How fast do you go?

funbun

What is fastest speed that you guys have ridden on bent? Battle Mountain guys welcome.

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megaman

It gets a little scary over 30 mph, but I've been there.

bnet1

I've been up to 30 on my 'bent. Felt solid and stable. doing 30 on my road bike scares the crap out of me. On descents I try to keep things on thre conservative side.

'bent Brian

Bop Bop

Topped out at 26 mph yesterday coming down a hill. Never been up that fast. It was a little scary.

cjs1948

I've seen thirty on WW TT. Let's just say it is very exciting. Works fine, but if I had to grab the brakes suddenly, THEN we'd be past exciting.

CS

bentbaggerlen

48 mph riding a Organic Engines Troika tandem trike WEEEEEEEEEEE!
51 mph on a Rans Screamer WEEEEEEEEE!
Stoker: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Yea...it was downhill

lowracer1

On BRAT last week ( the bike ride around Tennessee ) I hit 48.6 mph and held the speed for over 4 minutes on a long descent. My riding partner hit 53mph on the same hill........ I touched the brakes a few more times than he did. I think that if we had not touched the brakes at all, it would have been closer to 60mph coming off the Cumberland Plateau. Our climbing speed on the 5 mile climbs were between 6 mph and 10 mph, while the roadies did anywhere from less than 6mph to around 13mph. It depended on the engine pushing the pedals up the hill. Regardless, my lowracer partner and myself were usually next to the last ones to leave camp every day and still get to the new campsite within the top 10% of all riders. Every day we generally had a 2-3 mph advantage over all the uprights for an average speed.

cyclobob

42mph on a RANS V2. Pretty exhilarating. It's a hill in my neighborhood.

I could have possibly hit 50 but my mortality governor kicked in. :D

cYcLo

DJB14

I've had my Greenspeed GT3 up to 29 mpn. I'm pretty new to this so I may get it to go faster... then again I may get smarter. :)

GA bent rdr

Downhill at 44 mph on my EZ Sport. Got a little concerned about my faring but it handled it well.

bigmoose

32 MPH on the EZ-1 SC (Yes, downhill...). WOW! I have done it a couple of times. Each time I do it I get just a little braver...or should I say comfortable.

LarryJay

I've had my EZ Sport for four weeks now. I have done 28 down a short hill and felt very comfortable. However, I was wondering what the average most of you do overall. I am slower than I was on my df but much happier. I am sure my legs will adapt and in time I will go faster. I never was real fast on the df, to say the least. Regardless, riding without the shoulder and back pain is so nice, I will trade any speed for the comfort and ability to see the country around me.

bikerski

Rode a GRR BTC (colorado) with body stocking three different years. at top of most passes hit 65 MPH before braking for the switch back. blew by DF bikes like passing grandma on the bike trail. after the top switch backs maintained 45 MPH for quite some miles. DF guys passing me uphill asked "how does that thing climb" my answer "like dragging a box of rocks" Tough ride only about 10 recumbents 1600 DF riders.

scarry

51 mph going down Monitor Pass.

lowell

I was at 39mph shortly after I got the bike. Had a tailwind and was going downhill. Could have gotten 40 but I kind of "Woosed out" not being all that familiar with the new Linear. It was handling very good though.

megaman

I've had my EZ Sport for four weeks now. I have done 28 down a short hill and felt very comfortable. However, I was wondering what the average most of you do overall. I am slower than I was on my df but much happier. I am sure my legs will adapt and in time I will go faster. I never was real fast on the df, to say the least. Regardless, riding without the shoulder and back pain is so nice, I will trade any speed for the comfort and ability to see the country around me.

When I first got my EZ Sport I was averaged about 1 mph less. But in time I've actually become faster. I found that training my muscles took about as long as on my DF.

mILKY2390

Had my Rocket up to 45mph the first week I had it. Before I got my rocket a freind and I were riding an easy racer tandem and cranked her up to 47.8 If we had more gear we would have done 50 worst part was we had to stop at a red light at the bottom of the hill. Just a small rolling hill in se PA pretty steep though I think we kept it about 3.5MPH on the way up.

funbun

Don't you hate that about riding downhill. I mean that's when they decide to put the stupid stop light/sign. Just when your at max steep you've gotta stop.

GeezerGeek

Fastest speed was 36. Run out of gears at about 30 becasue these old legs just can't go around any faster. Why do they always put the stop signs on the bottom of the best hills!!!!

mchandler

42mph on a RANS V2. Pretty exhilarating. It's a hill in my neighborhood.

I could have possibly hit 50 but my mortality governor kicked in. :D

cYcLo

Good one.

