Originally Posted by
kbarch
Gear not likely the issue. More likely a combination of conditions of the ride and condition of the athlete.
Sometimes a KOM with that kind of margin is held on account of a recording fluke, but usually it's an extraordinary speed - like 45 mph on a flat or climb. So while the speed is VERY high, it's probably not a fluke. Could be an extraordinary athlete out on his own. More likely he had SOME help - either a tailwind, or a strong lead-out - maybe both. Check out his ride. Was the whole thing fast? Were there others with him?
The numbers also suggests that it's not on race- or common training-route. What is the profile of the segment like? I'm guessing fairly flat, but not entirely. In any event, that kind of margin is generally not attributable to gear - it's a big enough sample that it's likely others had similar gear with which to achieve their times.
Meanwhile, kudos on your achievement!
It's flat as a pancake on a bikelane on a major street. The guy who set it has pretty much every KOM on the north side of chicago. It would be an odd place to see a peleton rolling through, but a big wind would not be unusual at all. I did actually look at his ride. It was at the tail end of a ride, looked like he was doing intervals....pretty dramatic changes in speed.