Fifty Plus (50+) - How many miles can you ride in an hour?

Given you have access to a ruler flat, smooth paved surface trail/track, with the temperature being your favorite temp, with no wind, and on your fastest bike, how many miles do you believe (or know) you could ride in one hour?

Addendum: Please consider the last option to be "24 or more miles"

OOPS!

Last option should read "More than 24 miles"

Darn, I just created a stupid poll.

How interesting.

No one else has responded except me.

I ride a fixed gear bike.

I formerly geared to average 19mph around town, but I geared down to 15mph for temporary health reasons, and found I liked it better as an all around gear.

Formerly, when I rode geared bikes, it seems to me I averaged somewhere around 21mph, but I didn't have as much fun as I have now on a fixed gear bike.

If I wanted to set a personal record on a geared bike, riding on flat ground with no wind, as a guess, I doubt if I could beat 24mph for an hour.

I hope I could even do that.

I ride a lot.

I don't drive a car any longer, unless my wife makes me get in her car.

I would describe myself as in excellent shape....for a 61 year-old. :)

Twenty-four miles per hour doesn't sound very fast, but, I don't think I'll ever do better than that in this life.

I would like to think that a real skinny 75 year-old out there rides 200 miles per week and could go much faster than that.

If so, that would give me a goal, and I might even start riding geared bikes again.

Interesting, though I can do 20 mph without too much problem, I don't very often at all. I have taken to cruising - I really enjoy it. After all, I am not really in a hurry to go anywhere so why work at getting there faster. :rolleyes:

Given you have access to a ruler flat, smooth paved surface trail/track, with the temperature being your favorite temp, with no wind, and on your fastest bike, how many miles do you believe (or know) you could ride in one hour?

Addendum: Please consider the last option to be "24 or more miles"

Tom, given the parameters of a flat, smooth, paved surface, no wind, etc, I know I can do 14 to 15.9 in an hour, maybe more but are you concerned with how many hours you might maintain that speed?
timtruro

Could you please tell me where to find such a road? I would be most interested!

I put down 21 to 21.9 miles, but that's a guess. Really pushing it, under ideal conditions, I might be able to squeeze out a bit more...

What kind of socks are we wearing on this ride? Is the sun in our eyes? How long has it been since we've eaten?

Tom, given the parameters of a flat, smooth, paved surface, no wind, etc, I know I can do 14 to 15.9 in an hour, maybe more but are you concerned with how many hours you might maintain that speed?
timtruro

For the purpose of this poll, it is all about how far you can make it in one hour. Not what speed you can maintain for 20 minutes, or 40 minutes, or 3 hours. Perhaps you can do 20 mph for 30 minutes, and then can only do 16 mph over the next 30, making a total of 18 miles.

What kind of socks are we wearing on this ride? Is the sun in our eyes? How long has it been since we've eaten?

If you like the sun in your eyes, then so be it.

As to when you've last eaten, it's your choice.

Let's say that you are going to be paid $100 for each mile you can complete in the hour.

Never really tried for an hours ride at speed as for me it would take a bit of sorting to get the route right. Even if I did take the flat route- it is a across a marsh with plenty of 90deg bends where you have to brake and then reaccelerate- cuts average speed tremendously. But a few years ago did a boring 25 mile sposored ride that was a 12.5 out and then back. 25 miles done in less than an hour but it was cheating- Almost perfectly flat and it was on the Tandem. Tail wind out and headwind back so that cancelled everything out. It was the ride out of 24 miles and the ride back that got us.

Could you please tell me where to find such a road? I would be most interested!
.

From what I've seen there are MANY roads that are straight and flat for 25+ miles in Kansas, Nebraska, Florida, parts of Texas, and I'm sure other places. Now, as to the wind, there must be days on those roads where the wind is very light.

Or we could try it on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

I have officially rode a ride of 27 miles at an average speed of 24.4mph, I don't recall but think the time was 1hour and 6minutes?? BTW, it was neither flat nor smooth nor windless, the route was for the most part a very large square. And no I didn't do it 10 years age it was just last july.

Could you please tell me where to find such a road? I would be most interested!

I put down 21 to 21.9 miles, but that's a guess. Really pushing it, under ideal conditions, I might be able to squeeze out a bit more...

+1.