So far, my best is 46.5mph. That's on a descent less than two miles from home.

bentgirl

Topped out once on my RANS V-2 at just over 53mph...WOW! Coming down a hill not far from where I live, with one of my wedgie-riding friends tucked in behind (wheelsucker!) Would have been even faster had we not had to feather the brakes 'cause a farm truck edged out from a side road, making us a little nervous...most of the time, my top speeds are between 40 - 50 mph. Of course, we're talking downhill :-)
Just in the process of getting a RANS Force 5, and on my test ride today, broke 40mph without really trying. Man, 'bents do rule, don't they?

scob89

62.8 mph on a single speed chopper with no brakes going down a hill, it only hurt when I put my feet down to stop, at least I was actually wearing a helmet this time.(rare for me to wear a helmet)

bentrox!

Downhill, I start easing on the brakes when the bent insists on exceeding 45 miles per hour. Damn the aerodynamics, I've a wife and child to think about!

funbun

bentrox, just once. Get out early one Saturday morning and let it rip!!!

bullit bike

I purchased the frankenstien streamliner and got up to 50 mph at battle mountain(flat ground). It was my first try at the five mile run. I will never forget that experience. I'm building a varna clone out of carbon fiber at the moment we will see if I can do better. I witnessed Sam whittinghams worlds record from five feet away(81.5mph on flat ground). I averaged 26mph in an hour race at helyer velodrome. Fastest sprint on an upright bike was 38.8 mph on flat ground. Down a hill I have gone 65mph on a mountain bike. 55 mph on a road bike and would have gone faster but a car got in the way.

geebee

DJB14, a GT3 will go a lot faster than that with absolutely no problems. I've had mine a bit over 70 kmh and am looking for a bigger hill with a nice smooth run off to try a lot faster.
There is a 90 degree corner at the bottom of a small slope on the way home and the trike will easily take it at about 60 kph ( body leaning out horizontal to the ground ) you can hear the tyres scrubbing as they slide through the corner, the GT3's are very predictable in their handling. :)

Ritz

Yesterday I hit 26.8 mph on flat ground, with side winds. I think that was pretty cool considering I have the stock low preasure (65 psi) tires, set on 16" and 20" rims. Oh Yeah, my heart rate reading durring that sudden burst, shot up to 180 ish. I usually ride in the 135-150 range. Very fun indeed!

BlazingPedals

Yesterday I hit 26.8 mph on flat ground...(snippage)... Very fun indeed!

That was spoken like a true speed freak. :eek: I think we have another monster in the making! :) More speed = more fun! Definitely try some faster tires. Then if you still have the need for more speed, add a fairing. If all else fails, it's new bike time. Um, you are independently wealthy, right?

Ritz

Not quite true, the independently wealthy part. Another monster in the making? You may be onto something there! I'm all ready checkin out the new Schwalbe's 100 psi, I think.The fairing is out of the question until I can get a Gold Rush, or at least a Tour Easy! No Sense in putting Pearls on swine!

Trsnrtr

OK, this pic was taken on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Riding down a paved shoulder while taking a photo with one hand, pedaling 92 rpm and doing 28.4 mph is probably not the brightest thing I've ever done. :)

As far as max. speed, I did 52 mph on this bike on a downhill the week before.

BlazingPedals

OK, this pic was taken on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Riding down a paved shoulder while taking a photo with one hand, pedaling 92 rpm and doing 28.4 mph is probably not the brightest thing I've ever done. :)
I had to read twice before I understood the problem. Pedaling one handed at 28 becomes easier with practice. If you're pedaling smoothly it's no big deal. The only thing I'd be worried about is looking through the camera viewfinder at that speed. Not much peripheral vision through those things. I usually just hold the camera up and click. It's surprising how many of those shots turn out pretty good. By the way, good shot!

Rogerinchrist

OK, this pic was taken on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Riding down a paved shoulder while taking a photo with one hand, pedaling 92 rpm and doing 28.4 mph is probably not the brightest thing I've ever done. :)

Yeah, especially with that car coming up from behind! Does it have those cute little red and blue Christmas lights too?

NazcaRider

Topped 50-mph at Nordkapp, Norway last summer. Even had RadicalDesign panniers loaded with tent and some light camping gear. I know it sounds dangerous, but the roads were wide and smooth-as-glass with no bumps. Also it was around 2-am (but the sun shines 24/7 during the summer months) so there weren't many cars.

In the following days of the trip, I passed a few cars that were going about 35-mph. They couldn't go fast because brake failure would cause them to drop 1000-ft. into a fjord. I actually waved at startled families as I rode by their windows. At one point, I almost passed a tour bus , but then common sense took over. I know it all sounds dangerous, but again, the roads are really wide and smooth.

