Fifty Plus (50+) - What's your top speed on a flat road?

From time to time I decide to determine my top speed on the bike. I try to have strict rules on getting that speed. The rules mean that I am on a flat surface with no decline at all, no wind and no drafting.

A couple of years ago when I started riding the top speed was 23 MPH. As I have been riding more the speed has come up a little at a time. This evening I finally broke 30 MPH. Actually, I set my MAX speed on the GPS as I knew it had been a couple months since my last self test and it was time for another. My best then was 29. Today the reading was 31.2 MPH. Breaking over the 30 MPH mark was so much fun.

Does anyone else occasionally test their speed? Do you have your own rules for your test run?

I do intervals twice a week on a standard flat route. Top speed for me is 34 something, but I can't hold it long. It's not so much that the lungs won't go longer. Rather, I can't keep my legs spinning that fast and pushing that hard very long. I suppose if I had a higher gear, but not really interested in changing the set up I have now.

23 or 24, if the moon is right, else about 20

Sometimes after doing interval workouts I'll do some sprints from a standstill. My home is on a cul-de-sac and it is a slight uphill then flat from our driveway entrance out towards the subdivision entrance. I will roll slowly to our mailbox then do a "jump sprint" racing thru gears until I pass a point about 600' (third mailbox) from the start. My computer will show the maximun speed for the rep. I usually do 4 to 5 of the sprints with about a 4 minute recovery. I average about 31 to 33 mph as a top speed. My best top end speed doing that excersize is 35.8 mph.

I gave this question some serious thought, then decided this.

Since my top speed ever was going down a pretty steep hill with a 20mph tailwind and was under what you guys are posting for top speeds on flat ground.


I believe that I will abstain from answering this question.

:innocent: :innocent:

As fast as I need to go, but not as fast as I want to go.

Enjoy the ride.

I dont do so much "top speed" as much as average speed on a ride. Of course whether I am pushing or just riding hard will affect that average speed. The top speed is a good indicator of one area of riding and the 'average speed' tells me something different.

My top speed on a flat road is 32 mph. I can go about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. For anything longer, it's probably 20-22 mph. Don't ask what my average speed is for a 30 mile ride. Nowhere near 20-22 mph. :o

From time to time I decide to determine my top speed on the bike. I try to have strict rules on getting that speed. Do you have your own rules for your test run?


When I first purchased the road bike I decided to see how fast I could go. I chose a flat section of a local trail. I was able to go 27 mph for about a half mile:o The bike is capable of higher speeds - the rider isn't:(

My top speed on the flattest road around here is 32 mph. I was toast after the sprint. The flat sections around here are very short and barely long enough to work through the gears.

A-Jet ---- that 35.8 is impressive. Lp

Not going to crow- and it was on a Tandem- I was at peak fitness and the pilot was up for it. 45mph on the flat and we were still pulling on the pedals. It came to a sudden halt when the lungs gave out on the pair of us. Cadence of 150 finished us. and I have never got anywhere near that speed since.

And on a road bike- Boreas of course- I have a flattish route that I normally show a top speed of just under 30. May be down a slight slope but can't be far off my Max.

Stapfam ------ you are da man !!!!!! Lp

Let's hear from some of the TT'ers. Hermes, Velodiva, et al. We are talking the max speed attained over any distance at all (100 yards etc.) I have to believe that a fit rider on an aero bike can go really fast.

My top speed on a flat road has not been measured. Bear in mind, however, I'm riding a white bike so it's likely to be quite high.

My top speed on a flat road has not been measured. Bear in mind, however, I'm riding a white bike so it's likely to be quite high.

Next year, Cateye will be releasing the bicycle calendar for your use.:rolleyes:

Stapfam ------ you are da man !!!!!! Lp

Naw----You get a tandem wound up and nothing is going to stop it. But this was also when Me and Stuart were at our peak fitness for a big ride that we used to do every year. You have to be fit for that one

And I don't worry about speed- As long as I can climb those damn hills. For me that takes a different technique and it does cut the top speed.

My top speed on the flattest road around here is 32 mph. I was toast after the sprint. The flat sections around here are very short and barely long enough to work through the gears.

A-Jet ---- that 35.8 is impressive. Lp


I started to enter races this year and have followed a "self administered" training program beginning last fall. Even at our age imporvements in speed and fitness can be made with a training plan and effort. I will say doing those sprints, I mentioned, are not without a little "discomfort". The first several times I did the set it reminded me of the sprint intervals we did on our college track team. I know I gave it maximun effort when at the finish of the interval I don't know weather puke or mess my shorts:D, then after a couple minutes it all starts again. The rewards on group ride sprints against others' have been worth the suffering. BTW, my 24 yr old son will sometimes do them with me and he can hit 39+ mph on the same sprint.

I do not really track max speed over a certain run. I am more concerend with my average speed over the ride (which of course will vary depending upon terrain and distance). Most of my rides are about 25-30 miles over rolling hills and some flat areas. My goal is 15mph but not always there.

My top speed on a flat road was 39 mph, and I averaged over 30 mph for several miles. This was with a small tailwind. Usually I'm a little slower. Here's the story.


http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=272415&highlight=

Before I got sick, I could consistently hit about 30mph on a flat road with no wind. My best last year was 33mph. Last week I was able to do 21mph.

Before I got sick, I could consistently hit about 30mph on a flat road with no wind. My best last year was 33mph. Last week I was able to do 21mph.

