In talking to folks around here about the Everest Challenge stage race coming up...a few who've done it before claim to have hit speeds into the 60's. I'm looking forward to upping my max. My max so far is around 56mph, but at those speeds it's purely about gradient and rider weight/aero profile. Wind resistance just makes too big a difference to pedal against at those speeds, and getting at small as you can is the only realistic way.

I truly doubt they're hitting 50+ on the windy sections, but they do plenty of straight sections that allow them to quickly reach 50+ or 60+ simply with a good tuck. If you can find a long enough steep descent, you can experiment with different "tucks" to see which one provides the best balance of aero and comfort. You might be amazed at how much speed you pick up, and how quickly, from shrinking your frontal area.

Oh, and just this weekend I easily (and comfortably) hit 51 mph coming off the mountain from Crystal Lake, and it was for more than a few seconds too. Those who think fast speeds are hard to reach just don't have the right kind of mountains to ride...or they choose not to climb those they do have.

-Jeremy