Admittedly, I normally stay under 40-mph. Wouldn't want to risk a tire-blowout:=)

NR

Ritz

Whew! All this exhilaration, I mean acceleration :eek: , is makin' my heart race! :D
Don't Stop! (But please be safe)

Red2000SS

There are no giant hills near where I ride, so I don't have any doing 40mph+ without pedalling stories...
I have done a few rallies on my road bike pulling my 6 year old daughter on a trailer bike where we have hit 30mph+ going downhill. Our highest speed was 33mph on a long, but not super steep downhill, and yes I was pedalling very hard... That's moving pretty good pulling a trailer bike! Uphill our speed was 7mph at times LOL - my daughter thinks it is more fun to pedal downhill! Our combined weight with bikes is about 320 lbs. which SUCKS going uphill when my daughter doesn't feel like pedalling, but is a great workout!

thepurplepirate

85 kms an hour and braking. The car ahead of me got scared - the pansey. I was hoping to break 90 kph. Not yet. But sooon......

thepurplepirate

This link http://www.purplepirate.com/furrycreek.avi was taken on the return trip back to Vancouver from Whistler. This is coming down a pass called Furry Creek. If the Car wasn't such a pansey I would have gone faster than 75 kms/hour. The cyclist we blow by is my fiance.

Good times.

thepurplepirate

Correction - http://www.purplepirate.com/furrycreek.AVI

Rogerinchrist

Correction - http://www.purplepirate.com/furrycreek.AVI

That was cool!! It took me by suprise 'cause I had the sound up a bit.

bikerski

This link http://www.purplepirate.com/furrycreek.avi was taken on the return trip back to Vancouver from Whistler. This is coming down a pass called Furry Creek. If the Car wasn't such a pansey I would have gone faster than 75 kms/hour. The cyclist we blow by is my fiance.

Good times.
so she kicked your *** up the hill!!!!!!!

BlazingPedals

so she kicked your *** up the hill!!!!!!!
That's the way I read it, too. Even lugging those panniers, she got HOW far ahead???

Cool clip, though.

powers2b

Broke the 50 mph barrier this past season on my Nishiki road bike.
Big smiles....

dozercsx

I spin out regularly at 43mph on the peninsula downhills, and I saw 45 on one of the big downhills at this year's Solvang ride. (BTW, that's on an unfaired Rans Tailwind, as measured on a Cateye Astrale 8).

BTW, for these types of stunts, you'd better be using discs or KoolStops...!

Ritz

Yes Sir, you need really good stoppers. You might consider this as well:FULL ARMOR (http://www.jensonusa.com/search/?s=sixsixone&sc=ggl&x=y&kw=sixsixone) :eek: Click the words full armor to see what I mean. And one more thing, be carefull.

bnet1

Dozercsx, how did your Tailwind handle at that speed? Unfortunately I don't have any hills around here long enough to get up much speed even pedaling. I did hit 30 one day though and it felt solid. Yes, I'm on a Tailwind too.

'bent Brian

BlazingPedals

Hey, some of that armor would come in handy in a few races I've seen. Bent riders need hip/butt and elbow protection, as well as gloves to protect their palms.

As far as brakes, discs are definitely the way to go if you can do it! Unfortunately, they're not practical to retrofit. I wish more bent manufacturers would make their frames disc-compatible, at least for the rear wheel. I did it to my V-Rex, but it was only doable because my rear wheel was damaged and I was already going to have the frame repainted.

Ken_in_Michigan

Got the V-Rex up to 35 mph only once on a long downhill on a freeway near here that was about to open and the State let bikes ride one day to raise money for the local trail stytem. Had a tail wind and a long down hill. Usually I am happy to average 14-15 mph on a rail-trail on a 30 mile ride. I'm not a racer and I am not out for speed.

dozercsx

Bnet/Brian, I've got some motorcycle experience, and the Tailwind is very, very similar in feel to a motorcycle at those speeds. Rock steady, hands front, forward view, with some shoulder english, but otherwise a steady torso (except for the 130rpm pedalling!). Nothing at all like a wedgie (e.g., high CG and headfirst "death" view) it's quite confidence inspiring. The key is reading corner distances, though - you need to live Colin Chapman's auto racing words - "it's better to go in slow and come out fast, than go in fast and come out dead."

Ritz

Balzingpedals, check out the Cycle Genius LTX it comes with disc stoppers. http://www.cyclegenius.com It's a nice bike, and not too hard on the wallet. One day I would like one.

BlazingPedals

Balzingpedals, check out the Cycle Genius LTX it comes with disc stoppers. http://www.cyclegenius.com
Yes, and I see the ATX also has them. I think it's just a matter of time before most manufacturers at least put the brazeons on the frame.