I honestly don't know the answer to the poll question. A flat ride around here is anything less than 100 feet of climbing per mile.

I visited Florida a while back and was looking forward to the flat roads. The wind there were as bad as the hills here and I wound up with an average speed of 17 or so.

[QUOTE=solveg;6012827]What kind of socks are we wearing on this ride?/QUOTE]

I do ride faster in my skull-and-crossbone pirate socks.

I'm not sure,that's never happened before.I average around 10-12,and go 4 MPH uphill and 40MPH+ downhill!

Could you please tell me where to find such a road? I would be most interested!

I put down 21 to 21.9 miles, but that's a guess. Really pushing it, under ideal conditions, I might be able to squeeze out a bit more...

You can do that here (a 10 mile out and back) in the summer before 9 a.m. Trouble is, for you, it's at 7200 ft elevation.

I can't vote until I know whether there's pie involved. And what kind.

I voted in the next-to-the-last category, because that's what I've done, and I expect to do again, in the right conditions. It's not my preferred speed over a long ride, although I'd like to think that there's hope for improvement. :)

When I was in my early 40s did a century in 4:45. The next day rode back to the start in 4:50. Not totally flat, but some nice rollers.
Ah, to be that young again!

Interesting hypothetical.....We actually have such a road here in DC. Haines Point has a dead flat road that is 3.2 miles around with a nice smooth surface and very little traffic. On a perfect day (we have a couple each year) I have been able to do 19.2 miles (6 laps) in an hour of riding. I can turn a single lap faster than that, but can't keep it up for multiple laps. The real riders who come out to train on this road can lap me 3 or 4 times in that same hour--keeps one real when that happens. This is by myself, by the way. With a group in those conditions, I could probably do 3-4 miles farther --assuming I did not have to pull the line.....

Hmph.

I once saw a poll in which most adult males believe they could hit a major league fastball, at least on occasion.

At the Lousville Slugger Museum, they have a demonstraton where you stand near a batters box and see what it looks like to have a 90 mph fastball come at you. You had 0.2 seconds to make up your mind about the pitch. I couldn't even see them.

So crap, I believe everything I read on this thread.

I put 15 mph and I think that would be optimistic. I suppose I might sustain 17 mph if I were doing a TT. But I truly doubt it. And what's weird is that I don't think doing it on the flat would be much different from doing a hilly loop in which the net elevation was 0. I think the 5-7 mph I pull going up reasonably steep grades would be offset by going 30+ mph downhill, to say nothing about getting to rest your legs just a bit.

But that's just me.

I took the result of several runs of the same 20 mile route which I have done at an average of about 17 mph as measured on my GPS.

I can't vote until I know whether there's pie involved. And what kind.

This is a fantasy ride, therefore you are allowed to fantasize any kind of pie that you like!

DG will get his pie here:

http://www.latimemachines.com/chicken.JPG

I've heard something about the Indy Race Track being opened for a Century ride soon. Could some local weight in here?

Hmph.

I once saw a poll in which most adult males believe they could hit a major league fastball, at least on occasion.


Can I change my vote?

Well, what's the world record these days, 34 miles? 35? I don't have a speedometer on my bike and I really have no idea what I could do. I'd like to think 20-25.

O.K., the 35 miles in an hour was on a "Superman" position bike, so not official. The record is around 30 miles on a regular track bike.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_record

Did you note in that Wikipedia article, that a 49 yr old rider on a fully faired recumbent did 53.4 miles.

I put 16-17.9 because I have already done 17 miles in less than an hour on my regular rides.

If I ride those miles on my hybrid, can I multiply them by 2?

This is a fantasy ride, therefore you are allowed to fantasize any kind of pie that you like!


Why Pie? Why not a "fantasy date" of some kind?

Hmmm....this has got me thinking. Just for kicks I'm going to put my other road bike on the trainer (with a rear wheel sensor) and find out.

I had originally posted 16 to 17.9, but that is more of a "real world" time with hills, wind, the stop sign, and the traffic light before I really get underway. (I responded before fully appreciating the benefit a flat surface would provide..oops)

Is that Eastern Standard or Cebu Philippines time zones?:p

63293
I bet I could do 100 mph.

Did you note in that Wikipedia article, that a 49 yr old rider on a fully faired recumbent did 53.4 miles.

Didn't see that, but wow, that's incredible!

