there is absolutely no reason why it should just fall apart.


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## twozeronine (4 Apr 2011)

Matthames said:


> If it has been maintained properly then there is absolutely no reason why it should just fall apart.



Hehe, I suppose I was being a bit facetious with that first question. I guess you'd only have to be realisticly concerned about things coming loose if you were flying down a hill paved in cobble stones or something.


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## HLaB (4 Apr 2011)

barefoot said:


> Only about 32mph for me. I don't think I'd have the balls to go some of the speeds posted here. Even at 32mph, irrational thoughts start popping up like "what if my front wheel suddenly falls off".



I wouldn't worry about the front wheel according to the local kids (in fact kids anywhere) it the back wheel that is a problem, 'Hey Mista your back wheel is going round' (like we haven't heard it a hundred times before  )


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## Russell Allen (4 Apr 2011)

I saw 65 kph on the Garmin speedo this weekend on the "Essex Roads Sping Lambs" sportive.....and they say there are no proper hills in Essex. I look forward to getting to a hilly part of the country and see what can be acheived with a good long gradient. That was on a Bianchi Via Nirone and felt stable and solid, more to come when the chance arrives for sure.

Russell


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## Tollers (4 Apr 2011)

As i'm currently based in the US&A, my lawyers have advised me to add the following statement to this thread....

Tollers accepts no liabilty for injury, death or other issues arising from or related to this thread. Liabilities limited by the preceding sentence include, without limitations, or liability for negligence. Tollers cannot be held liable for any consequential, indirect, special, incidental or punitive damages, regardless of the form of action, whether in an agreement, tort, strict liability or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such damages and even if the damages were foreseeable.


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## Fletch456 (4 Apr 2011)

biglad said:


> Some of these speeds are...intimidating!
> 
> I hit just under 25mph on a downhill today, I was petrified!



I've just found I can do 25mph on almost flat roads. How long I can keep it up for is another matter.


Generally on this topic - Being 6'3" is a disadvantage going up hill but definitely an plus coming down as I soon begin to pass people. 42mph max down hill so far on alu bike and expect to easily do 45 at some point soon, on a similar hill on my new and first carbon bike - so much smoother and quicker and easier handling.


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## Fletch456 (4 Apr 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> 42.7Mph on my MTB. On a Tarmac road from the Top of Treherbert Mountain heading for Rhigos



42.7 on an mtb...sounding pretty impressive to me!


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## Angelfishsolo (4 Apr 2011)

That was downhill but thanks all the same


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## NotFabian (4 Apr 2011)

36.6mph yesterday on a wee country road. Was pi**ing myself thinking what if a car comes out from a driveway/lane.


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## Fletch456 (4 Apr 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> That was downhill but thanks all the same



thought it must be and with a good welsh hill at that but an mtb isnt exactly a speed machine...so sounding pretty fast


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## fossyant (4 Apr 2011)

monnet said:


> I hit 53mph coming down a hill with a tailwind in Lanzarote a couple of weeks ago.
> 
> I empathise with the thoughts of wheels falling off though!
> 
> ...



Fire Mountain ?

Me and a mate came down there at 50-55mph overtaking cars. You do think "christ if I come off, all that lave rock does look rather sharp"


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## fossyant (4 Apr 2011)

Don't worry about bits falling off/dropping off - front wheel blow outs are an 'issue' 



Have I put anyone off yet ?


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## totallyfixed (4 Apr 2011)

No worries about bits of the bike falling off, It's bits of me falling off I'm more worried about, max speed 44.15 mph..........on fixed


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## Fnaar (5 Apr 2011)

Fletch456 said:


> 42.7 on an mtb...sounding pretty impressive to me!





Fnaar said:


> 43.5, MTB on the road, somewhere near Otterburn, Northumberland, a few years back.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Ahem. Downhill. Pannier on the back. Smooth straight road.


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## Crackle (5 Apr 2011)

46 down a 1 in 10 which I had just ridden up. Normally it's a 35mph downhill but that day there was a hooly blowing and it picked me up. Despite trying I never got that speed on that hill again.


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## Angelfishsolo (5 Apr 2011)

I have to say it felt fast. I have never been so glad for disk brakes in my life lol



Fletch456 said:


> thought it must be and with a good welsh hill at that but an mtb isnt exactly a speed machine...so sounding pretty fast


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## Matthames (5 Apr 2011)

fossyant said:


> Don't worry about bits falling off/dropping off - front wheel blow outs are an 'issue'
> 
> 
> 
> Have I put anyone off yet ?



Only really an issue if you are on the brakes the whole time


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## HLaB (5 Apr 2011)

Last night I was going 30.3 mph into a 48mph wind does that count as breaking the 70mph mark 

I suppose on the way back though when I was doing 34.3 mph, I was actually doing -13.7mph, strange it didn't feel like I was going backwards


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## fossyant (5 Apr 2011)

Matthames said:


> Only really an issue if you are on the brakes the whole time



Erm, glass/flint/thorns ?