Thats just the body adjusting to get you climbing hills better- And BD- Besides the Treatment- what drugs have they put you on?

26.2 MPH for me the other day.

There are some fast 50+/60+/70+/80+riders out there. The same day I was moving along at about 19 or 20 when an ancient geezer I didn't recognize passed me as if I were at walking speed spinning at a high rate and running rock steady.

Thats just the body adjusting to get you climbing hills better- And BD- Besides the Treatment- what drugs have they put you on?

I'm not taking anything now. I have some pain pills to take as needed, but I haven't needed them lately. They didn't give me EPO if that's what you mean. My red count is a little low, but not enough to warrant meds.

I will be taking a weekly infusion of one chemo drug, Carboplatin, when my radiation treatments begin next Monday.

Sorry for the hijack, let's get back to the top speed discussion. I'll check mine again this weekend.

34.7 is my best sustained (approx 1/2 mile) so far. still had another cog available, and i think my cadence is improving. time will tell....
average speed on longer rides varies between 18.5 and 20....

be well,

jim

A few weeks back, I hit 37.5 in a final sprint to the end of the ride. On a closed-course car track, I've been timed by laser at 39 mph.

"My top speed on a flat road is 32 mph. I can go about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. For anything longer, it's probably 20-22 mph"

I think you need to clarify your question a bit, seems like some 'peeps' are confusing top speed on flats vs. top sprinting speed which is TOTALLY not the same. A good sprint is usually about 500 meters give or take, whereas top speed on flats, riding the American River Bike Trail for instance, which is mostly flat, can be as long as 10-15 miles.

Just my 2 cents

All top speeds need to be reality checked by doing the same run in the opposite direction.
Test --> report back.

My top speed, flat-no-tail-wind course always has a tail wind and is really ever so slightly down hill.

Before I got sick, I could consistently hit about 30mph on a flat road with no wind. My best last year was 33mph. Last week I was able to do 21mph.

BD, Considering what you have gone thru over the past few months you have authorization to add any tail wind assistance to your max effort.;)

All top speeds need to be reality checked by doing the same run in the opposite direction.
Test --> report back.I hear that. I don't know what my top speed is. I haven't tried in a very long time. And even when I did, it was never under any kind of "rested" or wind-free conditions.

I think the statistic means something, But I think Carmichael picked the "12-mile time trial" as a real measuring stick for evaluating differing training loads and abilities.

I'm not sure, wouldn't ya know I wouldn't have the cyclometer on the bike the time I picked to ride past that BIG DOG!!!

+1

I honestly have no idea, as I haven't tried to find it. I believe the fastest I've gone on a flat road is 19, even over just a 100 yard distance.

I think the question needs to be clarified a bit, it seems like some 'peeps' are confusing Top Speed on Flats versus Top Sprinting Speed which are TOTALLY not the same. A good sprint is usually about 500 meters give or take, whereas Top Speed on Flats, riding the American River Bike Trail for instance, which is mostly flat, can be as long as 10-15 miles.

Just my 2 cents

OP stated Max recorded speed on his GPS......................and he used normal sized print.

My post was meant to find the top speed on a flat with no wind. Distance is not a requisite, just speed. How fast can you make your body and bike move.

There have been some very impressive posts. This group has some very fast riders.

Let's hear from some of the TT'ers. Hermes, Velodiva, et al. We are talking the max speed attained over any distance at all (100 yards etc.) I have to believe that a fit rider on an aero bike can go really fast.


My best was 24:37 for a 16 K = 10 miles = 24.4 average. :thumb:

best time on this course was 23:07 ~26 mph a local tri Filipano champion'

Actually my best flat speed was around 42 BUT I was drafting a jeepney :twitchy:

My top speed is elusive since our terrain is hilly and we have a lot of wind. The best data I have is from the track last week where I did 32.4 mph from a standing start in 500 meters. I used a 51/15 gear. Since I went around the track, it was flat and wind to an extent canceled out. I was accelerating at the finish so I could probably got up another 10% with that gearing.

[QUOTE=Hermes;7450332]My top speed is elusive since our terrain is hilly and we have a lot of wind. The best data I have is from the track last week where I did 32.4 mph from a standing start in 500 meters. I used a 51/15 gear. Since I went around the track, it was flat and wind to an extent canceled out. I was accelerating at the finish so I could probably got up another 10% with that gearing.[/QUOTE

Nice job Hermes. Any idea what your cadence is at 32 mph? When I do my sprints from a standing start I begin in 50/18 and drop gears two at a time once the cadence is above 120. I get seated near the end to be more aero and am somewhere around 130 in the 14 or 13. You must be spinning around 150 to 160.:thumb:

Nice job Hermes. Any idea what your cadence is at 32 mph? When I do my sprints from a standing start I begin in 50/18 and drop gears two at a time once the cadence is above 120. I get seated near the end to be more aero and am somewhere around 130 in the 14 or 13. You must be spinning around 150 to 160.:thumb:[/QUOTE]

Thanks...According to Sheldon Brown's Gear calculator 51/15 @ 120 rpm yields 31.9 mph. FYI, most of my peers were hitting the high 30s low 40s. I suspect 50/15 would have been a better choice.

There are no flat roads here so this is impossible to answer. The closest thing is the paved section of the MUP but it even has a 3% grade from end to end. Additionally it is clogged with moms with baby jogger strollers, rollerbladers, joggers and such. A time trial would be dangerous.