Fifty Plus (50+) - What's your highest speed ever achieved on a descent?

I set my "personal best" on the last day of a seven-day credit card tour (loaded with rear panniers and HB bag) last week. When I dared to take my eyes off the road for a millisecond, I saw 77.2 kilometers per hour (48 mph) on the computer. It was at this point that, with some breeze out there, I started to feel an oscillation in the front end (I think we used to call it a speed wobble in my motorcycling days). I began to gently back the speed down with the rear brake and things calmed down nicely (kept it in the high 50's kph). There wasn't a single car on the road for the entire descent!

Oh yeah, the descent was 3.8 km (2.36 mi) long (straight as an arrow) and 171 m high (561 ft). For those interested it was heading east on County Road 40 towards Georgian Bay (Collingwood/Blue Mountain, Ontario area

Doug

It sure was a "rush" and, yes, a little scary too - it reminded me of my kart racing days.

82km/h

Prior to that my best was 77km/h, but my first taste of over 70km/h was on an MTB converted to a touring bike, down a gravel road. That 72km/h was fun, exhilirating and scary all at the same time.

55 mph

I'm a piker at 40 mph. After that, I get VERY uncomfortable.

My Garmin said 43 mph. I'm not sure I believe it. At 40 mph life comes at you very quickly.

I'm a piker at 40 mph. After that, I get VERY uncomfortable.

I'm with you. I'm good to about 40/45 and then its drag brake time to calm things down. I alternate front/rear to try to keep the heat down on long descents. Strangely, I seem more comfortable at speed downhill on the MTB frame than the road framed bikes.

I'm with you. I'm good to about 40/45 and then its drag brake time to calm things down. I alternate front/rear to try to keep the heat down on long descents. Strangely, I seem more comfortable at speed downhill on the MTB frame than the road framed bikes.

Yes!! +1

47mph on my first ride out with a new bike.

I was upstate New York with my son and I ran out of gears at 37mph and just followed him.

Needless to day I needed to "change my shorts" after the ride.

42 mph on a descent. When I noticed the speed I started feathering the brakes.

43.2MPH on my Trek 330.Did 40+ maybe 5 times.

As a tandem rider, I start hitting the brakes around 35mph due to my inability to stay focused on the road with all that screaming behind me.

As a tandem rider, I start hitting the brakes around 35mph due to my inability to stay focused on the road with all that screaming behind me.
too funny.

Next big down hill, let her be in the front and you pedal as hard as you can.. Then you'll hear some screaming.

47mph on my first ride out with a new bike.

I was upstate New York with my son and I ran out of gears at 37mph and just followed him.

Needless to day I needed to "change my shorts" after the ride.

37mph is my top speed this year.....because of running out of gearing and our hills here though steep are only about 1 mile long. I run a typical road double of 53/39 rings with a freewheel of 28/14.

53.7 mph

Amazing how 40-45 on a bicycle is scarier than 140+ on a motorcycle.

I got just over 51 a couple of times in my youth and hoped I'd break 55 sometime but never did.

I haven't broken 43mph in the past 10 years, though. That's plenty fast for my taste.

53mph without really trying. I was on my upright Cyclocross bike with my hands on the hoods and the road dropped about -15% for about a KM. I was focused on staying smooth and balanced over the bike and did not re-position my hands or drop my head or shoulders to improve my speed. I now start the descents with my hands on the drops and my body in a balanced but aero position.

I hit 47.5 mph two weeks ago while descending a hill while in a peloton. I had to "chat" with another rider and use my brakes to keep him from edging me off the road.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/209913897

I assume my fastest downhill was over 55 mph. I was stopped by a state trooper who had a really big grin on his face and said, "I clocked you breaking the speed limit." The limit at that time and place was 55. He stopped me, not to ticket me or lecture me, but simply to report that I was really "flying down the hill". In terms of my own bike computer, I've hit the 53 mph mark on it. But I don't know how accurate that is.

