cranky old dude

O.K., it was downhill. A gentle grade of approx. 3/4 mile length.
(Island Cottage road for you Rochesterians.) The bike was rock steady,
I wish my nerves were. Looking forward to next season when I'm
more at-one with the bike so I can let fly at the same spot...as
the bike definately had more to give.
Price of the bike ............$1,000 +
Price of the wardrobe..........$ 60 give or take
Look on the Soccer Mom's face as she slowly overtook me with her minivan ...Priceless.

Happy Trails

stapfam

Wait till next year when confidence cuts in and you overtake the Minivan.

The Weak Link

34.8 MPH is just about my terminal velocity. I can't get my bike to go any faster (gearing is 50x12). Maybe if I were more aerodynamic.....

geofitz13

Fastest I've been is 34.5. Bike was steady, I was more than a little nervous. Any faster than that will involve a cliff......

maddmaxx 

Your probably as aerodynamic as I am.....I look like a raindrop......but with the pointy end going first.

cyclinfool

That was about my top speed too until last weekend. I took the new bike out and did a big climb followed by a thrilling downhill. With the 53/12 I hit 40 and kept it there for almost a mile. I looked over at the speed limit sign for the road - and yep, I was doing it! The new Specialized Tarmac was solid as a rock. I would have been afraid to try this on my Simoncini - it will sometimes develop a front end wobble. When I get over 30 with it I'm usually hugging the top tube with my knees just in case.

card

and the post next yr. when the speed was 48.3........................................

and you get a speeding ticket for going over 45 in a 40mph.









BTW, I had a friend that was on a bike going 35 in a 25 and the cop pulled him over and tried to give him a warning. He said, "Hell, no. I want a ticket for 35 in a 25. No one will believe it."

cranky old dude

Funny you should post that, the road I was on is posted 35 MPH, and there's a
Cop-Shop on it! Speeding tickets are darn expensive around here, and I'm sure
my auto insurance company would fail to see the humor in my plight as they raise
my rate.

tsl

Give yourself some credit here, with the possible exception of the Parkway overpass, that's barely an incline. I'd never call it a hill. Paddy Hill? Now that's going downhill. In fact, I'd like to hear a report of your top speed descending that eastbound on Latta. That's where you'll get yer ticket.

Your mention of the cop shop brings back memories. When they moved it there in the 70s, we used to get drunk and high in the orchard there and scheme of ways to steal their sign and hide it in Bud Resch's barn. Trouble was, Bud would be the first person they'd ask if he'd seen anything. Much as he hated the gawdy awful lighted thing across the street from his barn, he'd never have been able to keep a straight face.

tsl

Quoting Spinal Tap, "Turn it up to eleven!"



Err, I mean 50x11.

Or you can do what I did the other day, I drafted a Lincoln Navigator at 34.1 on the new bike in my 52x13. Still had the twelve to go!

dcvelo

Hey, soon you'll be breaking to keep from overtaking a car on the flats! That's a good feeling....

knotty

In Marin county here in Northern California, there are a number of fast downhills where you can get up 40+ easily but there are always occasional driveways and intersections along the way. So, I always feather the rear brake to limit the speed just in case some crazy driver pulls out or someone runs the intersection.

knotty

Aaron_F

I once passed a car on the inside (next to the curb) in a 30mph zone, while I was going 38. The driver honked, and it wasn't a friendly honk, either. Given the right day and a little too much stress to work off, and I'd probably do it again...

47mph is my record, achieved down a hill that's only a block long. Deadly s.o.b.