63293
I bet I could do 100 mph.

Some years ago John Howard was attempting to break the bicycle top speed,(then about 152 mph), on the salt flats following a streamliner driven by Don Vesco. The streamliner fishtailed at a 120 mph and Howard got out of the draft and was blown off of his bike. He suffered injuries, but nothing life threatening.
They tow the bike up to 100 mph and release the tow cable and the rider starts working. Howard's bike had a jack-shaft set-up with a 400 inch gear. He also wore full motorcycle leathers and full face helmet.

Some years ago John Howard was attempting to break the bicycle top speed,(then about 152 mph), on the salt flats following a streamliner driven by Don Vesco. The streamliner fishtailed at a 120 mph and Howard got out of the draft and was blown off of his bike. He suffered injuries, but nothing life threatening.
They tow the bike up to 100 mph and release the tow cable and the rider starts working. Howard's bike had a jack-shaft set-up with a 400 inch gear. He also wore full motorcycle leathers and full face helmet.
John Howard is one tough cycling dude! He was trying to break his own record. Other minor accomplishments:

* 3 Time Cycling Olympian
* 10 Years on the US National Team
* 18 Time USCF and NORBA Elite
and Masters National Champion
* National Titles in: Road, Time Trial, Cyclo-Cross and MTB
* 2 Time UCI World Championship Medalist
* Ironman Triathlon World Champion
* Cycling 24-Hour World Record Holder - 539 miles
* Pan Am Games Gold Medalist
* Cycling World Absolute Speed Record Holder - 152.2 mph
* American Canoe Association 24-hour Record Holder - 104.6 miles
* Competitive Cycling Magazine's Cyclist of the Decade - 1970's
* Author of: "The Cyclists Companion",
"Multi-Fitness", "Pushing the Limits" and "Dirt"

Born 1947 so he could belong to this forum.

The Indy 500 Mile Race Track is smooth, banked turns, 2.5 miles per lap.
9:50 AM Sunday the wind was 10.3 MPH.
Tom Stormcrowe rode on a one hour time trial in 2006 and got to talk to Lance during the ride.
I will be there June 14th 2008 for the 100 miles. I have never biked on the track.
Looking forward to it.

I plan on one hour for ten miles at normal commuting speeds. That's in normal traffic with a stoplight at least every quarter mile.

Paul

Is this solo or in a group?

Anyone interested would probably realize the exponential increase in power to affect ever smaller increases in speed. A better poll would reflect that.

Perhaps:
20 - 22
22 - 23
23 - 23.5
23.5 - 24
24+

The Indy 500 Mile Race Track is smooth, banked turns, 2.5 miles per lap.
9:50 AM Sunday the wind was 10.3 MPH.
Tom Stormcrowe rode on a one hour time trial in 2006 and got to talk to Lance during the ride.
I will be there June 14th 2008 for the 100 miles. I have never biked on the track.
Looking forward to it.

I've never been able to talk during a TT. Just breathing takes all my effort.

Anyone interested would probably realize the exponential increase in power to affect ever smaller increases in speed. A better poll would reflect that.

Perhaps:
20 - 22
22 - 23
23 - 23.5
23.5 - 24
24+
Agree. For this group, you might want to start that at about 18 mph! :D

I plan on one hour for ten miles at normal commuting speeds. That's in normal traffic with a stoplight at least every quarter mile.

Paul

Ditto! That's our typical bike scenario around here.

20

... which way is the wind blowing? :)

There are so many variables when considering speed. But, on a TT bike, on a flat course, I am sure I can maintain over 24 mph for 1 hour. On the road, in the drops, that would probably drop down to around 23 +/-.

That would be for solo efforts.

Anyone interested would probably realize the exponential increase in power to affect ever smaller increases in speed. A better poll would reflect that.

Perhaps:
20 - 22
22 - 23
23 - 23.5
23.5 - 24
24+

The above would divide the present 22-23.9 group into three groups. As that group has only a 7% response rate, there isn't much reason to subdivide it further.

Perhaps in a forum where there are a lot of people who ride in the 22-24 mph range, it would be more useful.

Is this solo or in a group?

That's a good question. I was thinking solo when I wrote it. And I believe that most have answered it under that interpretation, so for this poll I would assume solo.

Perhaps another poll will be forthcoming ...