What's Your Speed Limit.??
04-29-19, 04:04 PM
#101
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The fastest that I know I have gone is 53 MPH. As long as the road is one I know and it is in good conditions, straight, and there is minimal chance or better yet no chance of cross traffic I am comfortable going as fast as I can.
It also helps if you can block out of your mind the thought of falling or having a front tire puncture, etc. One way of doing that is trying to go as fast as you can. The concentration of effort keeps your mind focused on that and consequently blocks out fear of what could go wrong and its consequences.
It also helps if you can block out of your mind the thought of falling or having a front tire puncture, etc. One way of doing that is trying to go as fast as you can. The concentration of effort keeps your mind focused on that and consequently blocks out fear of what could go wrong and its consequences.
Last edited by BengalCat; 04-29-19 at 08:22 PM.
04-29-19, 04:48 PM
#103
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I have cracked 55mph coming down to Northstar from the Brockway Summit on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Good times.
04-29-19, 05:27 PM
#104
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Check it out at 3:45 - the guy does a little bunny-hop over the lane markings.
I hit 47 once on a big downhill on my old crit bike. It was a little twitchy, and I never quite got up that high again. On my old mountain bike with slicks, I seem to top out at around 37-38 on a big hill on the way home. I caught myself sitting up and taking my hands off the bar for some reason, then realized just what a bad idea that was.
I hit 47 once on a big downhill on my old crit bike. It was a little twitchy, and I never quite got up that high again. On my old mountain bike with slicks, I seem to top out at around 37-38 on a big hill on the way home. I caught myself sitting up and taking my hands off the bar for some reason, then realized just what a bad idea that was.
04-29-19, 06:21 PM
#106
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Oh, I read it alright. The fear was oozing from my screen in fact.
That's why I commented on it - because it's funny that someone suggesting that "learning how to mountain bike" would help with descending on the road while at the same time providing evidence that they lack basic mountain biking skills.
The photos of the mundane descent were just the topping on the fail cake.
That's why I commented on it - because it's funny that someone suggesting that "learning how to mountain bike" would help with descending on the road while at the same time providing evidence that they lack basic mountain biking skills.
The photos of the mundane descent were just the topping on the fail cake.
Wait, you think that you would incur legal liability if someone read your "bomb down that hill" and was such a poor rider that they crashed on that little hill? And you would risk losing your house because your blog suggested that folks "bomb down that hill"?
Wow! I don't know what is worse, your abject paranoia or your lack or understanding of tort law.
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
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Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Days of Wineless Roads. Bed and Breakfasting along the KATY
Twisting Down the Alley. Misadventures in tornado alley.
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04-29-19, 06:45 PM
#108
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50MPH.
It is a lot easier to hit on a bike with slick road tires and drop bars, but I think the continuous 7-11 percent grades descending Little Cottonwood are enough to facilitate someone on any contraption with wheels hitting pretty high speeds if they stay off the brakes.
It is a lot easier to hit on a bike with slick road tires and drop bars, but I think the continuous 7-11 percent grades descending Little Cottonwood are enough to facilitate someone on any contraption with wheels hitting pretty high speeds if they stay off the brakes.
04-29-19, 07:58 PM
#109
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Have you been there? Seen what the hill looks like? Pictures of hills are only 2D representations of a 3D object and they don’t often show what you can see in person. They also don’t convey the remoteness of the location.
Again, have you been there? 16% grades are steep in anyone’s book.
Again, have you been there? 16% grades are steep in anyone’s book.
So yes, you aren't someone to lecture "roadies" about the benfits of learning how to ride mountain bikes.
Yes, I have been sued. No, you don't have a good understanding of torts if you are fearful that recommending someone "bomb down that hill" on your obscure, incredibly low traffic, blog thing opens you to liability that will make you lose your house.
04-30-19, 10:19 AM
#110
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On dirt, if it's dry and hard packed, same. Have only gotten 35mph or so, also looking to improve that.
Sketchy dirt, it depends on how loose and how close and trees/rocks/drops-offs are!
04-30-19, 11:40 AM
#111
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45
45 is my safety limit. I"ve been up to 53mph on my recumbent and 51 on my road bike, but didn't feel safe at those speeds. Heck, at 48mph, I nearly bit it on a decent down Whiteface.
04-30-19, 11:45 AM
#112
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My max is 70km/h. And even then I won't sit at that speed for very long.
04-30-19, 12:32 PM
#113
Virgo
I don't have a speed limit per se, but on the flat and no wind I try to keep it around 16-17 mph, less on my hybrid. Once I hit 29 mph that I know of, down a short slight grade with a tailwind. We don't have many hills around here, my commute is 12 miles with 750 feet of climbing.
04-30-19, 04:52 PM
#114
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39.9mph was the fastest I ever achieved on flat land. Didn't feel out of control so I have not experienced a limit on flats or up hills. Descents on the other hand make me nervous at times, especially steep ones. Back end tends to feel really light, like it wants to flip over. I would say anything over 30mph feels too fast for me going downhill.
05-01-19, 02:28 AM
#115
Cycleway town
Cruising at 45mph no-handed, the bike's very stable. I have to hold my hands behind my back to cheat the wind, though. Otherwise it's like hugging a bear.
