Top speed. Chain rings ?????

[Doyleyburger]

Either way it's a big old gear and not necessarily the answer.

For @Doyleyburger, gear inches explained here so you know what we're on about.

Ha ha thank you

 

[Hacienda71]

Spin faster. When you hit 40 get into an aero tuck. Elbows in, either on the drops or with your hands close together on the tops, chin an inch or two from the bars. Some people get off the saddle and sit on the top tube. Not for the faint hearted Another big part of descending is knowing the right line to take, get it wrong and you will scrub loads of speed off and worse may even have an off. Personally I would stick with the gears you have and work on your technique

 

[Rob3rt]

Spin faster. When you hit 40 get into an aero tuck. Elbows in, either on the drops or with your hands close together on the tops, chin an inch or two from the bars. Some people get off the saddle and sit on the top tube. Not for the faint hearted Another big Part of descending is knowing the right line to take, get it wrong and you will scrub loads of speed off and worse may even have an off. Personally I would stick with the gears you have and work on your technique

My technique is to grab the brakes and drag them all the way down. Then go kaboom up the next hill!

 

[User16625]

Hey guys,
Will changing my front chain rings help with better top end speed???
I have a carrera tdf with a 52/42 chain ring set (if I counted correctly)
Also if I change it, will it effect my climbing, as I find climbing ok with how it is currently

My fastest ever speed was 50mph on a serious downhill. The chainring happened to be a 50 and with a 11-28 cassette. Just work on increasing cadence.

 

[screenman]

Perhaps, there are some big hills here, so some big decents to match. One in particular I can get 44-46mph but then I'm spinning out. Most get 50+ going down it. Only 16 gears on my bike also

Have they got 2 magnets on their wheels or is this just and internet speed?

Either way pedal faster, if you cannot get 180rpm + then you are wimping out.

 

[Doyleyburger]

This is according to strava

 

[Dusty Bin]

This is according to strava

Don't worry about it. Any old chopper can ride downhill quickly. It's going up that really seperates the cyclists from the bike riders.

 

[Rob3rt]

Don't worry about it. Any old chopper can ride downhill quickly. It's going up that really seperates the cyclists from the bike riders.

Group rides = me waiting at the top for everyone else, them waiting at the bottom for me, lmao! I am a massive pussy coming down hill, I ride faster on the flat on my TT bike than I do on some descents!

 

[User6179]

This is according to strava

Well my top speed is 86mph!!!

 

[Boris Bajic]

Hey guys,
Will changing my front chain rings help with better top end speed???
I have a carrera tdf with a 52/42 chain ring set (if I counted correctly)
Also if I change it, will it effect my climbing, as I find climbing ok with how it is currently

I think most of the replies here have hit the button.

I'm slightly terrified at the suggestion you use aerobars to increase descending speed, but that may just be me.

My normal road bike runs 35 and 12 as its highest gear. This allows me to pedal up to about 43 or 44 mph on a descent. After that, it's gravity and air resistance.

I think the main thing about fast (ish) descending is confidence and being comfortable on your bike. Confidence comes with experience and with the knowledge that everything is appropriately tight, straight, inflated and lubed (not all the same component).

If you want to descend super-quickly, getting your cadence up will help.

As to only having 8 gears, there was a time when that was a pretty cool number and people descended fast in those days too... often the missing gears on an 8-speed cassette in comparison to a 10-speed are in the middle of the range, not the extremities.

Have fun!

 

[Rob3rt]

I think most of the replies here have hit the button.

I'm slightly terrified at the suggestion you use aerobars to increase descending speed, but that may just be me.

My normal road bike runs 35 and 12 as its highest gear. This allows me to pedal up to about 43 or 44 mph on a descent. After that, it's gravity and air resistance.

I think the main thing about fast (ish) descending is confidence and being comfortable on your bike. Confidence comes with experience and with the knowledge that everything is appropriately tight, straight, inflated and lubed (not all the same component).

If you want to descent super-quickly, getting your cadence up will help.

As to only having 8 gears, there was a time when that was a pretty cool number and people descended fast in those days too... often the missing gears on an 8-speed cassette in comparison to a 10-speed are in the middle of the range, not the extremities.

Have fun!

Not just you. If the descent has anything more than very gentle curves, then you won't want to be on aero bars really, the level of control is reduced and you won't have access to the brakes!

 

[Doyleyburger]

I think most of the replies here have hit the button.

I'm slightly terrified at the suggestion you use aerobars to increase descending speed, but that may just be me.

My normal road bike runs 35 and 12 as its highest gear. This allows me to pedal up to about 43 or 44 mph on a descent. After that, it's gravity and air resistance.

I think the main thing about fast (ish) descending is confidence and being comfortable on your bike. Confidence comes with experience and with the knowledge that everything is appropriately tight, straight, inflated and lubed (not all the same component).

If you want to descent super-quickly, getting your cadence up will help.

As to only having 8 gears, there was a time when that was a pretty cool number and people descended fast in those days too... often the missing gears on an 8-speed cassette in comparison to a 10-speed are in the middle of the range, not the extremities.

Have fun!

Cheers appreciate it

 

[Hacienda71]

Not just you. If the descent has anything more than very gentle curves, then you won't want to be on aero bars really, the level of control is reduced and you won't have access to the brakes!

Don't think anyone has actually suggested aero bars. I think he is getting confused with an aero tuck.

 

[Rob3rt]

Don't think anyone has actually suggested aero bars. I think he is getting confused with an aero tuck.

Someone did, somewhere back there....

 

[on the road]

This is according to strava

Don't rely on Strava, they estimate speeds down. A bike computer would be more accurate.