This again? Another pi**ing contest. :notamused:

45MPH -- when I was about 15 years old... I started down the longest, steepest hill around on my 3 speed English racer and decided to see what happened without using brakes... Unknown to me, a motorist followed me down and, at the bottom stopped and told me (sounding a little amazed) how fast I had been going...

That old English racer was not all that stable -- even a crazy 15 year old knew that I was basically just a misssle without the ability to turn or stop and one rock or pot hole would get me a pine box. But, it seemed like a good idea when I started down but, about half way even my 15 year old brain knew it was a stupid stunt that could get me killed.

Now, even on far better bikes and with a helmet, even half that speed is too much speed for me...

42.5 mph here. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1637246. Highest speed on a motor bike was about 120. Similar pucker factor.

55 mph on the descent off Cottonwood past last summer.....and I held back a little not knowing the road.

Yes!! +1

I'm giong to assume that the geometry, mass of the bike and gyro action of the larger tires has something to do with that feeling. I seem to remember reading something about a famous downhill extreme race a couple of years ago in which the winner came from an MTB background and used an MTB frame, but I can't pinpoint the event in my 50+ memory.

This again? Another pi**ing contest. :notamused:
Oh, I don't know... I haven't participated in one of these for a few years now.

That reminds me...

Amazing how 40-45 on a bicycle is scarier than 140+ on a motorcycle.

Probably because on a motorcycle if you are going 140mph you're wearing full leathers, body armor an other assorted protective gear. On your bicycle you're practically naked except a marginal helmet.


My top speed is 116.77kms/hr on US 163 into Mexican Hat Utah. Fun little descent there.

56 mph on Dallas Divide traveling from Telluride heading to Gunnison, CO on my Torelli road bike. I looked up at a speed limit sign that said 60 mph but there was nothing left other than holding the best tuck you can. The road was in excellent condition and the bike was amazingly stable at that speed. The next time I did the same ride I had lost 15 pounds and could only get to 49 mph. Be Self Propelled (http://www.beselfpropelled.com)

Funny this came up. I did 60kph today on flat ground with a good tailwind, a record for me. There are no descents in Manitoba so this is my best shot at that kind of speed.

52 on a descent in the southern AZ. mountains a couple of years ago. Not sure I could get my speed up much from that, as I am a skinny s**t, and the advantage I enjoy on climbs is often lost on descents. A friend in CA who rode with me last year in the Death Ride hung me with the monicker of "The Feather".

Any one who has tried to catch a Tandem at full bore knows how fast they can be- particularly if a descent is added to the equation. Had someone try to stay with us on a downhill once and we were taking it easy as we did not know if the gate 1/3rd down the hill was open. He tried to overtake us about 100 yards before the gate just as we eased off the brakes and just let it roll down the slope. He had almost caught us but he also forgot how stable a tandem is at speed. We went through the 4ft wide gate at 40+ and he didn't. We recorded 53.8mph by the bottom of the hill and I have to admit that I was a little bit worried when the brakes didn't work that well on the wet grass before the trail did a left turn into the woods at the bottom. Luckily we got grip on the mud before the woods but nearly missed the registration point the other side of the woods as we had to take a detour down a bank to miss the gaggle of riders gathered at the bottom of the hill.

Funny thing is- later in the year we did a road ride and put slicks on and Coldharbour Lane down into Brighton on another steep slope- we only recorded 53.4 mph.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z201/dglenday/StravaPic2.jpg

Any one who has tried to catch a Tandem at full bore knows how fast they can be- particularly if a descent is added to the equation. ....

I agree mostly. The funny thing is that I've actually gone faster on my single than I have on my tandem. If I had to race myself down hill on my single and tandem I'd have to bet on the tandem.

44 going downhill in north Georgia on BRAG a few years ago. Then, a few years after that, I crashed and was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks. When I get over about 35 now, I start using the brakes.

I've hit 58mph a couple times on two different descents. That is getting a bit fast for comfort. I routinely reach speeds in the mid 40s without a thought but once I get into the low 50s it seems things really happen quickly and I start to get worried. Conditions have to be right (as safe as possible) for me to allow the bike to get up to those high speeds.