05-01-19, 03:39 AM
#116
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62.5 mph on the old palm springs tram road on a heavy steel '88 bianchi before they installed the guard shack about 15 years ago. i gave myself 10 seconds to go for it and whatever speed i hit, i hit. those 10 seconds seemed like an eternity.
after that, it was sit up, unzip the jersey and brakes time. the road then wasn't the smoothest so the chain came off. these days, i get nervous above 40 mph.
on the flats, the fastest i've gone was 37-38 mph which is just above what i can max out pedalling with current gearing. had a (beyond the usual) ridiculous tailwind blowing me back into-you guessed it-palm springs, ca. it was fun not pedalling.
after that, it was sit up, unzip the jersey and brakes time. the road then wasn't the smoothest so the chain came off. these days, i get nervous above 40 mph.
on the flats, the fastest i've gone was 37-38 mph which is just above what i can max out pedalling with current gearing. had a (beyond the usual) ridiculous tailwind blowing me back into-you guessed it-palm springs, ca. it was fun not pedalling.
Last edited by diphthong; 05-01-19 at 03:43 AM.
05-01-19, 08:27 AM
#117
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That's crazy. I think I hit about 30 going down a steep hill last season but it was only to see how fast I could go before I pumped the breaks and I was pretty scared at that speed. I guess if you were pushing rather than cruising it would feel different but still, that's highway speeds for some people.
05-01-19, 09:13 AM
#118
Non omnino gravis
My wife does not like descending at speed. I would guess 35mph is probably her "do not exceed" speed. I've always thought that a big part of that relates to having lady hands and the corresponding lady hand strength. I have ape hands, so I've never felt like I couldn't squeeze the brakes hard enough to stop.
Zero big descents on my route today, so unless I get in behind a truck or happen into a massive tailwind, I don't expect to see a max speed above 31-32mph.
Zero big descents on my route today, so unless I get in behind a truck or happen into a massive tailwind, I don't expect to see a max speed above 31-32mph.
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05-01-19, 10:18 AM
#119
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I haven’t hit my limit yet. Fastest was 50mph but had to start braking for a rather tight curve.
05-02-19, 01:09 PM
#120
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I can not reach my limit, however I am guilty of going faster than I should (for the situation)
05-06-19, 12:33 PM
#121
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Title poses a question I've been thinking about lately. Last Fall I rode my Schwinn hybrid down a fairly steep hill on a well maintained road. At 29mph I started to give the bike a little brake. In otherwords, I didn't feel safe going over 29mph on that bike.
I have a new road bike and I've topped it off at like 24mph once. I wanted more but the grade didn't allow it. The new bike feels extremely confident in my hands and I am craving a long hill to see how fast I'll go before braking. It's pretty flat in these parts, western NY. Once the temperature warms I'll be riding more country roads outside of the metro population to see how I handle 30+mph.
So anyways, how fast do you go before you begin to get nervous.?? How fast before you start squeezing the brake lever softly.?? The world wants to know.... Ha.!!
This makes me think of Gilbert going over the wall in the Tour De France last year. Geeeeezum....
I have a new road bike and I've topped it off at like 24mph once. I wanted more but the grade didn't allow it. The new bike feels extremely confident in my hands and I am craving a long hill to see how fast I'll go before braking. It's pretty flat in these parts, western NY. Once the temperature warms I'll be riding more country roads outside of the metro population to see how I handle 30+mph.
So anyways, how fast do you go before you begin to get nervous.?? How fast before you start squeezing the brake lever softly.?? The world wants to know.... Ha.!!
This makes me think of Gilbert going over the wall in the Tour De France last year. Geeeeezum....
I can't go 35 on flat ground and I'm sure I never will be able to.
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05-06-19, 01:28 PM
#123
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You +40 mph guys are impressive (or as one poster noted: foolhardy 
). I brake to keep it below 35 or so.
). I brake to keep it below 35 or so.
05-06-19, 01:40 PM
#124
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Speed limit?
Top speed is, of course, a very individual thing. About 10 years ago, after reaching 50 mph many times, I was heading down the Santa Fe Ski basin(ave 6 to 7% grade) and was almost hitting 55 mph when the dreaded "wheel wobble"...or "death wobble" set in. (If you've never heard of it...google it. Interestingly I couldn't find a whole lot online,despite the fact that it is a common phenomenon.)I thought, "I'm dead". Somehow managed to gently pump brakes and get back control. My bike at the time was a 2010 Trek Madone 6.9 Pro. Point being, wheel wobble can happen on the best bikes. The general consensus is: Lighten up your grip on the bars, and....if possible, put one of your knees into the top tube. Anyhoo....I have not gone over 35 or so since. At nearly 75(years old) don't feel like pushing my luck.
PS: A good article about this by Mat Brett on roadcc.com
PS: A good article about this by Mat Brett on roadcc.com
Last edited by anandarider; 05-06-19 at 01:52 PM. Reason: Addition
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05-06-19, 01:50 PM
#125
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Only time I have ever gotten that, is by riding with one hand. And even then, it only happens with certain wheels, when combined with certain frames, which I suspect are the main culprit. Never had it happen at high speeds though, I'm sure that's not much fun.
