speed

[Davidc]

... speeds upto 45 mph, why do i feel unsafe at speeds in excess of 30mph? ...?

I think you're just sensible.

I don't like going much over 30. I'll do up to 40 down the B road into Corfe (Somerset) because I know it and so feel safe. But generally I ageree with you.

Why go faster than the speed where you feel comfortable?

When I was a teeneger and in my twenties I was of course invincible (all 15 to 25 year old males are, they're immortal too!) and would go down the Zig-Zags at Boxhill at an average speed of 45! The intervening 30+ years have sadly introduced sanity and reality!

 

[Dave 123]

As a Cambridgeshire resident I don't get too many hills, but I'm visiting the in-laws in south Devon this week. Did a ride on Dartmoor this morning and hit 40mph, felt great, watery eyes and all.
The bit that scared me was going up hill, endlessly..... on and on and on and on, just like my mother in law. Just like her these climbs left me cross eyed and exhausted!

Dave.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Its all down to confidence , back in the day i once did (on a closed road before all the do gooders stick there oar in) 152mph on my motorbike and had 110% confidence in the bike , the tires , the chain etc , but on my road bike with little skinny tires and a puncture deflation rate of a second or two, if i get over 30 on a decent i am more than a little anxious to the point of thinking Sod that i wanna get home today.

 

[Davidc]

Its all down to confidence , back in the day i once did (on a closed road before all the do gooders stick there oar in) 152mph on my motorbike and had 110% confidence in the bike , the tires , the chain etc , but on my road bike with little skinny tires and a puncture deflation rate of a second or two, if i get over 30 on a decent i am more than a little anxious to the point of thinking Sod that i wanna get home today.

I hope they were tyres.

Bad news if they were tires - worn out and failing!

 

[lukesdad]

Some can some can t. Its not skill that will limit you, it ll be brain cells

 

[loops]

Hi,

Just so you don't feel alone I have just started cycling and have no idea how fast I am going as no computer but today was my 3rd cycle ride is my first time where there were a couple of down hills where I actually didn't break...'so very scary....but clearly if I begin to let go so can anyone, but who cares if your out and about riding your bike how great is that in itself

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Whee and whoa are the yin and yang of descending: you need to keep them in balance (along with the bike, preferably).

No idea what this means so it must be profound...

 

[Nebulous]

thanks, as a mid forties bloke, i think my daring days are behind me!!!

I'm 50 next year, only started cycling last year, and I absolutely love going fast. I've been determined to reach 50mph and the last time time I tried it my garmin came out at 49.9 I only found out after the event - otherwise I might have cranked back up and tried it again.
I did 30 miles today, without any good downhills, but still managed to make 37.8

 

[danger mouse]

Not keen on speeding downhill.

Self preservation an a vivid imagination of what it will feel like if I come off.

Also, I wear specs and it dont half make my eyes water going fast.

 

[Xiorell]

Normally I feel fine going fast on roads I know or can see far ahead of myself.
However, there's a new-ish housing estate just on the edge of town that has a long road running down hill all the way along the side of it. Last time I went down there I decided to hammer down and see what I could do. I was looking to hit 50, but at a reading of 49.3 the bike felt really unstable, the front end seemed like it was shaking alot etc, so I thought better of it and backed off.
Now I have a new bike however....

 

[Emmanuel Obikwelu]

As a Cambridgeshire resident I don't get too many hills, but I'm visiting the in-laws in south Devon this week. Did a ride on Dartmoor this morning and hit 40mph, felt great, watery eyes and all.
The bit that scared me was going up hill, endlessly..... on and on and on and on, just like my mother in law. Just like her these climbs left me cross eyed and exhausted!

Dave.

My eyes water on the flat let alone going downhill. And not through execive speed ihtpo. I tend to veer towards the cautious descent.

 

[Bicycle]

I'm not a proper speed freak (and don't have the hills for it around here) but 45 with gears and 33 fixed are my chicken-out points.

I'm not sure why, but whenever I get to the bottom of a descent those are the maxima on my computer.

However... I have kittens if any of my children go over 35.... whilst secretly wanting them to go over 50.

My youngest (12) has just started using a bike with a computer and it's now all about fast descents.

I am terrified. Bring on the winter so he stops riding for a few months!

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I hope they were tyres.

Bad news if they were tires - worn out and failing!

I put tyres and the spell check said it was wrong ,, instead of trusting my spelling i let the computer do its thing.

 

[PpPete]

I'm not a proper speed freak (and don't have the hills for it around here) but 45 with gears and 33 fixed are my chicken-out points.

I'm not sure why, but whenever I get to the bottom of a descent those are the maxima on my computer.

However... I have kittens if any of my children go over 35.... whilst secretly wanting them to go over 50.

My youngest (12) has just started using a bike with a computer and it's now all about fast descents.

I am terrified. Bring on the winter so he stops riding for a few months!

My youngest (10) is very proud of having broken a 40 mph speed limit... albeit on the back of the tandem.
That sort of thing is reserved for roads which I know to be absolutely safe. Rarely exceed 35 otherwise (30 on fixed)

 

[Gixxerman]

I once hit 47 and bit mph on my hybrid.
At the time it didn't bother me, I was just caught up in the excitment.
The bike was quite stable, but the vibrations were something else!
It was only when I got home and sat down with a brew that I got thinking about what could have happened if I had hit a pot hole or similar.
Still won't stop me doing it again though. You have to have a bit of excitment in your life.