55 MPH on the big hills following route 20 in Central New York. Totally exhilarating!

54 MPH. Kudda gone faster but was/am chicken.

53 mph on our tandem in the White Mountains (near Springerville) in northern Arizona.
Have broken 50 many times on our tandem in our younger days.
However, now at ages 80/77 we don't do not descend near that fast!
With age comes wisdom (?) and maybe a bit of common sense.
Pedal on!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

54mph twice in NM. Different roads that I sorta knew. Never doing that again, one mistake.....

Not sure. I remember looking at max-speed on the bike computer after getting home from the hospital and saying "wow", but with the concussion I've forgotten the number. Knowing the hill and the bike I'd guess around 50 mph.

On the tandem it was 48 mph, starting from a near standstill on a hilltop and coasting to the bottom. Hilly Hundred, probably about 1987. Stoker was not happy.

...
With age comes wisdom (?) and maybe a bit of common sense.


And the realization that crashing would be a real bee-otch. :)

The scary part is that at speeds of 30mph and more, crashes at that velocity often result in death.

9 kph going up the hill into a fierce headwind, 101 kph on the return trip. That's 63 mph

Now that we have GPS for recording, 78 kph in a tight paceline. 80 kph as a solo effort. No, I wasn't watching the Garmin at the time. In my foolish youth, 1978 or so, 68 mph according to my friends 62 VW Beetle. That was down Gaglardi way from SFU in Burnaby, BC. He said the bug was shaking like it was coming apart. :) Good thing it was his Moms car.

The scary part is that at speeds of 30mph and more, crashes at that velocity often result in death.

Very wrong!

Only if you hit a post or a wall!

At those speeds if you fall you skid a lot and leave a lot of skin on the pavement and then you peel off the sheets for a few mornings!

Fastest was 50 mph on highway 1 along the Pacific just south of San Francisco, and recently 48!

The trick is to keep those arms very very relaxed which is very very hard to do.

Because if you tense up that is when you have all kinds of troubles with steering and wobbling which is very scary and dangerous.

Not a personal best, but yesterday hit 43 down a Southern Indiana hill. The long wheelbase 'bent is rock steady at speed.
Unfortunately, on the last downhill of the club ride yesterday, I discovered I was on the middle ring when I was too far down to make good use of the big ring.

How fast is free fall? I've done that over the handlebars on occasion.

Somewhere in the low 40s - 43 or 44 maybe. I'd be scared to go faster.

Best I have been able to do is 49.

53 mph under full touring load.

46 MPH. Not many really long descents in central Ohio. This one has to have very good conditions to achieve these high speeds. Gratefully I have had good respect from the Cagers when I use this road. Never ride the opposite direction though.

Interesting point about attaining high speed on a bike--It is not only the rider that does it----The bike has a lot to do with it aswell.

6 years ago I got a Giant TCR-C and a fairly good bike. Not when I got it though. It would go up hills but downhill and it was a bit dangerous. 35mph was the max before the brakes went on. It already had a trait in that it was a very stiff frame and couple that with stiff Aksium wheels and it did not like anything other than a perfectly smooth surface. Hit stutter bumps and it never stopped bouncing. Hit a manhole cover and it used to jump across the road. Tried allsorts to cure it but get above 35mph and a front wheel shimmy came on. That bike was dangerous for me at speed. Eventually cured it with a more compliant set of wheels but after the initial handling problems- I was wary of any downhills. It has evolved into my long/ hilly ride bike as it is comfy and works. However- earlier this year and I did a night ride and sorted the bike and put on the lighter Ultegra wheels. These are stiff and I normally use on Boreas but due to the distance and the hills involved- I wanted a light set of wheels.

I don't know what has changed on that bike but with the hills comes the downhills. Those Ultegras are a good set of wheels but had tried them in the early days of having the bike and they were no better than the Aksiums. I did not even think about the high speed problem and a couple of 50 mph descents proved that I did not have to.