Fifty Plus (50+) - 50+ hits 50 mph

I finished the DALMAC tour yesterday, and finally got around to emptying my camera. Here's a nice clip of the first big downhill on Sunday (9-2-07). Only hit 50.0 mph because as you can see the road was a bit rough and I had to feather the front brake while shooting with my handheld camera.

http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e135/blazingpedals/?action=view&current=OldStateDownhill.flv

BTW, top speed for the trip was 51.0, so I missed speeding my age by 1 mph. I promise to do better in the future.

Whoa, that looks like fun, but one hand?

Darned, now we will all have to do our age in miles and mph!

Well done.

A couple of questions.
Did u climb back up that hill?
If ur still riding at 100 will u feel compelled to do 100mph?
nice vid

That's one small dowhill for man, one screaming descent for mankind.

Darned, now we will all have to do our age in miles and mph!

Well done.

!?:eek:?!





Good ride. Now how do you clamp you knees around the top tube if it starts to shake? (although I suspect that the added mass may raise the point of oscilation pretty high)

This might however cause me to mount the camera on the bike so as to have both hands on the bars.

I've seen hills like that and almost the same cockpit view from my recumbent. Man! I just love how a good Bent picks up speed going down hill! Thanks for the VID!

Chris

BTW, top speed for the trip was 51.0, so I missed speeding my age by 1 mph. I promise to do better in the future.

And I promise never to do my age on anything but my van:rolleyes:

Nice video! Looks like fun but just a little too fast for me:o

Any idea how steep and how long the hill was? I think my fastest speed was on a 1-2 mile descent with very little curves that probably averaged 12%......

BP,

That actually looks more tame than some of the hills we did at the GFLBT this past June. I'm thinking that you'll clear your age no problem at all by riding that Friday night route backwards, turning those grueling climbs into screaming descents. On those hills, I could probably do it on my DF.

Any chance you'll do GFLBT next year?

50 mph with one hand? I hope your insurance is paid up.

Nice video...most of the bents I see have fairings. In fact, I saw a very cool titanium bent with a fairing and all the schwag trappings on Saturday. It did not look like you were shooting the video through plastic and I am curious if the fairing would improve downhill speed.

Wow! And if you really do want to do your age in downhill speed, here's a hearty good luck to you!!

I don't think the hill ever went over 8% grade, and no I didn't climb back up - the morning was full of ups and downs of similar size; but that was one with a nice clear line of sight during the descent. One-handed was very stable, since the bike has over 15 inches of tiller. Two handed was definitely more secure for the rider, though; so I at least rested my camera hand on the handlebar, which accentuated some of the jarring in the video. The bike doesn't have a top tube - it's a mandrel-bent monotube. I want to get a helmet cam for next year so I can keep both hands on the bars. I'll be going to Tennessee in a few weeks, so maybe on the bigger hills there I can successfully speed my age.

I've done 42.8 and that made me kind of nervous. I don't think I will ever be a 50+ descender. But kudos to you for being one. Nice video.

I'll be going to Tennessee in a few weeks, so maybe on the bigger hills there I can successfully speed my age.

Are you planning to do the BRAT? I was looking for an organized ride later this fall and considered it but decided not to go.

... I am curious if the fairing would improve downhill speed.

Lowracers generally don't use front fairings except as part of a full body setup. My frontal area is already pretty minimal, and a front fairing would only give me a larger profile. What works better is a properly-sized tail fairing, which works by erasing the wind shadow (draft) at the back of the bike. I haven't installed a tail fairing because of the extra weight and because the added length would make the bike harder to transport.

And coasting no less! Great ride!

Yeah, BRAT. There'll be some climbing; after all, it's Tennessee! But nothing like the last time I did it in '05, when the route started in Chattanooga. BTW BRAT and other fall rides are great for us 50+ers, since all the kids are all in school.

I'll bet you like roller coasters, too. How did you find a road like that with so little traffic?

The Cherohala Challenge (http://www.smwbike.org/cherohala/ccMain.htm) has a loooong descent with extensive segments of about 9%. When I rode it last year, I almost hit 50 in a full tuck on my upright bike. At one point, I was going maybe forty, and a recumbent went by like I wasn't moving -- he must have been going at least 60.