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## elan2011 (5 Apr 2011)

hi all
my top speed was 72 mph coming down staxton hill, which joins to the a64, in north yorkshire near malton. its a long 1 in 4 hill with a very stright section near the bottom and overall maybe 1.5 to 2 mile long, it has to be my fav hill for all out speed.

second fav hill to decsend is rosedale chimney can be 50 plus if your the last of the late brakers, desending it beats riding up it.


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## twozeronine (5 Apr 2011)

elan2011 said:


> my top speed was 72 mph


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## Garz (5 Apr 2011)

Are you serious? 72mph!

*rub's chin*


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## HLaB (5 Apr 2011)

Garz said:


> Are you serious? 72mph!
> 
> *rub's chin*



Perfectly feasible, I think my Garmin once recorded 226mph  some how I think I must of passed under a powerline or something


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## Tollers (5 Apr 2011)

elan2011 said:


> hi all
> my top speed was 72 mph coming down staxton hill, which joins to the a64, in north yorkshire near malton. its a long 1 in 4 hill with a very stright section near the bottom and overall maybe 1.5 to 2 mile long, it has to be my fav hill for all out speed.
> 
> second fav hill to decsend is rosedale chimney can be 50 plus if your the last of the late brakers, desending it beats riding up it.



Fastest i've ever heard of was 72.7mph by JJ Haedo on the Giro de Italia!

Elan, perhaps these links might be helpful to you: If you want to be the best. All you need is a little dedication

p.s is this the hill?


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## elan2011 (6 Apr 2011)

yes that the hill. its not far from hull so i used to a few years ago ride up and down this hill. there are many other hill in the yorkshire wolds that allow for 50 plus speeds with out much effort.

and these 60-70 mph speeds are quite were quite normal on sunday club runs, in the early to mid 90s by most of us younger members.

would not get up to such speeds today, as i mainly ride fixed so 30 mph is about max for me now


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## GrasB (6 Apr 2011)

In the Alps it was fairly easy to get to 60mph & at that speed I was keeping the bike speed down (no point in getting to the next junction too far in front of the ride leader). The thing is though a little more up at that kind of speed can mean an awful lot more in terms of gradient.


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## supercooper (6 Apr 2011)

37.9 mph just the other night


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## oliglynn (7 Apr 2011)

50.7mph last night - finally got over the 50mph barrier I had been trying to break since last year!





Going down Chain Hill


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## Timmo (7 Apr 2011)

Most i've managed on my MTB is 30mph going down hill and 20mph on a straight.


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## madguern (7 Apr 2011)

According to my garmin 500mph !!!! reality 40mph downhill was enough for more before i bottled it. On the flay about 30mph is max

Cheers


Rob


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## Cyclopathic (7 Apr 2011)

elan2011 said:


> hi all
> my top speed was 72 mph coming down staxton hill, which joins to the a64, in north yorkshire near malton. its a long 1 in 4 hill with a very stright section near the bottom and overall maybe 1.5 to 2 mile long, it has to be my fav hill for all out speed.
> 
> second fav hill to decsend is rosedale chimney can be 50 plus if your the last of the late brakers, desending it beats riding up it.




Is it at all possible that your bike comp' is set to km/h rather than mp/h, or that an error was made when progaming in the circumference reading for your wheel? If niether of these is the case then I am extremely impressed. I've had cars that couldn't go that fast. 

Just out of interest, does the date that you joined the forum have anything to do with this remarkable feat? Just asking like.


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## Hydra (7 Apr 2011)

37.6 here, coming along Hathersage Road. Would have been faster but I wimped out a wee bit









elan2011 said:


> my top speed was 72 mph


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## monnet (8 Apr 2011)

fossyant said:


> Fire Mountain ?
> 
> Me and a mate came down there at 50-55mph overtaking cars. You do think "christ if I come off, all that lave rock does look rather sharp"



That's exactly the one. 

TBH I was pretty confident about the bike, but it was long enough for the mind to wander and I was thinking if there's something in the road and I have a blow out/ go down, that lava is nasty looking. Of course, I made it down ok, turned round and went back up!


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## 1894mk2 (8 Apr 2011)

I do about 33 every time I commute - very rough tarmac (not potholed just very rough consistancy) that makes me take some care.

Fastest 41.7 down Britwell hill (12% and straight) - bumps are a limiting factor.


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## evilclive (8 Apr 2011)

49 on the flat in my youth somewhere near Foxton - following a lorry. Once I gave up and dropped back, the turbulence blew my chain off :-)

55 on my own, with a nice tailwind coming from Malham to Langliffe

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=54.09694,-2.236941&spn=0.007034,0.015106&z=16

(I'd had a vicious headwind earlier climbing out of Settle going to Malham, so I think I earned the return)

62 on the tandem on the hill down to Stocks Reservoir

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=54.026075,-2.409257&spn=0.003523,0.007553&t=h&z=17

That corner at the end makes it a bit scarier, esp if there's a stream running across it.

The tandem is great for fast descents - being both faster and incredibly stable. It's kind of reassuring that if you want to brake as hard as you can, you just do.


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