Terminal Velocity

[PpPete]

Gee thanks for that Monty !

 

[Arsen Gere]

I was once clocked by a police motorcyclist doing 55mph on the flat but with a howling tail wind in a road race. He came up to me afterwards to ask if we ever got scared at that speed. I said you don't notice because you are only aware of the people around you rather than what speed you are doing. On the back part of the loop the wind was so strong we were down to a walking pace. Should have been called off really. I got blown in the gutter, fell off and got back on gain without a scrape it was so slow.

I have noticed that when you are shifting in a bunch you can't see the road ahead and you get the feeling like you are on a rollercoaster when you go down and up dips. Your stomach gets left behind. You don't notice it when you are on the front.

IMHO if you hit anything solid at more than 30mph you are as good as dead. One mate hit a sign post and it was a helicopter and blood transfusions that afternoon.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

A shade under 55mph coming down Tan Hill in Yorkshire, before I stopped using a bike computer because it was to distracting. I don't think I've been faster than that, but I don't know for sure. I did plenty of sportives with serious descents after this...

 

[fossyant]

Holy Smoke - 50 mph on a bike.
32 or 33 downhill is the fastest I've gone. I'll say this unashamedly - I was cacking myself.

Is that all, try 60 mph. Not managed to break 100kph yet, or 62mph in old money.

 

[Russell Allen]

I hit 70kmh on a loaded dawes galaxy tourer without pedaling, rolling down the hill from the top of Dartmoor towards Tavistock in a racing tuck. It was steady as a rock, but i was a little worried in case one of the many sheep decided to run into the road.

I regularly hit 70kmh pedaling down a local Essex hill of about 10%

I don't look at the bike computer while going downhill, I keep my eyes on the road and check the max speed later.

Russell

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

IMHO if you hit anything solid at more than 30mph you are as good as dead. One mate hit a sign post and it was a helicopter and blood transfusions that afternoon.

I must have been hitting the '40s at least on some local downhill stretches on my Felt. I don't have a speedo though (I keep meaning to get round to buying one).

Of crashing, my opinion is that, if you are going that fast, then if anything goes wrong then it'll be over pretty rapidly, so why worry?

 

[byegad]

Getting to 50mph is really easy around here, a recumbent trike, especially with a front fairing, just needs the right hill and not braking. For me 50s plenty even with the car like braking of a tadpole recumbent trike.

 

[mangaman]

The Edge measures heart rate and mine is almost as high going down that hill as it is going up!

Bono offers a similar service I hear, but is more expensive as you have to fly his favourite hat over.

 

[Gary E]

Bono offers a similar service I hear, but is more expensive as you have to fly his favourite hat over.

I see what you did there!

 

[HLaB]

My frequent but irregular cycling buddy with significant Alpline experience says that for him downhill terminal velocity whilst frewheeling sittngup/on the hoods is about 50kph. Is that in line with the experience of others on this forum?

Nah, he's just not found a steep enough hill, some of the ones round here you'd easily get to 30+mph (50+kph) free wheeling.

 

[Gary E]

Bono offers a similar service I hear, but is more expensive as you have to fly his favourite hat over.

I see what you did there!

But if I'm honest it took me a while to work it out

 

[gbs]

The Doctor confirms my OP - 50kph seems to be the limit when sitting up and freewheeling. So substantial braking does not seem to be necessary and overheated rims do not seem probable. So, when does this dreaded overheating condition arise?

To others who have reported higher speeds: were you sitting up? Were you pedalling?

 

[black'n'yellow]

maybe the hill you are riding down is just not very steep..??

 

[TheDoctor]

Using the brakes continuously to slow you down can heat the rims, especially if you've got luggage on board. I tend to descend in a tuck (speed = fun!!), then change to sitting as upright as possible - hands on the hoods and straight arms. Brake hard as you approach the hairpin, off the brakes and upright going round, then into a tuck and a few pedal strokes to accelerate away.
Ooh, I want to go to some mountains now...

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

To others who have reported higher speeds: were you sitting up? Were you pedalling?

Yes and no in the order you asked.